Chapter 4

"HOW DID she take it?"

Jace lit his cigar at the same time as Chester came into their room. He had been wide awake since his brother went out. It was already two in the morning, may pasok pa siya mamaya pero talagang hindi lang siya dalawin ng antok. Something was bothering him.

He was the one who advised his brother to admit the situation to the girl as early as now. He even told Chester to return everything she gave him. At ngayon nga, he was also the one feeling guilty to the bone dahil alam, niyang masasaktan ito sa mga pinayo niya. She'd been loving his brother for freakin' five years after all.

"Lighter than I thought." Ngumiti ang kausap, bago nilagpasan ang kamang hinihigaan niya, dumiretso ito sa aparador at nagsimulang magbihis.

"Hindi siya nagalit?" He blew out his smoke. He found that answer stressing. Kimberly, taking that turn down message light was really not what he expected. Something was hëll not right."You can't be serious."

Umiling ang kuya niya bago excited na sumagot. "She's even smiling the whole time. In the end, she even forced me to invite Jackie over kaya inabot kami ng ganitong oras." Chester let out a laugh as he remembered Kimberly's comical reactions. "Ayos pala si Kim no? She's great." 

"Talaga?" 

'Come on now, I know her. When she tells you she's okay, I swear Chester, she's not! Kim is the word complicated itself, shaped into a woman!'

"Oo. Ang saya niya pa nga eh."

"Hindi siya umiyak?" He puffed his cigar again, successively this time. There was a huge disconnection about what his brother was saying and he couldn't believe it.

"Hindi. Bakit gusto mo ba paiyakin ko pa?"

Pinigil ni Jace ang sarili na bigyan ng pampagising na suntok ang kapatid niya. Bagkus ay mabilis na lang siyang tumalikod dito, pinatay ang sigarilyo sa ashtray na nasa ibabaw ng bedside table, bago tinakpan ng unan ang mukha.

He cursed inside his head before getting drowned on deep shit thinking again.

He'd known Kimberly since High School. Ito ang asungot na laging sumusundo sa kanya sa hide-out niya kapag pinahahanap siya ng Guidance noon. Ito yung m*****a na hindi nagde-day off para sermonan siya kasehodang sa gitna ng Campus Quadrangle, sa Canteen, sa Gate at kung saan-saan pang parte ng St. Benedict High School. Ito rin yung kaparehong pakialamera na nagsabing 'aayusin siya nito.'

He'd waited for her through his High School life to do it.

 Believed her to keep what she said across his college. 

In the end, he continued being the deeply fuck*d up shit waiting for nothing...because she never did.

And clearly, she never will. 

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'MONTHS OF LEARNING how to move on. May natutunan ba ako? Malamang wala.' Marahang sinimsim ni Kimberly ang lamang margarita ng hawak na baso.

Sandali niyang pinasadahan ng tingin ang mga nagkakasiyahang tao sa loob ng malawak na bakuran ng mga Mangino, bago dumekwatro.

Doing so made her right leg peek out of that high slit red dress that she was wearing. Ramdam niya ang paghimas ng lamig sa kanyang balat mula binti hanggang sa malapit sa garter ng kanyang suot na lace underwear.

The thumping inside her veins reminded her of the reason why she was there; why she's now sitting alone in the darker side of that place like a vixen in mating season while waiting for her prey, and why is she getting so fired on killing her glass of margarita to borrow guts.

It was Jace's birthday. Wala sana siyang balak na pumunta pa sa munting kasiyahan na nagaganap kung hindi lang siya personal na inanyayahan ng nanay nito nang minsan itong mapadpad sa Hangers.

Bumili ito ng mga damit, at sa kaparehong pagkakataon namilit na rin na imbitahin siya. Sa tingin ni Kimberly, walang ideya ang butihing matanda sa tunay na dahilan kung bakit dalawang buwan na siyang nawawala sa eksena ng mga ito.

'That's a very bad decision you made Aling Pining. There's no such thing as 'enough time' to fix a broken hearted woman. Not until her heart gets what it yearns for by hook or by force. Should you have known what is running on my mind —I bet you won't even want to see my shadow.'

