Behind Every Man (COMPLETED)

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Were it not for the fact that election's right around the corner and that I was very aware that all eyes were on us, I would have stayed elsewhere. I was fine with living with Archibald. I was already used to his presence around me—what I was not used and what annoyed me—was him watching my every move. It made me feel like I was under the microscope. I was already under the watchful eyes when we're out doing campaign—the last thing I wanted was to be watched as well in the privacy of my own home.

"San ka pupunta?" he asked when I suddenly stood up. I had been sitting on the couch for quite a while. He had been creeping up on me for quite a while, too.

"Out," I simply replied.

"Saan?"

"Dinner."

"You said you're tired," he replied.

"Yes, but I'm hungry, too," sagot ko sa kanya.

"I can cook."

"Good for you," I said.

I felt his eyes following me habang naglalakad ako papunta sa pinto. I was very much aware that for the past days, he'd been trying to 'fix' us. He'd been very nice to me that it started to made me feel weird. Archibald's been always nice to me to an extent... pero iyong bait niya ngayon sa akin ay may halong hiya sa ginawa niya. It's fascinating to know that he's actually ashamed of what he did.

Men... they're different but to their core? All just the same.

He's like every guy I know but in different font.

Equally disappointing, if I may say so.

I threw on a black slip on dress, black Oran sandals, and black YSL shoulder bag.

"Nadia," he called nang makalabas ako.

"What?" I asked.

Natigilan siya sa tono ng sagot ko. I really try to extend my patience with him. I was over it already—I think. I just had a lot of things going on right now and I really didn't want to dwell on the fact that he got someone pregnant. What I cared about was for him not to embarrass me in public. He's still my husband. I'm his wife but he got someone else pregnant? I knew that for some twisted reason, people will still think that I'm at fault for that.

"Kung gutom ka, magluluto ako... Para hindi ka na umalis... Kasi sabi mo pagod ka."

I looked at him, my forehead slightly creased from annoyance. "It's been a long day, Archibald—"

"Archie," he said. "You stopped calling me Archie."

"So?"

"It doesn't sound right."

"So?"

He sighed. "Nadia—"

"I just want to go somewhere and have a quiet dinner. I hope that that isn't too much to ask," sabi ko sa kanya.

We had this same exact conversation in so many different ways.

This was exhausting.

Then his phone began to ring.

"Won't you answer that?" I asked nang makita ko kung sino iyong tumatawag.

He put his phone in his pocket. "No."

"It might be an emergency," I said.

"Nadia..."

"What?" I asked. I gave him five seconds to say something, pero wala siyang sinabi. I gave him a small shrug. "If you have nothing to say, I'll go ahead and eat."