Hindi na 'to prank! Sorry for the confusion yesterday. I accidentally hit the Publish button while writing, so I had to Unpublish it right away. Na-pressure tuloy ako bilisan ang update to compensate. Gomen! Here's the real update! Hehe.
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Chapter 29
Letters
Napakurap-kurap ako. I couldn't help but compare Mr. Giovanni I first knew to the Giovanni in front of me now.
Sinong mag-aakala, na ang tao na kung makatingin noon ay parang hinuhusgahan lagi ang motibo sa bawat galaw ko... at ang lalaking nagpapahiwatig ng kanyang motibo ngayon, ay iisa?
I'm not a dumb fool not to notice his furtive advances. I've seen guys like this before, or at least in the movies I've watched and the books I've read.
You know, I was just acting like a blind fool to evade the embarrassment and electrified sensation I was getting from his flirty gestures.
It felt... dangerous... and addicting at the same time, making it even more dangerous.
And when danger comes, I don't want to commit the same mistake again. Now, I need to pause, analyze, and comprehend. Not that I intended to assume—putting malice like that—but I just wanted to make sure, and be safe than sorry.
Hindi pwedeng bumigay lang ako at maniwalang totoo ang lahat ng nakikita at naririnig ko. Masyado na akong nadala. Nakakapagod masaktan at madismaya.
What if he's just fooling around? Or this is his true nature that he keeps from everyone? His original character when no one is looking?
Bigla kong naalala ang sinabi niya kanina. He let me see parts of himself... even the parts he's afraid to show to anyone else.
Nagawa kong idirekta ang pansin sa partikular na parteng iyon. Pinaalala ko sa sarili ang layunin ng usapang ito. Na dapat iwasan ang mga... walang katuturang bagay.
Somehow, it felt like I could fathom what he pointed out earlier. I witnessed his hidden dark side at times from afar. Para man sa akin o para sa ibang tao.
I saw him smile with his heart, I also caught him curl his lip when no one was looking. You name it.
Hindi ko nga lang tiyak dati kung tama ba ang nakikita ko o namamalik-mata lang ba ako. But hearing him talk about it right now made me learn that I was right all along.
He was a two-faced jerk... a total asshole. All this time, his golden child image was just a facade.
Tumalim ang tingin ko rito. Saka ko lang natantong hindi na ako halos nahinga nang napagdesisyunang magsalita.
"You treated me worse than anyone else, Gio. Paano ako maniniwala?" Napailing ako, gulong-gulo na. "You manipulated me... apologized, earned my trust, and then tricked me again. It was an endless cycle! What's the difference now?"
"I manipulated you..." he repeated in disbelief as if that certain phrase touched a nerve or something. "Tell me more about it then."
"It's too many to mention. Alam kong alam mo-"
"I don't care. Try me." His face grew serious.
I thought going through the most recent one of his manipulative plots was a better option.
Isa pa, balak ko rin naman talagang i-address ang isyung ito, hindi nga lang dapat ngayon...
"I've mentioned it before... but I wasn't my usual self when it happened. S-Sobrang frustrated at... pagod ako noon sa after party ninyo kasama si Yves." Bumuga ako ng malalim na hininga. "You asked me to wear something revealing and malicious, right? For what? To make it look like I was seducing him? And get caught by your friends? Alam kong planado ang lahat ng iyon. Planado mo! Hindi ko nga lang alam kung sino ang biktima mo sa aming dalawa. Kung si Yves ba o ako."
"You still believe that nonsense?" His eyes narrowed at me. "I did that to protect your reputation from an impending scandalous disgrace."
"What? How will I know that? If you're being honest right now, then, where's your proof?"
"That's the truth. I advised you to dress similarly to Yves' paramour, because they were frequently caught on cam at Yvonne's party."
Para akong nalagutan ng hininga. Gustuhin ko mang itanggi, pero ako mismo, natunghayan ko ang mga litratong iyon.
Indeed, they were captured in the background. Kaya hindi masyadong maaninag ang mukha ng babae sa partikular na sandaling iyon. Totoong maraming pictures na tulad nito ang naka-post sa social media.
