Regrets are Always at the End

Kabanata 28

   Kakatapos lang ng meeting namin with Mr. Gokongwei. Medyo madali lang naman yung mga gusto niya makita sa building. For sure magiging madali lang ito. Una akong lumabas sa restaurant kasi may kausap pa si Philip sa loob. Nakita kasi siya ng isa sa mga professor niya nung college. Pinauna na niya ako lumabas.

     "Sorry for letting you wait, M," narinig kong sabi niya. I turned around to look at him and gave him a smile. "Uuwi ka na ba? Or may pupuntahan ka pa?"

     "Wala naman akong plans for tonight. So siguro uuwi na ako," I told him. I rummaged for my phone sa bag ko to check if nagtext pa si beshie. "Yup, none. Walang text from Princess, eh."

     "Kung ganun, wanna go on a date?" he offered with a wide smile on his face.

   Date na naman? Napaisip ako. I gave him a confused look at tumawa lang siya. He held my hand and lead me towards his car.

    "You might think na I'm going way too fast. But who can blame me, right?" he asked me. Mas naguluhan tuloy ako. "Ang sobrang ganda ng crush ko at ayaw kong maunahan ako ng iba. That's why I'm asking her for another date tonight."

   I stopped on my tracks when I heard the word crush. Crush niya ako? Owemji, I can die right now! He stopped walking at napatingin sakin, with a confused look.

     "Ano nga ulit yung sabi mo?" I asked him. "Baka kasi namali lang ako sa pagrinig. I don't want to thi-,"

    "Crush kita, Michelle," pagputol niya sa'kin. He held both of my hands and stared at me. "Scratch that. I like you, Michelle. I like you more than a friend. You may think na sobrang bilis, but for me, it's not.

     "I saw you on your very first day. Dun pa lang, nabihag mo na mata ko. I thought my mind was just playing tricks on me. Pero, as the days passed by, I realized it wasn't.

     "Araw-araw na ako pumupunta sa floor mo para lang makita ka. Kahit once a day, kasi nabubuo mo na araw ko, isang sulyap ko lang sa'yo. I didn't know that my little crush was turning into something else. And the day that dad introduced you as my partner? That's when it hit me, hard. You weren't just my crush. You were the girl I liked, and the girl that I'm going to pursue.

     "I'm not pressuring you to like me, too. I'm willing to wait for you, M. I'm willing to wait, even if it means waiting for a century. Basta ikaw makakasama ko. Am I being corny?"

   Speechless. That's what I was, at that very moment. Parang pinako yung mga paa ko sa semento ng daan. Ayaw pa gumana ng utak ko. Ayaw pa niya isink in yung mga sinabi ni Philip sa'kin. Seryoso ba tong lalaking ito? Gusto niya ako? And he's been stalking me?

     "Michelle, are you okay?" tanong niya sa'kin. "I'm sorry for bombarding you with all these. Magsalita ka naman oh."

     "H-huh?" sabi ko sa kanya. Seriously, self? Nakapagsalit ka na nga, huh pa talaga? "Sorry, nagulat lang ako."

     "I'm sorry din," he said. "If you want, I can bring you home."

     "H-huh?" sabi ko ulit. Nababaliw na yata ako at puro huh na lang nasasabi ko. "Akala ko ba magdadate tayo?"

   I can see excitement sparkle in his eyes. Bigla na lang niya ako niyakap at nagulat ako. Bago ko man siya mayakap pabalik, hinalikan na niya ako sa pisngi.

     "Does that mean na may gusto ka rin sa'kin?" he asked, with a wide smile on his face. Parang bata, I thought.

     "Feeler mo rin noh?" pagbara ko sa kanya. Yes, I like you, too. "I don't like you, yet. Pero may crush ako sa'yo."

     "Oh diba? Hindi ako feeler," sabi niya sabay tawa. "Okay lang yan, prinsesa. I'll make sure mauuwi sa love yung pagkacrush mo sa'kin."

     Nanginit yung pisngi ko pero of course, dapat maging hard to get ako. "Lakas din ng self-confidence mo noh, dela Cruz? Are you up to the challenge?"

     "Sinabi mo pa," he said and pulled me towards his car. "Dali na para sa date natin. Wanna watch a movie?"

     I nodded and replied, "Yup! I wanna watch Logan. Pwede ba yun na lang panoorin natin?"

     "Anything for my princess," he said at pinasakay na sa sasakyan niya.

   I buckled my seatbelt at hinintay na sumakay na siya. As soon as nakasakay siya, he immediately turned on the engine at umalis na.

Myrick's POV

     "Hello, Sean?" sabi ko as soon as he answered my call. "Nasa Pilipinas ka na ba? I need to talk to you about something."

     "Yes, kuya nasa Pilipinas na ako," he replied. "Nasa bahay ako ngayon, nagpapahinga. I just got home from the airport. Pinuntahan ko na rin si Gizelle sa puntod niya. What is it about, kuya?"

     "Well, it's about Gizelle" sabi ko. Nagbuntong hininga muna ako bago nagpatuloy. "Nung araw kasi ng libing niya, I saw someone who looks exactly like her. I don't know kung si Gizelle ba talaga yun or what."

     "What do you mean kuya? Are you saying na buhay pa si Gizelle?"

     "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," sagot ko sa kanya. "Pero hindi ako nakakasigurado. Anyone can look like Gizelle, pero kilala ko kapatid ko. And it look exactly like her."

     "You want to talk about it somewhere else, kuya?" suggest niya sa'kin. "Mas maganda kasi if personal. May sasabihin din ako sa'yo about Gizelle."

   Pumayag ako sa suggestion niya. We agreed to meet in Starbucks IT Park in exactly 30 minutes. Mabuti na lang at nakauwi na siya. May masasabihan na ako sa mga hinala ko tungkol kay bunso. Bunso, I'm sorry if I'm doubting your death. If totoo man na patay ka na talaga, forgive your kuya, okay? I just want my mind to be at peace, jus like how I want you to rest in peace. I miss you bunso, sobra.

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