The Ruthless Game

Chapter 31

Chapter 31: "You know how when you're driving and it's pouring down rain, you drive under a bridge and everything stops. Everything goes silent and it was peaceful. Then you finally get out from under the bridge, and everything hits you a little harder than before. You were my bridge."

'Ayaw ko nang matulog sa mga unang basa at malunod sa pagtulog sa alaala na mahal kita, mahal pala kita, na mahal pa rin pala kita. At sa wakas, hindi na kasing sakit ng dati.
Pero mahal, masakit pa.'

The moment our eyes met, those words from the poetry last time came back to me. Habang nakatingin ako sa mga mata niya ay isa lang ang sigurado ako; mahal ko pa rin siya. Mahal na mahal. 

Tanga nga siguro ako, pero pakiramdam ko ay na-kumpleto ulit ako ngayong nasa harapan ko siyang muli pagkatapos ng ilang taon ng pangungulila ko sa kanya. Gusto ko siyang yakapin pero hindi pwede. 

Hindi na pwede kasi hindi na siya sa akin.. 

"Y-you're back," was all I could come up with, out of the thousand things I wanted to tell him.

Nakakalunod ang klase ng tingin na ibinibigay niya sa akin. Pinagmasdan niya ang buong mukha ko at gusto kong maiyak dahil pakiramdam ko ay nangulila din siya sa akin. Pero sino ang niloloko ko?

"Yes. I'm back." 

And again, I felt like what he had said, meant something deeper than him, simply being back in the country. I hugged myself tighter when the cold wind blew again. Wordlessly, he took off his jacket, and rendered me speechless when he put his coat on me. 

"Dylan.." Nanuot sa ilong ko ang pamilyar niyang pabango. "I'm fine. Y-"

"Your dress is way too revealing and it's cold." 

Habang inaayos niya ang coat sa akin ay natulala na lang ako sa mukha niya. He had gotten so much more handsome. Ang daya. Walang ipinagbago ang epekto niya sa akin. Lunod na lunod pa rin ako sa presensiya niya. I shook my head and reminded myself that I shouldn't feel this way anymore. I need to get as far away as possible before I get totally drowned. 

I cleared my throat and muttered, "I s-should get back inside."

Ilang sandaling pinakatitigan pa niya ang mukha ko na para bang kinakabisa niya. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, he gave me a tight smile and nodded slowly. 

"Sige." Mabibigat ang mga hakbang na tumalikod na ako.

"Sandy.."

I stopped and looked back at him. His mouth opened like he wanted to say something, and I waited. But in the end, he just shook his head.  "Nothing."

I breathed out harshly and glared at DJ who was sitting in front of me, and looking at me like he was trying to read me. His arms were even crossed his arms as he was leaning against the chair comfortably.

"Pwede ba, Dwighty, tantanan mo ako!" Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay. "Wala ka bang trabaho o kaso na kailangan i-review? In case na hindi obvious sa'yo, I'm trying to work here!"

Pinanliitan pa niya ako ng mga mata. "Just go on. Do what you have to do and I'll just sit here and I don't know, wait for you to break down?"

Napatingala na lang ako at bumuga ng hangin sa asar. "Panira ka talaga ng araw, eh 'no? Pinuntahan mo lang ba ako dito sa trabaho, despite your busy sched, just to wait for me to break down? Well, news flash, Dwighty, I ain't breaking down!"