The Lies That We Tell (COMPLETED)

Chapter 04

Chapter 04

"What?" Nikki asked me when she caught me staring at her again.

"Wala."

Umirap siya. "What is it?" she asked, a little annoyed this time dahil pangatlong beses niya na akong nahuli na nakatingin sa kanya. I really wanted to ask her about Zion! I mean, I could definitely stalk the guy online but if there's something I learned with being friends with Nikki, it's that people are not always how they seem. Take Nikki for example, she's a model slash influencer. There's this certain persona that she projects online. In real life? She's different. She says it's not about being fake. It's just work. How she is in real life is how she really is. Ganon lang 'yon.

"Nagkaroon ka na ng fuck buddy, right?" I asked that made her forehead crease. She was looking at me suspiciously.

"Yeah... And what about it? Why the sudden curiosity?"

I shrugged. "Wala naman. Just a fascinating concept," I replied, trying to sound as casual as I could possibly get because I didn't want her to turn all mama bear on me.

"Okay..." she said, but she didn't really sound convinced.

"How does that work?"

"Fuck buddy?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Sino ang nagtetext, ganon? Or sino ang nag-i-initiate."

Tumingin siya sa akin. For a few seconds. Nikki's not an idiot, so alam ko na alam niya na tungkol sa akin iyong tinatanong ko. I would listen to her stories kapag nagku-kwento siya, pero ngayon lang iyong ako iyong nagtanong talaga. She'd know that something's up. But I also knew that she loves me enough to wait for me to voluntarily tell her kung ano iyong nangyayari sa buhay ko.

"I'm just curious about the... logistics," sabi ko sa kanya dahil mukhang hindi siya naniniwala sa lame reasons ko.

"Either," she replied. "You can ask if the other person is free. If yes, then it's a go."

"So, hindi naman mukhang demanding kunwari ikaw ang nag-ask?"

She nodded. "Yeah, babe, this is a two-way street. If he needs me, I'll be there. And I need that reciprocated. I'm not a call girl that he'll call whenever he feels like it."

Okay, so hindi naman pala mukhang demanding nung nag-message ako sa kanya na pumunta siya sa akin. The thing was, hindi siya pumunta despite saying yes. Iyon kasi iyong nakaka-inis talaga. He wasted my time. Alas dos na akong naka-tulog!

"But," she said, looking at my face. "It's not for everyone."

"Bakit ganyan tingin mo sa akin?"

She shrugged. "Nothing," she replied. "Fuck buddies only works if you're both aware of the status. Fun only, no feelings involved, you know? Because if one person catches feelings, it's gonna be so awkward."

"Are you speaking based on experience?" I teased her.

She groaned. "Yes! That asshole invited me over at 1AM then had this whole candlelit dinner prepared. I mean, who does that!"

Natawa ako. "Someone who likes you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, feeling wasn't mutual. I was interested in the dick, not in him as a person."

Napailing ako. "Mean."

"That's why I told you that it's not for everybody," sabi niya. "To be fair, it's hard to separate love from lust, you know? Also, some people are the girlfriend-boyfriend type of girl, but some can have fun and just fun."

Tumango na lang ako at hindi na nagsalita pa. Ano bang klaseng babae ako? Ako ba iyong kayang i-make sure na fun lang? Obviously not! Nase-stress na nga ako dahil lang hindi siya nagpakita nung dapat magpapakita kami, e.