SUZY'S POV
"Suzy.."
I halted with my steps when I heard that from behind me. Kakababa ko pa lang ng sasakyan nito galing sa airport and he insisted to drive me back to my apartment dahil mag-uumaga pa lamang and it'd be a waste kf money kung magtataxi pa'ko pauwi rito.
Heaving up a breath, humarap na'ko rito. Nakatayo na ito sa tabi ng sasakyan nito ngayon while he was in the same navy suit he wore for our flight.
"Ano? May nakalimutan ka pang sabihin sa'kin? Tell me now then. I still need to take a short rest dahil maaga pa'ko mamaya sa trabaho.."
A frown instantly appeared in his face when I informed him that
"Maaga? So you're back with your jobs again?"
"Of course. I have bills and school fees to pay, Liam. Hindi porke't dinala mo'ko sa malayong lugar ay pwede na'kong hindi magtrabaho pag-uwi ko rito." I stated with my folded arms, pointing out the fact.
"Then you'll exhaust yourself with overtimes again? Hindi ba pwedeng isang trabaho nalang yong kunin mo?"
"And then what? Anong gusto mong mangyari sa'kin? Mamatay sa gutom dahil sinunod kita? No. Thanks." Panunuya ko rito, ignoring how cold I feel right now
"Then why don't you ask help for your family for that? You are their responsibility, Suzy."
Natigilan na'ko nang bigla nalang nitong banggitin ang pamilya ko. Na para bang alam na alam nitong may pamilya pa'ko when I never mentioned anything about them before.
"Wala na'kong pamilya, Liam kaya kung wala ka ng ibang sasabihin sa'kin ngayon, umuwi ka na sa bahay mo. Wag mo na akong pansinin." And then qith that, I whirled around on my heels saka dumiretso na sa pintuan ng apartment ko.
"The can we atleast be friends this time, Suzy?"
I stopped opening my door when he suddenly asked that. Blowing out a deep breath, hinarap ko na ito.
Lumapit naman agad ito sa'kin and then smiled at me.
"I know kahit ilang araw tayong magkasama sa Canada, alam kong isang asungot lang ang tingin mo sa'kin and I don't want to be like that anymore. I want to be your friend."
I couldn't stop but raised my brow at him and throw him a suspicious look.
"You want me to be your friend?" I queried with sarcasms.
"Yes."
I scoffed at him and shook my head na siyang ikinasimangot naman ng mukha nito.
"A friend? After you failed to make me accept your offer to be your lover, friends naman ngayon? Ano na naman kayang kalokohan ang binabalak mong gawin sa'kin ngayon, Liam?"
A disapproval look flashed through his face with his brows knitted in confusions.
"Binabalak? Oh no, Suzy. This is just a plain friendship and nothing else. Gusto ko lang na mas kilalanin ka pa."
"And why would you want that? Nakilala mo na'ko, Liam and there's nothing interesting in me---"
"No. There is, Suzy.."
This time, mas lalo pang umarko ang kilay ko rito when he cut that off.
"There is and you just don't know that. It just take a man to know that there are something with you that I want."
"Which is my body, right?"
Agad na namang napasimangot ito when I snapped that. Dahil wala naman talagang ibang dahilan para lumapit pa ito sa gaya ko. And given his reputation as a playboy. No doubt.
"You want my body and because you can't make me give in to your charm, gusto mo namang alukin akong makipagkaibigan sa'yo. Oh come on, Liam. Maaari ngang nagkasama tayo sa Canada pero hindi ibig sabihin nun na makikipagkaibigan na'ko sa'yo ngayon. I know your kind, guguluhin mo lang ang buhay ko kapag hinayaan kitang pumasok sa buhay ko."
"I don't intend to ruin your life, Suzy. Gusto ko lang makipagkaibigan sa'yo and nothing else." He groaned and blow out a resigned sigh.
"Okay. I admit. At first, 'yong balak ko is to seduce you but I realized that you are a woman that I should never mess with because you don't deserve that."
"Yes. Hindi nga." I agreed with him with a nod.
"Hindi ko nga talaga deserve ang mga kalokohan mo at dapat tigil-tigilan mo na 'yang pambababae mo, Liam. Ikakasal ka na so just focus on your future wife."
His brows instantly knitted in confusion at that.
