Chapter Thirteen: A Big Mistake

"Get home safe!" Lewis shouted as we exited the club.

I laughed. Lewis is just walking, or more like trying hard to walk straight but is failing miserably towards the parking lot, but the sight of her cracks me up.

She's been like this since we've left our booth. Nikka together with Jc— who just got here— were on her both sides, trying to prevent her from falling flat on her face. It's only eleven in the evening, but she's pretty drunk already, more than I was earlier. The reason? She wouldn't stop drinking, while dancing like a mad person.

Napakagaling.

Minsan talaga kapag tinamaan ng saltik si Lewis, mapapa-iling ka na lang sa mga naiisip niyang gawin. Kagaya na lang ng ginawa niya kanina.

"Mauuna na kami, Z! Ingat kayo!" ani Jc habang naglalakad sila papunta sa sasakyan niya.

Tumango naman ako. "You guys, too! Drive safe!"

I waved them goodbye, and watched as Jc manhandled Lewis and threw her on his shoulders, like a sack of rice, before carrying her to his car. When their ride vanished from the parking lot, I turned around to face Azen, only to be greeted by his intense stare. His brown orbs focused on me, as if I was a foreign thing he needed to understand.

"What's wrong?" I asked, making him blink in the process.

He shook his head, before flashing me his ever so gorgeous smile. "It's nothing."

My brows immediately furrowed.

I don't buy it, is what I wanted to say.

Sa sandaling panahon kasi na nakasama ko si Azen, alam ko na kapag may iniisip siya o kapag may gusto siyang itanong sa akin. He's pretty easy to read, actually. He can't fool me with his smiles that would normally be effective on other people.

But instead of pushing the topic, I just shrugged the whole thing off and started walking towards him.

"So. . . Uuwi ka na?" Sumabay siyang maglakad sa akin, at inakbayan pa ako nang may dumaang mga tao, para lang mapanindigan ang pagiging couple namin.

We wouldn't want others to be suspicious of us, after all. Kaya kahit kaming dalawa lang, basta't nasa publikong lugar, ganito pa rin kami— nagpapanggap.

Pakiramdam ko nga ay nagiging bihasa na 'ko sa larong 'to. From pretending to be the lame ass, weak version of myself, to Azen's fake girlfriend, I definitely have a lot on my plate. But I think I'm still doing a pretty good job.

I should get an award from this.

Best pretender, ever.

"Yeah, I guess," I answered, even though I really don't want to go home yet.

"Hatid na kita?"

"Hatid? Azen, may dala akong kotse."

"I know. I just wanna drive you home. Ipapadala ko na lang ulit 'yong sasakyan mo kagaya ng dati."

Tiningala ko siya at sandaling tinitigan. There's definitely something on his mind, because he's acting weird.

May kinalaman kaya 'yon sa pagiging late niya kanina? Or was it something else?

"You know what, you're acting weird."

"I'm always weird, Serina."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. But tonight, you're weirder."

Ngumiti naman siya. Para bang nang-aasar pa. "You've been observing me, huh? Are you starting to notice me more?"

I took all I had in me to fight the urge to smack him in the arm. Marami man akong nalaman tungkol kay Azen na naging dahilan kung bakit gumaan ang loob ko sa kanya, may isang bagay pa rin na hindi nagbago mula nang makilala ko siya.

Alam na alam niya pa rin talaga kung paano ako inisin. Damn him. I never should've asked.

"Whatever, Azen. Be weird for all I care. Hindi na kita tatanungin."

Azen's laughed almost echoed around the parking lot. That same charming and carefree laugh that I now knew so well. And even when we've reached his car, his smile was still intact.

I slid inside when he opened the door for me, and slumped on the passenger seat as I inhale the familiar scent of his perfume that lingered inside his car.

Somehow, I'm getting used to it— being with him almost everyday. Even if he annoys the hell out of me, I still can't hide the fact that he's a pretty nice guy, and a great company too.

"You wanna know what I noticed about you tonight?" Azen said as soon as he climbed inside the driver's seat.

Hindi ko pa naintindihan noong una kung bakit niya sinabi 'yon, hanggang sa naalala kong sinabi ko nga pala sa kanya na napansin kong ang weird niya ngayong gabi.

Kaya naman nilingon ko siya nang nakataas ang kilay ko, at sinabing, "Ano?"

Ngumiti siya. Pagkatapos ay binuhay ang makina ng sasakyan na umalingawngaw sa tahimik na parking lot.

"You're more quiet than usual," aniya habang iniaatras ang sasakyan.

"Talaga?" Kumunot ang noo ko.

Alam ko namang may pagkatahimik ako, pero bahagya pa rin akong nagulat sa sinabi ni Azen.

Even if I'm Zenna, I'm still more on the introvert side so hearing people say that I'm being quiet was never new to me. I was never really fond of talking, unless it's necessary, so I tend to keep my mouth shut almost half of the time.

But Azen managed to notice I was being too quiet.

Hindi ko tuloy alam kung ano ang mararamdaman ko. Kung matutuwa ba ako na napansin niya ang ganoong bagay, o maiilang dahil ang pagiging tahimik ko ngayong gabi ay may kinalaman sa isang bagay.

Or more like, sa isang tao.

"Yeah. . . I know you've already said you're not mad at me for being late, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that there's something wrong," he said, then turned to me for a few seconds before putting his eyes back on the road. "What it is? Tell me."

I bit my lips.

