LET GO AND MARRY ME

CHAPTER 5

Ellie:

For the whole week wala naman naging kakaiba sa mga araw ko after nung last argument namin ni Nolan and my lunch encounter with Liam.

Nolan and I still have this silent treatment with each other. We talk but very small talk lang. We still did not talk about what happened. I don’t want to force it again.

While Liam and I had been messaging each other regularly. Wala naman kakaiba, it was just him checking on me and just saying Hi and Hello.

I don’t know why but it gives me comfort and joy whenever I received a message from him even for a simple Good Morning message.

Was it because Nolan rarely sends me those kinds of messages now? Was it the feeling of someone is checking on you and what is going on with you? Nolan was also like that before. Before those things happened, before that incident created a gap between us.

The feeling was new yet seems familiar.

Saturday came. Nolan and I decided to go to Baguio this weekend however, ever since our argument happened and we were still not okay. We decided to postponed our out-of-town trip until we both settled down. We felt that we will not be able to enjoy the trip if we pushed it through.

Nolan just decided to stay in my condo over the weekend, maybe so we can spend time together and to get over the awkwardness between us.

“Honey, what do you want to eat for lunch? Let’s just order para hindi na tayo magluto.” Nolan asks.

“Parang gusto ko itry yung food dun sa Indonesian restaurant sa kabilang street.” Sagot ko sa kanya.

“Okay. I’ll check if my delivery sila then kapag wala puntahan natin.”

“Okay sige.”

After a while.

“Honey, magpapadeliver na ko. Tignan mo yung menu nila kung anong gusto mong food.”

After checking and deciding what to order, nagproceed na sa pagpapadeliver ng food si Nolan. When suddenly I received a message from Liam.

“Hey Ellie! It’s weekend. Do you have any plans? Can we eat out together?”

“I’m sorry Liam. I already had plans for the whole weekend.”

“Ganun ba. It’s okay. Enjoy your weekend”

“Enjoy yours to.”

“Sino katext mo?” Nagulat ako ng nagtanong si Nolan. ‘s**t!’

“Si Mikee, nagaaya lumabas. Sabi ko hindi ako pwede.” Sagot ko sa kanya. Leche ka Ellie, bakit mo ba tinatago. Wala naman something sa inyo ni Liam, you are just friends.

“Ah okay. Do you want to go somewhere after lunch?”

“Pwede mo ba ako samahan maggrocery later? Wala na kasi akong supplies.”

“Of course, sasabay na din ako bumili ng stocks ko.”

After we eat our lunch, nagbihis lang kami then we decided to go to the grocery.

Habang naglalakad kami sa mall napansin kong may makakasalubong kaming pamilyar.

It was Liam at may kasama siyang babae. Nung napansin ko siyang nakatingin samin napansin kong nakatingin siya sa kamay namin ni Nolan na magkaholding hands. His eyes look scary just like the first time a saw him.

Napatingin ako dun sa kasama niyang babae, they are not holding each other but you know that they are not just friends or kahit magkamag-anak. The way the woman looks at him is different. So, I just ignored it.

Nung malapit na kami sa isa’t isa hindi ko alam if papansinin ko ba siya or hindi. Kinakabahan ako sa magiging reaksyon ni Nolan kahit alam ko naman na walang something samin ni Liam at may kasama din itong iba.

In the end, nagulat ako ng si Liam ang unang pumansin sa amin.

“Hi Ellie.” Bati niya sakin.

I tried to calm myself.

“Hi Liam. Hmmm...Liam si Nolan boyfriend ko. Nolan si Liam.”

“Nolan bro.” bati ni Nolan kay Liam.

“Liam pare and this is Hazel.”

“Hazel, this is Ellie a friend of mine and her boyfriend Nolan.”

I tried to ignore the tone on his voice when he introduced Nolan as my boyfriend. It seems sarcastic and there was a hint of anger in it. Pero bakit naman. Though hindi nakaligtas sakin na hindi niya sinabi kung sino si Hazel. Hindi ba niya girlfriend yun.

After greeting each other. Niyaya ko na si Nolan at nagpaalam na kay Liam at sinabing may pupuntahan pa kami. Tumango naman siya but the darkness in his eyes is there. Nakaktakot siya, hindi ko alam kung para saan yun.

I just ignore it and stop thinking about it. Pumunta na kami ni Nolan sa grocery para makauwi na din kami.

That same night I received a message from Liam. And he seems to be mad.

“So, you have a boyfriend, Ellie?!”

“Yes.”

“And you did not even bother to tell me?!”

“Hindi ka naman nagtanong eh. What’s wrong?”

“Is he still with you?”

“Yes.”

Then he did not reply anymore. Ano bang problema ng taong yun?

Liam:

‘f**k!’ So, she has a boyfriend and she did not even bother to tell me.

‘Bakit naman niya sasabihin sayo, ano ka ba niya?’ bulong ng isang parte ng utak ko.

I can’t seem to calm down knowing na magkasama pa rin sila. Will they sleep together? Will they do something more than sleeping?

‘Damn’ bakit ba ko nagkakaganito. I’ve just technically known her for a week. Though I already saw and notice her even before that lunch encounter.

When I saw her earlier with him, I was so mad that I wanted to snatch her away. I admit I am attracted to her. I also feel attraction to other women but this attraction is different. I don’t know. Hindi ko na naiintindihan and sarili ko.

Gusto kong magwala, gusto kong basagin ang mukha ng lalaking yun. Ayoko ng may ibang humahawak sa kanya.

Gusto ko akin lang si Ellie. Akin lang. She is my Ellie!

Pero anong gagawin ko. She is already committed. She is in-love with somebody else.

At nagagalit ako kasi hindi ako yun.

Ngayon lang ako nagkaganito sa babae. Ngayon lang at dun pa sa babaeng may iba ng mahal.

I need a drink. I need to clear my head. ‘f**k this!’

I want Ellie for myself. I want my Ellie. And I will get my Ellie!