Chapter 1.2: Comeback

MATHIS can't help himself not to stare at her face over and over again. She's still beautiful as ever. She’s a still the most beautiful woman his eyes ever laid on. Too bad, she's not happy seeing him again after a decade.

Lumapit ang waiter ng café at kinuha ang mga order nila. He paid for their order and after that, the silence claimed them.

Walang nagsalita sa kanilang dalawa at halatang ayaw siyang makausap ng babae. Mukhang hindi nga ito komportable na nakikita siya subalit nagtataka siya kung bakit pumayag pa itong mag-coffee sila.

"Here's your coffee ma'am, Sir..." The waitress is the only one who broke the silence between them. Kuntento na kasi si Mathis na makita lang niya ang babae at makasama ito ulit ng ganito.

"Thank you..." Venus said and then the waiter left them.

He cleared his throat. Trying to avoid the awkwardness that filled the air between them. "Uhm, anak mo ba yung bata kanina?"

Halatang natigilan si Venus sa tanong. Dumapo ang mga mata nito sa labas ng café at ibinalik ulit sa kanya ang atensyon ng babae. "Yes..."

"What's her name?" He asked again. He doesn't know why but it hurts seeing the woman he loves had a child with another man. "The little girl mentioned the word 'daddy', may asawa ka na?"

Bahagyang tumawa naman si Venus at bahagyang napailing iling. "Well, her name is Giselle. I'm not yet married but I'm in a relationship."

"With Giselle's dad?" He asked again. Gusto niyang malaman ang katotohanan kahit pa siguradong siya ay masasaktan. Kasalanan naman niya rin naman. Kung hindi lang siya umalis noon siguro masaya na sila ngayon.

Venus fakes her smile. "Yes..."

"Great! I wished you all the best." He smiles bitterly and then continue sipping his coffee. "You deserved better..."

"Why did you comeback?" Hindi na napigilan ni Venus ang magtanong. It seems awkward but she's eager to know the reason why he comeback, why he left, why he broke her heart.

"Because I'm going to get what's rightfully mine..." He smirked. If he has to go through hell to get what's his, then so be it. She is in a relationship now but she's still not married. Kaya pa niyang kunin ito, kaya pa niyang bawiin si Venus sa ayaw o sa gusto ng babae.

"Sad to ruin your fantasy, Mathis but..." She then sarcastically laughs while staring at his lovely and hypnotizing purple eyes. "Wala ka ng babalikan pa."

"You know that I'm unstoppable, right?" He then sips the last drop of his coffee and then stare at her intimately. "I can get what I want. In fact, I can get you one way or another."

"What if I don't want to?" She raised an eyebrow at him. Mukhang nagkamali siya ng desisyon na pumayag sa alok na coffee ng lalaki. Talking with him was a terrible idea. Terrible! So terrible! It was a bad move!

"Then get ready, mí Corazon. For I, Mathis Winston Maddox can take you to heaven...married or not." He smirked when he saw her face became pale. Her features may look wild and strong but she's still the innocent Venus he had f-ck many times before.

Tuluyan nang naging kulay kamatis ang mukha ni Venus. All thanks to his filthy mouth. "Bastos!"

He laughs. "Oh, don't be shy baby. As if we didn't f-ck each other before. We had shared the same bed as well."

Venus face became red and her heartbeat raises when she remembers the times she's doing that thing with him. Kahit matagal na iyon ay sariwa pa din sa kanyang alaala ang mga nangyari. Ang saya, ang sakit, ang poot, at mas lalo na ang galit.

"Okay, this conversation will go like this." Napatingin siya kay Mathis na seryosong nagsasalita habang tinititigan siya. "Please comeback, baby."

Sarkastikong tumawa naman si Venus at napailing iling. Hindi siya makapaniwala na talagang may lakas pa ito ng loob na makipagbalikan sa kanya matapos ang isang dekada.

Matapos siyang paasahin at iwan nito sa mismong araw ng kasal nila.

The way he talks, the way his presence making her uncomfortable, and the way he said those things. Parang wala lang sa lalaki ang lahat, na para bang wala lang sa kanya ang lahat ng sakit at hirap na naranasan niya simula noong iwan siya nito.

"How old is Giselle?" Tanong ni Mathis sa kanya.

Napagbugtong hininga naman siya. "Walang kinalaman ang bata dito."

"Meron." Sagot ni Mathis at tinawag ulit ang waiter at nag-order ito ng panibagong coffee. Kaunti lang ang nabawas ni Venus sa kanyang coffee kaya naman hindi na siya nagpabili pa. "Giselle will soon to be my daughter if you will agree to marry me."