Ilang minuto pa ang ginugol niya sa pagmamasid, bago maingat na kinuha ang lipstick at compact mula sa kaharap na pouch, nagre-touch siya. With her lipstick as red as blood inside her vein, her hair loosely touching the bareness of her back and her stilettos screaming 'sexy' - she smiled at herself with the contentment she felt.

Ang tagal niya ring hindi nag-ayos ng sarili. Nakakapanibago tuloy na makita niya ang kanyang repleksyon habang naglalagay ng makeup.

"Kim?"

Muntik nang mabali ang leeg niya nang biglang may magsalita sa kanyang likuran. Nagmintis tuloy ang kanyang hawak na lipstick at gumuhit palagpas sa kanyang labi. "J-Jace?"

"Anong ginagawa mo rito?"

Nilunok niya ang namuong kaba nang salubungin niya ang titig nito. Hindi niya gusto ang paraan ng paghagod ng mga mata nito sa hubad niyang likod . May dalang ibang pakiramdam yon na humahalo sa ginaw ng paligid. Nakakaasiwa.

'Anyway what's new? Talaga namang pagpapahiya at pagpapaasiwa ang ginagawa ng lalaking ito sa'kin.'

"Inimbintahan ako ng nanay mo." Nagpasalamat siya ng lihim dahil buong lumabas ang tinig niya gayung ang totoo ay gusto niyang tumumba. " Why don't you ask your Mom-"

"Umuwi ka na."

"I'm sorry Jace, pero wala akong balak ipahiya ang nanay mo--."

"Umuwi ka na. " Lalong nagkaroon diin ang boses ng lalaking may hawak na kopita habang nakatingin ng pababa sa kanya.

His towering height and his usual ruggedness made her hate him more. Napalunok siya nang mapanghusgang suyurin nito ng tingin ang kanyang suot at nagtagal sa hubad niyang likod. Nakaka-insecure ang disgustong bumalatay sa mukha nito. "Get out of here."

"Bakit hindi mo abalahin ang sarili mo sa mga ibang bisita mo?" Her defense mechanism went on red alert kasabay ng pagtaas ng kilay. Tiim bagang na tiningnan niya ang mga tao sa bakurang napapalamutian ngayon ng maliliit na bumbilya, ilang lamesa at isang mahabang hapag kung saan nagsisilbi ang catering service na inarkila ng mga ito.

The Mangino's residence is a picture of wealth, a two-story American inspired house, and a yard with enough space to entertain a good party for fifty to sixty guesses. Bukod pa roon ang extension ng lot nito na nasa kabilang panig ng kalsada kung saan nakaparada ang ilang mga sasakyan nito. "You see, I'm just one out of the many guess, I'm sure may mahahanap ka pang ibang pwedeng pagtuunan ng pansin. Happy Birthday."

"Kimberly will you just--"

"Pasensiya ka na hindi ko alam na Birthday mo. Wala akong naihandang regalo kasi pinilit lang ako ng nanay mo. Ipapahatid ko nalang--" she deadpanned him, completely disregarding the way his jaw hardened.

"Damn it, Shut up!"

"Oh you're mad. Bakit? Kailangan ba na alam ko ang birthday mo? Sino ka ba? Kapatid ka lang ni Chest--"

"You look like a sl*t." He cut her off this time, his teeth gritting with each other as he looks down on her. "And with that, I mean a bed slut. Disente ang okasyong ito. I never remembered inviting a pr*stitute."

Umakma si Kimberly na magsasalita pa nang walang paalam na tumalikod si Jace at nagsimulang lumayo. She felt like slapped on her face with what he said.

Wala sa sariling napahawak siya sa laylayan ng slit sa kanyang hita at palihim na naitakip yon sa nakahantad niyang legs. Ilang beses na napahugot ng malalalim na hininga bago sinundan ng tingin ang nilakaran ng lalaki.

Her heart flinched in anger. Kumuyom ng kusa ang mga palad niya bago galit na inabot muli ang baso ng Margarita at tinungga yon.

'Remember this Jace, that's the last insult you'll ever do.'

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JACE ENDED up tugging on the close collar of his polo soon as he was sitting some legal distance away from Kimberly. The breathing difficulty was getting worse every time their eyes met accidentally across few tables.

