His Forever Girl

CHAPTER 11: So Many Questions

CHAPTER 11: So Many Questions

"So many questions. But the answers are so few."

- So Many Questions by Side A

PRESENT

"Leila."

Hearing him say my name, hearing his voice, made me snap. "What are you doing here?" I just saw his girlfriend moments ago and now he's here! When he knows he's not welcome here!

"I came here as soon as I heard you left Bean&Bean."

Right. He's here because his girlfriend already snitched on me. He's here to see why I went at Bean&Bean. Pero hindi ko naman siya hinanap kay Chandria... so bakit pumunta siya rito? And again, he's not welcome here!

I was ready to talk to him earlier, well, semi-ready. But now, this feels like an ambush.

"I honestly thought you won't step inside Bean again, so I thought maybe you went there because you're ready to talk," Ysmael suddenly said. Kita siguro sa mukha ko ang inis at pagkagulat dahil nandito siya. "I know you wouldn't go there again for no reason."

About what? I wanted to ask. I wanted to scream at him because he just caught me off guard. But I cannot do that, not with what I'm about to say to him now that we're here again, face-to-face. I don't want to seem rude.

I don't want to give him any reason to disagree when I tell him about Savannah and her condition and what I have to ask him to do for her.

I sighed and motioned for him to follow me. "Let's talk in the garden."

'Yun lang ang lugar dito sa bed and breakfast ni Everly na hindi masyadong pinupuntahan ng mga tao. Iilan lang naman ang guests dito, pero mabuti nang mag-ingat dahil ayokong marinig ng iba kung anong pag-uusapan namin ni Ysmael.

"How are you, Leila?" tanong nito habang sabay kaming naglalakad papasok sa garden ni Everly, may malawak na espasyo sa pagitan naming dalawa.

Sa lahat naman ng una niyan itatanong sa akin, bakit 'yung pinaka simpleng tanong pa na may komplikadong sagot pa ang naisip niyang ibato sa akin?

"I'm okay," sagot ko, sanay na sa pagpapanggap. "Ikaw? Kumusta na? It's been what–"

"More than 4 years," pagtatapos nito. "I'm alright. I can say that life has been good to me."

I wish I could say the same. Well, life has been good to us too. Nakabawi kami ni Ara at naiangat namin ang aming mga sarili namin matapos naming maglayas. It took us some time but we are doing great now.

Pero syempre, gusto ata ng panahon na balansehin ang buhay namin dahil sa pinagdadaanan ng anak ko ngayon.

I tried my best not to sound so bitter. "Good for you, Ysmael," I told him as I sat down on a white wooden lawn chair that is farthest from the entrance.

He sat down on the seat next to mine, flashing me an awkward smile. "Thank you."

"So... Kayo ni Chandria?" Hindi ko alam kung bakit 'yan ang tanong na lumabas sa bibig ko.

Umiwas siya ng tingin sa akin matapos tumango. "Yes, we've been dating for a year now."

"Oh. Okay." Wow. Kahit na nakuwentuhan na ako ni Everly tungkol sa relationship nilang dalawa, hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na they're actually dating now. Just... wow.

Halata siguro sa mukha ko ang pagkakagulat dahil muli siyang nagsalita, depensa sa girlfriend niya. "She's changed. She matured a lot, actually."

Tumango ako. "That's great." Kailangan kong galingan ang pokerface ko, I forgot how much easy he can read people. Kaya nga ang dali niya akong napaglaruan noon.