My Boyfriend's Bestfriend

S E V E N T E E N (2/2)

"...doing the righteous things, assuming it's what's best for her, isn't my thing. That's Bree. Rain is old enough to decide what she thinks is best for her, she deserves that," boses ni Ice sa labas ng pinto.

Bumangon ako. Na-realize kong sa boses niya ako nagising. Pinakinggan ko 'yung sa labas kasi parang may kausap siya.

"I trust you, Ice. I just hope you don't start doing the ugly things to ruin that trust. I won't ask again after this. Where is she?"

Hindi sumagot si Ice. Halatang pagtatakpan ako ni Ice if it takes her a lot. Ang sarap niyang pagkatiwalaan. Hindi niya papakialaman ang buhay mo. Kahit siguro makita niyang mali na ginagawa ko, hindi na siya magtatawag ng ibang tao para lang magtino ako. Kaya naman niya akong daanin sa usapan at alak.

"Sunny..."

Napalingon sila sa 'kin pareho nang lumabas ako sa kwarto. Napansin kong nasa pangalawang pinto ako nanggaling mula sa living room.

Si Ice ang sumalubong sa 'kin nang nakangiti. "Okay ka na?"

Ngumiti rin ako tapos tumango. "Sobra. Salamat."

"O, mukhang hindi mo rin babalakin na magpahatid sa 'kin. Pero tatanungin pa rin kita, gusto mo bang ihatid kita?"

Napasulyap ako saglit kay Sunny na hindi na nakatingin sa 'min. Yumakap ako kay Ice. Buti hindi siya nagrereklamo sa ginagawa kong 'to sa kaniya lagi na pagyakap-yakap. "Hatid mo 'ko. Nahihilo pa rin ako."

'Nananaginip ka pa ba? Ang kapal ng mukha mo,' panunuya ni Aego.

That earns me a precious look of utter befuddlement from Sunny nang magkalas kami ng yakap ni Ice.

"Tara na. O kakain ka muna?" tanong ni Ice.

Umiling ako. "Tara na."

Iniwan namin ni Ice 'yung kotse ko, sumakay kami kay Ben Affleck. Sabi ko rin, sa bahay na lang nila Devin para makausap ko rin siya. Nawala na sa likod namin ni Ice 'yung sparkling orange na Lamborg. Umuwi na siguro siya. Medyo nalungkot akong hindi niya kami sinundan. Ewan ko. Ayoko siyang kausapin pero ngayon naman nalulungkot akong wala siya. Ang labo ko.

Nang dumating kami sa tapat ng bahay nila Devin, nauna pa pala siya sa 'min. Nandito ang kotse niya.

Pagkababa ko sa kotse ni Ice, bigla akong nahilo kaya inalalayan niya ako hanggang makapasok kami sa loob. "Careful," sabi ni Ice.

"Babe?!" napatayo bigla si Devin nang makita ako.

"I'm okay," maagap na sabi ko agad.

"Thanks, Ice," sabi ni Devin nang maiupo nila ako sa pinakamalapit na sofa.

"I'll leave it here," nakangising sabi ni Ice kay Devin.

"And I'm taking it. Salamat sa paghatid. Iniwan niya ba sasakyan niya?"

"Buhay pa ako, babe. Ako na lang ang tanungin mo," singit ko naman.

"Next time, be careful with your choice of friends so you don't have to be this wasted everytime you get home."

Napalingon kaming tatlo nila Devin sa nagsalita sa pintuan. Si Sunny. What a nice choice for words.

"Excuse me?" sabi ni Ice kaagad.

"Rain needed a friend. If there's someone who could be friends with my girlfriend, that's Ice. Their personalities compliment the way friends do. But you?"

Lumapit siya kay Sunny pero hindi man lang umatras si Sunny or what. Halatang hindi rin siya natatakot kay Devin.

"You are already my friend. Best friend, actually. I'm the only one who's supposed to turn to you in case something goes wrong in this relationship so we can avoid the casualties of being compromised. If Rain and I needed a time off to spend with other people, we should have two different worlds to be in, but not the same person to be with."

"But you already have my other sister for that role lately, don't you think?"

'Owned!' sigaw ni Aego. 'For the first time, I like this Sunny.'

Tagos sa dibdib 'yon. Sa dami ng sinabi ni Devin at sa ikli ng sinabi ni Sunny, parang mas matalim pa rin 'yung konting sinabi niya. Napalingon tuloy kaming lahat kay Devin.

"We only talk when we need each other, right? That's how we became best friends. And I need us to stay that way because right now, you're not helping. You can go. I don't need you yet."

Biglang ngumisi si Sunny. First time kong nakita 'yung ganitong ngiti niya na parang may ibang ibig sabihin. "So much for being best of friends," sabi niya.

"Can somebody please tell me what's going on?" Ice interrupts.

Napatayo ako para pigilan si Ice sa paglapit sa kanila. Walang sumagot. Nanatili 'yung halos magsaksakan na titigan ni Devin at Sunny.

"Ice..." pabulong na sabi ko habang hinihila 'yung laylayan ng damit niya. Baka madamay siya bigla sa pagtatalo no'ng dalawa. Inabala ko na nga siya sa kadramahan ko, idadamay ko pa siya sa tensyon na namumuo sa 'ming tatlo.

