Dare Me To Love You (ITL Series #1) |COMPLETE

Dare 28

CHAPTER 28

MONICA

I ALMOST DIED in my dreams. It was not a normal dream, it was terrifying. I found myself gasping for air after I saw Freedom stabbing my chest inside my head. I didn't realize I was crying, panting. I grabbed my chest and I felt light headed. I looked at the clock, it's 5:30 AM.

It took me minutes to retain myself from my nightmare. It was hard to catch my breath, and my heartbeat was pounding so hard that I almost vomit. It took me minutes to gather myself up and decided to get up.

"MOMMY, JOGGING LANG PO AKO." paalam ko kay Mommy na nagluluto sa kusina. "Sige, mag-iingat ka." Tumango na lang ako at humalik sa pisngi nila ni Daddy.

Habang tumatakbo dito sa kalsada, naisip ko nanaman yung napanaginipan ko kanina. What a weird dream. Damn, if I stayed there, what should've happened to me? I shook my head.

Isinawalang bahala ko ang napaniginipan ko kagabi at inisip ko na lang kung kailan ko kaya sasagutin si Gabriel? O kaya kung may missed activities ako sa school. Or how are my friends?

Medyo malayo na ako sa bahay ng ma-realize kong naiwan ko ang heaadset ko at phone ko lang ang nadala. I let out a heavy sigh and cursed myself. I continued my jog, I was too far from our house to even come back.

I found myself counting the houses I pass by. I smiled as I saw Gabriel's house. The tall gate screams luxury although it looks the same as ours and some of the houses.

My smile grew when I saw Gabriel standing in front of their gate. I was about to say hi pero agad na nawala ang ngiti ko at napalitan iyon ng labis na pagtataka.

"Freedom?" bulong ko sa sarili ng makitang lumapit sa kaniya si Freedom. Mas lalo akong naguluhan ng kwelyuhan siya ni Freedom at hinila kung saan.

Dala ng kuryosidad, sinundan ko sila. Ewan ko kung bakit pa ako sumunod, it's personal that they needed some private space to talk.

I just followed my cousin and Gabriel. No... my feet followed them.

Pumunta sila sa lugar kung saan wala talagang tao, I don't know what is this place called, I've never been in this place before. Parang forest ang lugar at sobrang misteryoso ang dating. Nagtago lang ako sa isang puno para hindi ako makita.

"I saw you with Natalia." Matigas na sabi ni Jeus samantalang si Gabriel naman ay inikot lang ang mga mata.

"Don't roll your eyes on me, Gab-"

"Don't call me by my name, either." Naiinis na sabi ni Gabriel. I thought their best friends? So bakit ganito?

"Who is Natalia?" wala sa sariling bulong ko.

"Wala kang alam kung bakit ko kasama si Natalia kahapon. Kaya huwag kang magsalita na parang alam mo ang lahat, because you don't." walang emosyon niyang sabi ngunit nagtatagis ang mga ngipin ay umiigting ang panga niyang nakatingin kay Freedom.

"Itigil mo na, Gab. Tapusin mo na! Sabihin mo na kay Monica lahat!" sigaw ni Jeus at kinwelyuhan si Gab.

Anong ibig sabihin ni Freedom? Kahit na ayaw kong malaman ay nanatili ako sa puwestong iyon. Mas bumilis ang pintig ng puso ko at hindi ako makagalaw sa kinatatayuan.

Huminga ako ng malalim saka lumunok. Taimtim akong nagdasal na sana hindi tama ang iniisip ko. Sana hanggang isip ko lang ang mga iyon.

Pinagdikit ko ang ibaba at itaas kong labi at nanahimik.

"Hindi ko ititigil, Jeus!" inalis ni Gabriel ang kamay ni Jeus sa kwelyo niya ngunit agad itong sinuntok ni Jeus.

"May karapatan akong pigilan ka, Gab. I started the dare! Why are you crossing the line? You're disregarding our rules!" duon na ako nagulat at napasinghap.

