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Chapter Thirty

Fight

Hindi ko kinibo ng ilang araw si Aaron after that little fight we had... Hindi kasi nakakatuwa na ganoon pa rin ang reaksyon niya when it came to Noah... I know. But we should move on, right?

I sighed.

But after a few days I also couldn't continue to ignore him. If Aaron was also doing his part to make us okay again. So we became okay after that.

"Sophia and I broke up about a month before you told me that you were already pregnant with Bella. I broke up with her as soon as we were already constantly seeing each other again..." Aaron shared.

My hand was reaching inside Bella's crib to pat my sleeping daughter. And Aaron was sitting on my bed. Nakaupo rin ako sa isang rocking chair sa tabi ng crib ni Bella. I just listened to him for a while...

Until after a while I spoke. "You realized that it was wrong to still be with her when..."

"When I knew it in myself that it's still you after all." He continued what I was saying... "I can't continue to deny it..."

Nagbaba ako ng tingin sa anak naming mahimbing nang natutulog sa loob ng crib nito. "But, I remember...Sophie was still able to answer my call to you that night... Kung talaga ngang hiwalay na kayo sa mga panahong iyon gaya ng sinabi mo ngayon." Naalala ko ang tawag kong iyon kay Aaron noon na si Sophie pa ang nakasagot. I was about to tell him about my pregnancy back then.

"Oh, that call... She's told me about it, too. Nakita ko rin sa phone ko na tumawag ka nga. That evening I was at home with my family and siblings. We were having dinner in our house. Jarvis invited Sophie over since magkasama na sila sa law school. So he just invited her after class. I went to the washroom after dinner and left my phone on the table. That's when Sophie answered your call. Siya kasi ang naiwan pa muna noon sa mesa at nakapansin din sa phone kong umilaw." Aaron explained.

Unti-unti na lang akong tumango sa paliwanag niya. But I also remembered another thing. "And you told her I was pregnant?"

Umiling si Aaron. "I told my family about your pregnancy back then. It was Jarvis who told Sophie. Pero break na rin kami noon."

Tumango-tango lang akong muli at tahimik na naman.

I heard Aaron sighing.

"So Jarvis and Sophie are really dating now...?" I asked after a while of just silence between us.

Aaron just nodded.

Hindi na lang din ako nagtanong pa tungkol doon. I think kanila Jarvis at Sophie na lang iyon...

After that we resumed our wedding planning. But it took time dahil nga rin sa mga gusto ko para sa kasal ko. Bella already turned one year old. At naunahan pa ng celebration din namin for her first birthday.

"Happy birthday our little Bella!" I kissed my daughter's cheek after greeting her.

Magastos din ang naging unang kaarawan ng anak namin ni Aaron. Siya lahat ang gumagastos sa mga pangangailangan ni Bella. Pero minsan o madalas nagbibigay pa rin sina Daddy para sa apo nila. My daughter was really spoiled by my family and Aaron's, too. Basta para kay Bella handa naming ibigay ang lahat ng kaya namin para sa anak ko.

"Happy birthday, Bella." Noah was again also present on Bella's first birthday. May dala din siyang gift para sa anak ko nang dumating siya sa party. Lumapit lang siya sa amin ni Aaron para batiin din si Bella.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Aaron. His reaction wasn't anymore as how he was before pero nandoon pa rin nararamdaman ko ang hindi niya pa rin pagkakatuwa sa presensya ni Noah doon...

"Thank you, Ninong..." Nagpasalamat na rin ako kay Noah para kay Bella. Pagkatapos ay muli kong binalingan si Aaron who didn't say a word to our daughter's godfather.

Noah smiled to me and then his eyes went back to Bella I was carrying in my arms.

"Uh, kumain ka muna..." I was just trying to be polite.

Umiling si Noah. "I just came by to give my birthday gift to Bella and greet her a happy birthday. She just turned 1! Wow!"

Napangiti ako. "Oo... She's growing up too fast."

"Please excuse us."

Napabaling ako kay Aaron. Lumipat din sa kaniya ang tingin ni Noah.

"We should attend to our other guests, too." Aaron said.

