Hindi napigilan ni Oreo na mapapikit at hawakan ang sentido. Ito ang unang pagkakataon na makaramdam siya ng ganito mula sa lalaki. Parang tinutusok ang puso niya ng mga karayom. Sa sobrang sakit ay nakagat niya ang ibabang labi sabay ng pagkuyom ng kaniyang mga palad.

Anong karapatang niyang mag react kung nakipag date man ito? Kung nag enjoy man ang binata sa ibang babae? Kung may ginawa man ito sa kama kasama ang mga babaeng iyon, ano bang paki niya?

We're not even in a relationship.

Ito naman ang gusto niya, ang magmahal ng iba si Kristoff. Ngunit bakit hindi siya masaya? Bakit nasasaktan siya sa isiping may iba itong babaeng nakasama noong nasa malayo siya at pilit na iniiwasan ang binata?

What's wrong with me? Huwag mong sabihing...NO! It can't be. This can't be real. It's not happening. I don't love him. This is just mere illusions made by the brain. This is just nothing. This should be nothing...

Oreo gasped when she finally realized it. Her brain was not able to control her emotions too, because her eyes began to produce tears that started to fall down to her cheeks. She got stunned with her own reaction. Her eyes looked blankly at Kristoff who also got surprised when he saw that she was crying.

"Chocolate! Why are you crying? Is something wrong?" batid sa mukha ni Kristoff ang matinding pag – aalala. Tumayo ito at inilipat ang inuupuan nito sa tabi ni Oreo. Agad siyang niyakap ni Kristoff.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Gusto niyang pumalag ngunit pakiramdam niya ay wala siyang lakas. She suddenly felt drained and weak, she couldn't even move. But her eyes kept crying and her heart was aching. Something was wrong with her. Something was incorrect with how her brain worked. Because she finally lost control over it.

"Stay away from me." She muttered in between her cries. She could smell that manly fragrance of Kristoff that makes her angrier thinking that someone else have also enjoyed his scent.

Kristoff, instead, tightened his hug. "No. I won't. Not when you're acting like a jealous wife."

"I'm not jealous. We're in a public place, you idiot!" Oreo wiped her tears when she finally regained her composure. "Can you please take your dirty hands off of me?"

Narinig niyang napahinga ng malalim si Kristoff bago siya pinakawalan. Tinitigan siya nito at balik na naman ang seryosong mukha nito. "Now, tell me. What made you cry?"

"It's none of your business," sabay iwas ng tingin sa lalaki. Hindi niya pwedeng sabihin dito ang totoong rason bakit siya napaiyak. Hindi na dapat malaman pa ni Kristoff ang mga nilalaman ng utak niya.

"It's my business since your cried right after I told you about the women I dated."

Oreo rolled her eyes, trying to act tough in front of him. "I don't care whatever you did with them, even if you had sex with them, it doesn't matter to me. I don't care if you enjoyed your time with them. But don't you dare touch me again with those filthy hands of yours."

Hindi niya alam ngunit napatawa ng malakas si Kristoff sa sinabi niya. Tinakpan nito ang sariling bibig upang pigilan ang malakas na pagtawa nito. Tiningnan niya ito ng masama kaya napilitan itong huminto sa pagtawa pero may ngiti pa rin sa mga labi nito.

"Chocolate, you thought I had sex with those women? Is that why you cried?" pabulong nitong sabi sa kaniya. "Were you angry thinking I touched other women?"

She knew her face went all red. "O – Of course not. As I said, I don't care. It doesn't matter to me."

"Choc, you're making me love you more. I know you so well. So I know you're lying."

Mabilis nitong hinawakan ang likod ng ulo niya at hinalikan siya nito sa noo na hindi niya inaasahan. Saka ibinulong ang mga salitang, "I will never have sex with other women. But I'll do it with you, over and over again. Just ask me. I'll give you my body."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Oreo sa narinig at mabilis na napatayo sa kinauupuan. "Get a grip Kristoff! Kapal mo talaga!"

Pangisi – ngisi pa si Kristoff na halatang masaya sa ginagawa nitong pang – aasar.

"Hello, here is your order," ani ng Balinese waitress na dala ang kanilang mga inorder. Inilapag nito ang mga pagkain sa kanilang mesa. Napabalik siya ng upo, nakahinga ng maluwag at palihim na nakapagpasalamat dahil maganda ang timing ng pagdating ng kanilang pananghalian.

Ngumiti siya sa waitress ng buong puso. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Please call us if you need anything else," anito saka iniwan na sila ng Balinese.

"That was bad timing," komento ni Kristoff. "Anyway, do you want to know the results of my dating activities?"

"Please, let's just eat. Don't ruin my mood. I'm starving." She closed her eyes and said a prayer. She didn't want to hear anymore about his dating history because it's hard for her to control her emotions.

She was thanking God for the food and for changing the atmosphere that she was into with this man beside her. It was the best timing she could ever wish for because she didn't know how to handle Kristoff's cunning attitude towards her. He was making her uneasy and she barely manage to control her own thoughts and emotions.

Why am I having a hard time controlling my own feelings? Why am I feeling relieved knowing that I'm still the only woman he has his eyes into?

Wala naman dapat siyang pakialam anuman ang gawin nito sa buhay nito. Dapat wala. Dapat ay hindi siya nag rereact ng ganito. Subalit hindi niya mapigilan na maging masaya sa isiping hindi ito nakipag physical contact sa mga babaeng idinate nito. Kaya niya pa bang magsinungaling sa sarili na maaaring mahal na talaga niya ang taong ito?

Pero kahit mahal ko pa siya, hindi ko dapat ipagkait sa kaniya ang buhay na malaya...even if I end up being alone...forever.

***

It's been awhile. :) I went back here after 3 years. If anyone is still reading this, hope you enjoy. I will try to finish and continue my stories. Aw. 

Love & Light,

BC