CHAPTER 18
NAKAUPO SI Fashie sa bench sa garden, same place, habang binabasa ang bagong labas na libro. She bought it yesterday and it's fun reading it. Nagtungo nalang siya rito kaysa naman sa cafè o sa cafeteria.
Her peaceful moment ended when a set of shoes stopped infront of her. Fashie took a deep breath, put her bag to her shoulder and ready to leave but a hand held her arm.
“Sweetheart—”
“Let go of me.” Ipinisig niya ang braso upang makawala sa hawak ng binata ngunit mahigpit iyon.
His voice is pleading when he spoke again. “Please... Let's talk about us, please. I have an explanation —”
“I said, let. Go. Of. Me.” Matigas ang pagkakabigkas niya ngunit hindi nagpatinag si Timothy.
It's been one week since Fashie found out that Timothy cheated. In the past days, she avoided him. She restricted his account, block his number, and unfollowed him in instagram. Hindi niya parin kaya itong harapin ngayon, masakit parin ang puso niya na parang may pumipiga ruon sa tuwing nakikita niya ang binata at naaalala ang nakita niya sa condo nito.
Fashie wanted to have some space. Baka kasi kapag hindi siya nag-isip ng mabuti ay kung anong masabi. She's mad at him, but the fact that she love him and that love stays there. Tiwala at kasiguraduhan lang ang nawala sa kaniya pero hindi ang pag-ibig niya para sa binata.
Timothy hug her from behind, a tight and longing hug. Agad siyang napatingin sa paligid, the bushes are hiding them but someone might still see them.
Nakahinga siya ng maluwag and quietly enjoy his embrace. She missed him, so much. But what he did really broke her. What he did is unreasonable, not loyal and so impossible—but he already did.
He buried his face to the side of her neck and seconds later, she felt it get wet. Is he.... crying? Oh god....
“Sweetheart, please, let me explain. I can't take any more days being away from you. I can't take anymore you avoiding me, mad at me and loathing me to the truth you believe.” His voice is raucous.
Ramdam niya ang pagkamiss nito sa kaniya sa uri ng yakap nito. And because of his wordse and cries, her tears fell.
Fashie bit her lower lip, “h-hindi... i-i can't— i don't know h-how to t-talk to you. N-Nasasaktan ako kapag nakikita kita... Naaalala k-ko ’yung nakita ko. Siguro... dito nalang tayo. We should break up—”
“No!” His hug became tighter, as if afraid that someone may take her away from him. “No! No! You're not leaving me! We're not going to break up, no, please. Don't, don't do it to me. To our relationship, don't break it.” Takot at puno ng pangamba na anito.
“I am not the one breaking it, Timothy! It was you who broke it first!” She did everything to get off from his hug and she succeeded, mahbe afraid she might get hurt. But that's impossible, nakapagloko nga ito sa likod niya. “You cheated on me! What do you want me to react? Tanggapin ko? Na niloko mo ako? At umaktong parang walang nangyari? Is that it, Timothy? Hindi porket bata pa ako at wala sa tamang edad, magpapauto na ako sa'yo!” Galit niyang sabi habang nakaduro ang hintuturo sa binata.
Timothy tried to touch her again but she step backward. “Don't you ever lay any finger on me. Nakakadiri ka.” She said coldly and pain crossed to his eyes. Gusto niyang bawiin ang huling sinabi pero tinatagan niya ang loob, hindi siya magpapakarupok sa isang lalaking manloloko.
He brush his hair to the back as if annoyed at something, or to her? “I didn't cheat on you!” Mariin nitong sabi, bahagyang napataas ang boses.
“Liar! And don't you dare raise your voice on me, cheater!” Sa bawat minuto ay mas nadadagdagan ang galit niya sa binata.
