Chapter 40 | Invaded

Because of work, I didn't notice the days passing by. Nagulat na lamang ako at tumawag si Trinity nitong umaga tungkol sa hinanda nilang party ni Mia. Inisip ko pa kung ano iyon at parang hindi ako pamilyar.

"Mamaya agad?" gulat kong tanong.

"Oo nga, eight PM simula, sa bahay ninyo ang setting," she answered, "I sent you the details before, ha? Hindi mo nakita?"

"Nope or maybe I read it pero nakalimutan," sagot ko, "just busy these days."

"Understood namang busy ka kaya matutuwa ka rito," she said, "Lukan, pumunta ka, ha?" paki-usap sa akin ni Trinity sa kabilang linya.

"Oo pero baka hindi on time, may aayusin pa ako," sagot ko sa kaibigan.

"Super effort pa naman namin ni Mia rito sa party," she said, "and I have surprises for you!"

I chuckled and said, "Dapat ba akong kabahan diyan sa surprise? Please lang, Trinity, no troubles this time—"

"Wala, baliw... enjoy lang talaga at chill. I know you've been stressed the past weeks, I just want to make it up to you with this small party. Last day of February, magsaya naman tayo," sabi niya.

"Honestly parang wala akong ganang pumunta—"

"Hoy!"

"Kasi pagod ako dahil sa mga ginagawa," I continued, "wala akong ganang maki-socialize."

"Alam ko namang ganyan ang sasabihin mo, kaya nga sa bahay ninyo ang party, 'di ba?" she laughed, "para hindi ka talaga makawala."

"Ang saya mo, ano? Just be sure I'll be happy once I get there," sabi ko.

"One hundred percent," she said back.

"Oo na," I hissed and sighed.

"Ano 'yang buntong hiningang 'yan, ha? Hoy, kapag ten ng gabi wala ka pa rin, ipapadampot kita na parang tae," she warned.

Bahagya akong tumawa sa kanyang sinabi, "Pupunta ako."

But actually, I didn't mean what I said.

Ngayon ay tapos na ang aking gawain sa araw na ito. Isang oras na akong late sa party ngunit hindi pa rin ako umalis sa aking opisina. Trinity kept calling me for the first thirty minutes and I didn't answer any.

Nag-abang pa ako ng maaaring emergency upang may rason akong hindi pumunta ngunit isang oras muli ang lumipas ay walang nangyari.

I sighed and lazily stood. Sige, pupunta na nga tutal ay nagugutom na rin ako. I took my important things before I totally went out. I was locking my office when someone neared me.

When I looked at him, my brows unconsciously raised as if asking why he was here.

"Pinapadampot ka ni Trinity," Eros informed me.

"Na parang tae?" ulit ko sa sinabi ni Trinity.

"Ha?"

"Never mind," I said.

Nauna akong maglakad patungo sa elevator at sumunod naman siya sa akin. Pareho kaming tahimik at wala rin akong ganang magsalita o kausapin si Eros. Hindi gaanong maingay sa hospital sapagkat gabi na at ang mga nurses at doctors ay may kanya-kanyang mundo.

Si Eros ang pumindot sa elevator at hinayaan naming itong magsarado.

"Kumusta kayo ni Mia?" he asked me.

My brows arched at his question.

"Ewan," simple kong sagot.

He shrugged and said, "Sorry for asking... Mia is just upset these days."

"I'm busy kaya hindi nakikipag-usap sa kahit sinong kakilala," I reasoned.

"Yeah, I told her that and she tried understanding," he said to me as if it mattered.

"But I wonder if there is another reason why you are ignoring her," parinig ni Eros.

"What do you know? You and the Zorrons are really something, y'all like messing my life," I tried it to be a joke.

He chuckled and said instead, "Lukan, this time trust her."

"Bakit?" natatawa kong tanong.

"She's trying her best to have you back," he answered, "really trying."

"I don't know," I trailed off.

"She's drunk once you enter the party and your friend, Trinity, is close to passing out," he informed me.

"Seryoso? What's with them?" I asked.

"They have a mini contest of who can stay up after drinking different alcohols and even your friends and I can't stop the two," he answered.

"What?"

"Tagal mong dumating, e," he blamed me.

"Kasalanan ko pa?"

"I told you, Mia is trying to have you back. She'll literally doing everything to impress or prove you her love," Eros said.

"But alcohol isn't the right way to prove it. Baka sakit pa sa atay ang makuha niya," I unconsciously said.

"Since when did she learn those things anyway? Impluwensya mo, 'no?" I accused him.

"Ako agad?" he even pointed at himself, "umalis siya sa kanyang comfort zone noong college. Ayos lang naman iyon dahil natuto siya."

"At wala namang problema roon..." I trailed off.

Sabay kaming lumabas nang bumukas ang elevator. We took the path to the exit and went inside of our cars.

