#PTG23 Chapter 23

I was about to introduce myself when I heard someone calling Kieran. Sabay kaming napa-tingin sa pinanggalingan ng boses. May isang lalaki na mukhang badtrip sa buhay niya ang naka-tingin sa amin.

"May problema ka ba sa 'kin?" I asked, annoyed because he was openly glaring at me. I didn't even know him! Bakit ba ako dinala ng parents ko dito?!

The guy walked towards us. He looked murderous. I wasn't scared of him, but Kieran quickly stood in front of me, as if to shield me from whatever this guy was planning to do with me. Itulak ko pa siya dito sa fountain, makita niya!

"Arlo," Kieran said. "What are you doing?"

Sumilip ako. Nagulat ako dahil naka-turo pala siya sa akin. Seriously?! Who the hell was this guy, and why was he so mad at me?! Wala naman akong ginagawa! I honestly just stayed quiet through the whole night! Sa fountain na nga ako tumambay, e!

"She's the reason why Agatha broke up with me!" sigaw niya.

"I don't even know you!" sigaw ko pabalik sa kanya. This asshole! Kapal ng mukhang sigawan ako e hindi ko naman siya kilala! Siya kaya sigawan ko out of the blue!

His jaw clenched. "Liar! You're here because of that fucking arranged marriage shit!" Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. He must've taken it as an affirmation of my non-existing knowledge, because he said, "Bitch, I'll never marry you!" he said before storming off.

"The hell if I'd marry you, too!" sigaw ko bago pa man siya makalayo.

My chest was rising and falling as I felt anger consume me. I quickly marched inside to confront my parents about this. They couldn't be serious! Arranged marriage?! At this day and age?! We should be going forward, not backward!

"Hey," sabi ni Kieran habang hawak iyong braso ko. "Calm down first."

Umiling ako. "Get your hands off me," I said through gritted teeth. He quickly let go of my arm, and raised them.

"I'm sorry. But you look rather murderous."

"Because I am!"

An amused expression appeared on his face. "Okay... Well, before you go murder someone, care to tell me your name first?" tanong niya sa akin.

Agad kong napansin si Mama na may kausap sa loob. I felt that anger burning again. Mabilis akong nagmartsa papasok sa loob. Papa looked alarmed when he saw me approaching. I wouldn't hesitate to make a scene here because clearly, they didn't respect me! Why would I extend the courtesy kung sila nga hindi magawang irespeto iyong relasyon ko kay Jax?!

"We need to talk," I snapped. Agad na napa-tingin sa akin si Mama.

"Katherine, I am discussing—"

"I'm sure that can wait," I cut her off.

Pilit na ngumiti si Mama sa kausap niya kahit alam ko na galit siya sa akin dahil sa ginawa ko. Well, she must've expected this hostility from me! Did she really think that I'd thank her for meddling with my life like this?!

"Excuse us first, Congressman Ramirez," Mama said before she subtly, but tightly pulled me in a corner. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang higpit ng paghawak niya sa akin. I wouldn't be surprised if I'd find bruise on that part of my arm tomorrow.

I let Mama drag me until she felt contented. I was about to speak, when I felt a stinging sensation on my cheek. Agad akong napa-hawak doon. My lips quivered in the familiar feeling of disappointment.

"Since when did you learn to be disrespectful?!"

"Arranged marriage?" tanong ko sa kanya. "Seryoso ba kayo?"

She looked guilty, but she quickly hid it. She looked at me seriously—as if she had control over what would happen in my life. Good God! She's missing almost all my life, and she's doing this?! Saan niya kinukuha iyong kapal ng mukha?!

"Katherine—"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "It's not gonna happen."

"It's gonna happen," she insisted.

My chest was heaving in anger. My lips were shaking in fury. "No, Ma. You listen to me," I said, staring intently into her eyes so she understands how serious I was. "I will never marry someone who I don't even know. You can never force me to."

"You don't even know who we're—"

I scoffed. "Oh, believe me, I've met him. And the feeling is mutual. Ayaw namin sa isa't-isa," I said, recalling the earlier scenario that started this wrath inside of me.

"Katherine..." I heard Papa call my name.

Tumingin ako sa kanilang dalawa.

"If... If I hear about this again, I promise you, you'll both be dead to me," I said before I walked out on them.

* * *

My phone was inside my parents' car. And there's no way I could walk my way back to the hotel. Kanina pa ako parang tanga na naka-tayo sa labas, nag-iisip ng paraan kung paano ako makaka-alis sa lugar na 'to.

"Hey, stranger."

I turned around only to see Kieran. "Hey..." I replied. My energy was drained from the confrontation earlier. Ilang minuto na ang naka-lipas, pero ramdam ko pa rin iyong galit sa dibdib ko. I hate them. I hate them for even considering this despite the fact of them knowing that I was with someone else! It's so disrespectful!

"You still haven't told me your name," he said, his hands inside his pockets again.

"Ano ba'ng gagawin mo sa pangalan ko?"

He shrugged. "It's just a name. Why won't you give it?"

I arched my brow. "If I give you my name, what will I get in return?"

He smirked, as if he was pleased with my answer. "Name your price."

I bit my lower lip. He's from the party, so I was sure that he's from some prominent family here. And there were a lot of people in the vicinity. Kahit ngayon pa nga lang ay may mga naka-tingin na sa amin. Surely, he wouldn't do any harm...

