THE MAN'S LOVE (HIGH UNIVERSITY SERIES #1)

CHAPTER 36

Chapter 36

ZINNIA'S POV

I remained standing while staring at him in shock. Naglakad siya palapit sa akin at tumigil sa tapat ko.

"Hindi mo man lang ba babatiin ang asawa mo?" tanong ni Jerry nang nasa tapat ko na ito.

"I-I thought you were coming back to the Philippines next month?" I asked. Finally, I found my voice to speak.

"Why? Don't you want to be with me?"

I immediately shook my head. "No."

He tilted his head. "Why don't you seem to want to?" he asked. "I can see that it's very hard for you to tell me that you want me here because what I can see is..." He lowered his face so that our faces were aligned. "You're not happy. Parang ayaw mo pang nandito ako ngayon sa harapan mo." Mas lumapit pa ito sa akin. "And why is that?"

I swallowed first before speaking. "I'm glad you're here now, Jerry," I said.

He grinned foolishly while looking at me. "But that's not what I see, Zinnia." I look down.

"I-I was just surprised because I thought you would come home next month."

Humakbang ito papalapit sa akin bago ko naramdaman ang labi niyang humalik sa pisngi ko.

"I ordered food earlier, let's eat." Nakahinga ako ng maluwag nang lumayo na si Jerry sa akin at tumalikod.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang mararamdaaan ko ngayon na nakauwi na si Jerry dito sa Pilipinas. Ang akala ko kasi ay sa susunod na buwan pa ito uuwi dahil may inaasikaso pa itong trabaho pero hindi pala.

Huminga ako ng malalim bago sumunod kay Jerry na nasa hapag-kainan na ngayon.

"How are you while I'm gone?" he asked as I sat next to him.

Pinapanood ko lang si Jerry na kasalukuyang kumukuha ng nga pagkain na nakahanda na sa lamesa pagdarating ko. May pinggan, baso, kutsara at tinidor nadin ang nakahanda sa lamesa.

"I'm fine," I simply said to him.

Jerry turned to me when he had finished putting food on his plate.

"What did you do while I was not here?" he asked while staring at me.

I played with my fingers. "You know I've already started working, Jerry. I also went to Malaysia because of work," I said honestly to him.

Tumango naman ito sa sinabi ko na hindi inaalis ang tingin sa akin. "Work...Hmmm...

"Are you sure that's all you did while I wasn't beside you?" he stared at me intently.

Pinagsiklop ko ang dalawang kamay ko sa ilalim ng lamesa bago sinalubong ang mga mata niya kahit nagsisimula na akong kabahan dahil sa mga tanong niya.

"Yes, that's all I did," I said.

"Hmmmm." Tumango ulit ito sa akin. "Kumain ka na," utos niya.

Tumingin ako sa mga pagkain na nakahain sa harap ko. Mga masasarap naman ang nga ito pero dahil kakakain ko lang ay busog pa ako. Hindi ko pa kayang kumain.

"You don't want to eat?" Jerry said when he saw that I hadn't gotten anything to eat yet.

Umiling ako. "I'll eat," sabi ko. Kumuha lang ako ng maliit ng pagkain na ilalagay ko sa pinggan ko. Ayaw ko mang kumain pero pinilit ko lang ang sarili ko dahil sayang naman ang mga pagkain na ini-order ni Jerry.

"Why did you go home to the Philippines so early? You said you would stay in France for two months but you came back right away. You still have a month and a half to go home here." I couldn't stop myself from asking because I was really wondering why he came home so early.