Reclaiming the Stars (Agustin Series #1)

Kabanata 26

Kabanata 26

Date

"Lorenzo?"

Kumurap-kurap ako. Not fully believing what I am seeing as of the moment.

"What are you doing here?" tanong ko nang makabawi sa pagkagulat.

"I was waiting for you..." he sais and his eyes looked a little droopy and tired. He glanced at the bag I was holding dahil naroon si Crispin na nakapikit.

"Kanina ka pa d'yan?" 

"Dito ako dumiretso," he stated. Napanganga naman ako sa kan'ya.

"Pasok ka. You should've told me," I unlocked my unit and let him in.

"Kumain ka na ba?" Ttanong n'ya habang inaalis ang sapatos.

"Busog pa'ko," I honestly told him. "Ikaw ba?"

He only looked at me and did not answer kaya naman kinuha ko ang cellphone ko at nagpa-deliver ng dinner.

"What are you doing here again?" muli kong tanong.

"Gusto kitang kausapin," diretsa n'yang sabi.

"Gusto mo akong kausapin... Tungkol kay Jewel," I completed his sentence. It's clear that it was what he wanted to talk about.

Expectation results to disappointment. Bakit ba hindi na ako natuto? And what was I expecting anyways? That he came here because he wanted to see me? Iba ka talaga, Priya. Iniwan ko s'yang nakaupo sa sofa at inilabas ko naman si Crispin sa bag n'ya. I gave him his food na malapit nang maubos. Pinaalalahanan ko ang sarili kong dumaan sa pet shop at bumili ng pagkain.

Mas mahal pa ang pagkain ni Crispin kaysa sa normal kong kinakain.

Bumalik ako sa salas at umupo sa upuang kaharap ng kay Lorenzo.

"You were saying?" pag-uumpisa ko.

He cleared his throat before calmly speaking. "Kaya ko lang s'ya kinausap kanina para tanungin tungkol sa presentation mo."

"And?"

"I don't like her." 

Lumaki ang mata ko sa sinabi n'ya. Was that confession even necessary? Bakit kailangan n'ya pang sabihin 'yon?

"I don't care!" gulantang kong sabi sa kanya.

"I know," he looked away. "Gusto ko lang sabihin."

"God, Lorenzo!" mahina akong napasinghap. He's driving me crazy! Like crazy, crazy!

Matagal na naghari ang katahimikan samantalang busy si Crispin sa pagkain n'ya. My mind says that there's something about his actions that makes me wonder about spark but my heart contracts.

The funny thing about running with the past is that you wouldn't know how long you'll keep on running. Leaving it behind was like forgetting a piece of me. So I decided to bring it along, not inside me but beside me. 

I would not grow tired of running. Never.

"She admitted that she's the one who picked up your flashdrive," he started again "I asked her why she did that. Ang sabi n'ya ay nakita daw n'yang pakalat-kalat kaya kinuha n'ya. She didn't know it was yours."

"Of course she would say that. Hindi naman 'yun aamin sa'yo," kalmado kong sabi. I ain't the type to hold grudges. The important thing is that no one else is affected aside from me. I can deal with the damages but not when there's other people included.

"Kaya ka pumunta dito para sabihin 'yan?" I bitterly asked, not having a single clue where that bitterness came from.

"That's one thing," he stood up from his seat when my doorbell rang. Nandyan na ang delivery. He paid for it at s'ya rin ang nag-ayos sa lamesa.