LOVE AGAIN : Chapter 7

RINDEL’S POV

Kumakain kami sa isang fastfood chain noon. Napansin kong hindi pa rin nagbabago ang mood ni Jared.

“Alright, I said I was gonna let it slide but I can’t take it anymore. What’s bothering you?”, tanong ko sa kanya.

“Ah, wala po.”, sabi nito saka nagyuko ng ulo.

“Well obviously that’s a lie since you’ve been moping around all day, kahit noong nasa department store pa tayo. And you’ve barely even touched your food.”

“Sorry po kung pati ang araw nyo ay nasisira ng mood ko. I’ll just go.”, sabi nito saka walang anumang tumayo at nagsimulang maglakad palayo.

“Damnit!”

Agad naman akong tumayo at sinundan ito.

“Jared, hold up!”, pagtawag ko rito ngunit hindi ito tumigil sa paglalakad. Kaya naman hinabol ko nalang ito.

I reached for his right arm and turned him to face me.

“Look, I’m sorry I’m getting into your business but I just want to help. Isn’t that what friends are supposed to do? Ang tulungan ang isa’t-isa?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to be friends with you. I do. Believe me, I do. But I don’t think you can help me with my problem.”

“How would you know kung hindi mo pa sinasabi sa akin?”

“Alright, you wanna know my problem? My ex-boyfriend is back and I don’t know how to get him off my case!”, pasigaw nitong sabi.

I was stunned for a while. Hindi ko inaakalang masisigawan ako nito.

“Well then, how will you help me with that?”, dagdag pa nito.

“Be my boyfriend.”, sabi ko.

He looked shocked.

“What?”

“You heard me, I said be my boyfriend.”

“You can’t expect me to just take that offer, I take my relationships seriously, so there is no way that I’m going to take you on that offer.”

“I’m just saying that we should pretend like we’re together. Para tantanan ka na ng ex mo. 

Then we’ll call it off after we’ve convinced him na hindi mo na sya mahal.”

“And what makes you think na mahal ko pa siya?”, sagot nito sa akin.

“Please, hindi ka naman magkakaganyan kung wala ka nang nararamdaman sa kanya di ba? 

So what do you say?”

Natahimik ito.

“I’ll have to think about it.”, sagot nito matapos ang ilang segundo.

“Think fast cause the offer only stands within the next minute.”

“What?!”

“Take it or leave it.”

“Fine! I’ll be your boyfriend.”

“There’s a good boy, now, let’s go back inside at hindi pa ako nabubusog at hindi ka pa nakakakain.”, sabi ko rito.

JARED’S POV

He just took my hand and intertwined our fingers. Not a care in the world. He just did it and pulled me into the restaurant. Nang pumasok kami ay hindi nakaligtas ang magkahawak naming mga kamay sa mga taong nasa loob ng kainan.

“Rindel, pinagtitinginan tayo.”, mahina kong sabi rito.

“Let them. If we’re going to pretend that we’re together, we’ve got to convince everyone around us. So we might as well get rid of the awkwardness between us.”

“O-okay.”, nasabi ko nalang.

Nakita ko itong ngumiti.

Nang maupo kami sa aming pwesto kanina ay muli itong nagsalita.

“So I guess we have to know a little bit of each other’s lives para maging makatotohanan to. 

Baka mamaya ay magkasalungat ang mga sinasabi natin sa mga taong nakapaligid sa ating, and that’s not good.”

“I guess. Okay, what do you want to know?”

He smirked.

“What?”, tanong ko rito.

“You didn’t really expect me to play 20 questions with you here right? I mean, I want to know more about you but I want it to be in private. Not in a fastfood chain.”, sagot nito.

“So paano mo malalaman? It’s not like we live under the same roof.”

Napansin kong mas lalong lumawak ang ngiti nito.

“Oh no.”, nasabi ko nalang.

“Oh yes.”

“I can’t live with you!”, pabulong kong isinigaw rito. “I don’t even know you.”

“I’m your boss for so long. You know me.”

“Not well enough to live with you. At isa pa, nakakahiya. Ano nalang sasabihin ng ibang tao? Ng mga kasama natin sa trabaho. We have to think this through.”

“Look, if we’re going to make everyone believe that we’re going out, then we have to make it convincing. We’re both single so I don’t think anything’s wrong if we’re living together.”

**********************************************

JARED’S POV

I lied there in my bed for hours thinking about what happened two days ago.

“Look, I’m not going to impose this on you. Gusto ko lang pag-isipan mo muna. I’ll give you two days. Wag ka muna pumasok sa office. Take your mind off of stuff and think through it clearly.

Nagpabali-baliktad na ako at nagpaikot-ikot sa kama pero kahit anong gawin ko ay maganda ang plano ni Rindel.

“I guess I just have to go through with it.”

Agad kong tinawagan ang number ni Rindel. After a few rings ay sumagot ito.

“Hello?”, sabi nito sa kabilang linya.

“Kagigising mo lang?”, tanong ko rito. “Sorry. It’s not really my business. I just called to tell you na…”

“Marky, sino yan?”, another voice said from the other line.

“Just someone. Could you please get up, get dressed and leave?”, narinig kong sabi ni Rindel dito saka bumaling sa akin. “Sorry about that. You were saying?”

I just shook my head and ignored that tightening inside my chest.

“I said I’m gonna take you up on that offer. But I just thought of a rule. You’re not allowed to see anyone else while we pretend that we’re together.

“Deal. Now give me 30 minutes, I’ll be there. Ihanda mo na ang mga gamit mo dahil lilipat ka na rito.”

Iyon lang at agad nitong tinapos ang tawag.

Napa-buntunghininga nalang ako. He always does what he wants. I better not fall in love with that person. Whatever I feel for him right now, it has to stop. He will never change. He’s only doing this to help me out.

“Welcome to my house.”, sabi ni Rindel nang makapasok kami sa bahay nito.

“Wait, akala ko ba sa apartment ka nakatira?”

“Well, I bought a house yesterday.”

“So that explains the lack of furnitures?”, tanong ko nang makitang wala pa halos laman ang bahay.

“Yup. And the reason kung bakit hindi pa ako bumibili ng mga furnitures ay dahil gusto kong kasama kita pag ginawa ko yun. After all, I’m not the only one who’s going to live here. Might as well count your opinion for something.”

“Wow. I feel so special.”, sarkastiko kong tugon rito.

He just grinned.

“Alright so, we’ll leave it there for now. Since it’s lunchtime, I want to you out for lunch and then bibili tayo ng furnitures. Think of this as our very first date.”

My cheeks instantly burned when he mentioned that we were having a date. Kahit alam ko namang he’s just doing this for show. But still, I can’t help it.

“Okay, so san ako matutulog?”, I asked him.

“In the bedroom. With me.”, sabi lang nito saka lumabas ng bahay.

And with that, I decided that I have to control my feelings dahil kung hindi, I will die from too much excitement.



TO BE CONTINUED....................

AUTHOR'S NOTE

OMFG!! I am so sorry. I got too lazy to write. But Hell-O! I am back and so is Rindel and Jared! Pakisampal nalang po ako pag tinamad ako ulit. Mehehehehe! But No worries. I will update regularly na. I know talk is cheap but I will make you pay with gold. I love you guys!!

-PENSandPAPERS