XII. Nothing Left To Lose
I stared at Thomas, wondering how could someone be as... evil as him? Was he dropped so much as a child that it literally messed with his head?
"Must be nice to have powerful parents," I commented, shrugging. Pamela said that I had to sympathize with him—as if he needed that. But she argued that for Thomas to feel really at ease with me, I needed him to feel like I could understand him.
That I was the only one left.
After all, his best friend just sold him out—well, that didn't really happen, but Thomas didn't need to know that.
"You never talked about your parents," Thomas replied.
"Didn't think you're interested," I shot back.
The side of his lips rose. "Maybe I am."
I laughed. "Oh, Thomas," I said, brushing him off. "We both know you're just interested in me because I'm with your friend. Let's not pretend there's more to it."
Crossing my legs, I cocked my head, challenging him. I knew his game—this was the way to reel him in harder.
"So, what about your parents, Ary?" he asked.
I arched my brow. "What's with the sudden interest?"
He shrugged. "Maybe you're the one who will finally made me quit playing," he said, staring so deep in my eyes that for a second, I was afraid that maybe he'd see the lies I was hiding.
I shifted uncomfortably on my seat. "Both my parents are dead." Well, at least, for me they're both dead. "I had two siblings."
"Had?"
I nodded. "The one was murdered, the other one committed suicide," I answered, looking him straight in the eyes as I did.
But him being a devil, the word suicide didn't even made him feel anything. No reaction. At all.
He just didn't fucking care.
"Your life seems to come straight out of a movie," he commented.
"Well, that's life. A bitch," I answered, shrugging. "But I have my friends, so that's fine," I continued. I stared at him, then took a deep breath as I began the third leg of the plan. "Nagpunta na ba sila Harvey dito?"
He scoffed.
Bingo.
"I mean, I didn't completely understand what happened the last time, but you're still friends, right?"
As I looked at him, I knew that our plan succeeded. Maybe inside his head, he was thinking what we wanted him to think.
Na si Harvey iyong may kasalanan.
"I don't want to talk about that asshole," he said.
"You need a friend, Thomas. Admit it or not, you're going through a hard time. Someone just tipped off the police—telling them about your family's involvement in drugs."
He scoffed again.
Kinunot ko iyong noo ko. Then I acted shocked and disgusted.
Seriously, even I was scaring myself at how good I was becoming at this circus I was playing in.
"You..." I trailed, letting the feeling of disbelief materialize. "You don't think it was Harvey who did that... right?"
If he wasn't thinking that already, then I already planted the idea inside his head. Pretty sure that he'd come to his own terms and blame Harvey for everything.
Sighing, I said, "I mean... sure, he's mad... but for him to cause a mess this big? Surely, he did know where to draw the line," I continued, quoting Andres in the process.
I forced myself to stop smiling when I saw the conflicted look in Thomas' face. Like he was just coming into realization that it was really his best friend who betrayed him like that.
"Pero hindi naman siguro..." sabi ko.
"You don't know Harvey," he said, the spite was so palpable I could almost taste it.
"But he's your friend."
He scoffed. "Yeah, right."
Tumayo ako at saka lumapit sa kanya.
"I'm sure he won't betray you like that. Friends protect each other..." I said, then whispered, "because if not, why even bother?"
I placed my hand on top of his head, and gently brushed his hair. He looked up to me, and I smiled at him.
You're mine now to play, Thomas Marius Aranza III.
* * *
I stayed for a little while, and humored Thomas. I needed to make him feel like I was the only one he could trust... After all, another bomb was about to drop.
It was such a busy week for me. Good thing that Nathan was preoccupied with his work and his friends kaya hindi na muna kami nagpapakita. He always told me he's thankful that I was very understanding, hindi niya alam na iniintindi ko rin iyong kaibigan niya.
The next morning, I woke up with a big smile on my face. Ngayon naka-schedule na magsend iyong email ni Thomas sa press. I just knew that he'd call me. After all, he couldn't trust his friends anymore... not after all the shits I planted inside his head.
"What?" I said after I called David. I woke up with 10 missed calls from him. And he knew I didn't like people calling without texting first. It gave me anxiety.
"Someone's looking for you."
I arched my brow. "Who?" I asked. I was careful not to make many acquaintances over the years. I quickly came into realization that when it came to friends, it's always quality over quantity. Didn't need people who'd stab me on the back.
"Don't know. Never seen the man before... but he asked around about you," he said, then halted. When he spoke again, his voice sounded nervous. "Do you think..." he said.
Hindi ko alam kung bakit pera dalawang tao ang pumasok agad sa isip ko nang sinabi sa akin ni David na may naghahanap sa akin. Hindi naman ako tanga. I was aware that they put a tail on me—and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't just completely shake it off.