Should I? I mean, yeah, Azen is a part of my plans which is why he's my fake boyfriend right now. Pero isipin ko pa lang na baka magalit siya dahil sa mga naiisip kong gawin, natatakot na akong magsabi sa kanya.

Dammit. Kailan pa 'ko natakot sa isang lalaki?

"Well. . ." I trailed off, still trying to figure out whether I'm tell him about my new plans or not.

"Just spit it out, Serina. Hindi ko naman ibabangga ang sasakyan kapag 'di ko nagustuhan ang sasabihin mo." He laughed.

I know he was trying to lighten the mood, but it really didn't help that much. I'm still nervous as hell. So I took a deep breath, and counted to three— something that I do to calm my nerves.

When I feel like I'm not gonna puke out of nervousness, I started telling him what was on my mind since earlier.

"I kinda want to change something about the plan, Azen."

Getting that out of my mouth felt relieving. It was like taking out a huge chuck of rock in the pit of my stomach. But when I looked at Azen and saw his furrowed brows, I already knew that this relief won't be staying that long.

"Plan? You mean, for that asshole?" he said, referring to Cloud.

He's been calling him that ever since we started all of this. Azen can actually get pretty rude whenever he wants to. He haven't said Cloud's name, even once, for some reason that I don't know. So I just kinda got used to it.

"Yeah."

"What do you wanna change?"

I swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the dryness in my throat. "I'm thinking of texting, or calling him. Just to speed things up."

His brows furrowed even more, clearly confused by what I said. "And how, exactly? You don't even have his number, right?"

Shit.

Why do I feel like a bad girlfriend for having some guy's number? And we're not even dating for real!

"Well, I kinda have it." I cringed as he shot me a look of both shock and disbelief. "He saved his number on my phone earlier. Kinuha niya sa 'kin bigla, tapos no'ng ibalik niya, andoon na."

"Wait— Earlier? You mean, before I arrived at the club?"

I bit my lips and nodded. "Yeah."

Azen's expression turned blank for a second. He's pissed, I can feel it. And it was partly my fault. Dahil hindi ko lang hinayaang manatili ang number ni Cloud sa cellphone ko, nakaisip pa ako ng napakatangang ideya para gamitin iyon sa plano ko.

I wouldn't be surprise if Azen wouldn't talk to me, or if he got mad at me. It was indeed a bitchy move on my part.

But then, his expression was washed away by something new; something that was a mix of annoyance and amusement.

Then, with his deep and controlled voice, he said, "That guy is really living up to his name, huh? Hitting on you even though he already knew you're going out with me."

Shit. What should I freaking say?

"Kaya nga gusto ko nang mapabilis 'yong plano e. Para makaganti na sa kanya," I said, but it turned out more like I was defending my decision, even though I shouldn't.

"Well, if that's what you want, that's up to you. You know I'm only here to stick around and pretend as your boyfriend. I wouldn't meddle in your decisions."

"Okay—"

"But I do have to warn you. . ." he quickly said, trailing off as he make a turn towards my subdivision.

Dahil sa pag-uusap namin, ni hindi ko man lang namalayan na malapit na pala kami sa bahay.

I even almost forgot that he's driving me home, because I was too focused on him.

"Don't let him get too close to you," Azen continued.

I couldn't reply. Actually, I don't even know what to say, for reasons that I'm not sure of. So the next minutes were filled with deafening silence. The only thing reminding me that I was still awake, and I was still with Azen was the sound of the car's engine.

Gusto kong sabihin na hindi ko naman talaga hahayaang mapalapit nang husto sa akin si Cloud. Gusto kong ipaintindi sa kanya na gagawin ko lang ang naisip kong plano, dahil gusto kong gumanti.

Pero hindi ko magawa.

There's something in Azen's voice that's telling me, he was right. And that shut me up, until he stopped the car in front of my house.

When he turned off the engine, the hard pounding in my chest and the fast breathing that I was unconsciously making only became more evident. I was actually freaking nervous. But I know I had to say something.

So with as much courage as I could muster, I said, "Why?"

Azen took a deep breath. His hands were still on the steering wheel, gripping it hard as if suppressing anger. He looked like he doesn't reallt approve of my decisions, but at the same time, he wanted me to do what I want.

It was confusing. He was confusing.

When his grip loosened, that's when he turned to look at me. His usual but a more forced-looking smirk was plastered on his face.

"Because you might end up caught in your own trap," he finally said, in a serious tone.

I opened my mouth to say something. I don't know, maybe tell him that I'm not that stupid to end up in a situation like that. But in the end, nothing came out.

Nothing.

So I shut my mouth, and kept it that way even after Azen drove away. All I could ever give him before he left was a faint smile and a wave.

You might end up caught in your own trap.

His words repeated in my head even until I've reached my room. Simpleng mga salita lang naman 'yon, pero ganito kalakas ang tama sa akin.

Because he's right, my brain already answered me before I could.

Siguro nga.

Siguro 'yon din ang dahilan kaya hindi ako nakasagot sa kanya. Dahil kahit na anong tanggi ko, may posibilidad na mangyari nga ang sinasabi niya.

I'm making Cloud fall for me just so I could hurt him. But just like Azen said, I might end up falling for him first, giving him the chance to hurt me instead.

It could happen. I already knew that it could.

And. . . I knew that I was making a big mistake when I dialed Cloud's number. Yet I still did it.

I still did.

"Hello? Who's this?"