A few days later, nagpunta ulet ako dito sa fave tambayan ni ex. Sa Starbucks. Who knows? I might run into him here... Sana...

Nadinig naman agad ang panalangin ko.

Nakita ko si ex, having coffee with some girl. Bumangon agad yung inis sa dibdib ko. He FELL out of love? O may nang-agaw lang talaga sa attention nya? Kainis! Masugod nga ah!

"Where do you think you're going?"

Si Kent. Nakaharang sa daan ko.

"Tabi nga dyan!" I pushed him aside... or I tried to anyway. He didn't budge.

"Why are you so angry?"

"I'm PMS-ing! Get the hell out of my way!"

Tumawa sya. "Kakaiba ka talaga. Ikaw lang ata ang babaeng nakilala ko na aminadong nagpi-PMS!"

"Tse! Tabi nga!"

"Ayoko." He stepped on his right ng humakbang ako sa kaliwa ko. Asar naman 'to. Nakuha pang makipagpatintero.

I gave out an exasperated sigh. We're causing a scene na eh ayaw pa rin nyang tumabi.

"Kenneth—"

"Uy galing ah! How did you know my real name?"

"Eh?" Hula ko lang yun eh. Kunware nakalimutan ko na yung name nya so I came up with a name na medyo malapit sa Kent. Tsamba pa. Pangalan nya pala talaga yun.

"Gusto mong mag-coffee?" Nakangiti nyang tanong.

"Ayoko! I want you out of my way!"

"Wrong answer!" Hinila nya 'ko palabas ng Starbucks.

"Akala ko ba magkakape tayo?"

"Ayoko dyan. Ang mahal eh.."

Ganun? Ang yaman yaman nya eh... Oo mayaman sya. Kita ko sa bahay nya. Tatlo pa kotse nya. Psh. San kaya ako dadalhin nito?

Isinakay nya 'ko sa kotse nya.

At parang sinadya pa talaga nyang ilapit yung mukha nya sa mukha ko nung ibinuckle nya yung seatbelt ko.. which I didn't ask him to do!

Ngumiti pa sya nung magkatapat yung mga mukha namin.

"Ang gwapo ko noh?" Sabi nya. Tumaas hanggang bubong ng kotse nya yung kilay ko.

"So?"

"Wala lang. I'm just wondering kung bakit ganyan ka sa 'kin. Don't you find me attractive?"

"No." Kay ex lang ako attracted.

"Really? So you won't mind at all if I kiss you?" He challenged.

"Sure." I accepted.

He kissed me.

And I was right. I didn't feel anything. Kilig lang... pero syempre, ikaw ba naman ang halikan ng ubod ng gwapo kung hindi ka rin kiligin. But that's that. Wala ng iba. Wala yung parang floating on air feeling na kay ex ko lang nararamdaman.

He sensed siguro that I wasn't into it because he ended it so abruptly.

Kunot ang noo nya ng tumingin sya sa 'kin.

"Ouch." Sabi nya.

"Yeah. It burns, doesn't it? Pwede na ba 'kong umalis?" I opened the door pero mabilis din nya yung naisara.

"No."

"Bakit na naman?"

"You think that you can get away that easily for hurting my ego?"

"Yes? Maybe? Look. I wasn't in a mood for playing your games today, okay? Maghanap ka ng ibang makakalaro mo."

Tiningnan nya 'ko ng masama. Nakipagtitigan ako sa kanya. One thing I know for sure.. I wasn't afraid of this guy. Kay ex lang ako takot. Leche. Ex na naman Mira? Pasagasa kaya ako? Baka sakalaing matauhan?!

Si Ex. Out of the corner of my eye, nakita ko syang palapit sa kotse nya. Ipinagbukas pa nya ng pintuan yung girl na kasama nya.

"Tabi! Bababa ako!" Pasigaw kong sabi kay Kent. He was looking at them too. Sinundan ata ang tingin ko.

"Who are they?"

"None of your business."

"Who's he? Ex mo?"

Napaiwas ako ng tingin.

"It's none of your business."

"Look at me." He tilted my head so that I have no choice but to look straight at him.

"What? 'Wag kang maawa sa 'kin."

He sighed saka lang sya naupo ng maayos sa driver's seat.

"I don't pity you."

"Good."

"But... I wanna help you."

"I don't need your help."

"Maybe. But I still want too."

"I don't."

Nakipagsukatan ako ng tingin sa kanya. By that time, nakaalis na ang kotse ni ex.

"Let's go someplace."

"Ayoko."

"Whatever." He drove off. Gustuhin ko mang bumaba eh nakalock naman yung pintuan.

--

Naulit pa yung pagkikita namin ni Kent kase pinuntahan nya 'ko sa condo ko. Derecho pasok nga eh. Akala mo dun nakatira. May dala syang Chinese takeouts.

"Inimbita ba kita?"

"I don't think so. Why?" He started eating the food he brought.

"Then why are you here?!"

He shrugged. Prente pang itinaas ang dalawang paa nya dun sa coffee table ko.

"Gusto mo?" He offered the box he's holding.

Umiling ako. "Umalis ka na lang pwede?"

He sighed, put down the food and walked towards me. Dere-derecho sya kaya alam kong kapag hindi ako umurong eh mabubunggo nya 'ko. Kaya umurong ako ng umurong hanggang sa magtama na yung pader at likod ko.

"Why are you always rejecting me?" He asked.

"Why are you always chasing after me?" Pabalik kong tanong.

"Because I'm intrigued." He said.

"Why?"

"Because you poured your heart out to a stranger at the bar. I was listening to you. All you blab about was your ex and your failed relationship. Geez! Why don't you just move on and get a life?"

"Why do you care?" Nakakainis. I never asked him to listen to any of that tapos ngayon susumbatan nya 'ko? Papangaralan? Who does he think he is?!

"I don't know!" He put his hands on each side of my face. "I don't know why... but for some reason, I found myself taking you home and not doing anything to you.. except na hinubaran kita ng damit kase nasukahan mo yun."

Napamulagat ako.

"You mean to say walang nangyare?"

Umiling sya.

"Sayang nga eh. Kung alam ko lang na ang sarap mo palang halikan.. di sana sinamantala ko na." He smirked.

"Why did you lie?"

"I don't know. Hindi ko alam kung bakit I wanted you to stay badly at my house at gusto ko pang makipagkwentuhan sa 'yo. Ang weird mo nga eh! But in spite your weirdness, I felt like I'm being drawn to you."

"Gusto mo 'ko?" Yun na lang ang natanong ko.

He nodded. "I think so.."

"Eh?" Bakit? Bakit nya 'ko gusto? Nakakatuwa naman. Haha.. ewan ko. It feels nice to know that someone likes you. After ex, I felt like I did something wrong to deserve that. Akala ko nasa 'kin ang mali. This.. Kent.. was proving me wrong..

"Really? That's all you can say?" Matabang nyang tanong.

"Kent..." What can I say? Alam ko namang mahal ko pa ang ex ko. Kahit anong gawin nya, hindi ko sya magugustuhan.. kahit parang sobrang perfect na nga nya para sa 'kin...

"I'm willing to help you get over him Mira. Will you let me?"

Do I really have to forget my ex? Can't I live with even just my memories of him? Kelangan ko na ba talaga syang kallimutan?

Pero...

Napapagod na rin ako sa kahihintay sa pagbalik nya sa 'kin.

"Mira?"

I sighed, looked him in the eye and took a leap of faith.

"Okay..." I finally said.

--