Way of Forever

Kabanata 17

Nawala ang ngiti ni Levine nang makaalis na ng tuluyan si Lorenzo. What does his brother's mean? Na ikakabagsak niya ang si Maeve. Psh! They were just pretending. Imposibleng mahulog siya sa babaeng ‘to. Maeve is pretty savage. Ang hirap kaya i-counterattack ang sinasabi nito. Nauubusan siya ng bala buti na lang may laban ang mukha niya.

“Babalik na ako sa trabaho ko,” ani ni Maeve at hindi na nag-aksayang tumingin pa kay Levine. Her mind was confused and she was thinking deeply. Bakit sa dinami-dami pa ng magiging kapatid ng pretend boyfriend niya ay naging si Lorenzo pa? Seriously?

“Wait!” Hinawakan ni Levine ang braso ng dalaga saka pinaharap ito sa kanya.

Maeve stood in front of him with a resting b***h face.

“Let’s have lunch outside. I want you to meet someone.” Levine smiled genuinely. It was the first time Maeve saw it and it was really nice to see. She was dazed for a moment before quickly composing herself and c****d her brow.

“Fine. I want to eat outside. Medyo hindi ko gusto ang pagkain sa cafeteria.”

“Really? Then, I’ll tell the cook to change their meals or I can fire them.” Maeve looked at him in disbelief. Hindi niya alam kung matatawa siya o magtataray sa sinabi ng lalaking ito.

“Why would you do that? It’s my preference siguro sa iba masarap but not for me.”

Napatango si Levine. “You are right. I can buy any food for you if you don’t want to eat the food in the cafeteria.” Then, he looked at her gently. “It settled then. Later, let’s have lunch outside.”

Ngumiti si Maeve. “Okay.”

-----

Inside the President’s office, nakatalikod mula sa office door si Lorenzo at nakatingin lamang sa labas naglalakihang building sa labas. Mula sa kinatatayuan kitang-kita ang heavy traffic sa labas. Sa kaliwang kamay ay may hawak itong kupita na naglalaman ng red wine.

[Then, what are you planning?] Rinig niya mula sa earpod na suot ang tanong sa kabilang linya. He pursed his lips as he drank the wine tasting the bittersweet liquid in his mouth.

“What do you want me to do? Ruin my brother’s relationship because of a woman? Pareho silang importante sa’kin, Grey,” sagot niya bago hinarap ang laptop kung saan nakabukas ito at naroon ang isang larawan ng dalawang tao— siya at si Maeve. The photo was taken when they were in college. Sa litratong iyon ay pareho silang nakangiti ang pinagkaiba lang ay nakatingin si Maeve sa camera pero siya ay nakatingin sa dalaga. She was his world but not anymore.

Grey, on the other line chuckles. [Teka lang, ah? Does your brother know that you and Maeve have something in the past?]

“No. He had no idea. I doubt na sinabi iyon ni Mae.”

[Sooner or later malalaman na din ‘yan ng kapatid mo. Ano’ng gagawin mo? Lorenzo, four years mo s’yang hinahanap pero ngayong nahanap mo naman siya nasa bisig na ng kapatid mo. Damn, destiny played you,] reply sa kabilang linya. Hindi man makita ni Lorenzo ang mukha ni Grey, he was sure that that damn friend of her has a dog smile.

[Hahayaan mo na lang ba talaga si Maeve?] Hindi sumagot si Lorenzo? Hahayaan? No, pero paano ang kapatid niya? Hindi niya magawang maging masaya knowing that ang tanging babaeng minahal niya ay may mahal ng iba. Hindi niya kayang saktan ulit si Maeve. He regretted what he did in the past but it’s for their own good. But is he really going to let her go just like that?

[Hindi pa sila mag-asawa, Lorenzo. Naisip mo ba? What if mahal ka pa din niya? What if gumawa ka ng paraan para magkasama kayo ulit?]

Lorenzo’s jaw clenched. There are so many possibilities pero paano kung tama si Grey? Hindi pa sila kasal, may chance pa siya.

“Don’t worry, Grey. I can resolve this problem of mine.” Masakit sa loob niya na makita ang dalaga na masaya sa iba. Sa iba parang wala lang s’yang pake but God knows how he cares about her, about Maeve.

He’ll take back what was rightfully his.

-----

“Dito tayo kakain? This place is fancy,” komento ni Maeve nang makita ang eleganteng restaurant na pinuntahan nila ni Levine.

“You don’t like it?” he asked with a knitted brow.

Maeve smirks. Who said that? It was just like her— fancy! “I love it!”

Pumasok sila ng restaurant at binati ng guard. Pinaghila siya ng upuan ni Levine bago ito umupo sa harapan niya.

“Let’s take our order habang hinihintay ang pagdating niya.”

Curious si Maeve kung sino nga ba ang gustong ipakilala ni Levine sa kanya. Hindi naman siguro babae, ano?

Maya maya pa ay tumayo si Levine at tumingin sa direksyon ng entrance kaya napatingin din doon si Maeve. It was a woman— an old woman, smiling at Levine happily may kasama itong isang lalaki na sa tingin niya ay isang bodyguard. Levine was also smiling, reaching his eyes. Who is she to him? Mukhang napaka-importante ng matanda sa lalaki. Her heart softened at the sight. Parang bata si Levine.

“Vin Vin!” ani ng matandang babae at iniabot ang kamay na para bang gustong yakapin si Levine. What? Vin vin? Maeve chuckled at the nickname.

“Mamay!” bati ni Levine at inalalayan ang matanda papunta sa table nila. Maeve stood up and waited for them to sit down.

Upon sitting, the old woman looks at her and examines her face. She later smile and said, “Ikaw ba ang girlfriend ng gwapo kong apo?”

“Yes, mamay,” sagot niya at umupo. So, the flirty Levine is a soft boy when it comes to this lady. Hmm.

“Napakaganda mo naman, hija. First boyfriend mo ba ang apo ko?”

“Mamay, nagtatanong kayo agad. ‘Di pa po kayo kilala ng girlfriend ko,” malumanay na singit ni Levine at inayos ang table napkin ng matanda.

Napatawa ang matandang babae. “Oo nga pala! Pasensya ka na na-excite kasi ako nang sabihin ni Vin Vin na ipapakilala niya daw sa’kin ang babaeng umakit sa puso niya.”

Of all the words that Levine used, umakit pa talaga ang naisip nito. Maeve narrowed her eyes at the man who was innocently taking care of the old woman, nagbingi-bingihan pa.

“Ako nga pala si Nelly.”

“Mamay Nelly, ako naman po si Maeve.”

“Hmm, ‘di mo pa sinasagot ang tanong ko.”

‘Mausisa pala ‘tong Mamay Nelly,’ ani ni Maeve sa isip.

“No, po. I already have an ex,” sagot niya at nag-thank you sa waiter na naglagay ng pagkain na in-order nila.

“Aww, ito namang apo ko walang ex pero madami ang babae.”

“Mamay!” asik ni Levine. “Alam niya na ‘yon.”

Hindi ito pinansin ni Nelly at nakatingin lang sa dalaga. Bakit parang may kamukha ang babae? Nakita niya na ba ito? Imposible, siguro ay nadaanan lang ng mata niya pero hindi niya kilala.

“Napag-usapan n’yo na ba ang kasal?”

“They are too young, Mamay,” singit ng isang malamig na boses. Lorenzo sat down besides Maeve at kaharap nito ang kapatid na si Levine. His lips curved a little when he felt that the woman besides him stiffened.

“Bakit ka nandito?”