Road to your Heart: Starting line (Book 1 of Road trilogy)

Kabanata 45

"Uh..." sumulyap ako kay Kuya Marcus na kunot noong nakatingin kay Chinky.

"Chinky-" Sinubukan ni Xander na sumali peri agad na nag salita si Chinky.

"Ah! Kasi may lakad ka noon with that unknown friend of yours, diba? Who was it? At saan kayo nagpunta?"

I bit my lip. Nakababa na ang mga kubyertos ni Chinky at nasa akin na mismo ang atensyon.

"That's her privacy you're invading, Chinky."

Nilingon niya si Kuya Marcus.

"Oh? I thought you shouldn't keep secrets from your family?" Her head turned to me again.

Walang nagsalita. Wala rin akong masabi. Tingin ko ay kahit anong sabihin ko ay walang saysay dahil ito naman talaga ang gusto niyang gawin. To humiliate me. It became a part of this family's tradition.

"Ah..." Sumandal siya sa back rest ng inuupuan niya at biglang nawala ang ngiti sa labi. "You don't know that. You don't have a family. My bad." She raised an eyebrow.

"Shut the fuck up," Kuya Marcus hissed. Agad kong hinawakan ang braso niya. It's shaking under my touch. Nothing could really trigger him this much. Si Chinky lang.

"That's it. Come on," Tumayo si Xander at tinignan si Chinky. Doon ko lamang siya natignan.

Nanginginig rin ang kamay ni Xander. He's pissed too but I don't know if I should comfort him too...

"What?" inosenteng tumingala si Chinky kay Xander.

"Having you here is a bad idea. Tara na sa loob,"

Tumawa si Chinky kahit na kunot ang noo. Humawak siya sa kanyang dibdib.

"Having me... is a bad idea? Mali ata, Xander. Having her..." tinuro niya ako. "In this family is a bad idea. Bakit biglang ako?"

"We would rather have her than you if we were given a choice," si Kuya Marcus.

"Kuya..." I squished his arm.

They shouldn't be affected by this. Immune ako sa ganito. They don't need to defende me.

"Shut it, Chinky-"

"You shut up, Xander!"

Tumanyo siya at seryosong seryoso nang nakatingin kay Xander.

"Why are you defending her? You hated her, right? You still hate her! She hates you too-"

"I said stop it-" Hinawakan ni Xander ang braso niya pero hinawi iyon ni Chinky at hinarap ako.

"Diba Jessica? You hate him! So why are you defending her, Alexander?"

"Tara na," si Xander.

"No! Answer me, Jessica. You hate him, right? Him defending you doesn't matter to you because you hate him. Right?"

Nilingon rin ako ni Xander. He eyed me. Binalik ko ang mata ko kay Chinky. Pinagtaasan niya ako ng kilay.

"Chinky-"

"Oh. Wala kang masagot? Hmm..." Itinuko niya ang dalawang kamay niya sa magkabila niya sa lamesa at inilapit ang mukha sa akin.

"So you don't hate him now?"

I blinked twice. I open my mouth to speak pero walang lumalabas na salita. Ang kaninang malakas na labog ng dibdib ko ay lalong lumakas habang tinititigan ko siya pabalik. Something inside of me is telling me to run away from her and another is telling me to tell it straight to her face.

Chinky let out a mocking laugh.

"Wow. Really, Jessica-"

"Guys tawag kayo sa loob..." sabay sabay kaming lumingon kay Margou na kararating lang.