Dating Alys Perez (PUBLISHED)

Chapter 31

I closed and even deleted her message. This was bad. Wala namang ginagawang masama sa akin si Kei yet somewhere within me, I was starting to hate her. Ang hirap sa pakiramdam na yung mismong taong itinuturing mo na best friend, pinagdududahan mo na rin. Where's the sense of living kung yung mismong mga taong dapat pinagkakatiwalaan mo ay pinagdududahan mo?

I need a resolve. Hindi pwede na ganito na lang ng ganito. I'd die early kung puro ganito na lang ang mangyayari sa buhay ko.

Kinuha ko ang phone ko at nagtext kay Kei. 

'Yup. See you!'

See you, Kei. And talk to you, as well. I can't keep living like this. All these paranoia will be the death of me.

--

"Mr. Montreal, my daughter, Alys," my Dad said, introducing me to one of his business partners, I think. Ganito na lang palagi tuwing may business functions kaya ayoko na nagpupunta sa ganito. Ang daming tao and they can't seriously expect me to remember every single one of them, right?

The old man smiled at me and introduced me to his daughter. "This is my daughter Nathalia." The girl smiled at me.

"Hi," I said. She hid behind his father and then looked at me. I smiled at her and then waved goodbye as I went to grab a drink.

I was busy sipping my wine when a hand rested on my shoulder. "Thank goodness a familiar soul!"

I turned around and saw Kei breathing heavily. She looked stunning, as per usual. "Hey," I said.

She grabbed a drink and drank it all at once. "Hey!" she said after finishing her glass. "Glad you're here! Goodness, bigla lang akong pinapunta ni mom saying she was supposed to be here but she can't so apparently I'm filling in for her. Ikaw? You're with your family?"

I timidly nodded. "May kasama ka ba?" I asked, silently wishing na hindi siya kasama ni Tripp.

She shook her head. "Nope. Last minute decision. But I'm ecstatic you're here!"

I smiled at her. How did I ever doubt her? She'll never hurt me... intentionally at that.

The event started a bit later after the dinner was served. Each of us were given numbers. Dad said I could spend only a million for tonight. As if naman may bibilin ako sa human bidding. 

"N-nakita mo ba si Tripp?" 

Kei looked at me and arched her brow. "Are you two fighting?"

Hard as I try to deny it, hindi ko kaya. It was so damn obvious. Hindi na kami magkasama ngayon. Back then, we were inseperable by any human means. 

She shook her head. "I saw him last time. You two should talk, you know. Walang sense ang pag iwas sa problem because admit it or not, hindi naman nawawala yun. The problem's still there. You're just prolonging the agony."

Sana nga kasi ganun lang kadali yun. That confronting the demons of your life is easy... but it's not. Problems were there to keep our feet on the ground, to remind us that no matter how perfect our life may seem, somewhere along the way, something will mess up and will burst our pretty, little bubble of perfect life.

"Sana nga..."

She hit my shoulder. "Stop the pity party, Perez! Come on. We both know na parang aso si Tripp dati kung humabol sa'yo. Don't let him turn the situation upside down! You're a wonderful person, okay? Don't let someone let you forget that."

I smiled at her. "I really missed you."

She winked at me. "Same here, same here."

The event formally started.