Just This Once (COMPLETED)

Kabanata 39

#JustThisOnce

Kabanata 39 

"No," mabilis kong sagot. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gusto nilang mangyari, pero hindi ako papayag na gawin nilang laro iyong buhay ko. This was my life. I would choose who I'd marry... and that's definitely not Maven!

"You don't exactly have a choice, hija," Maven's mom said.

"But Maven's not even my—"

"The public doesn't care about the truth," she cut me off and then looked at Parker. "You better fix this, or else we'll have a problem," matalim niyang sabi bago tumayo. Tinignan niya si Maven. "You dug this grave yourself, Maven. Fix this or your abuelo will fix this for you... and we both know you don't want that."

The air in the room felt so cold.

Maven's mom... I never thought that she could be this vicious.

Hanggang makaalis ang Mama ni Maven, ni walang lumabas kahit isang salita mula sa bibig ko.

"I... don't understand," I replied. Tinignan ko si Parker at Maven sa harap ko. They looked just as confused as I was, but I knew that they were both hiding something.

"Why do I need to marry you, Maven?" tanong ko. I was just whisked and then told that my engagement was to be announced? I was lost!

Tinignan niya ako na parang ayaw niyang sabihin iyong totoo. "Do you remember the first time that we met?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah... nung tinulungan kita?"

I still remembered that. It's the first time that I almost vomitted my insides out! And he was so rude to me kahit na tinulungan ko naman siya.

"Do you remember the video?" he asked.

"Video?"

He nodded. "Yeah. The one with my car shaking?"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "Akala ko ba nagawan mo na ng paraan?" I haven't seen the video myself, but Maven told me that it looked like we were having wild sex in the car. And it's because he was kicking the door of the car dahil hindi ako marunong tumahi ng sugat. I was no doctor, but he forced me to stitch him up!

"Yeah... but someone dug it up."

Napaawang ang labi ko. "Then can't we just tell them what really happened?"

Maven looked me in the eye. "The truth doesn't always work," he calmly said.

"Well, it has to work! Because there's no way I'll marry you!" I told him and then looked at Parker who was frustratingly silent. "Right?!" tanong ko kay Parker.

Nanatili akong nakatingin kay Parker at nang wala akong makuha na sagot mula sa kanya.

"This is not a game, you two assholes! This is my life!" sigaw ko sa kanilang dalawa. "I won't marry you," I told Maven. "And what the fuck, Parker?"

Hindi ako makapaniwala na wala akong narinig kahit na isang salita mula sa bibig ni Parker. Matapos niyang halos patayin si Tristan, dito niya lang ako iiwan?

I was being forced into marrying someone... and he got nothing to say?

Mabilis akong naglakad palabas. I couldn't be in the same room as them anymore. Naglakad ako nang naglakad hanggang sa sumakit ang mga paa ko. My chest was tightening and I just wanted to call someone. Mabilis kong hinanap iyong cellphone ko nang maalala ko na naiwan ko sa bahay nila Maven iyong gamit ko.

"Fuck my life," I told myself as I began to walk back. Mabilis akong nakabalik pero bago pa man ako makapasok, narinig ko na nag-uusap silang dalawa.