Every Bad Thing

Chapter Thirty-Five

"I'll let you stare at me for a minute, para mawala ang pagka-miss mo sa akin." I smoothly exclaimed.

His eyes widened a bit, looking slightly taken aback. I've always been like this to him from the very beginning, kaya minsan ay hindi ko makuha kung bakit nagugulat pa rin siya sa mga sinasabi ko

Seth laughed when he recovered from being stupefied. He shook his head. "You're really damn good at this."

My smile faded at his choice of words. I removed my hand from my chin and carefully sat up straight. I took my hand away from his, too. That made him realize my sudden shift in my mood.

"Did I say something wrong?" he anxiously asked.

I forced a smile before he could suspect even more and force me to tell him what's bothering me. Seth could be tenacious when he wants to. I shook my head. "Let's go?"

He stared at me for a while, like he's weighing if I'm telling the truth or not. Or he could probably tell but he's just deciding if he's gonna let it pass or not. He chose the former. Tumayo siya at kinuha muna ang itim na shoulder bag ko sa gilid ng lamesa bago inabot ang kamay sa akin. I flashed him a charming smile before accepting his hand. We walked outside the shop holding hands.

Seth asked if we could date. I indulged, wanting to take my mind off of... things. Sa coffee shop ako nagpasundo sa kanya dahil hindi niya ako pwedeng sunduin sa bahay. It's a Sunday, which means my parents are at home. My family with the exclusion of Hadeon doesn't know that I'm dating a college professor! And it's better that way. Hindi ko rin naman gusto na malaman nila.

Sa Tagaytay ako dinala ni Seth. We ate at a fancy restaurant that he made prior reservations with. He got us the perfect spot with a wonderful overlooking of Taal lake. Halatang pinaghandaan niya ang araw na ito. It touched my damaged heart a bit. 

We ate dinner as the sun sets. After eating, we talked about random things over wine. He told me stories about different students that he encountered when he deliberated students and allowed them to view their grades these past two days. Kahapon kasi natapos ang second semester para sa academic year na ito.

The last day of semester is also the reason why he's extra bold when he asked me if we could go out last night. Professors aren't allowed to be seen spending time with students outside the campus, unless it's academic related and an approved one, at that. 

I sipped on the wine glass, savoring the taste as I looked at the pinkish violet sky. The stars were already showing.

"L..." I heard Seth say. He sounded a bit hesitant. I averted my eyes from the breathtaking view and turned my attention to him. He looked as unsure as he sounded.

"What is it, Sir?" I looked at him with an amused smile.

He closed his eyes. He breathed in deep before opening his eyes to look at me again. "I want... a serious relationship with you."

Coldness traveled inside my body like fire.My smile dropped.

Seth didn't say a word. He remained quiet, waiting a response from me. I didn't speak. I was afraid that this moment will come. 

"L?" he urged when I still haven't said anything.

"We should..." I breathed out. "stop seeing each other."

The hope in his eyes fell down. His face turned pale. He sat up straight and move towards the edge of his seat. He reached my hands from the top of the table.

"L, no..." he shook his head. His eyes were wild with horror.

"I'm sorry, Seth. Sinabi ko naman sa'yo diba? From the very beginning, I told you that I can't deal with anything serious..." I said the words carefully, not wanting the blow to be too hard.