This chapter is dedicated to: alluringli

__________

I felt a familiar white Audi stopped in front if me. Ngunit natinag lang ako sa aking kinatatayuan nang makita ang bulto ni Spencer na lumabas galing doon.

Katrice went back inside the company after handing me their wedding invitation, and saying that she's expecting me on the day where the two of them will marry each other.

While I was still here, rooted at the same place when Katrice left me, holding their elegant invitation.

Kung hindi pa dumating si Spencer ay hindi pa ako matatauhan.

"Rylli!" He stopped in front on me. His keen eyes were on me, scanning my expression. Ilang sandali ay kumunot ang kanyang noo. "What happened?" He asked but my eyes were fixed at the side of his lips.

Bahagya akong lumapit upang makita iyong mabuti. "What happened?" My lips pursed, pointing the side of his lips when I saw its a bruise.

Parang hindi ko iyon napansin kanina? Or maybe I'm too preoccupied earlier.

"Wala. Ikaw ang tinatanong ko."

I shrugged my shoulders off. I placed my purse in between the side part of my torso and my arm as I held the paperbag and the invitation in one hand.

"Nothing," sagot ko bago binuksan ang pinto ng passenger's seat ng kotse niya ngunit agad na napigilan ito ng kanyang kamay, dahilan para muling sumara iyon.

Hinanap ko ang kanyang mga mata. His eyes were fixed on my hand who's holding the invitation and the paperbag.

He quickly snatched the envelope I'm holding. Wala na akong nagawa nang makuha niya iyon. I glared at him but he ignored it. He opened the envelope in his not very careful way.

My brow raised at how he hastily grabbed the invitation out of the envelope.

Hindi ko pa nabubuksan ang invitation na galing kay Katrice kaya't hindi ko pa nakita iyon. Ngunit hindi na ako nag-abalang silipin pa, ngayon na nasa kamay iyon ni Spencer. Besides, I already know what's inside.

Spence's eyes went back on me before turning to the invitation again. Bahagyang kumunot ang kanyang noo at hindi makuha kung ano ang pinanggalingan ng tila wala sa sariling reaksyon ko.

I watched him returned the invitation inside the elegant envelope before looking up at me. "Wanna talk inside?" He asked as he handed it back.

Hindi na ako sumagot at basta na lamang binuksan ang pinto ng kanyang kotse sa tapat ng passenger seat. Inalalayan niya ang pinto hanggang sa makapasok ako at saka iyon isinara nang makitang maayos na akong nakaupo.

I slid the invitation in my purse as I let the paperbag rest in my lap.

Naramdaman ko ang pagpasok ni Spencer ngunit hindi na ako nag-abalang lingunin pa siya. He started the engine of his car but didn't drive it. I felt him glanced at me. Kaya naman napabaling ako sa direksyon niya.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked. Ngayon ay wala ang mapaglarong ngisi sa kanyang mga labi.

"Have you eaten lunch already?"

His jaw clenched. Siguro ay sinagot ko ng tanong ang tanong niya. "No. Have you?"

"No. I have a lunch here, sa office na lang tayo. Let's share?"

Unti-unting nawala ang kunot ng kanyang noo bago bumaba iyon sa paperbag na nakapatong sa aking kandungan. Agad na napalitan ang kanyang mga ekspresyon. Amusement is evident in his eyes. Matapos ay isang sarkastikong ngisi ang ipinakita niya.

"What the fuck? Are you telling me to eat that lunch you bought for someone else? No way!"

Namimilog ang mga matang tinitigan ko siya. Bahagyang natatawa sa reaksyon niya. "Hoy! Ang arte mo, huh!"

He rolled his eyes as he groaned. "I reserved us a table at the restaurant. Let's eat there." Muli pa siyang inis na ngumiwi sa akin. He tsked. "I won't eat that." Pahabol niya habang sandaling sumulyap sa paperbag bago pinaandar ang sasakyan.

