Will You Ever Notice? (Bad Girls Series #2)

Chapter 21

Seve cursed loudly and I heard a thud like he kicked his car wheel before he rode his car and left. 

Nabalot kaming dalawa ni Lael ng katahimikan. 

Sa paggalaw ng balikat n'ya, alam kong malalim pa rin ang paghinga n'ya sa galit. He's calming himself down, I realized. 

He shouldn't be involved in this mess. Magkaibigan kami... at wala naman s'yang ginawang masama. 

Lumapit ako kay Lael at isinandal ang noo ko sa likod n'ya. I felt him froze. 

I feel so bad right now. All he brought to my life was warmness and peace. Pero ang ibinibigay ko sa kan'ya, parating gulo at pag-aalala.

"Sorry," I mumbled. 

Napapikit ako nang nabalot ulit kaming dalawa ni Lael ng katahimikan ng gabi.

Ang ingay ng puso ko dahil sa naramdamang kaba dahil sa nangyari kanina. Parang ngayon ko lang 'yon narinig dahil masyadong nabuhos ang atensyon ko sa nangyayari sa kanilang dalawa ni Seve.

Dahil sa bilis ng tibok ng puso ko, nararamdaman ko ang kaunting pagkirot no'n sa bawat malalim na tibok. I tried to calm it down throught breathing.

If Lael didn't pull away, I feel like they'd actually throw a punch at each other. Napabuga ako ng hangin. I never liked violence. Madalas na mapa-away si Seve pero hindi si Lael. I know that it's not his thing too.

Alam kong kayang ipaglaban ni Lael ang sarili n'ya. It's just that... I don't want him to hurt himself. I don't want him to hurt someone. Lael's not like that. He shouldn't be like that just because of me. 

Lael slowly turned around to face me pero hindi ko na nakita pa ang ekspresyon n'ya dahil dahan-dahan na n'ya akong hinila sa isang yakap.

I can still feel him slightly shaking, maybe because of his anger. I've never seen him that angry, na parang kaunting tulak na lang, mapuputol na ang pising pumipigil sa kan'ya. 

And although I feel awed that he can be that angry for my sake; because he's worried about me and he cares about me, ayoko nang makitang magkagano'n ulit s'ya.

Anger is a toxic feeling. Something that feels really damaging and stressful. Feelings like that are things I don't want him to have. 

Because he deserves better. 

"Sorry, I was late," Lael mumbled.

Inisip ko na ngayong gabi ang tinutukoy n'ya. Na dapat, mas maaga s'yang dumating para hindi na ako naabutan pa ni Seve. Pero pakiramdam ko, may iba pa s'yang pakahulugan sa sinabi n'ya.

But silently, I agreed with him. Kahit ano man ang tinutukoy n'ya... oo. I pursed my lips. Sana mas maaga kitang nakilala.

Nang kumalas s'ya sa yakap, nakita kong itinabon ni Lael ang kanang kamay n'ya sa mga mata at bumuga s'ya ng hangin habang hawak naman ng kaliwang kamay n'ya ang kanan kong kamay.

Pinagmasdan ko s'ya habang kinakalma n'ya ang sarili. He's wearing a black round-neck shirt and a pair of jeans, just like what he usually wears. But still, he looks good in it.

Ibinaba ko ang tingin ko sa kamay naming magkahawak at naramdaman ko ang pagkalma ng nararamdaman ko.

I think I was scared earlier. I was scared for Lael. Na baka masaktan s'ya o makasakit s'ya. I don't like that.

"Let's pick Caleb up," he mumbled and he pulled me towards his nearby car.

Pinagmasdan ko ang sasakyan n'ya. Mukhang hindi na n'ya naisip pang iparada ang sasakyan kanina dahil sa pagmamadali. Bukas pa ang pinto ng driver's seat at parang nalimutang isarado.