V



Baka naman coincidence lang?

Balisa si Julianna habang palakad lakad sa kwarto niya. Kagat kagat niya ang kuko niya na madalas niyang gawin tuwing kabado o malalim ang iniisip niya. Kaya naman pala siya binati ng mga tauhan ng resort kanina! Hindi alam ng mga ito ang pangalan niya. It was the resort's name! How dumb is she? Inis na natampal niya ang noo.

Hindi parin siya nakakapagbihis. She was still wearing her normal clothes eventhough Jake texted her that she should dress up because they're meeting the resort owner for dinner. Paano siya makakapagready sa lagay na ito? Damn! Bakit ba sobrang kabado siya? Hawak hawak niya ang flier ng resort. She was about to check the address when she received Jake's text earlier. Ipinagpaliban niya ang pagtingin doon dahil kinakabahan siya. Ayaw niya ng confirmation ng hinala niya.

Ngunit alam niyang sa ginagawa niyang iyon ay pinapatagal lang niya ang kalbaryo niya. She needed to know. Kailangan niyang malaman ngayon ang totoo bago pa man sila humarap sa may-ari ng resort. At least kung alam niya, she wouldn't be caught too off guard.

What the hell am I even thinking? Posible ba talaga?

"No," mahinang usal niya na may kasamang pag-iling. He skipped town. He left the country and no one knows where he exactly went. May nagsasabing sa Europa, mayroon namang sa Amerika. Basta ang sigurado ay hindi na raw ito babalik pa. Or at least that's what they made her believe.

Ikinuyom niya ang mga palad sabay hugot ng malalim na buntong hininga. She needs to get this over with. And there's nothing else that she could do but look at the address of the resort and make sure.

Jake wouldn't do that to her, would he?

Dahan dahan niyang binuklat ang brochure at naramdaman niya ang pag drain ng dugo niya nang mabasa ang eksaktong lokasyon niyon.

Impit siyang napamura.

Nalukot iyon sa higpit ng hawak niya. What was Jake thinking! Mabilis na sinugod niya ang kwarto nito. Mabibigat ang bawat katok niya sa pinto. Kulang na lang ay sipain niya iyon para lang pagbuksan siya ni Jake.

It took five more seconds before Jake finally opened the door. She shoved him aside and barged inside with her nose flaring and her ears red. "What the hell, Jake? Ano bang gusto mong mangyari? Why did you hire me as a secretary? Why are we here? Bakit mo ako dinala rito? Who owns this place?" sunod sunod na tanong niya. Jake doesn't seem bothered by her questions, though. Kung tingnan siya nito ay para ba siyang bata na nagtatantrums.

"Why aren't you dressed, Julianna?"

"Sagutin mo ang tanong ko!"

"I will if you calm down--"

"I am not playing with you, Jake!"

He didn't answer. Instead he just pursed his lips and looked at her impassively. He looked so stoic you would actually think he wasn't feeling anything at all. Nagsukatan silang dalawa ng tingin. Sa huli ay napabuntong hininga na lamang ito. "I'm surprised it took you this long before realizing--"

"Just answer the dn question. Who owns this place? Magsabi ka ng totoo!"

"Reed Mitchell," tila ba balewala na sagot nito.

"What?!" tila ba nabagsakan siya ng isang ten storey building sa narinig niya. She couldn't find the right words to say. How? Why? When? Nag angat ang mga mata niya kay Jake na mataman lamang siyang tinitigan. Tila ba hinihintay nito ang reaksyon niya. Tila ba nananantya.

Huminga ng malalim si Julianna. Okay, maybe this isn't as bad as she thinks. Jake is right, she needs to calm down. Maybe he wasn't purposely trying to hurt her. Maybe this was all a big fucking joke.

"W-what...what is this Jake? Bakit?"

Tumalikod ang lalaki sa kanya upang humarap sa isang full length mirror at ayusin ang sarili. "What's the matter?"

"Anong what's the matter?" sumunod siya rito. She stared at him on the mirror while he fix his bow tie. Kung kumilos ito ay parang wala lang. Na tila ba hindi multo ng kahapon nila ang kailangan nilang harapin sa hapag kainan. "Bakit mo ako dinala rito?"

"Nagkaroon ka ng lakas ng loob na harapin ako after seven years, Julianna," kalmado paring sabi nito. "why can't you face him, too?"