Natatawa ko na lamang siyang sinangayunan. I thought he forgot that we'll talk but I was wrong. Ilang minuto lang ay agad na niyang naalala iyon. O siguro ay hindi naman talaga nakalimutan at humahanap lang ng tiyempo.

"I heard Raxen Markov is a racer too. Wala raw talo, though it's just his past time too."

Napalingon ako kay Spencer. Si Mav? Hindi ko alam. I mean, sa pagkakaalam ko ay hindi siya nagra-race dati. At wala pang talo? My lips can't help but part at Spencer's words.

Nang nakita niyang tila naaaliw ako sa usapan ay muli siyang nagsalita. "Tell me what happened." He glanced at me.

Iyon lang ang sinabi niya ngunit nakuha ko kung ano ang ibig niyang iparating.

"About what?" Kunwaring maang ko.

"You know what I'm asking, Rylli." He didn't bother looking at my direction. Diretso sa daan ang tingin niya at seryoso sa pagmamaneho.

"We'll really talk about this inside your car?"

"When do you want? Over lunch?" It was a sarcastic suggestion from him. Napapailing na lamang ako sa kanya. Why do it feels like he's in a bad mood?

"After lunch? In your office, if you don't have a meeting," sambit ko habang iniisip kung anong oras ang susunod na kliyente sa aking opisina.

"I don't have any. In my office then. After lunch."

Our lunch went fine. Spencer told me about what happened on his company earlier. May nagwala raw na kliyente. The client wants to talk to Spencer but he doesn't have an appointment, kaya ayaw papasukin ng kanyang sekretarya.

Nang labasin daw niya para kausapin sana ay sinalubong siya ng suntok. Reason why there's a small bruise at the side of his lips. Though, hindi naman daw masakit.

Napailing na lamang ako nang sabihin niyang nakaganti naman siya at dalawang beses pa.

"Why would he even punch you? Kilala mo ba? Nakaaway sa race?" I asked.

"No. Hindi ko nga kilala, bigla na lang sumulpot sa opisina ko. Sinabing 'wag ko raw maagaw agaw ang girlfriend niya. Sabi ko nga, sino bang girlfriend mo? He tried to punch me again after I asked, lalong nagalit noong nakailag ako."

"Ano ba kasing ginawa mo sa girlfriend?" Natatawang tanong ko bago muling binalingan ang pagkain.

"Aba, ewan! I don't even know who his girlfriend is. At first, I thought he's your boyfriend. Kasi sino ba namang babae ang madalas kong kasama? Ikaw lang naman."

Bahagya akong napaisip at sa huli ay napatango sa sinabi niya. Oo nga naman, wala naman siyang nakakasamang babae kung hindi ako lang. But I don't have a boyfriend.

"But on the second thought naisip ko, hindi siguro. Hindi ka naman papatol sa lalaking mas malakas pang sumuntok sa'yo," natatawang sambit nito na nakapagtaas ng gilid ng aking labi.

My brow raised a bit. "The punch really doesn't hurt you, even a bit?"

"A bit, maybe. Nagpasa lang talaga."

"Gamutin natin 'yan mamaya."

Sandali ko ring nakalimutan ang invitation na ibinigay ni Katrice dahil sa mga nabanggit ni Spencer. Ngunit nang matapos ang lunch at dumating kami sa kanyang opisina ay muli kong naalala ang lahat.

"Now tell me what happened." He's seating on his swivel chair while swaying it a bit.

Habang ako ay nakaupo sa sofa, bahagyang malayo sa table niya.

"Maverick is my ex-boyfriend."

"Mave--" His eyes immediately widened as he completely turned to me, stopping what he's doing on his swivel chair. "What?"

"Maverick is my ex-boyfriend, I said. Siya lang ang naging boyfriend ko."

He let out an audible breath as he rose from his seat. Akala ko ay lalapit sa akin ngunit nanatili siya sa kanyang kinatatayuan. I watched him as a furrow slowly formed in his forehead. Tila isang hinuha ang nabubuo sa kanyang isipan hanggang sa tuluyan na siyang lumapit sa akin.