Some even blew up because most of the photos spotlighted Giovanni in the center... being surrounded by girls... with Yves and his whore at the far-flung corner of the garden doing something forbidden.
Malaki nga ang tsansa, kung ganoon, na sumabog ang eskandalo kung napansin ng mga tao, na hindi girlfriend ni Yves ang kahalikan niya noon.
Biglang nanuyo ang lalamunan ko. I couldn't imagine the disgrace it would bring me...
"I made sure to make it seem as though the two of you were the same person, Ophelia, to prevent that scandalous affair from setting in. Do you understand that?"
Right. Ulrik assumed that I was the girl who attended Yvonne's party with Yves. Why?
Because the girl's face was difficult to see in the photos. Natabunan iyon ng katawan ni Yves kaya maaari pang masalba bago magka-issue!
Marami pa akong katanungan tungkol doon, pero nilubos ko na ang pagkakataon para pagtagpi-tagpiin ang lahat sa pagitan ng mga paniniwala ko at sa paliwang ni Gio ngayon. I wanted to get everything over and done with.
"If there was something I manipulated, it was the situation, Ophelia. Not you..."
Muli kong binalik ang atensiyon sa kanya at napalunok nang malalim. Agad akong sinalubong ng namumungay niyang mga mata.
"Kung gano'n, paano mo ipapaliwanag ang isyu na involve ang CBI Head Director? N-Noon sa competition? You involved me to save yourself from any blame. You framed me!"
My throat quivered at the thought of discussing things related to the CBI Awards last year.
Sa kabila ng paglalim ng gabi, pinakita niyang handa siyang magpaliwanag sa lahat ng gumugulo sa isip ko nang abutin niya ang braso ko para suyuin ito, animo'y mabubura ang galit ko sa oras na gawin niya iyon, kasabay ng paglambot ng kanyang hitsura.
"What about it? You tell me," banayad niyang wika.
"It was you, right? Iyong nahuling kasama ng Head Director? Pinasuot mo sa akin ang belt na gamit mo sa transaksiyon para ilihis sayo ang atensiyon. Para hindi ka paghinalaan... First, we talked about the revealing party clothes, then now, the fashion belt! Am I your dress up doll or something? You gave me one of the potential evidence, Gio. That belt... that belt put me at risk!"
I didn't know if my vision was fooling me, or if I did catch a glint of hurt in his eyes.
Nanatili ang marahan niyang haplos sa aking braso nang hirap siyang tumango, para ipakitang naiintindihan niya ang nararamdaman ko.
"I'm sorry you felt that way. I had no idea..."
Hindi ako nakaimik. Ilang sandali bago gumuhit ang munting ngiti sa kanyang mga labi bago muling magsalita.
"You're right. It was me... not Pascual," aniya sa namamaos na boses. "But I didn't do that to cheat, Ophelia. We met because Mr. Esporlas is one of the major investors in the company that, let's say, I work for... It was purely about business and his assets."
Naalala ko iyon. Pero hindi ako makapaniwalang inaamin niya ang mga ito sa akin ngayon. Sa harap ko mismo.
He didn't disclose it at that time. Surely, he didn't do all those preventive measures just to hide the truth for nothing. But right now, he's exposing himself and the lies he made in front of me.
Hindi ko alam kung anong mararamdaman ko sa mga oras na iyon. Parang umurong ang dila ko at naubos ang mga salita. Parang naglaho ang hinanaing ko dahil lang umamin siyang tama ako... na nagsinungaling siya.
His Adam's apple moved when he swallowed. Inalis na niya ang pagkakadekwatro upang ibuhos sa akin ang buong atensiyon.
"And that belt. I let you wear that, not because I planned to tamper with the evidence, sweetheart... but because I trusted you to look after it. I hate to admit it, but it's been sort of... a lucky charm for me."
Lucky charm? The belt? It was his...
My eyes dilated in shock. But in return, Giovanni smiled weakly at me before bringing my hand to his lips, giving it a soft and fleeting kiss.
"I'm sorry if you felt wronged. I promise I will make it up to you..."
