The Lies That We Tell (COMPLETED)

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"I have to go," Zion said.

"Oh. Okay."

"I'll see you later?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Maybe dinner? I mean, if you finish early?"

He nodded. "Of course. I'll text you when I arrive there."

I frowned. "I told you I don't need to know where you are every second of the day," sabi ko sa kanya.

When he arrived from his shoot for the summer campaign the other day, we talked about what happened. He reiterated that he'd love it if I message him first because it'd tell him that I'm thinking about him. Little did he know that I am always thinking about him.

He gave out a crisp laugh. "Yeah, yeah, that's what you tell me," he said tapos ay nagpaalam siya sa akin tapos kina Nikki at Gem. Nandito kami sa condo ko nakatambay. Kasama ko na talaga sina Nikki and Gem nung nagmessage si Zion. I didn't want to be the kind of person na inaabandona iyong friends dahil sa lalaki, so I told him na nandito iyong mga friends ko and that he's welcome to join. And he did.

"What?" I asked nang makabalik ako sa couch dahil nakaalis na si Zion.

Nikki shook her head. "Nothing."

Mas mabilis naman ang pagiling ni Gem. "Forever no comment ako."

Umirap ako. "Parang tanga," I said dahil ilang beses siya nagsorry sa akin about sa comment na sinabi niya nung isang araw. I mean, that was uncalled for, but I was over it already. Hindi naman kami tatagal as friends kung ililista ko lahat ng ayaw kong nagawa niya and vice versa.

"Basta kung masaya ka, masaya ako," Gem asid.

"Ewan ko sa 'yo," sabi ko tapos napatingin ako kay Nikki. "Ikaw? May comment ka?"

Umiling siya. "Nothing. You two look adorable."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "You use the word adorable passive-aggressively," I told her. We've been friends for years. I know when she's being sincere and when she's not. "Come on," I urged her. Meron pa ring konting after effect iyong hindi ko pagpansin sa kanya before. I resent myself for doing that to her. Hindi na tuloy siya kagaya before na diretso honesty agad.

"No," she said but I just gave her a look. "I mean, I wasn't using it negatively. You and Zion are like... baby ducks."

Mas lalong kumunot ang noo ko. "Baby ducks?"

"Maybe not baby ducks? But you two look a bit... awkward to watch?" she said. "Or maybe because we're here? I don't know how it is kapag kayong dalawa lang. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about," Nikki added. "Next topic, please."

I tried to ask them again about this, but Nikki almost beg me na 'wag na naming pagusapan. It wasn't as if mapipilit ko siya if ayaw niyang magsalita. Mas lalo naman si Gem.

That night, nagkita ulit kami ni Zion.

"Nikki called us baby ducks," I said.

He was eating his salad nang mapatingin siya sa akin. "What? Did you just say 'baby ducks?'" he asked, confusion painted on his face.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay... Why baby ducks?"

I shrugged. "Apparently, we looked awkward earlier," I replied.

"Awkward how?" he asked. "Did they expect us to makeout in front of them?"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "We're still just friends."