Sa sobrang bilis ng pintig ng puso ko ay tinakpan ko ang bibig ko gamit ang dalawang kamay saka umatras. Pagkaatras ko ay naapakan ko ang isang stick na lumikha ng ingay sa paligid.

"M-Monica," nauutal na sabi ni Gabriel saka tumingin lang sa akin at hindi nagsalita tinanggal niya ang pagkaka-kwelyo sa kaniya ni Jeus. Si Jeus naman ay nanlaki ang mga mata at napaawang ng mga labi.

Ilang saglit pa ay nagsalita si Jeus na parang walang pakialam, "Hindi totoo ang panliligaw niya sayo, it was all planned. From the confession to this. Hindi ka niya gusto, Crisa." he bluntly said, as if he doesn't know that I'm hurting. My vision blurred, as much as I want to run, I can't.

Bumagsak ang balikat ko kasabay ng takas na luha sa aking kaliwang mata. Hindi ako nakapagsalita, nakatayo lang ako duon.

Tumingin ako kay Gabriel na nakatingin lang din sa akin, naghihintay ng susunod kong sasabihin, hoping that he'll take back everything that Freedom said. But he looked at me, his eyes were morose. How dare him feel apolegetic when he was the one who made me feel like this? How dare him.

"H-hindi nakakatuwa ang sinasabi mo, Jeus. M-magsabi ka ng to-" and despite of me hurting, there was a glimpse of hope. I was hoping for him to say that it was not true, but they both looked at me. They both pitied me. Ganito ba ako kaawa-awa?

Hinawakan ako ni Jeus sa magkabilang balikat, "Totoo ang sinasabi ko, Crisa! Niloloko ka ng tarantadong iyan!"

Sunod-sunod at walang tigil ang pagbagsak ng mga luha ko. I can feel my heart aching and my whole soul shattering into pieces.

Masakit... sobrang sakit. A dagger pierced through my heart.

Tumingala ako para pigilan ang susunod na mga luha ngunit mas lalo lang ito dumami. Pinunasan ko na lang ang pisngi ko at pinabayaan ang mga luha na mahulog.

I still didn't know why am I not running away. Why am I still here? I should be running, but why am I here? I should've listened to them. I should've avoided him. I saw this coming, I shouldn't be hurting.

Kinuyom ko ang kamao ko saka kinagat ang nanginginig kong mga labi. Ang tanga ko. Sobra.

Gabriel is a playboy, a jerk... and I am an idiot for falling for his traps.

"Monica, listen to me!" akmang lalapit si Gabriel sa akin ngunit itinaas ko ang dalawa kong kamay saka umiling sa harap niya. Mapait akong ngumiti. Hindi ko na sinubukan pang pigilan ang aking mga luha., they're unbearable.

"P*tang*na mo, Gabriel. Huwag ka ng magpakita sa akin."

Freedom tried to touch me again but I avoided him, "I trusted you. T*ngina mo rin." and I finally gained the courage to run away.

Naging mabait naman ako ah, wala naman akong ginagawang masama... kaya bakit ako nasasaktan ng ganito?

With a shattered heart, I ran. I ran as if it would ease everything. I ran as if I was protecting my heart from those people, but how can I protect a broken heart if I failed to protect it from the start?

Hindi ko namalayang nasa harap na ako ng bahay namin. Pabagsak akong naupo sa sahig, ayaw ko pang pumasok. I bitterly laughed. Why am I crying again? As much as I want to sob hard, my lips seems to be against it. Damn.

At my most difficult time, my body does everything to be against of my heart. It was hard, being in the same strong body with a frail heart.

Ayoko na! Sobrang sakit na, hindi ko na kayang i-handle ito. I don't know how to surpass this kind of pain. It's killing me.

I should've let myself fall for someone that I know who can't love me like I do, because it hurts like hell!

I thought-I thought he can love me back, but I was just imagining.

And it was the most painful mistake I've ever done. Falling for Gabriel.

W A N D E R

ANG PAGIBIG AY ISANG MALAKING PUTANGINA.

AYAN CAPSLOCK PARA DAMANG-DAMA.

Edit: sadgirl po talaga ako noon. Kaka-break lang namin ni Ritz dito charot