Prince Not-So-Charming

Chapter 9

Adrienne

"Do you really have to go, babe? How 'bout me? You won't miss me?" malungkot na wika ni Ellen habang yakap-yakap siya nito. Nakahilig ang ulo nito sa kaniyang balikat habang nakahiga silang dalawa sa kama.

"I have to go, babe. Of course I'll miss you. But I'll call you every day, honey," malambing niyang wika habang hinahaplos-haplos ang buhok nito.

Sinabi niya lang iyon para mapanatag ang loob nito sa pag-alis niya. Hindi kasi siya tatantanan nito.

He can't stand being with her every day. She would always follow him like a lost puppy. Inaalam nito ang bawat kilos niya. Inilalayo siya nito sa kaniyang mga kaibigan. Gusto nitong maglaan siya ng oras para rito. Kahit hindi naman niya ito kasintahan. Nasasakal na siya sa ginagawa nito. Ngunit hindi niya naman magawang saktan ito. Even though she's annoying as hell lately.

Ellen came in his life when he's in a dark place. Noong mga panahong hindi niya na alam kung paano pa magpapatuloy sa buhay dahil iniwan siya ng pinakamamahal niyang babae sa buong mundo. Kahit papaano ay nabawasan ang pag-iisip niya sa kaniyang dating nobya dahil naging distraction niya ang babae. He would spend much of his time with her. Kahit pa pure lust lang ang nararamdaman niya para sa babae. She would do everything for him. She loves to please him.

He's also thankful to her. Because she's with him through thick and thin. She's with him at his lowest. Ngunit hindi niya ito magawang mahalin.

He tried. But he failed.

Hindi siya ang tamang lalaki para rito. She would end up hurting. Lalo na kapag ipinilit pa nito ang sarili sa kaniya. Na mahalin ito. He can't do that.

He's not faithful to her. At last week lang ay nahuli na siya nito na may ibang babae. Ngunit hindi pa rin ito natinag. Alam niyang nasaktan ito. But she chose to stay by his side no matter what.

He felt guilty. Alam niyang nahulog na ito ng tuluyan sa kaniya kahit na wala siyang ibang nararamdaman sa babae. All he wanted was to get laid. Gusto niya lang ito sa kama.

Hindi niya ito kayang mahalin tulad ng pagmamahal niya noon sa kaniyang ex girlfriend. Dahil kahit anong gawin niya, kahit anong pilit niyang kalimutan na ang kaniyang nakaraan, si Kendra pa rin ang laman ng puso niya.

Hindi niya alam kung matututunan pa niyang magmahal muli. If he can commit again in a serious relationship in the future. He's afraid to get hurt again.

His heart is cold as ice now.

She's still upset about his decision to leave America. But there's nothing she can do about it. Buo na ang pasya niya na makapagbagong buhay. Two months from now ay lilipad na siya patungong Pilipinas.

Nabanggit din ng kaniyang ama na ipapakilala siya nito sa Pinay girlfriend nito. He said that his father and his woman were dating for a year now.

Hindi siya excited na makilala ang bagong girlfriend ng kaniyang ama. And he hates gold digger women. Just like his past stepmothers. Na walang ginawa kung 'di ang ubusin ang pera ng kaniyang ama. Ayaw niyang ubusin ng babae nito ang pinaghirapan ng kaniyang ama. Dahil minana pa ng kaniyang ama ang mga negosyo nito sa kaniyang namayapang lolo't lola. Saka pera lang naman ang habol ng mga babae sa kaniyang ama.

"That Kendra is a f*cking famewhore. She's so disgusting. She's constantly flaunting her relationship with Voltaire. Like I don't get her obsession with that piece of s**t," Ellen said. "Ugh. You're more handsome than Voltaire."

Kapansin-pansin ang pagkadisgusto sa mukha nito.

