The Greatest Stripper (Published Under PSICOM)

Chapter 32

REGRETS

Erille's Point of View

"Kanina ka pa ba nandito?" agad kong tanong kay Jackson pagkaupo ko sa kanyang harapan, nagtext siya kaninang umaga na magkita daw kami ngayon gabi kaya iniwan ko muna si Tabitha kay Six.

"No, I just arrived also, so, what do you wanna eat?" he gently said as he smiles at me, pinanood niya ang bawat galaw ko habang inaayos ko ang buhok ko at ang bag ko sa aking kandungan.

"Kahit ano," sagot ko sa tanong niya kaya tumawa siya, "I know you would say that," sambit niya at tila natutuwa siya sa sitwasyon naming dalawa, kunot noo ko lang siyang tiningnan bago siya tumawag ng waiter at umorder ng pagkain.

"We would like to have some roast chicken and lasagna, garlic salmon, sweet and sour fillet, and two iced teas. Would you like some desserts, Erille?" agad akong umiling ng tanungin niya ako, at nakita ko din kung paano ako tingnan ng waitress, she looks at me from head to toe.

"That would be all, thank you," Jackson said, nginitian siya ng babaeng ito bago umalis at inirapan pa ako. "I'm glad and lucky to spend time with you tonight, this means a lot to me Erille," hindi ko alam pero napaka mabulaklak niyang magsalita at tila nais nitong haplosin ang puso ko sa sobrang tamis.

"Ano ba yung gusto mong sabihin?" pag iiba ko ng usapan, dahil pumunta lang naman talaga ako dito dahil sabi niya may importante siyang sasabihin. "Yeah," he said and sat properly, fixed his shirt and looked me in the eyes.

"You know that I've been admiring you in the past five years, and I waited for you for five years long, and I know it's unexpected if I said that I really like, no, Love you so I would like to propose a condition for the both of us," seryoso niyang sambit, hinintay ko ang susunod niyang sasabihin kaso hindi niya ito nasabi agad dahil dumating na ang pagkain namin, at hinain ito sa aming harapan.

Habang hinahanda ito, nakakaramdam ako ng konting kaba sa susunod na sasabihin ni Jackson, pero pinilit kong ikalma ang aking sarili. Matapos maihain lahat ng pagkain parang nagsimulang tumibok ang puso ko sa kaba dahil sa kanya.

He smiles before he reach for my hand, hinawakan niya ito ng napakalambing at tila inaalagaan niya ito kung haplosin nito ang aking palad. "I'll be moving to Australia next week, I want you to come with me, you will continue your study there," he seriously said. "I know you don't have any single feelings for me right now, but trust my feelings for you, I will do anything for you so please come with me," my heart was pounding so loud right now.

Makakapag-aral ako ulit? Pero paano sila Louen? Sila Tabitha? I can't leave them.

"Hindi ako pwedeng umalis kailangan ako ng Louen at ni Tabitha," mahina kong sambit, he caress my hand before he make me look him and say, "I'll give you time to think about it, I know this is really unusual but I'm dead serious, and I'm true to my words, I know you'll learn to love me and that's practicality, you'll achieve your dreams there and built a the better you and I'll be contented because you're with me, Erille this time I want you to think about yourself first before anybody else." he gently whispers and kiss the back of my hand and slowly let it go, then we start eating. "Sometimes it's good to be selfish," he said.

Nanatili ako tahimik dahil sa kanyang sinabi, at tila nagulo nito ang buong isip ko. I know to myself that I badly want to study but am thinking of leaving Louen, Tabi and S-six. It's all out of the picture, I never imagined leaving.

We continue eating and Jackson never loses something to say, every word he said was filled with feelings and true happiness, parang walang problema ang tono ng kanyang boses na tila nagpapakalma sa akin at nagpaparamdam ng magaan na buhay.