"I need a ride back to the hotel I'm staying at," I said.

"Is that all?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, that's all," I replied. I just needed a ride back to see Jax. I needed to see him again. He's the only one who could pacify me. I didn't like feeling this way. I didn't like feeling rage within me. It felt so heavy.

"All right," he said. "Where are we heading?" tanong niya.

He was driving a two-seater Audi. He got the roof down. Nakita ko na naman iyong mga bituin. Na-miss ko na naman si Jax. Natutulog na kaya 'yun? Baka naka-lock na naman iyong pinto... Paano ako papasok?

I told him the name of the hotel we were staying at. He nodded as if he already knew the way to that place.

"So... you're arranged to be married to Arlo?" basag niya sa katahimikan.

I scoffed. "No. Hell will freeze first before I marry that asshole."

He laughed. I saw him drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. "Why not? He's not that bad."

"Not that bad? Didn't you just see him shouting at me?" hindi maka-paniwala kong tanong.

"Well, that was not nice... but in his defense, Agatha dumped him last night. So, he's really not in his right state of mind," depensa niya sa kaibigan niya. Why was I even surprised? Of course, guys protect each other. Laging may dahilan. But even when Jax is pissed at me, he never even gave me the impression that he'd hurt me. Because he's that kind of guy. Hindi nananakit.

"If you won't mind, I don't want to talk about him."

"You got it," he replied. "But what's your name first?"

"I have a boyfriend," I said. Mabuti na para malinaw.

He laughed. "I'm just asking for your name."

"Well, I am just informing you. I don't want any miscommunication here," I stated. I just want him to know that I already belong to someone else—and I didn't have any plan of changing that fact.

"Lucky guy. It's hard to find someone loyal nowadays."

"No, not really. I think you're just finding girls in all the wrong places," I said, and then smiled when I finally saw the hotel. I quickly unbuckled my seatbelt, and then opened the door. "Thank you for the ride!" I said.

I was walking fast, but I heard him shouting, "But what's your name first?"

I turned, and smiled. "It's Katherine!" I shouted back before getting inside the vicinity of the hotel.

* * *

True to what I initially expected, tulog na si Juan Alexandro. I didn't want to wake him because I knew that he was still tired from the drive. Dahil doon, nagrequest ako ng susi mula sa front desk. Mabuti na lang at pinagbigyan ako kahit wala akong mapa-kita kahit isang ID. Literal na ako lang iyong dala ko.

Carefully twisting the knob, I got inside. Sandali akong napa-hinto nang makita ko iyong natutulog niyang mukha. I smiled to myself. Damn. I really love this guy. I was willing to do everything for him. It was insane.

Hindi ko alam kung gaano ako katagal na naka-tayo at naka-tingin lang sa kanya. I was sure that if he were awake, he would've told me to quit staring. Ganoon naman talaga siya, e. Hiyang-hiya talaga siya kapag naka-titig ako sa kanya. Kasalanan niya naman! Ano ba kasing mukha 'yan!

Finally, when I got tired from standing still, I got out of the dress I was wearing, and wore his shirt. I love wearing Jax's shirt—I love smelling like him. I knew he liked it, too. Pero for some reasons, lagi niya ring sinisira kapag suot ko... So, hindi ko talaga alam kung ano'ng problema sa aming dalawa.

"Hey..." he said, stirring in his sleep when I slid beside him. I wrapped my arms around his waist. "You're back."

"I am," I said, planting a kiss on his shoulder. "Sleep ka na ulit..."

"How's the party?"

"Boring."

"Your parents?"

"Still there."

"How did you get here?"

"Uh... someone drove me here?"

Bumaling na siya. Wala na. Tanggal na iyong antok niya.

"Sino?" tanong niya, kunot ang noo.

"Some guy," I said. "It's no big deal."

"So, you're telling me that some guy drove you back?" he asked, starting to get annoyed again. Ugh. Paano ko ba sasabihin? I didn't want to tell him about the whole arranged marriage thing dahil sigurado ako sa sarili ko na hindi mangyayari 'yun—unless literal na itali nila ako papunta sa simbahan.

"Why didn't you just call me?" he followed-up.

I chewed on my lower lip. God. Sabihin ko na lang sa kanya... kasi kung sa kanya naman ito nangyari at may ibang pilit na pinapakasal sa kanya? I would want to know. I would want to know para alam ko kung sino ang kakalbuhin ko.

"I can't call you. My phone's inside my parents' car."

"And why didn't you just get it?"

I sighed. Naupo ako, at saka isinandal iyong likod ko sa headboard. Jax followed suit. Naka-upo kaming dalawa. I hugged my knees close to my chest.

"I couldn't... we got into a fight," I said. But even before he could chastise me for doing so, I explained myself. I told him about everything that happened—no holds barred. I didn't want to lie to him—the same way I didn't him to lie to me. That's one of the things I love about our relationship. We're honest—even painfully so.

"But there's nothing to worry about. I already told them that it won't happen," I continued, caressing his cheek with my thumb. I smiled at him. "I promise it won't happen."

"But what if it did?" tanong niya.

I planted a kiss on his lips. "But it won't."

"But if worse comes to worst, I'll force you to marry me," sabi ko sa kanya kaso tinawanan lang ako. He is the love of my life. He's the one I'm gonna end up with. That's the only certain thing I know in my life.