"Ikakasal? Hindi ko ba nasabi sa'yo na hindi na tuloy ang kasal namin ni Magi?"
It was my turn now to look at him in puzzlement. Did I just heard him right?
"What do you mean na hindi na tuloy ang kasal niyo? I thought your parents had already set up your engagement with Magi?"
He chuckled at that saka umiling-iling ito sa'kin.
"No. There's no wedding will going to happen. Kaya kahit maging kaibigan pa kita, no one will mind." He exclaimed with his famous grin.
He sounded so happy about his wedding being called off. At hindi ko alam kung bakit parang natutuwa rin ako na marinig ang balitang 'yon. Mali itong nararamdaman ko pero nagiging abnormal na yata tong puso ko.
"I'm free again and I intend to stay a bachelor as long as I want, Suzy. Kaya hindi mo na kailangan pang mag-alala na baka guluhin ko ang buhay mo dahil nakapagdesisyon na'ko, I will keep you as my friend now. As in a friend that I will treasure and not just a woman na paglalaruan ko lang."
I couldn't help but bit the inside of my cheeks when he announced that. I know I should be happy to hear that from him dahil sa wakas, titigilan na niya ako and I could finally go on with my life again without him na lagi nalang nakasunod sa'kin. Pero... Bakit parang nasasaktan ako sa balitang 'yon?
He intend to stay bachelor as long as he want kaya isa lang ang ibig sabihin nun, he'll continue his whoring activities.
But so what if he will, Suzy? Ang importante ay hindi ka na niya target ngayon at gusto ka nalang niya maging kaibigan ngayon. That means, hindi ka na niya guguluhin pa... Lalo na't magsisimula na ang internship mo sa company niya next week.
When my smart mind berated that, huminga na'ko ng malalim as I have made up my mind now.
"Okay. Let's be friends." I agreed sabay lahad ng kamay ko rito na siyang ikinangisi naman agad nito ngayon.
"Let's be friends but promise me na hindi mo na'ko guguluhin. And please never try to meddle with my life. Don't ask anything about me at wag na wag mo na rin ako uling tangkaing akitin. Kung kaya mong ipangako 'yon sa'kin, then we can be friends from now on, Liam."
Hearing that, his grin slowly disappeared as his face now turning serious. Nagtatanong sa'kin ang mga mata nito pero hindi na'ko umimik pa and just looked at him with no nonsense in my face.
Para masigurado kong wala na naman itong binabalak na gawin sa'kin, I have to make him promise me all that.
For awhile, tahimik lang itong nakatingin sa'kin as if was trying to read my mind pero maya-maya lang naman, he slowly nodded his head in agreement.
"Okay. Sabi mo eh. Friends." Nakangiting sang-ayon na nito sabay tanggap ng kamay ko.
I nodded at him as well as we shook our hands to seal our friendship.
"You can go home now, Liam. Magpapahinga na'ko." Saad ko na rito when he let go of my hand.
"Pakisabi nalang uli sa parents mo na thank you."
When he nodded, tumalikod na'ko rito saka binuksan na ang pintuan ng apartment ko.
"Ah Suzy?"
When he called that out again, napapabuntong-hininga na lamang akong humarap uli rito.
"Ano na naman? May sasabihin ka pa ba?"
"Ah no. Wala akong sasabihin sa'yo. May gagawin lang. Wait."
And then without giving me any heads up, he suddenly closed the gap between us in just one stride before he pulled my face with his both hands for a kiss.
This--This man!!
Itutulak ko na sana ito but before I could even do so, binitiwan na niya ang mukha ko and then grinned at me.
"A sweet kiss for my friend before I'll leave."
"W-What??!"
When I snapped that out in disbelief, the bastard just grinned more at me saka nagsimula ng naglakad papunta sa sasakyan nito.
"Don't be bothered by that kiss, Suzy. Ganyan lang talaga kami magpaalam sa mga kaibigan namin sa Canada. Bye, Suzy!!" Nakangising paalam pa nito while waving off at me and then before I could even lash out at him, nakapasok na ito sa loob ng sasakyan nito and then quickly drove his car away from my ire.
That bastard!!
Tiim ang mga bagang na sinundan ko na lamang ng matalim na tingin ang papalayong sasakyan nito.