“You should calm down and listen to me—”
“No. We're nothing to talk about. I'm breaking up with you now. Keep your explanation to yourself, i don't need it, Timothy. You're now single, you can now go with girls without committing a sin and disloyalty.” Pagkasabi niyang iyon ay mabilis siyang tumakbo paalis. Fashie could still hear Timothy calling her but she didn't look back even just once.
Dahan-dahan siyang napatigil hanggang sa naglalakad nalang siya at tumutulo ang luha sa kaniyang mga mata. She don't care whatever people says who saw her crying. She can't stop her tears from falling no matter how hard she tried to.
Wala na siyang balak pumasok sa next class niya kaya tinawagan nalang niya si Manong Dante. Sasabihin nalang niya kay Evion na i-excuse siya dahil masama ang pakiramdam niya. Not physically, but emotionally.
Fashie is waiting at Manong Dante when she saw Timothy walking near her. Mabilis siyang naglakad palabas sa University. Wala na silang dalawa. Wala na silang dapat pang pag-usapan.
“Fashie! Fashie!” He called her but she didn't look back and walk straightly, unbothered with his shouts.
Napaigtad siya nang may humawak sa braso niya. His arm is veiny and very masculine, and that arm owns by someone she closely know. Or, is she really?
Gigil niya itong hinarap, Fashie made sure hee could see her anger. “Ano ba ang kailangan mo? Sinabi ko na diba, wala na tayo! Kung hindi mo iyon maintindihan wala akong pakialam.”
His jaw clenched, when he's acting like this, she knows he's getting out of patience. Pero pake niya kung maubusan ito ng pasensya sa kaniya, as if she cares. Kahit mamatay pa ito sa harapan niya sa sobrang inis sa kaniya, wala siyang pake. I take it back, he's not allowed to die. He needs to pay for his mistake.
“Hindi ako pumapayag na makipaghiwalay sa’yo. He'll, never i would, Fashie!” Galit na anito.
“Bwsit ka! Wala akong paki kung papayag ka o hindi! Any opinion from a cheater is void!” Kapagkuwan ay mababa ang boses na nagsalita siya. “Just let go of me, Timothy. Ayaw mo no'n? Malaya ka na.” She smiled at him, but she knows that smile is a sad smile and owned by a betrayed woman.
His face instantly fell into soft one. Maybe he realize now how his disloyalty affected her, their relationship.
He held here both hands, “let me explain please... Kahit isang beses lang, kahit ngayon lang. Just listen to me. Let's fix it, sweetheart, please? There's a solution in every problem, so let's fix this.”
Fashie took a deep breath. Thinking if she would agree or not, and she chose the first one.
“Okay. After this, never show your face again and never ever try to bother me.” Fashie said, coldly and serious.
They went to a place no one can see them, to the parking lot, inside his car. Timothy tried to reach for her hands but she grab it close to her.
He sighed and look at her with pain in his eyes. That pain is nothing compared to what he made me feel.
That pain is nothing to a thousand of needles hitting her heart. Walang wala ang sakit sa mga mata nito, sa mga mata niyang napuno ng galit, sakit, pagkapagod at panlulumo.
“The time is ticking, speak or i'll leave.” Baka dumating na si Manong Dante, ayaw niya itong paghintayin. Maliban do'n ay ayaw niya ring magtagal sa loob ng kotse kasama ang binata, she could feel bibigay siya kapag mas nagtagal siya ro'n.
“I didn't cheat on you.”
She scoffed, “yeah right. Trying to save your ass, whatever.”
He took a deep breath as he close his eyes. He look good and seductive but Fashie get away from those thoughts. The man infront of you is the one aho hurt your heart! Pangaral niya sa malanding isipan.
“Sweetheart, do you really think i can cheat on you?”
“You already did so don't ask me that.”
His lips become thin. “What you saw in my condo is not like what you think it is.”
“H'wag mo akong utuin, Timothy. Anong ginawa niyo sa buong magdamag? Naglaro? Ng ano? Apoy? She's sleeping beside you, hugging you, and take note you both are from the bar! And naked underneath the sheet.”