There she goes again. Saying bitchy stuff about her ex. He didn't say anything. Ayaw niyang binabanggit ng babae ang kaniyang ex. He's not comfortable talking about her. What happened between them was personal to him. Kaya gusto niya na hindi na nakikialam ang iba sa kaniyang nakaraan. He's still not fully over with her.

Bumangon na siya sa kama at nagtungo ng banyo para mag-shower. Ilang sandali pa'y sumunod si Ellen sa kaniya. But he's not in the mood anymore to f*ck her again.

Kinagabihan ay nagtungo siya sa isang bar para mag-party-party. His friends loves partying too. Kasama niya ngayon ang isa sa mga matalik niyang kaibigan na si Alastair. His friend is actually half Filipino. He was born and raised in the States. But his mother is a full blooded Filipino. Kaya naman marunong mag-Tagalog ang kaibigan katulad niya.

"Buti natakasan mo si Ellen," kantiyaw sa kaniya ni Alastair habang umiinom sila ng Bacardi.

He smirked. She's getting under his skin. She's just hard to handle. She can't stand being with her all the time.

"She's crazy. I don't know what to do about her," he sighed.

She keeps on talking bullshit about his ex. Trolling his ex girlfriend. He get that she hates Kendra that much. Ngunit hindi ito marunong makiramdam. Ayaw niya ng binabanggit nito ang kaniyang ex girlfriend at lalong-lalo na ang boyfriend nito.

"Kaunting tiis na lang, dude. Hindi ka na naman niya masusundan kapag nasa Pilipinas ka na," natatawang wika ng kaibigan.

"Yeah," tugon niya. "I needed a break from her."

Humagalpak ito ng tawa.

"Hindi ko talaga maintindihan kung bakit hindi mo magawang mahalin si Ellen. Ellen is gorgeous and hot. And I think she really loves you," seryosong wika ng kaniyang kaibigan.

Umismid siya.

"I tried. But I never liked her personality. She's racist as hell. She's so mean to others. She's a worst cook ever. Definitely not a girlfriend material," he said.

Natawang muli ang kaniyang kaibigan.

"You just miss your ex," komento nito.

He smirked.

"How can I miss someone who dumped me that fast to be with some trashy singer, huh?"

Ayaw niyang ipahalata sa kabigan na na-mi-miss niya ang kaniyang ex girlfriend na mahal na mahal niya noon. Masasabihan na naman siya ng mga kaibigan na masyado siyang pathetic.

"Sinong niloko mo, Ades?"

Alastair and him grew up together. Kaya naman kabisadong-kabisado na siya nito. Wala siyang maitago sa kaibigan. Sa huli ay inamin niya ang totoo.

"You should forget about her. Isang taon na mula nang iniwan ka ng babaeng 'yon," napabuntong-hininga ito. "Siguro nga tama 'yung desisyon mong manatili sa Pilipinas. Para na rin tuluyan mo ng makalimutan si Kendra. She's so selfish. She only care about fame and money."

His friends didn't like Kendra as well. They think that she only cares about his money. Because she constantly spent his money when they were still together. But it was never an issue between them. He didn't care spending huge sum of money to the woman he loves. He didn't mind buying her gifts. Tulad ng binili niya noon na mamahaling kotse. And she's not after his money. Kusa niyang ibinibigay ang mga materyal na bagay na iyon.

And besides, she took good care of him. Maging ang kaniyang lolo't lola ay inaalagaan nito. She's so concern about his grandparents. Kaya naman mahal na mahal niya si Kendra.

He felt that she genuinely loved him. She showed that every day. He would always compliment that her cooking was the greatest thing he ever tasted in his life. Because she's a great cook. She's definitely a wife material. And he wants her to be the mother of his kids. The queen of his home. He sees her as his forever. That they will stay together through thick and thin.

"How many kids do you want, honey?" tanong ng kaniyang nobya habang yakap-yakap niya ito.