Wala na talagang alam gawin ang gagong 'yon kundi puro kalokohan!
Kahit na inis na inis pa'ko rito, pumasok na lamang ako sa loob ng apartment ko as I was so ready to sleep now. Ignoring my annoyance for him.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Suzy! You're finally back!"
I smiled when Fe cheerfully exclaimed that pagkakita palang nito sa'kin nang papasok na'ko sa loob ng Café. With my sudden disappearance for a few days, talagang inaasahan ko na 'to sa mga kasamahan ko.
"Suzy, welcome back. How's Canada?"
"How's your trip in Canada with the infamous playboy, Suzy? Masaya ba? Masarap ba??"
When my other co-workers greeted me those incessant questions, napapakunot nalang ako ng noo sa mga ito and looked at them in puzzlement.
Because hell! How the hell they knew I was there with Liam??!
"With the playboy in Canada? At sino naman ang nagsabi n'yan sainyo?"
"Liam Montero came here himself to talk with our boss na mawawala ka raw ng ilang araw dahil dadalhin ka raw niya sandali papuntang Canada, Suzy kaya alam namin." Fe explained which caused me to bit my lower lip in awkwardness right now.
Talagang inayos nga ng gagong 'yon ang pag-alis ko pero hindi naman dito sa mga kasamahan ko.
Ano nalang kaya ang mga iniisip ng mga 'to sa'kin ngayon?
Probably his new whore?
Just the thought of it, I felt like I'll going to have a headache soon in frustration.
"Baka gusto mo naman kaming kwentuhan sa mga nangyari sainyo dun, Suzy. Tell us how he like. In bed or kahit sa ano."
When I heard that from Lea, our cashier here, a frustrated groan escaped from me.
"Guys, pabayaan niyo muna si Suzy, okay? Baka hindi naman talaga siya pumunta doon bilang babae ng playboy na'yon."
I felt grateful when Fe defended that. Ngumiti na'ko rito saka bumuntong-hininga.
"Ang totoo niyan.."
Their attentions were focused back on me when I uttered that. Curiosities were boldly written on their faces.
At ayokong masama ang iisipin ng mga ito sa'kin dahil kahit na wala akong pakialam sa kanila, ayoko paring gumulo ang buhay ko dahil sa mga mali nilang akala sa'kin.
"Liam is my friend's good friend at sinamahan niya lang ako sa Canada para pumunta sa may sakit na kaibigan ko dun and nothing else. Wala talagang namamagitan sa'ming dalawa. Magkaibigan lang kami." I lied with straight face. Well, probably not the last part dahil magkaibigan na naman 'daw' kami nito.
Surprise and confusions flickered in their eyes.
"Kahit ano? Wala talaga?" Lea queried na halatang hindi pa rin kumbinsido sa sinabi kong 'yon.
"Wala talaga." I confirmed without giving any emotions away. Kahit na hindi ko naman makalimutan kung ano talagang mga nangyari doon.
"You know what kind of women he usually date right? Those international models and the like at malayong-malayo sa'kin."
"Pero bakit kailangang siya pa talaga ang pumunta rito and asked our boss to let you come with him? That was just so.."
"Because Liam is a good friend of my friend and so was I kaya walang malisya ang pagpunta namin abroad. Nothing's going on between us and period. Kaya sana naman nasagot ko na ang gusto niyong malaman. Punta muna ako sa locker room para magbihis ng uniform ko."
Without waiting for their responses, iniwan ko na sila at nagtungo na'ko agad sa loob ng locker room.
I don't care if they'd believe that or not. Ang mahalaga, nabigyan ko na ng paliwanag ang mga tanong nila at sana makapagtrabaho na'ko uli rito nang walang problema.
"I'm free again and I intend to stay a bachelor as long as I want, Suzy..."
When those words echoed through my head again, mas binilisan ko na ang pagbibihis. I wanted to get myself busied right now so there would be no chance for him to occupy my mind. Dahil hindi ako dapat nasasaktan dahil sa mga katagang 'yon.
We're just friends and we'll stay like that forever if he kept his promises.
Lumabas na'ko agad sa locker room pagkatapos kong magbihis. Ilang araw nalang at internship ko na at konti nalang din, mabuuo ko na ang perang pambayad ko. With that thought, I began my day.
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