Play The Game (COMPLETED)

Chapter 31

"Accused you of what?" he asked, breaking the silence. He was now looking at me. His eyes were on me. I... got scared. I could already see the guilt in his eyes. Hindi ko kayang dagdagan. Ayokong dagdagan.

"Katherine—"

"I don't want to tell you this," I said, my voice breaking.

His jaw clenched. "You have to tell me."

Marahas akong umiling. "I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you how he punched me, how he threw me, how he pushed me around... 'wag na 'to... Please..." pakiusap ko sa kanya habang unti-unting lumalabo ang paningin ko. "Jax, please... Don't make me do this..."

He was breathing deeply. His eyes boring a hole in my face.

"I need to know."

"No."

"Katherine—"

"Please, kahit ito na lang iyong ibigay mo sa 'kin. Ayokong sabihin. Kahit ito na lang, Jax..." I begged. Would it change anything if I tell him that he's the reason why I went to Batangas? Would it bring Kier's life? I would take it to my grave if I had to. Hinding-hindi ko sasabihin sa kanya na siya iyong dahilan. I wouldn't do that to him. I would never do that to him.

His lips were pursed. From his eyes, I could feel the rage slowly building. But I was decided. Hindi ko sasabihin. I would not let him carry that guilt around. I would not allow him to.

Nanginginig ang mga kamay ko na inabot ang baso sa gitna ng lamesa. I needed to pull through. I had been here for only over a day... I would be here for months... Hindi ko alam kung paano ako tatagal... Pero kailangan kong tumagal. Jax promised. I would stand by his promise.

"After... after that," I began again. I would tell him everything. Not just that. "We went to the beach house. Kier wanted to go there. Pinipilit niya na doon kami pumunta."

Jax held on to his pen. Iniwasan kong mapa-ngiti nang makita ko kung ano ang tatak nun. I guessed... I guessed some things just never changed. At least, that.

"Why?" he asked, still looking like he would search the world to look for the answer to his question. But he should know that I was also willing to go to the world's end just to save him.

Maybe... maybe he still loves me... but I love him more than life itself.

"Hindi ko alam. He was... he was persistent that we go there. And he also suggested that we go abroad," I mentioned. "He wanted to go to New York to visit his brother. Sabi niya, baka magtagal daw kami doon."

Jax's eyes looked empty. He looked so tired. I knew that it was hard for him to drive to Batangas just to see me... But he was still here. He's always here. Kahit na galit siya sa akin, hindi siya nagdalawang isip na puntahan ako. He lied to save face, but Joey told me that he's here without her forcing him.

"Any particular reason why he would want to do that?" he asked, his voice now impassive.

"Hindi ko alam. He was usually always preoccupied with work. But..." I said as I tried to hard to rack my mind. I tried to remember that night. That one night when he went home. He was so mad. I tried to calm him down, but he was raging mad. Akala ko sasaktan niya ako. But he just threw a glass across the wall before he stormed out. I got a cut on my chin from the shards of glass. It was just that... but I was shaking from fear.

"But what?" he asked.

"Weeks before that, he went home. He was saying something about work. Galit na galit siya. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit siya galit. Hindi ko nagawang magtanong kasi natakot ako na baka ako naman 'yung makita niya..."