Truth Untold

4

Cat fight Pt. 2

A month had passed since our last incident of cold shoulder. We had been far too busy to care about anything other than our work. The incident had passed and buried deep six feet under, currently too deep to be remembered. Maybe someday, just not today, not when I had stacks of unfinished deck for the night.

It was the first (real) project Efrain and I were finally united in a team. We were staying after hours at the HQ to finish last minute prep for next day's pitch. Whatever exhaustion of the week was starting to take its toll on me as I downed my fourth cup of coffee for the day. I didn't drink more than a cup a day, but this shit was surely wearing me out. I would not have survived had it been not for caffeine rushing on my bloodstream.

When you had been working all day all night for the past four days, everything started to feel irritating, especially the way Efrain kept joking around next to me. Kathleen, the one who's in charge of budgeting, was laughing at his old-man slash bad puns jokes. The kind of bitchy laughter that made you want to tear your hair out. I groaned, "Could you please shut up for a goddamn second? I'm trying to do this right but you're not helping." I exasperatedly said, hands in the air as I plugged out my laptop's charger from the power socket and went to the other room, silently muttering asshole under my breath. He made no effort to go after me. Perhaps he knew, it was better to let it be messy for one night. It was no use had he tried to de-tangle all the knots. My mind had been a ruckus since earlier this week.

The pitch went smoothly on the next day. We won the pitch. But just because we did, did not make it fine for Efrain. Friday afternoon rolled relatively faster after the pitch. That morning though happened to be the first morning of the week that I hadn't ask him out for breakfast. We had been assigned in this team altogether so we always ate together; breakfast, brunch, lunch even to the smallest 4pm snacks, before the whole mess happened. While it killed me not to ask him, my pride was far too high to just let it go. I know I was petty but I was mad, what can I say?

I had went home early, having my brother pick me up because I didn't feel like taking the night subway after pulling all nighter for four straight nights. Not when I already felt not like myself.

A text blare into life when I was halfway home, where the fuck are you? I was looking for you everywhere in the HQ only to find out from John that you went home already. Did you not have any conscience at the least to tell me?

He was mad, that as much as I could tell. Yes, I went home, Efrain. You were out drinking with the guys. How am I supposed to know you're going back so soon? I thought you're gonna be out all night. Of course I went home without telling you. It is kinda fancy actually that you had decided to text me before you downed all your liquors.

I got back as fast as I can when I realized you weren't there with the rest of the team. I just can't do it, not without you. He replied, so fast. Besides, I wouldn't have get drunk tonight. My cousin's wedding reception tomorrow. Did I not tell you this?

You did not. I deadpanned. This past week had been gone in fast blur. We had been too immersed into the pitch we were working for. Too many things to do, yet so little of time. I was just glad the week finally wrapped up nicely.

God, I must have been an idiot. But yeah, my cousin's wedding is tomorrow morning. And I prefer not looking bloodshot with a pounding head in the morning. Just let me know if you're home. I need to talk to you.

I'm home since like 5 minutes ago.

A call soon made into my phone. "Why the fuck did you just leave?" No hello, fine. I can deal with that.

"You were out, Efrain. Why do you think I have to tell you when I'm about to head home?" I asked him. "Besides, I'm still mad as shit at you."

"That. That is why you didn't tell me you were going home. Why were you mad anyway? We were fine just last night and suddenly no breakfast call this morning." He said.

"Because you were being a bitch last night." I answered curtly.

He scoffed, "Look who's talking." I rolled my eyes. "Why am I the bitch?"

"You were cracking jokes, multi million amount of dad jokes, while I was struggling to gather ideas for the designs! I was having small writer's block and her three octaves higher laughter wasn't helping at all." It was dramatic, I know. "You can sympathize at me at the very least, you know?"

"You were doing just fine, Love. And I was just trying to ease the tension when suddenly you hurled out of the room."

"Because you were a total prick."

He snorted. "Fine, look." There was this silent wrapped up. "Love, I'm sorry. I forgot what four days and nights of functioning off caffeine could turn you into. You were always this sensitive before deadlines. I hadn't take that into consideration and was insensitive, I'm sorry." He sincerely apologized. "I'm sure you weren't that mad to forgive me right?"

I pouted, "I am not. You can tell. I just couldn't bring myself to you this morning. I had regretted not asking you for breakfast but I just can't with my pride being on the line." I admitted. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let my ego got in the way."

He chuckled. He knew so well about my ego complex. He knew how hard to admit that even though I was wrong but I was a selfish bitch. "How was it?" I asked.

"How was what?"

"Me, the cold shoulder."

"The worst ever." I rolled my eyes, again. "You were always the sweetest when you're in your right mind. You are nice and sweet most of the time. Sometimes I forgot how frustrating you can be at the eye of the storm. Never again do that to me." He said.

"I am sorry." I said. "I promised you I will let my pride go off the steam if you smile then. It hurt me, really, that you mastered a smile and all I could do was a frown."

"It was terrible, not want to feel that again." He shuddered at the thought.

"It was a taste of your own medicine you know. You were giving me cold shoulder the other day. That up to today, I still had no idea what it was all about." I told him.

"Wha-- I don't remember I've given you cold shoulder."

"Yes, that one time we were in great hall, right before we were assigned for different division."

"Ah, that one." He remarked.

"Mind to tell me what was it all about?"

"It was silly actually." He chuckled. "I wasn't meant to give you cold shoulder, but Ali had been a bitch for the day and you just had to side with her instead of me. Are you my friend or nah? You should've sided with me and not her!" He remarked.

I remembered Ali and Efrain were bickering to no end, to the point one of them began to insult one another quite offensively. Ali had been the one taking it too far. Efrain didn't have a choice but to back up. He was furious, but he was a gentleman and he let his anger went off than to let it get the worse of him.

I didn't side with her, but I was silent as I shook my head in amusement. Efrain, perhaps, had wanted me to defend him but of course I was too busy being charmed by their colorful choices of words. As I said, he was furious for she took it a little too far so I got that he was giving her cold shoulder. What I didn't get was him giving me the same treatment, too. What did I do to deserve that?

"That's why I wasn't mad at you when she went back home." He said. "I wasn't exactly mad at you. Perhaps, I'm just mad at myself that I let things happened on the first place. I'm sorry you felt like I pushed you away. That wasn't my intention."

I let out laughter, "Let's promise not to have this kind of cat fight next time. My life sucks without your old man's jokes."

He snorted, "so does mine. I promise you, no more petty fight."

"No more."

"Promised and sealed with a kiss." He remarked, smooch sound at the tail.

Less fight, more love please.

"Less fight, more kiss." He continued, which I replied with boisterous laughter. Oh, Efrain.