"It's all right. I'll go now." Pagpapaalam na rin ni Noah sa amin.

I looked at Noah apologetically and smiled a bit. Tumango lang siya. Pagkatapos ay giniya na ako ni Aaron palayo...

Iyon lang naman. After all Bella's first birthday party in a hotel venue was a success and ended happily. Ang dami na namang gifts ng anak ko. Parang gaya lang noon sa mga natanggap niya ring regalo noong binyag niya.

And then after Bella turned one nagpasya na rin akong magpatuloy na muli sa med school...

But the fight Aaron and I had back on Bella's Christening was followed by another fight. And a bigger one... With the same issue still concerning Noah...

Noah was admitted to our hospital. He got into an accident while driving and was drunk from a night party again. He's been clubbing. Hindi na talaga nagbabago ang lifestyle niya...

At that time I was on duty at the hospital. Gabi siyang isinugod dahil gabi rin nangyari ang accident. At nandoon na ako kaya tumulong na rin.

And Noah was hardheaded. Ayaw niyang paasikaso sa mga doctors at nurses doon. Gusto niya ako... Hinayaan ko nalang and I was only treating him as patient.

"Ang tigas ng ulo mo, Noah." I said as I was changing the bandage on his head. Hindi naman ganoon kalala ang tinamo niyang accident pero may sugat pa rin siya. At pinag-alala na naman niya sina ninang.

He only grinned like a naughty boy. "I'm glad you can take care of me here..."

I just shook my head.

"I miss you, Teen..." He suddenly said this.

Natigilan ako sandali pero tinapos ko na rin ang ginagawa at umatras na. "I'm done here. May nurses na mag-c-check sa 'yo."

He nodded. "Thank you..."

Tumango lang ako at lumabas na sa hospital room niya. I sighed after closing the door. And I almost jumped when I saw Aaron who was already standing there outside Noah's room with a serious expression.

Sinalubong ko siya ng ngiti nang makabawi. "Aaron! You're here!"

He did not smile. Seryoso lang siyang nakatingin sa akin bago niya ako tinalikuran. Sumunod naman ako sa kaniya. "You visited me! You did not call me first or even message? Tamang-tama rin, break ko na. Want to have lunch with me?"

I received no response from him. I sighed quietly.

At nang mapag-isa na kami sa isang tahimik na bahagi ng malaking hospital ng Dela Cuesta Medical, kaharap ang malaking glass walls ng floor na ito at sa labas makikita ang kung hindi kasing taas na buildings ay mas mababa naman sa lugar na iyon. We stopped there and Aaron faced me.

"What is he doing exactly?" He asked impatiently.

My mouth already opened to speak pero may dinagdag pa si Aaron.

"He think I do not know? I'm not in your parents house 24 hours, Teen, because I go to work. But the maids can mention it. He's been visiting?"

I sighed. "It has only been twice, Aaron. Noah was just visiting Bella, his goddaughter—"

"And you never mentioned it to me?"

I bit my lip. "We were busy. I was busy here at the hospital, and you were busy at work. And when we're home to Bella, busy na tayo sa anak natin."

"Still. You did not tell me about it—"

"Because I already knew that you would react this way!" I sighed. "And it was just short visits to Bella as our daughter's ninong. Wala naman akong nakikitang masama doon..."

Nagkatinginan kami ni Aaron. Both our foreheads were creased because here we are again fighting about Noah. Damn it!

"And now here he is at your hospital. At nagpapaalaga pa sa 'yo?"

I heaved a sigh. "He's a patient, Aaron!"

"I know he's planning something."

"You're overthinking!"

"You know what," I can't take it anymore. Stressed pa ako sa mga gawain ko rito sa hospital. "This is just all because you still couldn't move on of what happened years ago! Matagal na iyon, Aaron! Matagal ko na ring tinapos. Sobrang tagal na. Ngayon nga lang uli kami nag-usap ni Noah because I never talked to him again after that!"

"After you got caught."

Natigilan ako. "What?"

He looked away. And his Adam's apple moved. Nanatili ang mga mata ko sa kaniya. "What did you say?"

