Take Me Back

PROLOGUE   "Ingat kayo bhez ha?! Ingatan n'yo yang mga inaanak ko!" I shouted as I watched my bestfriend waved at me while she was smiling from ear-to-ear before she strode inside the airport together with her own family. I was happy for my bestfriend. I mean, she's got everything any woman could dream of, a loving husband, cute little angels - Denver and Jeanna, successful career, a happy home. All in all, a happy life. At sa lahat ng nararanasang kasiyahan ng bestfriend ko, I knew she deserved it, sa dinami-dami ba naman ng sakit na pinagdaanan n'ya noon, it's just about time for her to experience how it was to be in cloud nine. Ipinilig ko ang ulo ko bago huminga ng malalim. I was planning to visit an old friend, my first love that is, but he never knew it until now. Dahil ang bestfriend n'ya ang s'yang naging kauna-unahang boyfriend ko, not that there was someone who came after when Alex and I broke up two years ago, pero hanggang ngayon pakiramdam ko nagso-soul searching pa rin ako. I couldn't find myself. I was okay, but I wasn't exactly feeling my life now. So I couldn't decide if I was happy or not. After heaving a deep breath, I took my keys from my pocket then walked to my car. I drove in silence for nearly half an hour bago nakarating sa building kung saan naroon ang condo unit ni Nathan. I waved at the guard stationed at the basement parking before he guided me to where I could park and I thanked him after that. Isinukbit ko muna ang bag ko sa balikat bago tuloy tuloy na lumabas ng sasakyan and locked it by pushing the lock button in my key then went straight to the elevator. Nang nasa loob na ako, pinindot ko naman ang 25th button kung saan ang floor ni Nathan and every second, my heart was thumping wildly inside my chest though I didn't know why. I eased slowly out of the lift when the bell dinged then I unconsciously gripped my bag closer to my chest as I set my foot on the specified floor. Alright Alice, unit 2509. I said to myself as my eyes roamed around the hallway as I walked unbelievably slowly. "You're going to call me, right?" When I was about to turn to the right hall, I heard this flirty, almost just above a whisper voice. "I don't know. Maybe." I froze as I heard the man's voice. "But... I thought-" "You knew how this is going to turn out, Kendra. Please..." Then the man sighed, "you have to go. Your guy's been texting you all night." "Fine. But you will call me Nathan." The woman declared before I heard her walking towards me... to the elevator. The moment she turned to my side, she paused then eyed me from head to toe. Hindi ko napigilang magtaas ng kilay ng magtama ang mga mata namin, she was pretty. But she was too skinny and I couldn't understand kung paano s'ya pinatulan ni Nathan. Maybe she was a model because she was tall, but definitely she wouldn't be able to make it big in that industry simply because she didn't have that wow factor. Umismid muna s'ya bago tuluyang naglakad and I dismissed the idea of rolling my eyes. She just wasn't worth it. Nang masiguro kong nakasakay na s'ya sa elevator ay saka naman ako naglakad papunta sa pinto kung saan s'ya nanggaling. I gripped my fist a couple of times bago nagkalakas ng loob na pindutin ang buzzer. I haven't seen Nathan for years at hindi ako sigurado kung makikilala n'ya ako. I waited a few seconds pero wala pa ring nasagot so I raised my hand to push the button again, but just before my index finger could land on it, the door opened and stood there was Nathan with nothing but his towel on hanging so lowly around his hips. "Kendra, why-" bago pa n'ya maituloy ang sasabihin, he automatically stopped as his brows creased before acknowledgement washed over him, "Alice?" "Hey." I said simply as I slightly waved at him. "Why are you... I mean, how did you get here?" Nathan asked as confusion and maybe a tinge of surprise mixed in his voice. "Nagdrive gamit yung sasakyan ko?" Sagot ko sa kanya na medyo pabalang, kahit na sa totoo lang, kumakabog na yung dibdib ko hindi lang dahil sa ngayon lang kami ulit nagkita pero hindi ako sanay na makita s'yang nakaganito lang. He was half naked for Pete's sake and I think he just got out of shower because water was dripping down his body! Nathan grinned before he opened his door wide, "come in. Sorry nagsa-shower lang ako. Make yourself comfortable. I'll just put some clothes on." Sabi n'ya then guided me to the sofa before he ran to what I assumed was his bedroom. Nang sumarado ang pinto, I let my eyes roam around his unit. It was spacious and very modern looking. From the structure of the unit, to the design, down to the