Unti-unti kong binawi ang kamay nang nakaramdam ng banyagang paso mula roon... patungo sa braso, batok, at sa buong katawan ko.
I caressed my forehead as I shook my head in utter disbelief and confusion.
Disbelief because all this time, I misinterpreted his motives. I miscalculated his actions and judged his intentions with prejudice and clouded sentiments.
Confused—because the revelations were too overwhelming. Parang sasabog ang utak ko.
"I-I'm sorry... I didn't know..."
Nanginig ang mga labi ko nang nagawa ko nang magsalita pagkalipas ng ilang minuto.
"That's okay. It's my fault."
"But it's your lucky charm... Mahalaga iyon."
He smirked languidly before caressing my cheek.
"I'm sure he'll understand."
"He?" I thought it was his?
"Yes, Ophelia. He," Gio confirmed vaguely before looking away to cover his mouth. "It was given to me by an old friend... It was his present."
"Oh." Saka ko lamang naintindihan.
Then, that old friend must've been so important and precious that he would treasure that gift so much. To the point he'd consider it a lucky charm...
Wala sa sarili kong hinaplos ang suot na singsing bago mapasinghanp nang naalala ang oras.
"Uh... M-Masyado nang late. Tama na muna 'yon sa ngayon. At salamat sa... pagsagot ng mga katanungan ko."
Imbes na sumagot, tuluyan nang sinakop ng kanyang kamay ang bibig bago pumikit nang ilang sandali.
Akmang tatayo na sana ako, ngunit sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon, bigla niyang inabot ang aking palapulsuhan.
Surprised and perplexed at the same time, I darted my eyes at him as he gently grazed his hand from my wrist all the way down to my fingertips.
"How about you? You had me wrapped around your little finger, too... Ms. Mallari."
Gulantang akong napatitig sa kanya. Hindi pa nakatulong ang mga daliri niya sa mga daliri ko. Tila nanunukso!
Lalo na nang bigkasin niya ang apelyidong iyon. Para akong nahiya sa sarili nang nakaramdam ng insulto mula sa paraan niya ng pagtawag sa akin.
What's wrong with you, Riz?
Pagak akong humalakhak para tabunan ang pagkagitla sabay bawi ng kamay ko. He smirked.
"Kailan? I never controlled or manipulated you so what are you talking about? That's your game, Mr. Smith," I mimicked the way he called me, taunting him.
Suplado niyang tinaas ang kilay sa akin, pero bakas ang pagkalibang sa hitsura.
"Yeah? You think I won't know?"
Naningkit ang mga mata ko sa kanya.
What is he talking about? Me? Controlling him? That's nearly impossible! Is he fooling around right now?
"You were a fickle little fellow, Ophelia, pulling a fast on me like that," animo'y puno ng hinanakit niyang sambit habang inaalala ang kung ano sa nakaraan, kahit may multo naman ng ngisi sa mga labi.
I frowned before standing in front of him, trying to act tough and serious for him to take me seriously, too.
The fact that I stood tall in front of his face while he was still sitting, it gave me a stupid feeling of satisfaction and dominance. Nahihibang na ata ako!
"What do you mean?" Nagawa ko pa talagang magtaas-noo.
But everything was short-lived when Giovanni sprung up from his seat and towered over me with overbearing arrogance. He slowly rested his hand on the table, closing the distance between us until he managed to corner me.
Agad nabahag ang buntot ko at napaiwas ng tingin.
"Have you already forgotten? You deceived me into thinking you were in favor of me... only to find out that you were siding with that bastard Lozano," mapanganib niyang sambit.
Halos mabali ang leeg ko nang tumingala ako rito para lang iproseso ang narinig sa kanya.
"Huh?" Pero hindi ko talaga makuha!
He almost rolled his eyes as he crouched to lean closer. Nang ilang pulgada na lang ang lapit sa akin, mariin akong napapikit hanggang sa narinig ko ang mahina niyang halakhak sa gilid ng aking mukha. Uminit ang pisngi ko.
Saka ko lang nagawang imulat ang mga mata nang abutin niya ang kamay ko para ilapag doon ang isang pirasong yukot-yukot na papel.
