Defeat -2

June 2016

"Track."

I took a deep breath when I saw Vaughn's text message and immediately go to where they are right now. May pakiramdam ako na hindi magiging madali ang pakikipaghiwalay na gagawin nya. I knew Cielle for so long that the simplest explanation for her won't do. And the fact that she can distinguish lies from the truth is one of the problems for the both of us.

"Pano kung ayaw ko? It's not enough reason. Iyon lang ba talaga ang rason mo o baka may hindi ka pa sinasabi sakin? Tell it now." I smirked when I heard Cielle's serious tone.

I knew this will come to this. Vaughn's weakness is that lying is no good for him. Madaling malaman kung nagsisinungaling sya o hindi. Nanatili ako sa pwesto ko at mataman lang na nakikinig sa kanilang dalawa. I'll wait for the right time to show myself. I want to hear his words or rather I want to know if his words are convincing or not.

"There's no more reason for this than me falling out of love with you." Vaughn said after a long silence. Na tila ba ilang beses nya munang inulit-ulit sa sarili ang mga salitang binitawan. Naiiling na ipinaramdam ko na ang presensya ko sa kanilang dalawa dahil anuman sandali ay maaari ng malaglag ang maskarang suot nya.

"Why don't you just tell her the truth?" I said to both the of them that surprised Cielle but not him, but mixed feeling of worry and relief was written on his face.

"Truth? What truth?" Kunot ang noong taong ni Marcielle habang palipat-lipat sa amin ni Vaughn ang tingin. Kuyom ang kamay na lumapit ako sa kanilang dalawa at tumabi kay Marcielle.

Although I'm having conflicted feelings by helping him, I knew that this is the right choice. If telling her the truth will hurt her big time, then I'd rather stab her with a knife on her back than seeing her more miserable.

"The real reason why he wanted to break up with you." I said.

"So, what is it?" Tanong ni Cielle na may pagtataka sa mukha kung bakit ako naroroon at nakikigulo sa magulo na nilang relasyon.

Nanatiling tikom ang bibig ni Vaughn kaya naman malalim na buntong-hininga ang pinakawalan ko bago nagpatuloy sa ginagawang pagdurog sa puso ng babaeng pinakamamahal.

"The reason why he wanted to break up with you is because he slept with someone else during those three months. It's not because he fell out of love with you but because he cheated on you." Seryoso kong sabi habang nakatingin kay Vaughn na walang imik at kuyom lang ang mga kamay na nakinig sa mga sinabi ko.

It's our deal anyway, I'll help him break up with her but whatever reason I'll tell her, he will not say a word about it.

Cielle just look at him unbelievably when he remained silent like I wanted him to do. Saglit akong tinapunan ng nang-aarok na tingin ni Cielle na tila bai sang malaking pagkakamali ang sinabi ko. Natawa sya ng pagak pagkaraan ng mahabang sandali bago kami tinalikuran.

"If that's what you really want then fine. I'll let you go." Wika nya bago kami tuluyang iniwan. I saw Vaughn flinched as if he wanted to grab her hand but stopped when he realized what just happened.

I took a deep breath and pat his shoulder. "Stupid. Sinabi mo na lang sana ang totoo kung pagsisisihan mo din ang naging desisyon mo."

"Just go to her please." Nakayuko nyang sabi habang pinipigilan ang mga luhang kanina pa nagbabadyang pumatak sa mga mata nya.

Naiiling na iniwan ko na lang sya at agad na sumunod sa daan na tinahak ni Cielle. Naabutan ko syang mabagal na naglalakad pabalik sa dormitoryo kaya agad kong binilisan ang lakad para makahabol sa kanya.

Her wet yet angry eyes looked at me that somehow made me feel guilty for helping Vaughn. She stopped and faced me, hurt is written on her face.

"You know the truth, don't you? Yung totoong rason kung bakit sya nakikipaghiwalay. He didn't cheat on me." Umiiyak nyang sabi habang pinupunasan ang mga luhang sunud-sunod na pumapatak sa mga mata nya.

"That's the truth. He cheated." Pagpapatuloy ko ng kasinungalingan.

She smiled bitterly. "Maski ba naman ikaw magsisinungaling pa din sakin? Bakit ba hindi nyo na lang sabihin ang totoo para naman malaman nyo kung anong desisyon ko?" Sambulat nya na sobra kong ikinabigla.

"Y-you already knew?"

"I do you idiot! Why did you take his side? Gusto kong marinig sa kanya ang totoo dahil pagod na akong itagong alam ko nang sya ang tunay na anak ni Dad. But because of all this bullshit you prepared I don't have a choice but to continue hiding! You guys just made my life even more miserable now that I can't tell him that I'm sorry for taking what's his and still trying to keep him by my side." She said while crying that tear my heart into bits.

Walang imik na niyakap ko na lang sya dahil iyon na lang ang tanging magagawa ko para sa kanya. I didn't see this one coming.

When I'm hoping that I can keep her to myself now that they broke up, it really seems that I still can't. It feels like I've been playing a game that I'm close to winning and then suddenly I was incapacitated and faced my defeat in an unexpected way.

"Should I tell him the truth?" Tanong ko nag mahimasmasan sya.

Umiling lang sya bilang sagot. And looked up at me with a sad smile on her face.

"Isusuko nya pa din naman ako kahit na sabihin mo sa kanyang alam ko na ang totoo. Hihintayin ko na lang ang tamang oras at tamang pagkakataon na aminin sa kanya ang totoo. I do let him go but it doesn't mean that I give him up right?" Seryoso nyang sabi bago kumalas mula sa pagkakayakap sakin.

Hindi ba pwedeng ako na lang? Ako naman ang piliin mo sa pagkakataong ito? I wanted to ask her that but ended up just looking at her back when she started taking steps away from me. Hanggang ngayon, maging dumating ang pagkakataon na hinihintay ko, hindi ko pa din pala magagawang angkinin ang puso nya.

Hindi kaya ng mapaglaro at malupit na palaso ni kupido na putulin ang pulang sinulid na nag-uugnay sa hinliliit nilang dalawa.

Natawa ako ng pagak. "So even cupid is no match to the old man who lives in the moon, huh." I said while watching Cielle until I can't even see her shadow.