Pilit niyang pinakakalma ang sarili kahit nakakuyom na ang kanyang mga kamao sa magkabilang gilid ng katawan niya. Hindi niya alam kung paano sasabihin kay Jake ang totoo. Dahil sa pagitan nilang dalawa, siya ang higit na apektado. Siya ang higit na nawalan. Hindi niya alam kung paano niya sisimulang ipaintindi kay Jake kung bakit ganito na lang ang reaksyon niya nang hindi kailangang buksan ang mga sugat na matagal na niyang pinaghilom.

"Hindi ba't marami ka ring tanong?"

"My questions aren't your concern!" she said through gritted teeth. Oo marami siyang gustong malaman noon. Marami siyang tanong na gusto niyang masagot. Pero hindi ito ang oras para doon. She already made peace with herself that it was okay not knowing the answers. Inisip niya na mas mapapanatag ang kalooban niya not knowing the whys. Kaya naman tumigil na rin siya sa paghahanap dito. She decided that she had far more important things to focus on, like her Mamay. Like moving on. "Whether I get my answers or not, it's none of your fucking business!"

Tila ba napaisip si Jake sa sinabi niya. He stared back at her with emotionless eyes. "You're right, they aren't," Jake went back to fixing himself and once he was done, he started towards the door. Jules immediately caught his arm and held him back.

"Then why are we here?"

"Because I wanted to take back what's mine," there was fire in his eyes as he stared back at her. It was so intense that it almost burned her. "And if I have to play dirty to get it, I will."

Julianna felt uneasy as she sat beside Jake in a table for three. They were supposed to have a dinner at the pazzo with the resort owner an hour ago but he's still a no-show.

Reed.

What was that man thinking naming a resort after her? Naikuyom niya ang palad sa ibabaw ng kanyang kandungan. Nakahain na ang mga pagkain ngunit wala pa ang lalaki. Maybe when he heard that Jake's his visitor, baka ayaw na nitong humarap sa kanila? After all, siya lang naman ang may lakas ng loob na humarap kay Jake--at humingi ng tulong dito, no less--matapos ang kasalanang ginawa niya rito.

Siguro ay hindi niya kagaya si Reed. Siguro ay may natitirang hiya pa rito para sa kababata nito. Maybe he wouldn't show up at all.

"What are you planning, Jake?" bakas ang nerbiyos sa boses niya at alam niyang halata rin ni Jake iyon.

He looked up from his cell. His face was a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "I just want to buy the place, Julianna, stop acting like I'm going to murder my brother."

There was something with the way he said that word. Na tila ba nasa intensyon rin nito na patayin talaga si Reed. Hindi niya alam. But Jake's not the same Jake she's met before. He was not the same person she fell in love with. He wasn't the same person she said yes to. Hindi rin naman niya ito masisi. After all she's done. Kung siya nga mismo ay nagbago, bakit naman hindi ito?

It was annoying, the way Julianna flinches everytime someone enters the room. She was too nervous while Jake was just comfortably sitting beside her like it was nothing. Like there were just about to have a normal meeting with his long lost brother. Habang siya ay mamatay matay sa nerbyos.

She prayed to god that he won't show up at all. But then God has never been fond of her.

It was like a movie, the way he made his entrance. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. He was casual even as he met her eyes. Tila ba walang pitong taon na namagitan sa kanilang tatlo, walang bakas ng pagsisisi, walang bakas ng kahihiyan. Noon tila gustong sumukdo ng galit sa dibdib ni Julianna. This fucking brute! Hindi niya akalain na makalipas ang maraming taon ito pala ang mamamayaning pakiramdam mula sa kanya. Galit. Inis. It was his betrayal that she remembered. His presence reminded her of everything she lost and everything she had to give up. This man robbed her. Her life and the love of her life.

Hindi niya alam na muntik na palang umigkas ang kamay niya upang kalmutin ang perpektong mukha nito kung hindi niya naramdaman na pumalibot sa pulso niya ang kamay ni Jake. Like the way he touched her before at the hospital, he was gentle and yet firm. Nagawa nitong pigilan ang pagaamok sa kalooban ni Julianna. Pero hindi niyon nabawasan ang pagkamuhi niya nang makita si Reed. This fucking deceitful bastard!

"We came here to work," mahinang paalala ni Jake sa kanya.

Mabilis na sinulyapan niya ito. There was intensity in his blank eyes. Julianna knew he was trying hard to hide it. Kung sa ibang tao ay maitatago nito iyon, ngunit hindi sa kanya.