"That isn’t going to happen, Mathis." She smirked. Kung inaakala nito na madali lang siya makukuha pwes nagkakamali ito.

Hindi na siya ang dating Venus na iyakin at marupok. Nagbago na siya, mas naging matatag na siya at mas naging matalino na pagdating sa mga galawan ng mga lalaki. If Mathis was thinking that way, she has to be careful. "I'm not going to marry the man I hated to the core for a decade now. Tanging baliw lang ang gumagawa niyan!"

"Isang tanong, isang sagot." He said after drinking the new coffee he ordered as soon as the waiter handed it to him. "Do you still love me? Do you still love me, Vee?"

Venus body froze. Mahal? Mahal pa nga ba niya ang lalaki? Hindi niya alam. Hindi niya alam ang kasagutan sa tanong na iyon dahil sa nararamdaman niya sa araw na ito, sa tuwing tinititigan niya si Mathis ay tanging galit at pagkamuhi lang ang nararamdaman niya.

As if she loves to break his pretty neck for justice.

"I don't love you anymore." She answered directly yet deep down she felt that she lied.

Pero totoo yun! Totoo naman talaga na nawala ang pagmamahal niya para dito at napalitan na ito ng galit. Isang galit na hindi niya alam kung kailan matatapos. Isang galit na binabangungot siya kahit natutulog siya. Isang galit na ginagambala siya hanggang ngayon.

Masyado nang malalim ang sugat, masyado nang malala. Kaya naman hindi niya alam kung kailan ba ito maghihilom at tuluyan nang kalimutan ang lahat.

Venus is really trying hard to put this pain away. But the wound, the wound is still fresh because she's still cutting it with hatred and sorrows.

"Baby..." Huminahon ang hitsura ni Mathis lalo na nung makita niyang may namumuong luha sa mga mata ni Venus. Hindi niya magawang ipaliwanag ang lahat-lahat subalit isa lang ang alam niya kundi iyon ay mahal niya ang babae noon at ngayon. "Please comeback, I still love you. Yes, I left pero hayaan mo akong bumawi sayo."

"What for?" Venus asked while trying to control her mix emotions. Gusto niyang sabunutan at sapakin ang lalaki sa sakit na kanyang nararamdaman pero hindi siya ganong klaseng tao. "For another pain? For another regret?"

She sighs and then she added. "Well sorry but I'm contented with my life now—"

"Are you?" Pinutol siya sa pagsasalita ni Mathis. Mahinahon lang silang dalawa na nag-uusap para naman hindi sila makadisturbo sa ibang mga tao na nasa Café. "Masaya ka nga ba talaga ngayon, Vee? Kasi sa pagkakaalam ko ay hindi yan ang mukha mo kapag masaya ka."

"Hindi." Tuluyan nang napakawalan ni Venus ang luha na kanina pa niya pinipigilan. Lumingon naman siya sa labas ng café at tumingin ulit sa lalaki nang maramdaman niyang nakahugot siya ulit ng lakas sa kung saan. Making conversation with him about their past really hurts, she's not ready for this but she has to in order to move on. "Hindi ako masaya dahil patuloy pa din akong ginugulo ng aking nakaraan."

Then she pointed her chest where her heart was placed. "Ang sugat dito ay andito pa din. So don't expect that I still love you after those pain you had given me."

"I'm sorry..." Napayuko na lang si Mathis. Gustuhin man niyang yakapin at hagkan ang babae subalit hindi niya magawang maigalaw ang kanyang katawan lalo na sa oras na nakita niyang tumulo ang mga luha nito. He wanted to punch himself for making her cry. "I'm sorry for all the pain I've cost you."

She sighs. "Hindi ko alam kung kailan kita mapapatawad."

Tumayo na ito mula sa pagkakaupo at tuluyan nang umalis si Venus sa kanyang harapan. Naglakad ito palabas ng café habang tinitakpan ang bibig nito.

Siya naman ay naiwan na tulala at hindi makapag-isip ng maayos.

What have I done? Tanong niya sa sarili. Masyadong mahaba at matagal na ang sampung taon. Kaya naman kailangan niyang makaisip ng paraaan kung paano siya mapapatawad at kung paano siya makakabawi kay Venus.

Kailangan. Kailangan talaga para sa babaeng minamahal niya. Para sa babaeng napabayaan niya ng sampung taon.