And Then You

39 / inggo

"OY, feeling gwapo. Pwedeng pahiram ng jacket? Ang lamig kasi, e," sabi ni Hailey kay Migo pagkatapos niya 'tong itapik.

"Jackey," Inggo mutters, hoping that would finally make Migo look at him.

Pero wala pa ring nagawa 'yon. Hinarap ni Migo si Hailey. "Nilalamig din ako."

Clearly, wala siya sa mood maging friendly o polite.

Nanlaki ang mata ng kaklase nila as she points at Migo's hand. "Huy! Ba't dumudugo kamay mo?"

Migo pushes his tongue inside his cheek.

Inggo turns to her with a charming smile, gesturing dramatically to his face.

Hailey sighs, eyebrows furrowing. She takes Migo's hand and inspects his knuckles. "'Di ko alam kung ano nangyari sa inyo, pero Migo, sama ka sa 'kin, ayusin ko 'yang kamay mo. You can talk to me—"

"No need." He snatches his hand back and stands up to take his bag. "Mag-aral na lang tayo, may isa pa tayong test bukas."

Ah, yes. The test Inggo is sure the both of them failed.

Tumalikod si Migo at dumiretso palabas ng classroom.

Inggo closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before sprinting after him, ignoring Hailey's calls.

"Migo, sandale."

"Putangina mo, gago, lumayo ka sa 'kin bago kita patayin," he snaps without turning around.

"Migo!" Inggo grabs his wrist and manages to pull him inside an empty classroom before he yanks his arm away. His eyes meet his and Inggo has never, ever seen his best friend look like this.

Na parang hindi niya kilala si Inggo.

"It's not what you think," Inggo starts, his brain scrambling and his heart pounding. He's had this conversation with Migo over and over in his head, preparing for when Rinn was finally ready to tell him about them, pero walang naalala si Inggo sa mga p-in-ractice niya. He's blank. His heart comes rushing out of his tongue instead. "We're together in a very serious and exclusive relationship."

"The hell you are," Migo hisses, throwing his bag on the floor and balling his hands into fists by his side. "You—you—I have seen more girls enter and leave our condo unit more times than I would've liked after a good time in your bed, nagpapalit ka ng mga babae faster than you change your underwear, nakita kitang mag-pretend na may gusto sa isang sophomore no'ng freshmen tayo tapos you dropped her the second you got your dick out of her. Tapos ngayon sasabihin mong seryoso ka? Nagpaka-exclusive ka? Ikaw?"

Inggo's jaw clenches. "That was the past. Hindi ko i-de-deny na hindi ko ginawa 'yon pero 'yon nga lang 'yon, Migo—the past. Nagbago ako. Nagbago ako dahil kay Ri—"

Migo charges towards him and grabs him by the collar of his uniform, fury etched into every line of his face and in every breath he takes. "Don't you fucking say her name. You don't deserve to."

"She is a grown woman, Migo," Inggo bites out, not intending to fight back or defend himself. Pinapaalala ni Inggo sa sarili niya that Migo is Rinn's dad in every sense of the word and in all the ways that matter. He adores Rinn. He's protected her all his life. "Alam kong kuya ka niya, para ka na rin niyang tatay, pero she can make her own decisions and she chooses me."

"Hindi pwedeng ikaw, Inggo!" Migo nearly shouts, the veins in his neck popping. "Hindi—God, you—pinagkatiwalaan kita! I trusted you not to—you—you could have had any other girl! Bakit kapatid ko pa, gago? Tapos—tapos sa kama mo pa?"

Migo barely gets the last few words out, deranged, breathing heavily, almost ramming Inggo's neck against the wall.

"She was there because she wanted to be there. She chose to be there," Inggo tells him through his teeth. "I respect your sister, Migo."