Epilogue Part 2

River’s POV

“Boss, hindi ka pa uuwi?” tanong ng secretary kong hindi magawang umuwi dahil inaabala ko pa ang sarili sa trabaho.

“Go home. I won’t be going home yet,” ani ko. Nag-aalinlangan naman ‘tong napatingin sa akin kaya pinagtabuyan ko lang siya.

Sinusubukan kong na lang sa aking trabaho but I still can’t believe that Aviena is actually living in my house. Napapikit na lang din ako sa ideyang nasa bahay lang ‘to ngayon.

Just like what I said I won’t meddle with anything about her. I won’t make her uncomfortable. I would like her to just treat me as a stranger just like usual because I feel like I will really want to stay with her kapag nagpatuloy pa ang nararamdaman ko sa kaniya. If I can even do it, I won’t talk to her at all.

“Boss, your sister came here. May nilagay atang litrato sa kwarto niyo. Pang takot daw sa daga.” Napakamot pa si Veron na parang naguguluhan kay Ocean.

Nailing na lang ako dahil tawag nang tawag si Ocean, nagtatanong kung talagang kinasal ako sa hindi niya man lang kilala.

“Late ka ata ulit umuwi, Boss? Baka mamaya nambababae ka, ah? Habang si Ma’am Aviena’y diretso lang ang uwi! Hindi maganda ‘yan!” banta pa sa akin ni Veron nang makita akong papasok. Hindi ko maiwasan ang mailing sa kaniya. I’m actually glad that Aviena actually have someone she can talk with in this house. Pero katulad nga ng sabi nila, diretso uwi lang ito at sa kwarto lang din lagi nanatili. I feel like she’s uncomfortable in the house. Should I just fire everyone here so she can live as she want it to be?

“Are you finally going to visit, Ms. Aviena, Boss?” My secretary asked.

“I will,” ani ko kaya ngumiti lang ito na para bang may ipinahihiwatig. Hindi ko naman pinansin pa ang mapang-asar na ngisi mula sa kaniyang mga labi. Talagang si Aviena naman ang sisilipin ko, hindi ang brand. Sanay na rin naman siya na madalas akong bumisita sa shoot ng brand if it’s Aviena who will he modeling.

Maybe I can ask her for a lunch.

Pagpasok ko pa lang, agad nang bumungad sa akin si Aviena but I can’t help but to be annoyed when I saw the guy holding her waist. Para bang gusto nang idikit ang buong katawan sa kaniya. Hindi ko maiwasan ang pagsimangot sa aking mukha. And of course getting mad to myself when in fact we already talk about not being involve with each other businesses. But still, damn it.

“Continue,” I said when some staff immediately greet me. Parang gusto pa muna akong kausapin. And what? See those asshole hands just hold Aviena’s waist longer?

Nagkasalubong pa ang mga mata naming dalawa, nakitaan ko nang pagtataka ang mukha niya habang nakatingin sa akin. Kumuyom ang kamao ko nang makita kung paanong higpitan ng partner niya ang pagkakahawak sa kaniyang baywang. I can’t help but to be annoyed with it. Do they even fucking need that?

My jaw tigthen when I saw Aviena laughing nang ilapit ng kumag ang kaniyang labi sa tainga nito. Lalo lang tumagal ang titig ko sa kanila. Fuck you, River. I thought no meddling with each other now. Bakit mas mukha ka pang pikon ngayon?

The shoot started immediately. Tangina. Dapat kanina pa. Masiyadong pinapatagal.

I can’t help but be annoyed when I saw intimate the shoot is. Sobrang lapit pa ng mukha ni gago kay Aviena. And Aviena seems like she’s just really comfortable with the fucking guy. How lucky he can get, huh? So fucking lucky.

“Do it more seductively and look at the camera, Vena,” anang photographer. Tangina. Gaano pa ba ka-seductive ang gusto ng photographer na ito when Aviena’s already seducing everyone here right now. And that fucking partner of hers looks so fucking in love while looking at her face. Kulang na nga lang ay idikit na nito ang labi kay Aviena.

“Isa pa.” Tangina. Hindi pa rin tapos.

Ito na ata ang pinakamatagal na oras ng buhay ko. Still, I don’t want to meddle with her job. I just know how she works so hard for this. But of course, this fucking self can’t control his jealousy. I can’t help but to ne annoyed with myself and of course with the fucking guy when I saw him lending Aviena a t-shirt. Who the fuck he is to give her that? And who the fuck are you too to meddle with her things, River?

I was just talking with the staff para lang abangan si Aviena but I can’t help to frown when she almost gets out without even looking at me.

Bago pa siya nakalagpas ay nahawakan ko ang baywang niya. She can’t do detour anymore.

“Aren’t you going to greet me too, Wife?” Isang masamang tingin ang ibinigay niya sa akin kaya hindi ko rin maiwasan ang mapasimangot. What now? Is she getting mad at me because her boy is here?

Nilapit ko ang mukha sa kaniya para lingunin niya ako. She’s not even focusing on me. Sa akin lang dapat ang tingin.

“You forget now that you’re my wife after that guy touch you?” pabulong na tanong ko sa kaniya habang may ngisi sa aking mga labi.

I can’t also help but to hold her tight. Damn it. Ganito ang tamang paghawak. Not how that fucking boy held her earlier.

I can’t help but be more annoyed with myself when I invited all of them to our wedding. I said I won’t meddle with her but now I can’t.

Fuck boundaries, I’ll just fucking tell the world that she’s mine. Fuck limitation, I’ll just make her fall for me in two fucking years so she won’t be able to go away from me.

I thought I can do that. I tried to make a move on her and tried to date her but she almost slaps me with the truth when I’m getting my high hope that she would invite me to their house after we go out.