Noong una, wala akong ideya kung para saan iyon. Anong koneksiyon nito sa mga binibintang niya? Is he asking me to throw this for him?
Pero sa sandaling nakilala ko ang pamilyar na papel at ang kakutya-kutyang mensahe, para akong nakakita ng multo.
There's this faketard.
Shithead thinks
so highly of himself.
Lo and behold,
a nasty piece of work.
A two-faced troll
talks bullshit and all.
Boom. Poetry.
Even then, and until now, I still believe that it was a nasty piece of work. It didn't deserve to be called poetry. It was a piece of trash.
Pero taliwas doon ang opinyon ng sarili ko mula sa nakaraan, dalawang taon nang nakalilipas.
Desperate and thirsty for validation, the old Ophelia would raise hell just to identify the poet behind this... poetry.
Hindi ko nga lang alam kung bakit nasa kamay ko ito ngayon. Kaya bago pa man ako lamunin ng masalimuot na nakaraan kasama si Yves, iiling-iling kong binalik sa kamay ni Gio ang papel at tinulak siya palayo sa akin.
"B-Bakit nasayo ang sulat na 'yan?"
I tried evading his brooding eyes, but then he lifted my chin to hold my attention, leaving me no escape at all.
"I have it because it's mine."
What? Seryoso ba ito?
To think that this man–inches away from me and watching me intently like a hawk–was the original writer of this piece, it didn't make any sense!
Mas madaling paniwalaan na siya ang tinutukoy sa tulang ito kaysa paniwalain ang sariling siya ang may gawa nito.
No matter how I viewed it, he perfectly fit every line and description of the poem. Kaya paanong siya rin ang nagsulat nito?
"It was written by Yves. Sinabi niya sa akin at..." I paused.
"At?" Ikiniling niya ang ulo para hulihin ang tingin ko.
Napalunok ako. "A-At tungkol sayo ang sulat na 'yan. He hates you..."
Gio shifted on his feet before he tore his fingers through his hair, giving out a low growl of a chuckle. Mukhang inaasahan nang magulat pero hindi pa rin naiwasang madismaya.
"You really see the worst in me, huh?"
"Nagsasabi ako ng totoo. Inamin niya sa akin!"
"I know."
"Huh? Iyon naman pala. Kung ganoon, para saan pa-"
"I know that he used my letter to get closer to you."
Napakurap-kurap ako. Para akong nabingi.
Hindi niya nagustuhan ang naging reaksiyon ko kaya muli siyang lumapit sa akin. Tahimik, marahan, at naninimbang ang kilos.
His forehead puckered when he worked his jaw as if recalling something.
"He took advantage of the situation when you assumed that he wrote the letter... That you were on the same page–the two of you... against me."
I hate to admit... but it was true. I simply assumed that Yves was the one I communicated with through the letters.
When I asked him about it, he flat-out confirmed that he really was. But every time I initiated to talk about it further, he'd decline and change the topic... or gaslight me.
So, hearing these words from Gio... I don't know... but my chest tightened, knowing that he was aware that we almost conspired against him.
Inalala ko ang mga usapan namin ni Yves dati, kung paano ko nakumbinsi ang sarili na siya nga ang nasa likod ng mga palihim na sulat—at na si Gio ang tinutukoy sa tula—not the other way around.
First, it happened during that time when we had to share our room with Giovanni and Yves' class, because there was an ongoing renovation in their building.
Second, some VVIP donors of Mackenzie visited the university that time. Naaalala ko pa na ayon sa sulat, tungkol daw ito sa lalaking ginagamit ang koneksiyon niya sa mga bisita para pagkaisahan ang nagsulat ng tula.
At sinong may koneksiyon sa mga bisita at sumusubok mang-alipista sa may-ari ng mga sulat? Si Gio. Dahil base sa tugon ng poet na si Yves, pinsan daw ni Gio ang mga VVIP!
Natulala ako habang binabalikan ang mga salitan namin ng sulat—kung sino man ang totoong nasa likod ng mga 'yon.