Pinilit niyang kumalma hanggang sa makalapit si Reed sa kanila. His eyes zeroed in on Jake's hand that is still holding her. Inakala niya na bibitawan ni Jake ang kamay niya dahil doon ngunit hindi nito ginawa.

There was a slight tic on Reed's jaw when he faced Jake. Both men extended their hands to each other ang tried to pretend it was nothing. But the firmness on their handshakes were an evidence enough that they were affected by each other's presence. Ito ba ang una nilang pagkikita mula noong bisperas ng kasal nila ni Jake?

"Thank you for visiting the resort." kalmadong sabi ni Reed.

"This is a nice place." was the only thing Jake said.

When Reed's eyes finally shifted to her, muling kumulo ang dugo ni Jules. Ngumiti sa kanya ang lalaki. Ngiti na hindi niya mawari ang kahulugan. She was the first one to offer her hand and Reed professionally shook it. Mabilis rin niya iyong binawi nang maramdaman niya ang pagpisil nito. Pinigilan niya ang mapamura. It was exactly what happened before. It was like history was repeating itself and it made Julianna shiver.

Hindi na nagpaligoy ligoy pa si Jake. Matapos nilang kainin ang handa ng resort ay diniscuss agad nito kay Reed ang plano nitong pagbili sa resort. Halos lumuwa ang mata ni Julianna nang banggitin nito ang presyong alok nito kay Reed. Granted that the resort was really nice and all but it was surely worth less than that.

Reed politely smiled and said, "It's not for sale,"

Hindi na gaanong nakasunod pa si Jules sa usapan ng dalawa. Ang naglalaro lamang sa isip niya ay kung anong meron sa lugar na ito na tila ba desperado si Jake na bilhin iyon? And why the fuck would Reed name a resort after her?!

Inabala na lamang niya ang sarili sa pag ubos ng pagkain sa harapan niya dahil nararamdaman niya ang titig ni Reed sa kanya. Pitong taon na ang nakakalipas. Siguro ay curious ito sa kung anong nangyari sa kanya. Alam naman niya kung anong tumatakbo sa isipan nito. Why does she look like this? What happened to her? Julianna gritted her teeth.

Nang matapos ang meeting ay sabay na tumayo ang dalawa sa hapag. She took her time fixing herself before she got up and thanked Reed for the wonderful meal--na hindi naman niya naubos. Reed once again shook her hand. She had no other choice but to meet his eyes and she couldn't mistake the interest she saw in his brown irises. It was really like history repeating itself. Gusto niyang masuka sa pagkakataong iyon.

"Please enjoy your stay here, it's in the house,"

"You don't have to do that," tanggi ni Jake.

Reed laughed and waved him off. "Of course I do."

Tumalikod na ang lalaki na binigyan siya ng makahulugang tingin. Nakahinga naman ng maluwag si Julianna hanggang sa magpaalam si Jake na babalik na sa kwarto nito. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi parin malinaw sa kanya ang ganap niya sa eksenang ito at nagpupuyos ang damdamin niya dahil dito.

"Jake--I mean, Mr. Mitchell,"

Hindi agad lumingon sa kanya si Jake pero nang gawin nito iyon ay hindi niya maintindihan ang ekspresyon sa mukha nito. There was the shadow of betrayal in his face that quickly disappeared before she was able to make anything out of it. Naalala ba nitong bigla ang lahat ng kasalanan niya rito?

Gusto niya biglang manumbat. Sa nangyaring iyon ay hindi lamang naman ito ang nawalan. Nawalan rin siya. Hindi na nga lang niya nais pang bilangin dito kung anu ano iyon. Because it was something you cannot quantify. She lost a part of herself and she's not sure how much of the old Julianna was left now.

"Yes, Julianna?"

"I need you to discuss to me my job description." matapang na sagot niya. "Ano ba talagang papel ko dito, Jake--Mr. Mitchell?"

Tumango lamang si Jake. "We'll have time for that," he answered. "for now, get some rest. You look very tired."

Napabuntong hininga na lamang siya.

Hindi niya alam ngayon kung babalik ba siya sa kwarto niya dahil ayaw niyang magmukmok at isipin ang pagkikita nilang muli ni Reed. Napagpasyahan na lamang ni Jules na maglakad lakad sa dalampasigan. Hindi sinasadya na maalala niya ang nangyari pitong taon ang nakakalipas.