“Why would I? Kasal lang naman tayo sa papel.” I can’t even see any expression on her face when she said that.

Right. Why do I getting my hope high?

Napapikit na lang ako nang manatili sa opisina at sinubukang lulungin ang sarili sa trabaho. But I also ended up going to New York to unwind. I just keep on falling with Aviena kapag ganitong nakikita ko siya.

I was so busy with some of my business projects when Ocean called.

“Kuya, Marissa got abuse again by her boyfriend. Hindi siya mahanap nina Tita,” sambit pa ni Ocean sa akin kaya hindi ko mapigilan ang pagkunot ng noo.

“I’m going to New York but as of now can you call some of our private investigators to find her?” tanong niya sa akin.

That’s what I did. Hinanap namin si Marissa. We found her in an ocean almost wanting to drown herself.

Agad siyang nilapitan nina Tita. Alalang-alala ang mga ito habang nakatingin sa kaniya. Maski si Ocean ay galit na galit nang makita ang mga pasa mula sa katawan ni Marissa.

“I’m fine…” aniya na tumawa pa. That’s always the case, kapag nagseselos ang nobyo niya. He can’t help but to do something to her. Hindi nga lang nito magawang saktan si Marissa sa mukha dahil na-guguilty raw. What an asshole. Nagugulty na makita ang pasa sa mukha ni Marissa pero lagi namang sinasaktan ang katawan nito.

“I told you that you should break up with that asshole boyfriend of yours!” sigaw ni Tito sa kaniya kaya tuluyan nang nangilid ang luha mula sa kaniyang mga mata.

“Pero mahal na mahal ko siya Papa. Mahal na mahal ko siya na kaya kong tanggapin lahat kahit ang masamang bagay sa kaniya. Hindi naman niya ako laging sinasaktan. Minsan ay maayos naman ang trato nito sa akin,” she said kaya hindi namin maiwasan ang mailing sa kaniya.

That’s how my stay in New York ended up. Naging maayos din si Marissa. Bumalik din sa dati. Pinilit din ng ama niyang makipaghiwalay sa kaniyang nobyo. Hindi niya kayang gawin ‘yon kaya naiiling na lang ako habang nakikita siyang palihim na nakikipag-text dito.

“So, tell me how’s your life with your wife?” nakangisi niyang tanong sa akin. Nang maalala si Aviena’y nahinto ako sa ilang ginagawa. Nilingon ko si Marissa bago napailing na lang. Malapad lalo ang ngisi niya roon.

“Ano? Ayaw mo na bang pakawalan ngayon? I told you so,” aniya tila natutuwang tama siya. She’s really right. Hindi ko nga alam kung kaya ko pang pakawalan si Aviena ngayong mas lalo ko pa siyang nakikilala. She’s so different from the girl people keeps on talking about.

“Why? What’s wrong with you?” tanong niya na naningkit pa ang mga mata nang makita ang mga mata ko.

“How can I do that when she doesn’t like me at all?” tanong ko na binalik na lang ang mga mata sa aking laptop.

That girl probably doesn’t really care at all if I won’t go home for a whole year.

Agad naman napahalakhak si Marissa kaya masamang tingin lang ang ibinigay ko sa kaniya.

“So the great River Savellano can’t get a girl’s attention, huh? You really lost this time,” aniya na humalakhak pa sa akin.

“I’ll come to Philippines. I think it will be great to meet her. Let me act as your girlfriend, let see if we can sway her feelings a little bit,” aniya na may malapad pang ngisi sa mga labi. Hindi ko mapigilan ang ngiwian siya dahil desidido talaga siya sa kaniyang plano. Napailing na lang din ako roon.

When I came back to the Philippines, I thought it doesn’t really matter to her but my heart immediately jump when I saw her in front of our room waiting for me.

Fucking fuck. I can’t even control my heart when she’s around. Nilagpasan ko lang ito. Hindi rin naman siya nagsalita. Sa huli’y hindi ko rin natiis nang harapin siya.

“Have you eaten?” tanong ko. Sinamaan niya ako ng tingin kaya hindi ko mapigilan ang pagkunot ng noo. She didn’t even say anything kaya wala rin akong nasabi. She can really make guys speechless. Damn.

I just tried to focus on work for the past few days. But I can’t help it when she keeps on looking at me.

“Isn’t it a basic decency to inform me?” Sige pa. Pagalitan mo pa ako. I can’t believe I’m enjoying seeing her getting mad at me. Damn. She knows my fucking existence now. Can’t you believe that the girl who I keep on admiring from afar was actually nagging me now? Palihim akong nangisi sa mga iniisip. I’m really whipped. Delikado na nga talaga ako.

But damn. She can bring me to the clouds in just her smile but can also make me fall and hurt myself after that.

When Marissa came and really tried to make her jealous. She’s not even giving us attention. And instead of her being jealous, I can’t believe I’m the one who’s getting mad here.

“No, it’s fine. You can suggest anything.” How can she fucking smile when someone took her role in this wedding planning?

“Marissa, let her decide,” I said to Marissa who’s enjoying this. May mapang-asar pang ngisi habang nakatingin din kay Aviena ngayon.

“I told you it’s fine. Para mas mapadali ang kasal. Wala na rin akong kailangang problemahin pa.” Natawa si Marissa roon habang hindi ko maiwasan ang iritasiyon sa akin. Aba’t problema lang ba talaga sa kaniya ang kasal na ‘to? Hindi ko mapigilan ang mainis at mapasimangot doon.

And then she really walks down the aisle crying on the beach as if she doesn’t really like this wedding. I want to take those tears away but right… I was the reason why she’s crying like that.

Me and my family forcing her to have a grand wedding when she doesn’t really like me at all. Damn. That hurts.