Sa biyahe ay hindi ako mapakali sa sinabi ni Eros. Minutes from now, I'd see the drunk Mia and I'd be concerned like crazy of her state. Bakit pa kasi pumatol kay Trinity? Isa pa 'yong babaeng iyon.

Walang traffic kung kaya't mas mabilis sa normal na oras ng pagbiyahe. I immediately went out of my car even if it wasn't parked nicely. Puno ang aming parking space ng iba't ibang kotse, mukhang marami ang inimbita ni Trinity sa gabing ito.

When I entered, the full volumed speakers blasted the shit out of me. Parang ngayon na lamang ako nabingi sa ganitong tunog sapagkat sa hospital ay laging tahimik ang corridors.

"The star of the night is here!" a college friend announced.

Nice.

Everyone turned their attentions on me and within seconds they already went near to greet, hand drinks and talk about things. My surrounding became crowded with mixed people.

Blond girls seemed to compete among each other of who could I notice first so I decided to just acknowledge them para walang gulo.

Some smelled like alcohol as they spoke to me. I unconsciously drank one of the drinks from a college mate since he was convincing me to.

"Lukan, let's go swimming," a woman that I forgot the name but was familiar invited me.

"Later," sagot ko kahit hindi naman talaga.

"Your house here in the Philippines is bigger than the one in California, do you have plans to make it larger than this?" she asked.

"Yes, I have," I answered her happily.

"That's good! So we can all throw a big party there too!" she said.

I faked a smile and nodded to agree na lang. Ang dami pang naging distractions, muntik pa akong kumanta sa videoke dahil sa kanilang pamimilit.

Everyone was offering me alcoholic drinks when in fact I needed a fucking real food.

"Hi, Lukan," a tanned American girl sat beside me.

The men on this table were all betting on something when she came near.

"Hi!" bati ko, hindi nagsabi ng pangalan sapagkat hindi na matandaan.

"Congratulations on your success, it was like yesterday when we first met in our biology class," she said.

Water dripped from her body and her bikini blended good with the party lights, she looked like she came from the pool.

"Thank you," tangi kong nasabi.

"Do you want to eat? You just came here," alok niya.

Well, that was a good offer.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," I politely agreed.

We left the gambling table and she led me inside where the foods were placed on.

"This dish is really tasty," she complimented the classic Adobo.

"Yes, it's a Filipino dish. I didn't know Trinity got a big catering for tonight," natatawa kong sabi.

Agad akong kumuha ng pagkain at dali-dali itong kinain upang hanapin na sina Mia at Trinity pagkatapos. Ang tanging problema ko na lamang ay paano ako makalulusot sa kasamang babae.

"You know, Lukan," she got my attention as she spoke.

She was already standing in front of me and her body was near.

Oh, geez, I knew what this was.

"I've been admiring you for too long now," she sexily trailed off.

I tried joking around to not offend her, "that's shocking."

"Really? You didn't notice even before?" she asked.

"No, sorry, but you know, you can get over me—"

"Oh, yes, I want to be over you," she said with such malice.

"No, not that," natatawa kong sabi.

Para pa akong nawalan ng gana kumain. I took my glass of water and drank while she remained staring at me.

"Hm, maybe you're just saying that because you aren't drunk yet," she joked.

May balak pa talaga siyang malasing ako para lang maka-tsamba.

"I really don't want to," I tried saying politely.

She lowered her body, enough for her cleavage to reveal more yet I looked away.

"You haven't tried me," she whispered sexily.

Ah, really, no.

I was about to say something when someone went in. She was stumbling like hell until she got to see our position.

"Mia," I called, full attention to her.

She closed her eyes and laughed hysterically as if we looked like fucking clowns.

Tumayo ako at iniwan ang plato sa pinakamalapit na surface. When I looked back at Mia, she was already half running away.

"Hey, hey, what's happening?" the girl asked but I didn't entertain her.

"Mia!" I shouted her name as I followed her.

Nahirapan pa akong maabutan siya sapagkat maraming nakaharang sa daan at paminsan-minsan ay nalilito ako dulot ng papalit-palit ng kulay sa ilaw.

"Mia!" I called when I finally saw her among the wave of people.

Sa garden siya patungo at mukhang hindi na niya alam kung na saan siya, basta lamang makatago mula sa akin.

"I got you," I whispered when I finally held her.

"Don't touch me!" her voice thundered.

"Then don't run away!" I told her.

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"I am not, just calm down! You're drunk—"

"Yes, I am, what is it to you anyway?" she huskily said, her throat must had been rusted of the alcohols she took.

Ilang beses pa niyang sinubukang makawala sa aking hawak ngunit sa kanyang kalagayan ay mas malakas ako dahil hindi lasing. She kept on punching and shouting at me but those weren't enough to let her get away.