Now that Giovanni's here to claim that he was the original writer behind that... that indecent poem, my mind almost malfunctioned at the attempt of putting the pieces into the puzzle. Hindi ko magawang pagtagpi-tagpiin ang lahat. Everything doesn't fit it!
"Sabi sa sulat, m-may koneksiyon daw ang subject sa mga bisita noon. Sa mga donors ng Mackenzie..." I trailed off.
Marahang tumango si Gio, animo'y binibigyan ako ng sapat na oras para intindihin ang lahat ng ito.
"Yves has a connection to those guests."
Napakurap ako. "How about you? T-Totoo bang pinsan mo ang mga bisita?"
Matagal bago nakasagot si Gio. Halfhearted, he sighed and nodded.
"Right. Emilio, Donovan, and Lewis are my cousins."
"Then, it was you who are connected to-"
"That's why Yves was also connected to them. Yves was their friend," agap niya.
Napatunganga ako roon. Posible, pero...
Agad niyang dinugtungan ang paliwanag.
"I once extended Yves an invitation to one of our family's social events. They instantly clicked when he first met them, alright? They hit it off because... they found things in common."
"Things in common?"
"They're a bunch of losers," he then gave an arrogant smirk, as if suppressing the flicker of bitterness in his eyes. "I don't get along with losers, Ophelia."
That's a strange way to put it, but...
Unti-unti akong nalinawan sa parteng iyon. His counsins and Yves—they all hated him for a common reason. Nagkakasundo dahil may sama ng loob kay Gio. But why?
Also, how could he justify the writer's confession in the last message? Muli akong napaharap sa kanya.
"So you're saying, if you were the real writer of the poem, then Yves was the subject? Pero..." Napailing ako, pilit inuunawa ang sitwasyon. "Pero sa huling sulat, inamin doon na ikaw ang tinutukoy sa tula. That you were the subject! And apparently, the writer of that message used the same descriptive words as Yves after the latter talked about you one time... so I somehow figured, that Yves and the person behind the poem are the same..."
"Those guys... They are Giovanni's cousins," I remembered Yves' words clearly when we talked about Gio at a coffee shop. "That rascal... He's keeping everything a fucking secret."
Then eventually, using almost the same wordings, the owner of the letters revealed the culprit.
To whom do you think the visitors are related the most? Giovanni Clark Smith. That rascal... They are cousins.
At isa pa, sabihin na nating si Gio nga ang nagsulat ng tula, paano naman nangyaring nilaglag niya pa ang sarili sa huli?
Hindi ko na napansin ang pagdistansiya ni Gio sa puwesto namin. Saka ko na lang natanto ang paglapit niya sa console table nang nakita ko na itong pabalik sa akin, bitbit ang isang makapal na libro.
Nanatili ang mga mata ko roon nang namukhaan iyon kalaunan. It was the familiar book that caught my attention the first time I went here!
Pagkabigay niya sa akin ng libro, napansin kong nanginginig pa ang mga kamay ko nang haplusin ang book cover.
It was an old edition business book. Makapal ang kabuuan at matigas ang pabalat.
Hindi ko man agad naalala noon, pero ngayong tinatalakay na namin ang pinagmulan ng tula at mga liham, tuluyan ko nang naalala kung bakit pamilyar ang librong ito.
"We used this book to hide the letters we wrote to each other," si Gio.
Tumango ako.
Immersed as I flipped through the pages of the book, my jaw almost dropped on the floor when I bumped into the worn-out papers inside. Natagpuan ko ang mga pamilyar na sulat noon.
The first bigger piece of paper was composed of my first response to the poem, his first response to mine, and then my second.
What has he done to you?
The guy kept prying into my business, even using his connections with the guests to lord over. What do you think? Isn't he desperate to get rid of me?
Even though I have no idea what the whole scenario is, I can confidently say that I agree with you. Just knowing your story makes me hate him, too. I mean, that's a foolish move! Why would he use somebody else to deal with you, right? Maybe he's a weakling?