He sighed heavely again. “I'm not, we're not, i did nothing. And we're not naked. You didn't see—”
“Don't lie to me!”
“I am telling the truth! Why would i sleep with my cousin?! That's not in my vocabulary.” He hissed.
Timothy is now really losing his patience to this little lady of his. One day being away from her, it was hard. 2 days without her, he couldn't sleep. 1 week without her, he lose his sanity!
He knows it's his fault. Hindi siya nagpaalam dito na aalis siya ng gabi; it's urgent. Bigla nalang nag-aya ang pinsan niyang si Nadia. It's her first time to ask him out kaya sumama na siya. His cousin is heartbroken, and like how Fashie's cousins loves her, that's how he love Nadia as well.
That night, Nadia was so drunk that she couldn't even stand without his assistance. So he decided her to sleep in his condo. Sleeping with her in one bed is normal to them, but as for Fashie who doesn't know any single thing about Nadia, it's cheating.
His little lady was downfounded with his explanation. She even want to break up with him! Hindi siya makakapayag lalo na't mahal na mahal niya ang dalaga at hindi naman talaga siya nagloko. Like what he said, he would never cheat on Fashie.
“Uhm, s-so... S-She's your cousin?” Atlast, Fashie spoke. It's visible on her face how shock she was with that fact. His sweetheart needs to be punish for believing that false accusations about him.
Timothy nodded and kiss the back of her hand, thankfully she didn't pull back. Oh God, how he miss to hug her, kiss her and touch her.
“I'm really sorry i didn't tell it to you. It was urgent, bigla nalang sumulpot sa condo ko.” Aniya habang hinahaplos ang pisngi nito habang ang hinahalik-halikan ang likod ng kamay ng dalaga.
Fashie look down, she feel bad and guilty. She let herself suffer in one week, nasaktan siya sa maling katotohananh pinaniwalaan niya. I shoul've let him explain! ’Yun ang bulonh niya sa sariling utak. So this what happens when you don't listen to your partner? Pursigido pa siyang makipaghiwalay rito kanina, mali naman pala siya.
It's embarassing. Nahihiya siya sa inakyo niya sa binata, nahihiya siya dahil kung ano-ano ang sinabi niyang maling paratang.
“S-Sorry...” She sniffs, pakiramdam niya ang immature niya sobra. Timothy's soft touches and caress makes her calm.
“It's okay, sweetheart. I understand you and i'm at fault too.” He kissed her forehead to her nose down to her lips. He kiss her tenderly and softly. As if tasting her lips after one week of being away to each other, which is her fault.
She clung her arms around his nape and kiss him back. Timothy's hand is gripping her hair but it's not hurt, he deepened the kiss they're sharing. He licked, nipped and sucked her lips. Ninanamnam ang matatamis niyang labi na isang linggo nitong hindi nahalikan.
Timothy let go, with a soft smile on his lips. “I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you. S-Sorry sa mga nasabi ko...” Paghinga niya ulit ng paumanhin.
Timothy shook his head, “i told you, it's fine. But you deserve a punishment from me. From thinking that i cheated on you, from doubting my love and from avoiding me for one week.” Those last words he said sounds inviting and seductive.
Fashie bit her cheek inside her mouth. Yes, she deserve it and she will gladly accept it.
His hand caress her exposed legs sensually because she's only wearing a fitting skirt. “I'll punish you later. But now, you need to go to your next class. Okay?”
Wala sa sariling napatango nalang si Fashie lalo na't patuloy lang itong hinahaplos ang kaniyang hita at minsan ay bahagyang didiinan habang ang mga labi nito ay naglalaro sa tainga niya.
Fashie hug Timothy. She almost lose this man she loves because of her immature and irritationale thoughts. She promise to herself she will never do it again. Hihintayin at hahayaan niya muna itong magpaliwanag, ayaw na niyang mangyari itong muli.
PRETTYINDARK|PID