Phoenix vs Janna

Chapter 32

Janna grabbed Phoenix by the wrist when he stood up to leave.

"Wait! Anong sinasabi mo? Anong nangyari kagabi?"

Phoenix took her hand off his wrist roughly.

"Sa susunod, huwag kang iinom ng madami kung magkakalat ka lang din pala!" He continued towards the door.

Janna followed him.

"Rich Boy, wait!"

Outside, Janna rushed forward to bar his way.

"Sandali muna! Anong sinasabi mo? May nangyari ba sa atin?"

"Hindi mo maalala? Have you gone so low that you can now sleep with anyone you just happened to pick up somewhere, Hellcat?" He said angrily.

Janna slapped him hard.

Phoenix suddenly grabbed her and kissed her roughly. Janna struggled but he pressed her even closer against him.

"Hindi mo pa rin maalala?" He asked after releasing her.

Janna stared at him mutely as her memory of last night came rushing back.

-o-

Phoenix somehow drove her home. After struggling with her apartment keys, Phoenix impatiently took it and opened the door for her.

Once inside, she fell flat on the sofa, and would have gone on to sleep there.  She heard him asking where Jake was.  She had replied drunkenly that Jake was probably asleep in the other room. He reluctantly helped her up and managed to get her inside her bedroom.

Once there, Janna fell immediately into bed. She remembered Phoenix curtly saying he was leaving.

Janna had replied sleepily her thanks, and asked him to lock the door.  She waved her hand, her eyes closed, ready to fall asleep.

Her fingers touched his hand as he was turning away. That touch triggered long-buried memories, and she automatically grasped it tightly. Phoenix tensed, but he remained unresponsive.

Janna withdrew her hand as sleep claimed her.

Phoenix closed his hand over hers and leaned closer.

They both operated on pure instinct, silently remembering a closeness their minds forced them to forget.

-o-

"Oh no... no... what have you done?" Janna said, horrified.

"Cut the bullshit! You wanted it too!"

"You took advantage of the situation. Shit ka, Phoenix Araneta!"

"Hey, don't act so innocent kung gagawa ka ng ka-cheapan!"

Janna flinched as if he had slapped her.

The door opened.

"Jang-jang...?" Jake asked.

"Paalis na siya..." Janna managed to say in a normal voice.

Phoenix nodded curtly to both of them, then left.

"I feel like may nagawa akong mali..." Jake said after a few minutes that they stood together in silence.

"Dapat ba nagalit ako?" He continued.

"Oh, Jakey! Everything's a mess. Pero wala kang kasalanan. Kasalanan ko!" Janna said, her tears finally falling.

-o-

"Okay, so we come to the last item on our agenda. We will be starting the area survey of the Quezon project. Who has the bandwidth for this?" Nina, their team lead asked. They were in an all-hands planning meeting.