Play The Game (COMPLETED)

Chapter 27

"I don't want anything to do with you. Tanga ka na ba ngayon? Bakit hindi mo maintindihan?"

Nabigo ako.

Nagsimulang tumulo ang luha sa mga mata ko. Pilit ko silang pinunasan, pero mas mabilis sila.

"S-Sorry. Gusto ko lang naman na tuparin 'yung pangako—"

"You broke my heart before. You can a break promise."

Ipinikit ko ang mga mata ko. I deserved this. I did this to him. I turned him into someone... like this.

He snatched the flowers from my hands, and then looked at me. "I'll remind you again. Ayaw na kitang makita. I hope this is the last time you'd show your face," he said before he went back to the girl he was with.

I hope she knew how lucky she was.

I hope she'd take care of him.

Ramdam ko iyong luha sa mga mata ko. Ni hindi ko magawang iangat ang ulo ko dahil sa takot na may maka-kita sa akin. I promised myself that that night was the last time that I'd let myself be that vulnerable... but every time I'd remember him, I kept on failing.

I still feel the pain.

Mere memories of him were enough to make me feel that familiar ache.

But when the door swung open, my heart began to beat erratically. Mabilis na umawang ang labi ko. Mabilis na nanginig ang buong sistema ko.

"Kausapin mo na 'yang kliyente mo. Mamaya dadating na 'yung prosec," sabi ng pulis bago mabilis na isinarado iyong pinto.

Hindi ako maka-galaw.

Hindi ako maka-hinga.

Gusto kong tanungin kung panaginip ba 'to...

Kung siya ba talaga iyong nasa harap ko.

Parang biglang bumagal ang oras. Hindi ko maialis ang mga mata ko sa kanya dahil sa takot na baka bigla na lang siyang mawala sa paningin ko. Gusto kong tumayo. Gusto kong lumapit. Gusto kong humingi ng tawad.

Ang dami kong gustong gawin.

Baka wala na akong oras.

Hindi ko alam.

His jaw was dangerously clenched. He wasn't looking at me. I could see him breathing deeply. I knew he was just forced to be here. He just won against Congressman Ramirez. Tapos... nandito na naman siya ngayon.

Realization dawned on me.

"I want another lawyer," I said.

I began to remember hearing Jax's name in hushed conversations. I remember how the whole Ramirez family hated him for winning the case. Ang daming sumubok na abogado, pero si Jax lang ang nagtagumpay. I always knew he was brilliant... He dropped the criminal case and pursued the civil case. It cost the Ramirez family millions in damages and reparations.

His eyes darted on me. Muling nag-igting ang panga niya.

"Didn't you hear me? I want another lawyer," I said through gritted teeth. I'd rather rot in jail than to have him killed. Natatakot ako sa pwedeng gawin sa kanya. Ayoko. Ako na lang. 'Wag siya.

Jax loosened the tie he was wearing. He didn't move. He kept a distance between us.

Binuksan niya iyong pinto sa gilid niya. Akala ko ay susundin niya ako, pero nagulat ako nang humingi siya ng bagong damit. Ayaw siyang pagbigyan, pero nagalit siya. Hindi ko alam ang gagawin.

I didn't know this Jax.

I couldn't recognize him.

He threw the clean set of clothes on the table.

"Magpalit ka. Bilisan mo," sabi niya bago mabilis na lumabas sa pintuan. Naiwan ako na naka-tulala, hindi alam ang gagawin. Nang bumalik siya, hindi pa rin ako gumagalaw. "Gusto mo bang ako pa ang magbihis sa 'yo?"

Nanginginig ang mga kamay ko na nagpalit ako ng damit. Inilagay ko iyong sa evidence bag na inilagay niya rin sa lamesa. Nang bumalik siyang muli, iniabot niya iyong lalagyan sa pulis na naghihintay sa labas ng pinto.

Muli, binalot kami ng katahimikan.

"I—" I began, but I was quickly cut off. Jax stood right in front of me, his eyes boring a hole into my soul. My chest tightened—the mere sight of him was enough to render me speechless.

"They're building a case of parricide against you," simula niya.

"I want another lawyer," ulit ko.

He placed his hands on the table. "Your fingerprints are all over the knife," sabi niya, pagbabalewala sa sinabi ko.

"Hindi mo ba ako narinig? Gusto ko ng—"

"No one's accepting your case. Do you think I want to do this? I'm just here because Joey forced me," marahas na sabi niya sa akin. Parang muli niya akong sinampal ng katotohanan na ayaw niya akong makita. Na kahit ilang taon na ang lumipas, ganoon pa rin katindi ang galit na nararamdaman niya para sa akin.

"I'll get a public defender. I don't care. Basta hindi ikaw."

Kita ko kung paano unti-unting lumalalim ang paghinga niya. Kung paano nag-iigting sa galit ang panga niya. Kung paano tila bumubuga ng apoy ang mga mata niya.

"Mrs. Ramirez—"

"Don't call me that."

"You are Mrs. Ramirez. You married him, remember?" he asked, his eyes staring intently into mine. "Listen to me. Outside is the whole Ramirez family. They want you dead—not behind bars, but dead."

Ipinikit ko ang mga mata ko.

Better me than him.

I didn't have anything to live for, anyway.

"I know."

Itinuwid niya ang tayo. Tumalikod siya sa akin. Ramdam ko pa rin ang tensyon sa na naka-palibot sa kwarto. Kita ko sa pagtaas-baba ng mga balikat niya. Muli niyang niluwagan iyong suot niyang necktie. He rolled up his sleeves. And he put his glasses on the table.

"Save yourself, Jax. Leave. I'm good as dead anyway."

Umiling siya. Nag-aapoy ang mga mata. He's not my Jax. He's so different now.

"No. The fight hasn't begun yet," he said, placing both his hands on the table as he stared right into my eyes. "Now, tell me what happened that night."