"My god, Lukan!" she cried.

"Calm down and I'll loose my hold," I told her.

"How can I be fucking calm? I've been calm for the past years, months and weeks!" she ranted.

I didn't understand what was she trying to say but due of my confusion, she got the chance to slip away my arms.

"Mia, just don't run—"

"Y-You know what?" she faced me, "all this time I thought I finally knew myself. I thought I was finally confident and proud of myself!"

"Alam mo ba kung gaano kahirap lumaking puro bully ang na sa paligid mo at araw-araw kang nir-remind kung gaano ka ka-pangit? I tried being optimistic before but then I realized, their words affected me so much. I couldn't even compliment myself beautiful because the people corrupted my mind," she hissed.

"A-And the people around me lied just to separate us apart—"

"What?" I asked.

I got confused.

"They lied of father's fucking heart disease!" she bursted, "kahit pa hindi naging tayo noon dulot ng ibang rason, hindi pa rin tamang nagsinungaling sila sa akin sa gano'ng paraan."

"I carried those shits all together to the point I couldn't find myself anymore. Noong nag-college ako, I promised myself to be better and tough... tougher than the problems I faced," she continued.

Her tears started to form and softened me.

"I know my struggles may not be as worse as yours, I still don't know your whole life story but... is this a competition of who suffered the most? Does the weight of conflict matters? I may sound irrational but I had difficult times too," she cried.

"Six years... I tried building myself within six years but it wasn't easy... doubts had always been my enemy. Doubts everywhere!" she even spread her arms.

"But I persisted... para in case na magkita tayong muli, hindi na ako tulad noon," she added.

"I have the power to decide now, do things on my own and the confidence! Not until you came back with Trinity. Amerikana ang dating, liberated, matalino, close kayo, sexy—shit, anong laban ko?" natatawa niyang sabi.

"Parang biglang gumuho 'yong dalang confidence ko lalo na noong hinalikan ka niya sa pisngi. Sinabi mo sa aking magkaibigan lang kayo, gusto kong maniwala pero magaling mangbilog ang kaibigan mo, Lukan... dumating na ako sa puntong nainis sa kanya," she hissed.

"Nainis din ako sa 'yo kasi bakit mo siya hinayaang ganonin ako?" she told me, "ganon ba siya ka-over power at hindi mo kayang pigilan?"

"Why did she do that to me? To make me regret I let you go? To make me jealous to trigger my emotions? She's so childish!" she ranted.

"Kung pinaglalaruan lang ninyo akong dalawa upang may pagtawanan, guess what? I played her trash immature game! I had plans on how to approach you once we see each other again yet all of those didn't happen because of her stupidity!"

"I thought I was ready facing you again, I thought I was okay now to see you even with someone else—"

"Mia, I'm sorry—"

"No, no! Don't say anything yet, hindi pa ako t-tapos!" she shouted at me.

Her face was red and she literally bursted out.

"I know I'm saying these things because I'm wasted," she laughed, "but I won't regret anything tomorrow."

"Obvious pang iniiwasan mo ako nitong nakaraan dahil ano? Busy ka? O may iba pang rason? Lukan, hindi na ako ang dating Mia na ignorante sa kanyang paligid. I can tell you are questioning me and my family. Si papa ba, Lukan, ang iniisip mo?" she opened the topic.

"Okay na si papa sa atin, Lukan. Ayos na siya sa 'yo, Lukan," she cried.

"Why don't you believe me? Totoo ang sinasabi ko," she grabbed both of my elbows and shook me.

My lips were parted, wanting to confess the truth but something inside me commanded not to, it wasn't the right time to tell it.

"At ako? Lukan, mukha pa rin bang hindi ako sigurado sa 'yo? Trinity confused the shit of me kaya hindi ko nagawang patunayan ang sarili ng maayos but I assure you, if you still want us to be together—"

"I want us to be together," I clearly said.

"Then let's trust each other," she whispered.

"Maniwala ka sa akin, Lukan, huwag sa iba," she said and tears came out again.

"I-I'm trying really really hard for you," she added.

I stared at her as she spoke, "I-I can even introduce you again to my parents when we start to date. I can take care of you on your work days. I can cook you foods even if you don't feel eating them—"

I didn't hold myself back anymore, I kissed her.

Maybe time stopped when our lips met and the noises got totally muted as I felt her soft reddish lips against mine.

Mia didn't know what to do, she got stunned at first yet slowly her knees weakened and her eyes closed when I started a rhythm.

First movement and her fisted hands became fragile. I gently took her hands and intertwined with mine.

I dominated her addictive lips and the warm feeling of her breath urged me to have more of her. The moment she responded completely washed out my system. A small flick of her tongue made me quiver, as if wave of emotions drowned me.

She invaded not just my lips but also the empty room inside my heart that was only for her.