Siguradong-sigurado na siya na si Kendra ang gusto niyang makasama habangbuhay. Hinding-hindi na siya maghahanap pa ng ibang babae. Dahil wala na siyang hahanapin pa. Na kay Kendra na ang lahat ng katangiang gusto niya sa isang mapapangasawa.

"Maybe, four. Two girls, and two boys," nakangiting wika niya sa kaniyang nobya.

"That's a lot, honey," she giggled. "Maybe two kids are enough, honey."

"Okay. If that's what you want. I'll agree."

She kissed him and he kissed her back. She's the sweetest person ever. Gusto niyang kamukha ni Kendra ang magiging anak nilang babae. Ang gusto naman ni Kendra ay maging kamukha niya ang magiging anak nilang lalaki.

But...she changed in an instant.

He was dumbfounded when he found out that she cheated on him with that lame musician. He was never a fan of his music. Never. He never listen to that crap.

His world crashed. The woman he only loved in his life wholeheartedly left him for another man.

"This can't be happening. Papaanong kasama niya ang lalaking iyon? She wasn't associated with him. Hindi sila magkakilala ni Kendra! You're lying!" galit niyang wika sa kaibigan.

He refused to believe his friend, Alastair. Hindi siya naniniwala sa nakasulat sa article na 'yon. Naniniwala siya sa sinabi ng kaniyang nobya na uuwi ito sa Puerto Rico para makita ang pamilya nito.

She's not dating Voltaire.

She's just a fan of his music.

There's nothing going on between them. Hindi siya basta-basta naniniwala sa mga nakasulat sa iba't ibang celebrity sites tungkol sa kaniyang girlfriend at sa sikat na singer na iyon. Malamang fake news lang ang lahat.

But those pictures...they seem real.

Ang mga larawan na nakita niya na kuha ng paparazzi. Hindi ito mukhang photoshop. Pilit na tinatakpan ni Kendra ang mukha sa pamamagitan ng buhok nito habang ka-holding hands nito si Voltaire.

Voltaire seemed intoxicated in the pictures. Galing ang mga ito sa isang kilalang bar sa L.A. May kuha rin ang mga ito na magkasama papasok sa loob ng isang five star hotel.

Sinubukan niyang tawagan ang kaniyang kasintahan ngunit hindi nito sinasagot ang mga tawag niya. Hanggang sa mag-text ito sa kaniya kinabukasan.

That was the last text he received from her.

She broke up with him through text.

Kendra: I love you. I really do, Adrienne. And I still care about you. But we can't be together anymore. I failed you. I'm so sorry, babe. Just forget about me. I don't deserve your love, Adrienne.

"I told you, bro. Matagal ka ng niloloko ni Kendra. She's sleeping with him for months. Pero mas naniwala ka sa babaeng iyon kesa sa sarili mong kaibigan," inis na wika ni Alastair.

Napailing ito.

Hindi niya pinansin ang sinabi ng kaibigan. He's busy drowning himself in alcohol. Nagkalat na ang mga bote ng alak sa sahig. Gusto niyang mapag-isa. Lahat na lang ng mahal niya sa buhay iniiwan siya.

Hindi niya na napigilang maging emosyonal nang makaalis ang kaniyang kaibigan. Ayaw niya rin naman itong kausapin kaya nagpasya na itong umalis sa kaniyang mansiyon.

Wala siyang lakas para bumangon. Kaya naman sa sahig na siya natulog noong gabing magpakalasing siya dahil hiniwalayan siya ng kaniyang girlfriend.

Kung madali lang sa 'yo ang kalimutan ako, sa 'kin hindi. I love you so much, Kendra. Hindi ko pa rin matanggap na ipinagpalit mo 'ko sa iba.

Bakit? Ano bang nagawa ko? May mali ba akong nagawa?

Am I not enough for you?

Kendra...My Kendra...

Tell me...I'm just dreaming...That this pain will be gone tomorrow...Bulong niya sa kaniyang isipan.