Nagpanting ang tenga ni Jake sa narinig.
PUTANGNA! Nakikipag-break sa kanya si Shelly?
"J-Jake,nasasaktan ako." Shelly pleaded but Jake seems to be not hearing her plea.
"ANONG SABI MO?!!" he angrily asked again while gripping her forearm.Pulang-pula ang mukha nito.
Shelly couldn't answer.How could she? Nakakatakot ang hitsura ni Jake.Hindi naman niya sinasadya yung sinabi niya.Nabigla lang siya dahil sa selos na nararamdaman.Kinaladkad siya ni Jake and pushed her inside the car.He got inside and he slammed the door.He looks menacing.
"B-babe.." Shelly's voice is so shaky.
Parang silang lumilipad sa bilis.Pinikit na lang niya ang mga mata niya.Alam niya na pag galit si Jake mas lalong matulin ang pagmamaneho nito.She chose to keep quiet baka lalo pa itong magalit,maaksidente pa sila.Sa condo na lang siya magpapaliwanag. Mula sa pagbaba sa kotse and hanggang sa elevator hindi sila nag-usap. Buti na lang walang tao sa loob ng sumakay sila. Jake's anger is really on full blast. He was gripping her wrist and she is trying very hard not to cry.He slammed the condo's front door behind them pagpasok na pagpasok nila. He loosened his grip on her a little nang ma-realize nito na tears are starting to fall down her face.
"What the hell are those tears for?" gigil na gigil na tanong nito. He took hold of her shoulders and made her look at him.
"Don't ever think that your tears will save you from my anger! PUNYETA!" he said angrily.
"Jake!" tawag ni manang Celia.Alalang-alala ang mukha ng matanda dahil ngayon lang nito nakitang galit na galit si Jake. Tapos si Shelly umiiyak.
"Ano ba ang problema Jake?" lalapit sana ang matanda para ilayo si Shelly sa galit na galit na binata.
"Manang please lang po.This is between Shelly and me.Kung pwede hayaan niyo kaming mag-usap." Jake said in a cold voice.
Pagkasabi nun,kinaladkad nito si Shelly hanggang kwarto.Once inside the bedroom, he shoved her to the bed.
"B-babe.." mahinang tawag ni Shelly as she tried to get up .
"So it's back to babe now? Kanina you were calling me Jake.I wonder what made you change your mind?" he asked in a chilly voice. He is trying to control his rage. Kahit galit na galit siya sa sinabi ng nobya hindi niya pa din kayang makita itong umiiyak. He never wants to hurt her physically but for Pete's sake she is asking for it! Lumapit siya sa kama ang pulled her by her wrist para itayo ito at ilapit ito sa kanya. He tilted her chin,his hand is a little firm and looked at her directly.
"I am just going to say this once! Sa susunod na marinig ko pa sayo ang sinabi mo kanina,I will lock you up here!Wala kang pwedeng makita o makausap kung hindi ako ako lang! The day I laid eyes on you, I made it clear that you belong to me! Don't ever think that you can get away from me.I did everything to get you and I am willing to do any thing to keep you! "
Shelly finally found her voice. "B-Babe,sorry! Nabigla lang ako.I didn't mean what I said."
With a little force, he pushed her away from him.Napaupo si Shelly sa kama.Tumalikod si Jake sa nobya .He released his tie and threw it on the floor.Sinuklay nito ang buhok gamit ang kamay.
"SHIT!" mura nito, then he faced her again and without touching her he said, "Don't you dare do that again!" gigil na gigil na sabi nito.
"You don't even have an idea how hard I tried to control my rage! I could have hit you when you said those fucking words! Heaven knows that I don't want to hurt you but you are making me lose it! DAMMIT!"
"Oh hell!" Jake swore and got out of the room ng umiyak na naman si Shelly.
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Shelly is regretful sa nasabi niya kanina. She knows Jake is still very much angry. Hindi niya alam ang gagawin para mawala ang galit ng nobyo. It's been roughly half an hour ng lumabas ito ng kwarto.She is wondering kung nasaan ito.She decided to take a shower para naman gumaan ang pakiramdam niya.Nakapagpalit na siya ng pantulog pero wala pa din si Jake.Lumabas siya sa sala pero wala ang nobyo.
