Chapter 37

Hindi ko alam kung nagbibiro ba si Drake o seryoso siya sa sinasabi niya. How could he take things like this one lightly?!

"Palma, umayos ka. Konting konti na lang tatamaan ka sa akin," I said while glaring at him. Sumasakit pa rin ang ulo ko sa katotohanan na magkakaanak siya sa ibang babae tapos siya, nakukuha niya pang loko-lokohin ako. "Bakit ba nakukuha mo pang magjoke?!"

He shook his head as if he was an innocent child. Damn if he was innocent. For all I knew, he spent a freaking night in Fier's bed!

"I wasn't joking. I long wanted a child from you."

"Ugh!" I said then binato ko siya ng iba pang prutas. "Bakit ba ang kalmado mo?! Hindi ka ba pwedeng magpanic kahit konti?! Damn, magkakaanak ka na!"

Drake took a deep breath and then looked at me. "I'm calm because you still aren't running away. Try to run, Alys. You'll see me panicking."

I closed my eyes and prayed. God, paano ko ba 'to gagawin? I love Drake, I really do. Kaya ko siyang tanggapin kahit na may anak siya sa iba, oo, pero hindi ko alam kung kaya ba ng konsensya ko na manakit ng bata. Paano na lang kung magtanong siya sa hinaharap kung bakit wala siyang daddy? Hindi ko yata kaya na ako yung idadahilan. 'Ah, wala kang papa kasi kasama siya nung malanding si Alys.' Baka habulin ako ng bangungot na 'yan.

"Drake," I said, now relatively calm. "How...paano mo 'to nagagawa? You're having a baby with Fier. Shouldn't you be with her?"

Umiling siya. "Alys, you can't make me marry her. I have a clear mind. I don't marry someone because she's having my kid. I marry the person I love."

Ang saya sana pakinggan. 'Yung tipong against all the odds' pero hindi ko talaga kaya. I need to settle the issues with Fier, with everyone. Ayokong maging selfish. Oo, gusto ko si Drake, pero gusto ko rin yung mga tao sa paligid ko. I don't want to have just him, I want to have everything about him.

I tried to smiled at his explanation. "Mahal din kita, Drake. Pero gusto kong kausapin si Fier, kung pwede."

"Alys, I already told---"

"Drake, please lang. Mababaliw ako kapag hindi ko siya nakausap."

"You'll be crazed by her. You shouldn't talk to her."

I stood by my stand. "Let me talk to her, Drake."

Huminga siya ng malalim. "Alright, tomorrow."

I smiled and then pressed his hand against me. We still have each other despite everything. Alam kong malalagpasan namin 'to. This is just but a little wave in our boat; it won't sink our ship down.

He stayed for a little while, refusing to leave until he made sure I was fine. He fed me and waited for my parents to arrive.

"Drake?" my Mom said with a familiar grin. Oh, how she wished for this. Lumapit siya kay Drake and then nagbeso sila. "What are you doing here?"

My dad was shaking his head. Natatawa pa siya kay Mom. Tss. How she loved playing cupid.

Drake smiled at them. Comfortable na kasi siya. Lahat na yata ng kahihiyan with Drake nakita na ng parents ko. Looking back, oo nga nakakahiya kaming dalawa. Naaalala ko pa yung second base talk na yan. Lately ko lang narealize na bata pa lang kami, manyak na si Drake.

"Feeding your daughter," he said.

Daddy looked at me. "Diet ka ba? Oo nga, pansin ko ang laki ng pisngi mo ngayon..."

I rolled my eyes at him. Corny niya pa rin kahit kailan! Ano ba nagustuhan ni mommy dito? Tss. Daddy talaga, oh!

Mom clapped her hands. "Would you stay for dinner?"

Drake nodded but I shook my head. "Aalis na siya, mom. Next time na lang," I said then hinila ko si Drake palayo. 

My parents were looking at me weirdly. Mas okay na 'to. I didn't know how to react kapag napag usapan yung issue with Fier. I did not appreciate an outsider's point of view as of the moment. My own opinions were too much to handle already.

Nung makarating na kami sa labas, I took a deep breath. "Uwi ka na. We'll talk tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded. He was obedient for the first time.

"Okay."

I turned around, didn't stay to watch him leave. Nung makapasok ako sa bahay namin, my phone vibrated. I fished for it inside my pocket and read a text message from him.

'You can only make me marry you. 1131. Always.'

I smiled at the phone. Drake Palma, you really knew your way with words.

The moment I went back, my mom bombarded me with question. Seriously, she's one nagging woman. 

"What was that?" she asked.

"Mom, I'm tired. Bukas ko na lang ipapaliwanag."

"Okay," she said, giving up.

Umakyat ako sa kwarto. I cleaned myself but while I was at it, hindi ko magawang magrelax. Puno pa rin ng tanong ang utak ko. Sana talaga maging okay ang lahat. For Drake, I'd be willing to compromise. Pero sana naman magcompromise din si Fier. It takes two to tango. She can't make me give Drake up. We should meet halfway.