Dahil masyadong malaki ang papel na 'yon, marami pa sanang espasyo ang pwedeng pagsulatan. Kaya naman laking gulat ko noon dahil sa sumunod na tugon niya, bago ang papel at wala na ang una naming ginamit.
To my surprise, it was also in here. Dinampot ko iyon para pagmasdan kasabay ng pagragasa ng mga alaalang kaakibat nito. Pati na rin ang epekto nito sa naging takbo ng buhay ko.
You wanna know who this weakling is?
Iba na ang papel. Taliwas sa mga naunang handwriting ng kausap, mas malabo at inconsistent ang pagkakasulat noon.
I remember being confused when I first saw it, too. Because again, the first paper is big enough to accommodate another response, but then, that person used another paper just to write this short question.
Kaya naman itatanong ko pa lang sana kay Gio kung anong nangyari dito, naunahan na niya agad ako.
"That's the time when Lozano started to interfere in our letters."
I lifted my eyes to him, only to see him waiting for my attention all along. Ngumuso ako at tuluyan nang nakuha ang totoong nangyari.
I remember responding something like... I was dying to know who that weakling was. So the day I received the most awaited and final message, my mind exploded like a bubble.
"Same goes here..." I then picked up the last piece of paper where the fabricated message lies.
To whom do you think the visitors are related the most? Giovanni Clark Smith. That rascal... They are cousins.
"He threw my response and replaced it with that," aniya habang nakatitig din huling sulat na hawak ko.
"What was your response then? Were you supposed to reveal him, too?"
Imbes na sagutin ang tanong ko, muli niyang kinuha ang libro na naglalaman ng mga sulat mula sa pagkakahawak ko. Sinarado niya iyon bago ipatong sa tuktok ng aking ulo.
"How boring. Where's the thrill in that?"
Ngumuso siya upang takpan ang lihim na ngisi sa mga labi. He kept the book on top of my head before he lowered his head to meet my expectant eyes.
"I wrote that I want us to meet so we could discuss it over a meal. But guess what? Hmm." His sharp eyes danced with malice. "I saw my little pen pal flirting with Lozano, who happened to be the exact shithead in my poem—which you seconded, by the way. So what would you think I'd feel, you traitor?"
Guilt crawled up from my gut to my face.
"Terrible..." was all I could guess before I tore my eyes off him in shame. "What have I done..."
Mas nauunawaan ko na ngayon. Hindi lang ang daloy ng mga totoong nangyari, kundi ang hindi matatawarang tampo niya sa akin noon pa lang, na akala ko'y wala sa lugar at nananadya lang!
Teka. Tampo? More like irritation and anger!
Of course, he'd feel betrayed! Aside from that, I shamelessly judged and accused him of so many things that he didn't do. Or at least he didn't mean to!
Everything would boil down to me. I failed to read the room; it was me who miscalculated his intentions. It was me who treated him unfairly!
All this time, I still had this stupid defect... to overanalyze things and overlook the real issues.
And Yves...
Napapikit ako nang mariin. Ang hayop at manlolokong iyon. I can't believe I was fooled like an idiot... by someone more idiot at that! He played with my feelings! Ginamit niya ang mga kahinaan ko!
My longing for validation, my internal guilt of rejecting and leaving someone, and my ability of reasoning. He exploited those weak spots to his advantage. That disgusting piece of shit–he was the real manipulative bastard! What a total asshole!
Tahimik lang si Gio. Dahan-dahan niyang binaba ang libro mula sa akin habang matyaga akong pinapanuod na ikalma ang sarili. Clearly, my face exposed me that my mind was all over the place.
However, we were no longer aware of time and space. It seemed like he waited his whole life for this moment, so nothing's gonna break his patience. He wanted me to understand every single detail he said. But at the same time, he was careful and attentive to my reaction as I sank everything in.
"A penny for your thoughts," he then held my waist eventually, then crouched to find my eyes. "You've been quiet for a while... I've seen how that pretty little head of yours behaves, so you're scaring me."
My eyes met his soulful eyes, granting him full access to my soul, too.