"Saan kaya siya nagpunta?" bulong ni Shelly sa sarili.
Then she heard his voice.Galing ito sa kusina.May kausap sa telepono.She slowly walked into the kitchen.
"Cassie stop being a brat! Go to sleep!" Dinig niyang sabi ni Jake sa kausap. Anak ng tofu! Kaya pala wala ito sa kwarto kausap na naman ang babaeng anaconda!
"Humanda ka sa akin lalake ka!" She mumbled. Nakatalikod si Jake ng pumasok siya sa kusina and she totally ignored him.Derecho siya sa fridge to get a bottle of water. Natigilan si Jake ng makita ang nobya.
"Gotta go!" sabi sa kausap then he hang up.
Humarap si Shelly sa nobyo.She put the unopened bottle on the kitchen counter.Jake is at the opposite side of the counter.
"Why did you end your conversation babe?" she said in a sugary voice.
Jake's eyes narrowed and he asked with a dry tone, "Meaning?"
Shelly shrugged."Oh forget what I asked.Tutal pag dating kay Cassie ayaw mo namang magsalita di ba?" sabi nito sa nang-uuyam na tono.
"Kung ayaw ko mang magsalita it doesn't mean na may tinatago ako.Ayaw ko lang pag-usapan ang mga bagay na hindi naman na importante." Jake retorted.
"Hindi pala importante sayo na nagseselos ako sa Cassie na yun?" she asked him.
"For the nth time uulitin ko na wala kang dapat pagselosan." He said tonelessly.
"Di ba ex mo si Cassie?" She asked which made Jake’s eyes turned into slits.
"Gusto mo ba talagang marinig ang totoo?" he asked her curtly.
Nagtitigan sila.But no one dared to speak first.
Finally Jake said," I made a mistake when I agreed to marry her.Niloko niya ako."
Napaupo si Shelly sa stool.Para siyang nanghina sa narinig. So totoo pala ang lahat. Papakasalan pala talaga dapat ni Jake ang Cassie na yun. Jake was just staring at her.Wala pa din emosyon ang mukha nito.
"So ngayong nagbalik siya.I guess gusto niyang magkaayos kayo.Ano ngayon ang balak mo?Makikipagballikan ka ba sa kanya?" She asked habang nakikipagtitigan sa nobyo.
Jake bent down a little to lean on the counter. "Depende." He said almost like a whisper.
"Depende saan?" tanong ni Shelly habang nagpipigil ng emosyon while Jake slowly walked walks to her.Hinawakan nito ang baba niya to tilt her head so he can look straight into her eyes. Bumaba ang tingin nito sa mga labi niya na medyo nakaawang.His eyes became darker.Shelly is anxious.Ang lakas ng kabog ng dibdib niya.She doesn't know what Jake means nung sinabi nitong depende.Anak ng tofu,depende saan? Pat is probably right. Kailangan niyang tanggapin kung ano man ang sabihin ng nobyo niya.
Jake then took her hand and hinila siya nito palabas ng kusina at dumiretso sila sa kwarto.Naisip siguro nito na anytime baka lumabas si manang Celia.Pagka-sarado ng pintuan sinandal siya ni Jake then started kissing her deeply.Madaming beses na siyang nahalikan nito but this time it feels different.It's as if he's trying to send her a message.But Shelly doesn't know exactly what that message is. When they make love Jake would always moan her name repeatedly but he had never said the three words that she wants to hear.She had never said the words to him too.Dala na siguro ng hiya. But Shelly feels na maybe it's time for her to tell him how she really feels.
When Jake ended the kiss,they were both gasping for breath. Titig na titig ito sa mga mata ng nobya.He is cupping her lovely face with his hands.
"I love you." Shelly finally uttered.
For a moment walang reaction si Jake.Then after a while nung sigurong nag-sink in ang sinabi niya,she saw the corners of his mouth lift up.
"What did you say babe?" he asked hoarsely.
"Sabi ko I... LOVE ...YOU." She said slowly.