After bathing myself, I rolled in my bed. This week has been exhausting. I wish the next months would be more relaxing. Ayoko na ng stress. It would be damning and excruciating to live in constant worry and fear that something might ruin your happiness. 

The night passed by and the morning rolled in fast. I took time to dress myself up. Pupunta kami kay Fier ngayon. I postponed my meeting with Tripp. Hindi ko rin kasi kaya na irisk na kausapin siya while my mind was practically at the eye of the storm. Parang sinabi ko na rin na tatakbo ako pabalik sa kanya.

I didn't even eat breakfast because I couldn't bring myself to. I just wanted to finish talking to her to calm myself.

'Meet me at the hospital,' I texted Drake.

A few minutes of driving and drinking water, nakarating na rin ako sa hospital. I was pacing back and forth, kinakabahan ako. Gusto kong lumaban pero kapag ginamitan ako ni Fier ng baby niya, baka hindi pa siya tapos magsalita, sumuko na ako.

She's having a baby with Drake. Ano ba ang laban ko dun?

Dumating si Drake after a while. He was actually really calm! Bakit ba kung umarte siya parang normal lang?

I seized him through gaze.

"Palma," I said.

"Hmm?"

I tried to be really serious. Damn, I was serious. "Fier is really pregnant with your child. Kapag nalaman ko na niloloko mo lang ako, God knows what I'll do with you," I said. If this was one of his messed up tricks, God, I'll kill him! 

He nodded. "I wouldn't even try anything to jeopardize our relationship."

Pumasok na kami pagkatapos kong kalmahin ang sarili ko. This was freaking harder in actuality! Akala ko kagabi, pupunta lang kami and then settle things. This was much, much more complicated. 

Nakarating kami sa harap ng kwarto ni Fier in no time. This was it.

He held my hand. "Do you really want to talk to her?"

I nodded. "I need to talk to her. For my sanity."

Huminga siya ng malalim and then kissed me. "After talking to her, ask me again and I'll still say you're the one I'm gonna marry."

I smiled at the sweetness of his assurance. Drake Palma ka nga talaga.

Pumasok kami sa loob. Fier was not alone. 

"Sino kayo?" the tall guy asked.

Fier interjected. "Don't be so nosy, Lourd. Iwan niyo nga kami."

The two guys left her room. Sino ba sila? Baka naman sila yung tatay ng anak ni Fier? What was I thinking? Lahat na lang talaga gagawin ko basta lang hindi maging si Drake ang tatay.

"What do you need?" sabi niya sa amin.

I took a really deep breath to make me calm. I need all the calmness I could muster. "Can we talk?"

She rolled her eyes. Kumuha siya ng apple sa gilid ng mesa niya and ate it. She looked really pretty kahit na may mga dextrose at naka hospital gown siya. No wonder she got Drake to sleep with her. 

"What else do you want?"

"Are you really pregnant with his child?" I asked. Gusto ko lang ng assurance. Para kasing ayaw ko pa ring maniwala. Hindi naman ako masisisi. Somehow I was still hoping. Hindi naman kasi virginity ni Drake ang issue. Ang issue ko, may anak siya sa iba. Sa iba. Hindi sa akin. Ang layo talaga.

Fier let out a hearty laugh. 

"It's my body, Alys. Surely alam ko naman siguro kung sino ang ama ng anak ko, di ba?" she said while giving me a smile. She then looked at Drake. "And you, fucker, anong ginagawa mo dito?"

Drake sighed. "Don't call me that."

"Ano ang gusto mo? Asshole? Jerk? Douche? No, I still prefer f-ucker. Bagay sayo yun. You freaking banged me then sasabihin mo na ayaw mo akong panagutan?! The hell with you, Palma! I'm not a freaking w-hore! Pinag-aral ako ng magulang ko hindi para lang anakan mo at takbuhan!" she said. She's actually crying while shouting at Drake.

I was lost at the situation. It felt like they were the only ones talking. 

"I didn't run."

"Walking out wasn't considered running?! You freaking moron!" she said and then she threw something at his face. Drake didn't even bother moving. Tahimik niyang sinalo lahat ng binabato sa kanya ni Fier. "Drake, I'm not some slut unlike what others might actually think. I'm educated. You don't get to treat me like a trash," she said while tears were streaming down her eyes.

Ito na yung iniisip ko. I was afraid this would happen. I'm also a woman. Alam ko kung gaano kahirap ang pinagdadaanan ni Fier. I couldn't even begin to imagine kung paano ang gagawin ko if I was in her place. Begging someone to marry you wasn't exactly something anyone would want to do. It was pathetic and degrading.

"Fier..." Drake started talking. "Don't do this again."

"I only beg once and you rejected me. Sino ka ba para magmakaawa ako? You're just some guy I slept with and unluckily, nabigyan ako ng souvenir."

"A-aalis muna ako," I said. Hindi ko na kaya yung mga naririnig ko sa kanila. It was too much to hear, much more to handle.

Fier said, "No. Listen, Alys. I'm gonna have this child and you're gonna have to suck it up. I was Drake's first and I am the mother of his child. Marry him, get his name pero hindi mo maalis sa akin kung ano ang meron ako. You'll never outwin me, Perez."