Fight or Flight? [Book 2] ON GOING

10

"Should we do something?" I heard my companion say with that attractive English accent.

Tumingin ako kay Nicole para tignan kung seryoso ba ito sa tanong niya. And she is. Binaling kong muli ang atensyon ko sa binatilyong may hawak ng rosas at kanina pa hindi mapakali. Uupo ito tapos tatayo, hanggang sa uupo uli at hahawakan ang ulo niya. It's actually funny.

"Ikaw bahala." Walang gana kong tanong. Naramdaman ko na lang ang paghila sa akin sa kamay ni Nicole, "Why are you dragging me with you? If you want to help him then go alone." Binitawan na ako nito.

"Fine." Pinanood ko ang magandang babaeng kasama ko papunta sa binata. Magkausap ang mga ito ngayon at nakikita ko na nabubuhayan na ng loob ang lalaki. Come to think of it, not even a month that I have known this girl and I have been seeing her often. I find it a mystery.

Nicole gives him a thumbs up and pushed the guy encouragingly. Naglakad na paalis ang binata at hinintay ko si Nicole sa kung ano man ang sinabi nito, "Hope it works."

"What insightful words of encouragement did you tell him, mi lady?"

"I just told him the consequences of backing out from our feelings. That we only live once to give regret a space in our life." That's...a good thought, "To never ever have someone that got away in our lifetime." She said it slowly with a pang of emotion. 

"Based on own experience?" Pilya kong saad.

"Maybe." Mabilis nitong tugon. Gusto kong hawiin ang buhok nito na nakaharang sa mga mata niya.

"Between Maybe is a Yes." This is interesting.

Umayos ito ng upo, "I was young and scared. I also don't want to be a disappointment to my Mother." May kumirot sa puso ko, "I couldn't fight the love I found."

"Do you still keep in touch?"

"No." Ngumiti ito sa akin, "Last I heard, kinasal na siya at may anak na rin. I'm half glad I did what I did, because it turned out we were not really meant to be together."

"Any tadbit of regret?"

"Wala, wala naman. I only have what ifs." Curious na tumingin ito sa akin, "What about you? How was your TOTGA?" She brushed her hair to the side. Finally, I can see her features fully.

Should I open up to her?

Mukhang interesado itong malaman talaga dahil tahimik na naghihintay pa rin ito ng sagot, "The one that got away, you mean? But I don't consider her as my TOTGA..." Because she left me, "Because the love that we had ended up hurting us both. We can't be together not until the people who mattered to us will stop involving themselves. Sadly, we are both aware of our reality that we can never have that freedom."

Inikot ko ang paningin ko sa paligid at pinagmasdan ang mga tao. May kanya kanyang isip naman ang bawat isa, may sari-sariling problema pero bakit parang obligado silang makialam sa iba? Bakit ba hindi na lang nila pakialaman ang sarili nilang buhay.

"It sucks isn't it? Even if we tell ourselves to never give a cent to what other people thinks, sometimes it still hurts us. We still get affected by it."