"You might wanna rephrase that," sabi ni Sunny habang titig na titig pa rin kay Devin at medyo shaky na 'yung boses. For the first time, I can clearly see pain in her eyes. "I'm still available whenever you need me even after you jeopardized my trust by tolerating your feelings for my sister. Sabi ko, walang talo-talo, 'di ba? Did I even nag you for my compromised closeness with Bree just because of your selfish fantasies? That's a bro code."

"Imagine your burden for still thinking about that after so many years," Devin says with a hint of sarcasm. "Kaya nga kami naghiwalay ni Bree, 'di ba? Because I wanted to keep our friendship. If I was being selfish, I'd give you up and stay with her. Years had passed, Sunny. And you only think about bringing that up today?"

Hindi kumibo si Sunny.

"If I ever see you close to my girlfriend again, I'll be quick to assume the worst. Because I know her, and I know you. And being friends with my girlfriend isn't the only thing you're after. I mended our bro code. Don't break it."

Dahil do'n, for the first time, na-turn off ako kay Devin nang big time. Para bang hindi niya na nakikita sa harap niyang best friend niya 'tong kausap niya.

'That, or you're being unhealthily biased,' Aego nags at me.

"If our friendship is only about me being there when you needed... Who was there when I needed someone?"

"Silly. You hate it when people comfort you, remember? You think you're weak when you ask for someone's help."

"Maybe. Or perhaps because you never asked."

Si Devin naman ang hindi nakasagot.

"You took away someone from me. I'll take away someone important to you, too. And when we're even? This friendship..." Lumapit si Sunny sa mukha ni Devin. Halos magkasing-tangkad lang talaga sila.

"Don't you dare," putol ni Devin sa sasabihin niya .

"...is over," Sunny finishes.

Pumagitna na ako. Nakita ko kasing parang sasaktan ni Devin si Sunny kaya pinigilan ko na agad. Buti na lang at maagap din si Ice, nalapitan niya agad si Sunny tapos halos yakapin na niya, mailayo lang.

"Mate, we're going. Good night," sabi ni Ice kay Devin. "See you around," nakangiti pa rin na sabi niya sa 'kin.

"Thank you. Sorry about this," sabi ko naman.

Tinulak ni Sunny si Ice tapos lumabas. Napa-shrug na lang si Ice at sinundan na rin si Sunny paalis.

Nakaupo kami ngayon ni Devin sa kama niya. Tulala siya. Nararamdaman kong hindi niya nagustuhan 'yung naging takbo ng usapan nila ni Sunny kanina. Halos madaling araw na ngayon, hindi pa rin nagsasalita si Devin. Maya maya lang, narinig kong huminga siya nang malalim tapos namumula 'yung mga mata niya. Umiiyak siya.

"I can't believe it " he says. "That break up I had with Bree six years ago is nothing compared to this break up I'm having with my best friend."

Tumayo ako at niyakap siya. Ang lalalim ng hinga niya. Naaawa ako kay Devin. Ganito ang itsura niya no'ng unang nagkakilala kami. Ngayon ko na-figure out na ang dahilan ng lungkot niya na 'yon that time ay si Sunny. His friendship with Sunny is more important than any other relationships he had, perhaps.

"Babe, I want you to understand that this isn't because I'm in love with my best friend or anything. I just find the words like 'this friendship is over' coming from a best friend is even more painful than the words like 'I'm breaking up with you' coming from a girlfriend."

"Shhh. Babe, I understand," sabi ko naman.

"Babe, bakit kasi ako biglang nagka-ganoon? At bakit bigla siyang naging concerned sa 'yo?"

Kumalas si Devin sa yakapan namin at tumingin sa 'kin. "Babe, aaminin ko. I begged Sunny to do everything she could to get close to you, too. Para makilala mo siya. At para malaman mong she's not a threat to you kasi 'yun ang lagi mong iniisip."

Hindi ako nakapagsalita. Hinayaan ko lang siya.

"And when she came here earlier, looking for you, before even asking how I was, nag-panic ako. In that instant, I knew there was something. Now that she cares for you, I suddenly feel uncomfortable with the thought of you being friends with her."

Napalunok ako. Para sa isang matalinong tao, napakatanga ni Sunny para hanapin ako sa mismong boyfriend ko.

"Ngayon pa lang, babe. Nakikita ko na 'yung potential na maagaw ka ni Sunny sa 'kin. Na kahit nakikita mo na 'yung obvious advances ni Bree towards me, you don't give too much damn about it anymore. Kasi occupied na rin ni Sunny ang isip mo. Kilala kita, babe. The first time you laid eyes on my best friend, that's the way you stared at me when we first met. Kaya ikaw ang tatanungin ko, babe."

Hinawakan ako ni Devin sa parehas na kamay. Bumilis tuloy 'yung pulso ko kasi kinakabahan ako na ewan.

"Do you still see Sunny as a threat to you? Or am I to assume that she is now a threat... to me?"

I have to lie to Devin, I know. Para maalis ang paranoia niya. But of all the times I choose to be honest, ngayon pa nagkataon. "When she said she'll take someone important to you, I have a feeling that she's talking about me."

'You. Did. Not,' hindi makapaniwalang sabi ni Aego.

"I think I asked the wrong question..."

Hindi na naman ako nakasagot. Humigpit 'yung hawak niya sa mga kamay ko.

"May pag-asa bang maagaw ka talaga niya, babe?"

Napayuko ako. Ayoko kasing makita dahil alam kong masasaktan siya sa isasagot ko. "Oo."