"I wonder... if ever I did not caught you two that night..."

I gasped. "See?! You're still thinking about it! Kahit ang tagal-tagal na noon—"

"Yes! It can be ages ago! But I can't just forget about what I saw with you two that night... Damn it!" Halos mapasuklay siya sa buhok niya o mapahilamos ng mukha gamit ang mga palad. Napahawak na lang siya sa glass wall.

I remained looking at him. He was still in his usual slacks and dress shirt from work. Mukhang nagtatrabaho pa siya nang pumunta dito. The news about Noah's accident was on TV.

"I wanted to forget... I wanted to forget the image of that night. I want to get it off my head so badly. Pero..." I can see him gritting his teeth. "Nandito pa rin... Masakit pa rin..."

I pursed my lips and stopped myself from getting too emotional here while I'm still at work. Mabuti na nga lang na wala namang kahit dumaan lang dito sa kung nasaan kami ngayon ni Aaron. "It's just your ego that got hurt —"

But he quickly cut me off. "It's not just that! It's more than that!" Halos sumigaw na siya. His eyes then turned bloodshot because of unshed tears and his frustrations... "Damn it."

Pagkatapos ay muli niya akong hinarap. He looked straight into my eyes that I can also feel heating now because of my forming tears. Mariin niya akong tiningnan. "You don't have any idea how painful that was for me! I love you, Teen! Mahal na mahal kita at ikaw lang ang babaeng minahal ko! You know it!"

Hindi ko na napigilan ang luha kong pumatak sa pisngi ko. I looked away and I looked down. My lips started to quiver, too.

"I trusted you. You know everything —everything about how I feel, my thoughts, my all. Because I told you everything. You don't know how much betrayal I felt when I saw that fucking Noah Irizari! On top of you that night in his bedroom, in their home, kissing you like he owned you!"

I shook my head while I couldn't stop my tears anymore. "Tama na, Aaron..." Sobrang hina na ng boses ko. "Enough, please..." I begged.

"I did not just lose my girlfriend back then, Teen. I lost my best friend, too. The person who I trusted the most. I lost my love... My life. I feel like I've lost everything after what you did to me..."

I just cried silently. Halos wala na ring boses na lumabas sa akin. Now I can feel his pain, too...

"Sobrang sakit, Teen. It was the most painful thing that happened to me. I was hurt growing up knowing about what my own mother did to Tita Eris' family... It hurt me knowing that no matter what I do, no matter if I excel in everything in school and in my work, I'm still just my father's bastard!"

Patuloy na ang pag-iling ko habang sinasabi niya pa lang ang mga ito. It hurts so much. It's hurting me, too. Dahil alam ko. Alam na alam ko dapat. I know, Aaron... I'm sorry...

"But you. You're the only one who can hurt me more than ever. Because you are the woman I am in love with. I love you so much, Teen, that it hurt this much, too. You're the only person who can hurt me like this..."

"A-Aaron... I'm... I'm sorry —" Nang mag-angat muli ako ng tingin sa kaniya ay nakita kong may luha na rin sa mga mata niya. Umawang ang labi ko at ramdam ko ang sakit na tumutusok sa puso ko nang mga sandaling iyon.

Parang ngayon ko lang mas klarong nakita at naramdaman ang sakit na nararamdaman ni Aaron kahit mula pa sa nangyari sa amin noon...

And then he turned his back on me and started walking away...

While I stood there rooted on where I was. I just cried and I sobbed while watching him walking away from me...

When I turned my back too to where Aaron left after a long while I saw both Mommy and Daddy who where also standing there just some distance behind me. With Daddy comforting my mom, and Mommy with tears in her eyes as she looked at me. They probably heard what Aaron said...

Bumuhos pang muli ang luha ko at natigilan na naman sa kinatatayuan ko. Mommy in her white doctor's robe too promptly walked towards me leaving daddy still standing there to attend to me. Mommy enveloped me in her arms. At yumakap din ako sa kaniya. My mom started comforting me as she was still crying too and daddy started walking towards where mom and I were stood there crying together. Niyakap na lang kami pareho ni daddy and comforted us both in his protective arms.