With the object of his teenage wet dreams sitting somewhere in the dark wearing a dress that couldn't even cover what he'd been trying to picture out for the rest of his life, he felt like burning in hell.

"Engineer Mangino." Napalingon siya sa babaeng ni hindi na niya napansin na umukopa ng katabi niyang silya. Maliwalas ang ngiti nito nang mapang-akit na mangalumbaba sa kaharap niyang lamesa "You look pissed. Anything bothering you, Birthday boy? "

"Melissa." Pilit ang naging sagot niya. Ilang beses na kinumbinsi ang sarili na ilayo ang paningin sa babaeng dahilan ng pagpapawis ng mga palad at marahang sumimsim sa baso ng alak na inalok ng bagong dating.

The whiskey didn't even wet his throat. He still felt internally dry. "Buti nakarating ka."

"Well, walang pasyente kanina. " kibit-balikat nito habang pinaglalaro ang nakatikwas na daliri sa bibig ng hawak niyang baso. She fictitiously moved closer before giving her that inviting grin. "Hindi ka na dumadalaw sa clinic ko. I wonder what's wrong Jace? Were you too busy these past few days?"

"I'm always busy."

"Really? Even for this?" Napalalim ang hugot niya ng hininga nang biglang pumisil sa hita niya ang babaeng kausap. Nagsimulang magmasahe ng palihim sa ilalim ng mamahaling mantel na tumatakatip sa kapanghasan nito.

"Melissa, please."

"Oh. You're getting hard already?" Napapangising sabi ni Melissa nang abutin nito ang ibabaw ng suot niyang pantalon kung saan kanina niya pa tinitiis ang epekto ni Kimberly sa kanya. "You missed me this much?"

'No. I missed that f*cking girl in red who's taking forever removing her lipstick from her cheeks--'

"Oh shit!" Jace felt the difficulty of his situation doubled when Melissa started rubbing him down.

He wanted to close his eyes and imagine that it was her who was sitting beside him - doing this kinky stuff on him.

Pero hindi kinaya ng mata niyang pumikit ni isang sandali man lang. Lalo na nang makita niyang tumayo ito bigla at may pagmamadaling humakbang papunta sa harap mg bahay nila.

He bit his lips to suppress a moan with the evil yet discreet way the woman beside her was doing dirty. Pero kahit nagre-react ang katawan niya ay hindi niya makuhang iwan ng tingin ang babaeng laman ng lahat ng kanyang gabi.

He felt his blood went cold when she finally reached where she was heading somewhere in the middle of the crowd. Doon siya nagkaroon ng lakas para kunwari ay aksidenteng matabig ang mapanghibong kamay sa kanyang kandungan.

Kimberly's alabaster skin looked beautiful under the soft light. Her red dress complimented her curves all in the right places.

'Damn it!' Kimberly was showing too much beauty and skin. He felt all the other guys' attention turned to where he was looking and suddenly he wanted to do a killing spree.

Tatayo sana siya nang mapanood niya kung paano binuksan ni Kimberly ang mga braso na parang nag-aanyaya ito ng yakap mula sa kung sinong hindi niya makita dahil natatakpan ng ibang mga tao roon. He felt his neck stern a bit with how bad he wanted to see who she was welcoming in her arms.

It didn't long when the person she was looking at finally came to view and gave her that embrace. It was Chester.

He felt himself broke a bit. He wouldn't tell it, so he laughed when he thought Melissa cracked a joke when he was not even sure about what she said.

Nagkunwari siyang nakatuon ang atensyon sa katabi. Pinilit ang sariling umarte na nagugustuhan niya ang ginagawa nito nang bumalik sa kanyang kandungan ang mapaglaro nitong kamay.

Lihim na lihim ang pagmamasid niya. Mentally taking note of how happy Kimberly looked like while talking to his brother and secretly comparing it with how disgusted she looked at him.

His chest was aching but he wouldn't blurt a word.

Hanggang sa makita niyang halikan ni Kimberly ang kapatid niya at biglang nagdilim ang kanyang paningin.

He didn't really know what happened next. All he remembered was Melissa's voice calling him to come back on his seat as he crossed their lawn with quick strides to get to his car.

He wanted out.

He couldn't breathe.

The air on that place was suddenly not enough for his lungs to function well.