Attempting You To Be Mine

Kabanata 28 (End of Attempting)

"Can I ask," sabi ni Nathan habang nagmamaneho. Pauwi na kami galing Mall matapos naming manood ng sine kasama ang mga bata.

"Sure" sabi ko habang nasa daan pa rin ang atensyon. Hindi ko alam kung anong nararamdaman ko ngayon, malakas ang pintig ng puso ko na para bang kabado ako sa itatanong niya sa akin.

Paano kapag nagtanong siya sa mga nangyare dati? Paano kung malaman kong may girlfriend na siya? Paano na ang mga anak namin tatakbohan niya kaya ulit ang mga responsibilidad niya?

"Do you have a lover?" Tanong niya sabay tikhim. Napatingin naman ako sa kanya na parang hindi makapaniwalang sinabi niya yon.

"Sa tingin mo manghaharot pa ako kahit may dalawang anak na ako?" Kunot nuong tingin ko sa kanya.

"Hindi naman sa ganun. I mean, baka kasi meron para madali ko lang mabura sa mundo." He proudly said then look at me with a smug face plastered on his face.

Napairap naman ako sa kanya at binalik sa dinadaanan namin ang atensyon.

"I just want to assure you, wala ako ibang minahal." Sabi ko sa kanya, I heard him grinning so I looked at him once again and then he looked at me with a genuine smile.

"Baka ikaw ang meroon." I said. He chuckled and turn his atensyon on the road.

"Meroon." He said, that made me froze and overthink. So tama ako diba? Paano na kami ng mga anak niya? Ganun na lang ba?

Nagiisip na ako ng pwede maging set up namin at nagbabalak ng tanongin kung sino yong girlfriend or asawa niya para maka-explain sa kanya.

"S-sino..." hindi ko na naituloy ang sasabihin ko nang bigla siyang nagsalita habang nakatingin sa aking mga mata.

"Ikaw. Ikaw lang ang minahal ko at ikaw pa rin hanggang hindi na ako makakita sa tanda." He said and made me shocked for a moment.

My heart are loudly pounding, I feel my eyes getting wet because of my tears falling on my cheeks.

"B-bakit... p-paano?" Hindi man lang ako makapagsalita dahil sa sinabi niya. I was shocked.

Paano niya nasabihing ako lang? Kung pinagtabuyan niya ako dati at pinamukha saking tanga ako dahil minahal ko siya imbis na dapat hindi dahil na pagkasundoan naming ayaw namin sa isa't isa kahit na ikakasal na kami.

"Back then I was a jerk and a coward." He said and chuckled a bit.

"Yes, I'm forced to be your fiance because I don't want to get married. I don't believe in love, Mau. I said to myself that I don't want to get married to a girl because I don't believe in any of that cheesiness, but I will meet you." He continued and stop the car. I didn't notice we're here.

"I first met you at high school and you didn't even look at me because you're famous and I was a nerd back then, so since then I haven't gotten near you. I developed my feelings for you when we met again at the engagement party. Your parents want me to introduce you to you, but you, being stubborn, run to your bedroom and lock yourself in there. Then the last thing I know, you run away from you parentsand hide yourself in province. I found you, so I make some moves to be close to you." Mahina siyang natawa habang inaalala ang nga nangyare nung araw na yon habang ako nakikinig lang sa kanya.

Hindi ko naman alam na ganun ang nangyare dahil palagi akong walang pake sa paligid ko. Kaya pala nakita ko siya sa palengke nung araw na yon. Planado na pala...

"After that, we got into an accident. I was in a coma and the first thing I saw was you. I don't remember you. Then one day, my parents said that my fiance had agreed to marry me. I don't want to get married, so I'll push you back when we're in Sagada. You remember that, right?" He asked kaya tumango naman ako, yon yong iniwan ako nila Mama sa Sagada and made me stay their for a month.