It's like they didn't want me, but at the same time, they couldn't let go of the leash.
And with the rate things were going, I didn't want to be their replacement.
"I can't deal with that right now, David."
"Alright," he breathed. "Just take care, okay, Mall?"
I smiled, though he couldn't see me. "Of course," I replied. "And Dave? I think I'll see you soon," I said with a smile on my face.
This nightmare? I had a feeling that it's about to be over very soon.
* * *
It was almost dinner time when my phone rang. Just in time for the seven o'clock news.
"Hello?" I answered the call, sounding a little groggy. I needed to pretend that I still wasn't aware that the media was having a field day or week, probably? I mean, the Aranzas and the Melendrezes both in a controversy in the same week? Press wouldn't have a problem with headlines for at least a week.
"You down?" Thomas asked, his voice sounding stressed.
"Ha? Bakit?" I replied, sounding confused. I turned on the TV, and was greeted with the headline 'Melendrez Charity Involved in the Biggest Scam in Decades.' I sat down, and put the TV in mute. Hindi ko mapigilan iyong ngiti sa mukha ko nang makita ko iyong mukha ni Harvey sa TV. And there was Nathan, as well.
To: Pierce
Saw the news. Hope you're okay.
Of course I still needed to be the perfect girlfriend. There were five of them, and I was still yet to be done with the two. Hindi pwede na mawala sa akin si Nathan—he's the end to this all.
"Need to drink," Thomas said.
"And your friends aren't around?" sagot ko.
"I can't be with those shitfaces right now," he replied. "So, you down?"
"Alright," I said. "But I pick the place," I continued, then ended the call. I knew Thomas liked it when I was assertive—totally opposite of all the girls who fed at his palm.
While I was picking my clothes, Pamela called. Agad kong kinuha iyong cellphone ko dahil hindi naman tumatawag si Pamela. She had this weird rule of not calling.
"What?" I asked.
"I'll call one of the disposable phones," she said.
"I thought no—"
"I know, but I ought to break the rules sometimes," she began. "I need to tell you something," she continued then ended the call. True enough, not ten seconds later, one of the disposable phones rang. "I'll be very quick."
"Nasaan ka ba?"
"Work stuff," she replied, somehow, that didn't seem very convincing. I refused to believe that there's nothing more to Pamela... or if that is even her real name.
"Anyway, nung sinabi mo sa akin na parang wala lang kay Thomas 'yung nangyari, I decided to dig around," sabi niya. I decided to just tell Pamela everything, since she's the one who's obsessed with little details. And I just wasn't as good as her. No shame in admitting defeat. After all, I didn't plan on making a career as a spy. "As of the moment, all of their ships are in the custody of the government, their accounts are frozen, and the whole family's in the no-fly list."
"I know that," I said. Every news outlet talked about that issue.
"But... of course, like every evil family, they had an offshore account."
Agad na kumunot ang ulo ko. "Had?"
"Yeah... Had. I transferred all the money to their account here in the Philippines."
Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "You did what?! Paano mo nagawa 'yun?!" gulat na gulat na sabi ko. David's a banker. Sometimes, he'd bore me with his tales about finance. And I may not be finance savvy, but I knew enough para malaman na offshore accounts were not for garnishment. That's why outlaw people liked putting their money in their Swiss accounts.
God, Pamela could be real scary when she wanted to.
"Remember when you won against Thomas?" she asked. "Well, he's stupid enough to transfer the money from their Swiss account. I just had to work to find the connection. I found all their 8 accounts from different countries," she said like it was just some thing she did because she's fucking bored.
"Wait... are you saying that Thomas is broke?"
I couldn't see her, but I could just imagine the sinister look on her face.
"I'm saying that now, Thomas has nothing left to lose."
* * *
Pagdating ko sa sinabi ko na lugar kay Thomas, agad akong natigilan dahil nakita ko si Blake. He was looking at me. I cocked my head.
"What?" I said.
"You know, it's weird," he began.
"Yeah, it's weird that you're in my face again," I shot at him. I needed to appear tough in front of him, because in reality, Blake scared the shit out of me. More than Andres did.
There's something about his silence that is threatening.
"I know what you're doing," Blake said when I tried to get away from him.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied. Nagsimula na akong maglakad papasok ng bar nang bigla akong matigilan.
"Mallary Esquivel."
Shit.
I couldn't move.
I couldn't breathe.
It's like the world stopped spinning the moment I heard him say my name.
Then Blake leaned in, and whispered in my ear, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
My heart was beating so fast.
My chest was tightening.
I was... trembling in fear.
Blake never touched me, never threatened me, yet somehow, my whole system trembles at the sight of him. And when he talks, I just... lose it.
"W-why?" I had to ask.
"I'd like to see you try," he replied, leaving me breathless.