"WHAT'S UP WITH YOU TWO?"

Before turning to face him, I puffed the cigarette smoke into the air. Tinitigan ko ng mariin ang mga mata niya at may nabasa akong emosyon mula sa mga mata niya. How dare he ask me about my own business?

I arched an eyebrow at him and then crossed one arm across my chest while still holding the cigarette.

"Jealous? "

He didn't respond, but he did move closer as his eyes drifted to the cigarrette I was holding. Nagulat ako nang agad na kinuha niya iyon at mariing inapakan sa sahig. I was immediately outraged by what he did.

"Why the fuck did you do that?! That was the last piece I had—"

"I told you to stop smoking, right? It's bad for your health. You need to be healthy. " Matigas na usal nito pero hindi ako natinag.

"Stay out of my fucking life, will you?! "

"Make me."

Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mga mata. "You may be my manager, but please don't act like you own me, Gillen." Tiningnan ko siya ng mariin bago paulit ulit na itinulak ang dibdib niya. "No one... owns me."

Hindi siya nagsalita bagkus ay bumuntong-hininga siya ng malakas bago tumingala sa kisame. Kitang-kita ko kung paano siya lumunok ng mariin bago pagod na ibinalik ang mga mata sa akin.

"Do you like him?"

I stared at him for a while before I laughed loudly. The nerve of him to ask me about that. Hindi ko siya maintindihan.

I smugly smiled. "What if I did?"

Kumabog ng malakas ang dibdib ko nang sumeryoso ang mukha ni Gillen. Even though I did feel uncomfortable with the way he looked at me, I didn't bulge. Kumabog nga lang ng malakas ang dibdib ko nang humakbang siya papalapit sa akin hanggang sa bumangga ang katawan niya sa akin.

"I don't believe it, Dawn." Paos na usal nito.

I rolled my eyes before I placed a smirk on my face. "Bakit? Sa tingin mo ay gusto pa din kita? Ang kapal naman ng mukha mo! "

Gillen's face became dark when I said that. I saw how he clenched his jaw before he held my left hand.

"I know you better than anyone, Dawn, and I can always tell when you're lying."

Napakurap ako nang sabihin niya iyon. I could feel my insides going wild when his right hand brushed against my cheeks before cupping it. Umawang ang labi ko nang ipinaikot niya ang kanyang kaliwang braso sa bewang ko.

"G-gillen..."

His copper-colored eyes were staring at me like they knew my soul. He still knew me like he did before it all happened.

"I do not want you to like him, Brat."

I gritted my teeth as I removed his hand from my face. " I do not like you anymore."

"Really?"

I sighed heavily before I moved away from him. Mapait na tumawa ako. I spitefully looked at him from head to toe.

"Sino ka para sabihin sa akin na hindi ko siya pwedeng gustuhin, Gill?"

I saw how his eyes changed. "Brat..."

My hand formed into a fist. "You clearly told me that you and I would never happen, right? Sinabi mo mismo na hinding-hindi mo ako magugustuhan. I fucking know that. That is what you were trying to make me feel all the time, right? "

I saw how his eyes became worried and he tried to reach me once more. "Dawn,"

Pumapalakpak ako kahit ramdam ko ang bikig sa aking lalamunan. Pabalik-balik na itinuro ko ang aking sarili at siya. "You clearly stated that this would not happen, that you would never like someone as bruised as I am. Tinanggap ko 'yon, and right now that you know I was with someone else, you are doing this again? "

Gillen sighed heavily. "Let's talk tomorrow. You are drunk. "

I socffed. "Alam mo, putangina ka."

Nakita kong natigilan siya nang marinig ang pagnginig ng boses ko. He tried to reach me again, but I was quick to take a step forward. I could feel my chest getting heavy as I was looking at him.

"Don't you know that you are a bastard?! You were insensitive to what I felt and you are making me confused all the time, Gill! Ano ba talaga ang gusto mo ha?! "

"Ikaw. "

His prompt response startled me, but I realized that I was no longer being a hypocrite by holding that belief. I overcame that phase. I got past that stage. I knew the truth. Hanggang ngayon ay sinungaling pa rin siya.

"Naglolokohan lang tayong dalawa, Gillen." Mapait na umiling ako. "Now, get the fuck out of my apartment."

Hindi siya tuminag sa kinatatayuan niya habang nakapamulsa na nakatingin sa akin. I do not want him to see that I am weak, that I am frail. Ayokong isipin niya na mahina ako. I am not a princess that needs to be saved. I am the fucking villain in every story that I have been in. Ganoon naman ang paningin nila sa akin. Ganoon ang tingin niya sa akin dahil pinaniwalaan niya ang baabeng iyon kumpara sa akin!

Mabigat na naglakad ako papalapit sa kaniya at itinulak siya ng malakas.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"

Hindi siya lumaban. Hinayaan niya lang ako na itulak siya ng paulit-ulit. Malamlam ang mga mata na tinitigan niya ako ng ilang segundo. I was expecting for him to say something because I saw how his Adam's apple moved, but his lips were sealed shut. Pinanood ko lang siya hanggang sa makalabas siya sa loob ng apartment complex ko.

The moment the door closed, I could feel my knees wobbling. Napapupo ako sa sahig habang hawak-hawak ang dibdib ko.

Whatever we have right now will always stay that way. Nothing more. Nothing less.

I'm not going to waste my time on him any longer... to care for him.

I will no longer care about a person who loved someone else that is not me.