A Six-Word Story II

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: When I let him go, My heart broke just as much as his did. But he probably had no idea because I put on a facade. 

After the painful realization of what Jeck and I had become, I couldn't hang out with him, and pretend that everything was peachy between us. Cause it was not. And I honestly didn't know if we'd ever be comfortable around each other again.

I guess you can't really be friends with someone you'd been so in love with in the past. And yeah, still loving up to now. Because it damn hurts to see each other and recall that you both did every single thing you could to make it work, but it still didn't last.

Therefore, I had no choice but to avoid him and our friends under the pretext that I was busy with my work. But to be fair, I really had a lot of designs to finish which was good because I wouldn't have time to think about Jeck and my regrets.

(What did you tell them this time?) Maki asked when I told him that Tamara and Missy were inviting me for a barbecue party at JD's house.

Actually, kinukulit din ako ng iba. Sina Vash at JD nga ay lagi akong pinupuntahan sa office ko para i-remind ako sa party. They wouldn't accept 'no'.

I sighed then looked at the screen of my laptop. Lagi kaming nag-vi-video call sa isa't-isa. "That I'm busy?" I said, showing him my sketch pad. "Which is really true."

He rolled his eyes. (Could've fooled me. Hanggang kelan ka ba iiwas?)

"Until I'm over him?" I said with a fake nonchalance.

He breathed out. (Paano? Ni ayaw mong lumabas o makipag-date man lang. Ano ka ba, te! Sayang ang beauty.)

I shrugged my shoulder. "I'm not ready yet."

Maki shook his head. (Pagdating ko diyan, hindi pwede yan. Kung kailangan, hilahin kita para lang makipag-date, gagawin ko! Believe me, I will!)

I chuckled. "Grabe ka. Pero kailan ka ba talaga uuwi?"

(Soon.)

I smiled. We finished our video call because he had a date with Jason. It was around 4 in the afternoon when I had decided to drop by at the mall to buy some stuff. I was walking around when I bumped into someone. It was Sara. Jeck's cousin.

"Xie-xie, is that you?"

I smiled. "Sara."

"Oh my! It's really you!" she exclaimed then hugged me quite happily. "How are you? It's been a long time."

"I'm great. Ikaw? Kamusta ka na?" She was one of Jeck's cousins that I had gotten really close with. 

"I'm  good. You better come with me. Tita Chari will be so happy to see you again!"

Natigilan ako sa narinig. "Tita Chari is here?"

"Yep! The others are with us, too! Have dinner with us. Come!"

Wala na akong nagawa ng hilahin na niya ako. I didn't get the chance to think about it. Habang palapit kami sa restaurant kung saan naghihintay ang mga pinsan at mommy ni Jeck ay lalo akong netetensiyon. Buti na lang at hindi pansin ni Sara dahil ang atensiyon niya ay nasa kanyang ikinukwento. 

I wondered if tita Chari was mad at me. Pag-pasok naman si restaurant ay namataan ko agad sina tita. Kabado ako habang palapit kami sa kanila.

"Tita! Look who's with me!" said Chari.

"Ate Xie-xie!" 

Mabilis na tumayo ang mga pinsan ni Jeck at niyakap ako. I missed these amazing people. They had been nothing but nice and sweet to me.