The Perfect Revenge

Seventeen

Jake

"Why are you here?"

"Ang tahimik na sa bahay, Kuya. And Hilary's out of the country with her family kaya wala akong makasama sa galaan. And besides, I miss you," she pouted.

I looked towards Harvey, who was nursing his third cup of coffee, then at Gage na nakakunot ang noo. Kanina pa siya tahimik simula nang umalis kami kina AJ hanggang sa mag-settle kami pabalik sa bahay nila. I know my friends share the same worries as I do about Vivian's presence here. They also grew up protecting her.

Alam kong importanteng bawasan ko ang contact sa mga Guevarra simula ngayon. But I don't know how to do that without messing up my plans. Especially with AJ. I don't think distance is what I need to keep from her. If anything, I should be glued to her hip para hindi na siya makapagdalawang-isip pa, which she is definitely doing.

Lumapit ako sa kapatid ko and hugged her. "Alam ba nina Dad na nandito ka?"

She nodded. "Manong Mar drove me here," explanation niya, referring to my parent's driver. "Nagpadala si Mom ng groceries tapos sabi ni Dad ipaalala ko raw sa'yo yung Charity Gala next week and that he needs you back in the office by then."

Naging uneasy ako. I have been setting aside the time that I need to be back. Ngayong napaalalahanan ako ng mga responsibilities ko, I want to forget about all of them. I'm not finished here yet.

Tumingin ako sa dalawa kong kaibigan. "Could you leave us for a moment?"

Without a word, lumabas sila. Pero nahuli ko pa rin ang pagbalik ng tingin ni Gage sa amin, nasasalamin ang pag-aalala. Tumango ako sa kanya para i-reassure siya that everything's going to be fine.

When the door closed, I turned to my sister. "Alam mo ba kung anong ginagawa mo, Viv? Nandito si Ezekiel. You were hurt by him and still you march towards their home like that? What were you thinking?"

Napaupo si Viv sa couch and trained her eyes on her hands na hindi mapigil ang pag-fidget. "I was thinking that I could face him and let him see that he can't hurt me anymore."

"Can't he?"

She raised her gaze to mine at nakita kong nangingilid ang luha sa mga mata niya. I hurried to her side at yinakap siya.

"I'm sorry Kuya. I'm so sorry."

Hinaplos ko ang buhok niya. "Shhh... It's not your fault."

Mabilis siyang kumawala sa yakap ko, her eyes were desperate and pleading. Parang may gusto siyang sabihin but she's holding back. "Y-you d-don't understand Kuya... It's—B-basta sorry. Gusto ko lang naming makita if he was affected by me as I was affected by him."

"But it was clear to me that he did not even know he hurt you." And that was the truth. Para batiin siya ni Ezekiel with a big smile na tila ba sobrang saya niya na makita ang kapatid ko, those are not the actions of a guilty man. It's either he does not know the hurt he has inflicted or he's really an asshole.

Hinayaan ko si Vivian sa silence niya. Isa pa, wala na rin akong masabi. What do I know about love? What do I know about what she's going through? Besides, wala rin naman akong balak na malaman. Mas gugustuhin ko na ang current lifestyle ko kesa sa ganitong na ko-consume ka with thoughts of a person who clearly does not give a fuck about your feelings.

Viv and I stayed like that on the couch. Nag-catch up kami sa mga nangyari nitong nakaraang linggo. Nabawasan ang worry ko nang makitang kahit kaunti ay nadagdagan ng spark sa mata niya when she talked about her friends and her major, interior design. It gave me hope na malalampasan ito ni Vivian. And that's what I told her.