He manly sat beside me while I glanced at my phone for distraction.

My brow raised a bit when I saw three missed calls from Chaileigh. I found the call log and saw she called when I'm having lunch with Spencer at the restaurant. My phone is in silent mode, kaya naman hindi ko narinig ang tawag niya.

Agad akong nagtipa ng mensahe at ipinadala iyon sa kanya.

Chaileigh:

Why are you calling? Emergency? I don't have a meeting as far as I can remember.

Spencer leaned forward as he rested his elbows on his thigh. He silently clasped his hand as his eyes looked for mine. Nang mahuli ang aking tingin ay agad niyang inilabas ang kung ano man ang iniisip.

"He's your only ex-boyfriend, then he must be--" He wondered that I immediately cutted his words.

Walang bahid ng kalokohan ang mukha niya habang sinasambit ang mga iyon.

I shook my head. "He's not," mariing sambit ko matapos matukoy kung ano ang iniisip niya.

He was taken aback at what I've said. Napatuwid siya ng upo at ihinarap ang buong katawan sa aking direksyon.

"But you said--"

"Its not what you're thinking. I don't want to talk about this, Spence," I confirmed with finality, wanting so bad to dismiss the topic.

His scruntinizing eyes bore onto me. "Are you trying to get him back?" He concluded. Hindi na niya binanggit pa ang bagay na ayaw kong pagusapan.

"What?" Bahagyang iritadong tanong ko. Maybe because he's right?

"And now he's getting married that's why you seems..." He trailed off. Mukhang walang balak ipagpatuloy ang sasabihin.

"I somehow forgot that he has a girlfriend." I leaned my back on the couch as I let out a calm sigh. "I thought we're fine the past few days. We're having lunch together and we're fine. But earlier, I saw him kissing a woman when I came. That's when I remember, he's in a relationship."

Nagkibit balikat ako at hindi maiwasan ang pagkalat ng pait sa aking kalooban.

"He's the one kissing the woman, you sure? Have you asked him already? He didn't explain?" Sunod-sunod na tanong ni Spencer.

Maybe it wasn't Maverick who initiated the kiss, but the point is they kissed and they're in a relationship.

Do I have to ask that? Nakita ko na nga, bakit pa 'ko magtatanong? If I saw something obvious, I don't need to ask and confirm.

I don't want to look stupid to ask what's clear. I won't give someone a chance to lie and deny what I saw.

Though sometimes, I pity those who chose to hear and believe the obvious lies because they're blinded. By love, maybe?

I wonder if someday I'll stoop that low. Maybe not? Because I find it unhealthy for a relationship to work that way.

Kapag sobra na ang kasinungalingan, magigising sila at tuluyang makikita ang katotohanan. Matatapos at matatapos ang relasyon kung ganoon ang sitwasyon.

No matter how you tried to fight for the relationship, when there's one who's unwilling, it won't work. Might as well end it.

"If you're in my situation what will you do?" I asked that made Spencer raised his brow on me. He shifted on his seat as he stared.

"If my ex-girlfriend whom I still love is getting married? I would--"

I rolled my eyes as I shook my head, cutting his words. "No. Say, if things are getting better again between you and your ex-girlfriend and you caught her kissing his boyfriend. Would you ask her to explain?"

He immediately frowned at his question. Tila natauhan. "No. I have no rights to ask that. We're not in a relationship any longer."

"See? And you're asking me if I asked Maverick--"

"But if things are really getting better between the two of you, he would explain without you asking for it," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

I know. But I don't know if we're on the same page. I mean, if Maverick's hoping to continue our relationship because that's what I want. Gaano ko man itanggi, iyon ang gusto ko.

"If he still loves you, he'll probably in your office already, ready to explain. Because if I were him and the girl I love saw me kissing or at least kissed by another woman, that's what I'll do. I won't let her misunderstood things."

I can hear Spencer but my mind's clouded with things already.

I know my limits. I know how and when to stop. He's getting married and if that's what he really wants, wala naman akong magagawa. Though, I still want to try even for the last time.

__________