"Yves lied to me. Kung hindi dahil doon, hindi sana..." I paused like I was about to say a bitter pill to swallow
Hindi sana ano, Riz? Hindi mo sana pinatulan? Hindi ka sana nalinlang? Hindi ka sana nahulog sa patibong? Tang ina! Ang bobo mo!
"Ophelia," marahan niyang tawag sa akin para kunin ang atensiyon ko. "If this is about Lozano, I understand where you're coming from... because I was once infuriated when I learned the truth. But don't worry, I took care of him, sweetheart... Don't worry now."
Bahagyang napaawang ang mga labi ko. "You took care of him? How?"
He stepped beside me, hands still on my waist. Pumikit ito bago isandal ang ulo sa gilid ng aking noo.
"You don't need to know," he whispered. His breath felt harsh against my skin.
I gnashed my teeth and grabbed the hem of his sleeve—adamant to know, but careful not to make unnecessary moves while he was resting on me.
"I need to know."
He groaned softly before turning his hold on my waist into a full-bore embrace. Tumaas ang kilay ko nang bumaba roon ang tingin ko.
"I don't want to."
"Smith," mataman kong turan, hindi na nakikipagbiruan.
He groaned again, but this time, he groaned a muffled curse. Bahagya niyang tinulak ang bewang ko habang inaangat ang sarili para humarap sa akin.
Saka ko lang naaninag ang namumungay niyang mga mata, animo'y naliliyo... o inaantok na. Pero sa kabila noon, nagawa niya pang pagsalubungin ang kilay na tila nagpantig ang tenga sa narinig.
"Smith? Where are your manners?" he looked so offended.
I kept my straight face before heaving a deep sigh.
"Fine. If you don't want to answer my question, matutulog na ako."
"No, we're still talking."
"But you don't cooperate. Edi 'wag na tayo mag-usap," talikod ko sa kanya.
Hindi ko alam kung saan ko nakukuha ang lakas ng loob na magmatigas sa kanya. Kaya naman sa pag-aakalang mamasamain niya ang asal ko, ready na sana akong bumawi, nang bigla niya akong hinila pabalik sa harapan niya.
When I found his intent gaze, I parted my lips, prepared to apologize for my recklessness, but then he caressed my forearm like it was his most prized possession and my system calmed down at its gentleness.
"We'll sleep... just don't turn your back on me like that."
"Okay," I nodded slowly and swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."
Giovanni barely bit his lower lip before brushing his hair with his fingers. Namayani ang sandaling katahimikan bago ito pagak na tumawa.
Confused, I watched him lose his composure in front of me—an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime.
"I haven't had somebody order me around in a long. I couldn't even remember giving in... or being disturbed just because I failed to follow orders."
"Hindi na naman kita pipilitin kung-"
"I can't stand people worming information out of me, but I'll stand here all night just to feed your stubborn curiosities, Ophelia. What the hell is wrong with me?" umatras siya na tila litong-lito sa sariling pagkatao.
Hindi ko agad naproseso ang sinabi niya. His voice was made of absolute protest but for some reason, his words made me flutter in my stomach.
Napaiwas ako ng tingin para balewalain ang kahibangan.
"Sorry kung napagtaasan kita ng boses kanina. Pero hindi ko 'yon sinasadya. Nadala lang ako ng emosyon at... at nagulat ako sa mga nalaman mula sayo. Everything was so difficult to swallow in one sitting. That's why... I'm not sure... what you're talking about."
Tumango siya na tila sang-ayon sa mga sinabi ko. Pero nang silipin siyang muli, wala nang bakas ang kahit anong emosyon na nasaksihan ko kanina. His black eyes staring down at me coldly as if realization dawned on him.
"You're a threat to my sanity... that much is certain."
Napaawang ang mga labi ko. "Have you ever considered that the feeling might be actually mutual?"
Mistulang nagpantig ang tenga niya sa kung ano. Pansamantala siyang hindi nakagalaw.
Ngunit pagkalipas ng ilang segundo, mapait siyang ngumisi at dismayadong iniling ang ulo bago tumalikod sa akin.
"Good night, Ophelia," Gio then carried his laptop all the way to the master's bedroom.
February 1, 2023
#GCSeries1