furnitures. Pero hindi na rin ako gaanong nagtataka, si Nathan yan e. At matagal ko na rin namang alam na mayaman ang pamilya n'ya. Although for now, wala akong balita kung anong business o pinagkakaabalahan n'ya, but if he was too busy, how could he maintain his unit so pristine? Sobrang linis. Dinaig pa ako ng loko. But if there was something that stood out to me the most, was the color scheme. It was too... dark. Everything was in shades of navy blue and black. Only the kitchen counter were in beige plus the carpeted floor. Aside from that, wala na. "Hey..." I nearly tripped nang biglang may maramdaman akong mga kamay sa bewang ko at hininga malapit sa tainga ko. "s**t!" Mabilis kong tinabig ang mga kamay n'ya, "sira ulo ka Nathan!" Halos panindigan ako ng balahibo as I struggled to face him. Naabutan ko s'yang medyo natatawa-tawa but his eyes were serious. "I was just trying to surprise you. Ginulat mo din ako e." Sabi n'ya before he walked to the mini bar near the dining then poured a good amount of brandy into the shot glass at inisang lagok iyon. I just watched him as he did that at hindi ko maiwasang magtanong... Si Nathan na nga ba ito? "Ang aga mo naman yatang uminom?" Hindi ko napigilang magkomento but the moment his eyes landed on me, halos magsisi ako dahil sinabi ko pa iyon. But Nathan didn't speak, he just shrugged saka bumalik sa kung saan ako nakatayo with the glass in his one hand and the bottle of brandy in the other. "Upo ka." He said as his hand instructed for me to sit. Sumunod ako saka lang s'ya umupo sa katapat ng sofa ko. I was thinking of something to say pero naunahan n'ya ako. "So what made you come here?" Tanong n'ya and I nearly chilled in his tone. Parang may yelo sa boses n'ya na hindi ko mawari, but the expression on his face was almost friendly. I bit my lip before I cleared my throat. "A-alex..." I said, but my voice trembled and Nathan's brows shoot up. I cleared my throat again then sat straight, "I mean, Alex told me where you were months before we broke up. So I thought I'd pay a visit now, kaibigan pa rin naman kita, diba?" Sabi ko and Nathan nodded a little bago bagyang uminom ulit sa basong hawak. "So you and Alex... kumusta kayo?" Tanong n'ya while looking at me intently. "I think you know." Sagot ko. "Yeah. You guys broke up." "Oo. Pero hindi ako pumunta dito para pag-usapan kung anong nakaraan na. Kumusta ka?" Tuloy-tuloy kong tanong at halos magsukatan kami ng tingin bago sumandal si Nathan sa sofa. "I'm fine." "Talaga? Bakit hindi ka na nagparamdam sa amin after graduation?" "What do you mean sa amin?" Biglang tumalim ang boses ni Nathan sa huling dalawang salita and I paused bago nagdesisyon na banggitin ang pangalan ng bestfriend ko. "Sa amin ni Josette." Sagot ko and I saw how Nathan's jaw clenched. Hindi s'ya sumagot agad and it was obvious the moment he averted his eyes from me that he didn't want to talk about my bestfriend. "Was there any reason to show up?" Nathan asked back after a moment. I sighed, "Nathan, naging kaibigan mo din kami." "I know. And you got Alex, and she's got that-" halos maging asido ang boses ni Nathan but he managed to pause, trying to control his temper. "Let's not talk about that Alice. As you said, hindi ka pumunta dito para pagusapan ang nakaraan na. Why don't we talk about us?" Nathan said and I nearly fell down from my chair. "W-what?" "What do you mean what? I don't believe you'd come here if you were not single and I'm definitely not committed so why don't we talk about us?" "Nathan, nababaliw ka na." "Maybe. But it's your responsibility now to fix me. Your bestfriend dumped me because of that guy-" "My bestfriend never dumped you, alam mo yan Nathan. Kinausap ka ng maayos ni Josette. So why hold a grudge on her?" "Whatever Alice, but you will fix me." "Wala akong responsibilidad sa'yo Nathan. Hindi lang ikaw ang nasaktan nung mga panahon na 'yon. My bestfriend was hurt, too. Mas malala pa sa naranasan mo so why are you being like this now?" I asked pointedly but Nathan never answered. His lips were in thin line as if he was trying to stop himself from saying something else that could prolong this nonsense. I sighed as I averted my gaze then slowly pulled my bag. "You know what, I think I better go." I said as I stood up. Nathan just watched me walked towards the door but before I could even hold the doorknob, I was already being held against the wall and Nathan was kissing me savagely, but what surprised me the most was... I was kissing him back. And as my head swirled around, Nathan whispered the words that forever changed my life. "You will fix me, Alice. You will."