Sway Along The Waves (Bellariva Series #1)

Chapter 34

A month later... 
 
"Going out for groceries?" 
 
Hindi na ako nag-abala pang lingunin ang lumapit sa aking si Torren. He stood up just beside me, wearing his favorite black jacket coat, which covers his white button-down polo inside. I know it's his favorite since I often see him wearing it. 
 
"I'm going to buy my groceries too."
 
For the second time, I didn't bother to respond to him again. Nang bumukas ang pinto ng elevator sa harap namin ay nauna na akong pumasok sa loob no'n. Sumunod na pumasok si Torren. At the corner of my eyes, I can see how his gaze stayed on me. Tumabi ulit siya ng tayo sa gilid ko. He maintained the half-meter space between us, though. 
 
I let him press the button for the ground floor. I sighed, feeling a small amount of guilt creeping out of my chest as the silence started to eat us.
 
I've been acting so rudely toward him ever since he got here. I'm thinking of him as a spy. Ang weird naman kasing parehong bansa pa kami ng napiling pag-aralan abroad. That was the reason he told me when I confronted him. Dagdag pang magkatabi lang ang apartment naming dalawa. 
 
I'm living on the top floor of an exclusive building here in Sydney. Ito ang pinakamalapit na building sa university kung saan ako nag-enroll. I thought I would be starting a new life here, but because of Torren, someone whom I knew and who was very close to my family, I don't really think I can be truly free here. Hindi mawala-wala ang duda ko sa kanyang baka pinadala siya rito ng mga kapatid ko, o 'di kaya ay kinuntiyaba siya ni Emman. 
 
I had a good impression of him back then, but my trust issues right now don't just settle for my past feelings.
 
"Shall we go grocery shopping together?" 
 
Pagkarating namin sa ground floor, ay saka pa lang siya nakapagtanong ulit. I stopped walking to face him. Kahit nakita niya nang seryoso ako, hindi pa rin natinag ang magandang ngiti sa kanyang labi.
 
"Why do you keep tailing me around?" I asked him frankly. For almost a month now, this is how I used to talk to him every time I go somewhere, and he pretends to go the same way as me. "Hindi kita gustong sungitan, Torren, pero mas hindi ko gusto ang pagsunod-sunod mo."
 
"But I'm not—Hindi naman kita sinusundan. Nagkataon lang," he denied.
 
Muli akong nagpatuloy sa paglalakad palabas ng building. I was about to call a cab when a familiar black car suddenly stopped in front of me. Lumabas doon ang valet na lumapit kay Torren para ibigay ang susi. Torren smiled at me. He gestured with his hand and then opened his car's passenger seat for me. 
 
"I'll just take a cab." Inilingan ko siya.
 
"It's a waste of money. Parehong supermarket lang naman ang pupuntahan natin," aniya.
 
I don't want to prolong our conversation anymore. I'm so tired of arguing with him about the same thing like this almost everyday. I have no choice, but to hop inside his car. Ang matagumpay na ngiti ay sumilay sa kanyang labi nang mapasakay niya ako sa pinakaunang pagkakataon. 
 
"Spy," wala sa sariling bulong ko. Sakto pa sa pagpasok niya sa loob ng sasakyan. Hindi ko namang intensyon na iparinig pa sana iyon sa kanya.
 
Torren gave me a soft look. He turned his attention to the road before he managed to speak. "If I'm spying on you, you can't have me as a driver here," he said.
 
"Then what are the real reasons why you're here? I don't accept coincidence as a reason. It's obviously not."
 
The next silence between us was too loud. I know it's already too late to take back those words. Maybe the fact that I have no one to talk to these days is the reason why I am now being so blunt. I don't remember myself acting like this before. Lumubos na ata ang pag-iinarte ko.
 
Ang katahimikan ni Torren ay mas nagpapatibay sa pakiramdam kong tama nga ang hinala ko. Hindi na ako nangulit pa sa pagtatanong. Siya ay hindi na rin kumibo ulit. When we reached the supermarket, I immediately got out of his car after thanking him for the ride. Hindi niya ako sinundan, pero alam kong pumasok pa rin siya sa loob.
 
Matagal ang inabot ko sa pamimili. I bought a two weeks stocks so I don't have to go shop frequently. I was already on my way to the counter when I accidentally bumped into someone else's cart. When I looked up to see who it was, I met Torren's eyes. He didn't say anything. He just looked away from me. Itinabi niya muna ang cart para ayusin ang nagulo niyang groceries. Sobrang organize ng pagkakalagay niya ng mga iyon sa cart.
 
My pride really consumed me. I didn't have the heart to say sorry to him. Sobrang tikom ang bibig ko. Hindi ko man lang ito magawang ibuka para banggitin ang isang salitang iyon sa kanya. Hanggang sa tuluyan ko na siyang malampasan ay hindi na ako nakahingi pa ng pasensya. 
 
"That's $145.00, ma'am."
 
Nagbayad ako sa cashier ng saktong halaga. Inilagay ng bagger ang mga pinamili ko sa cart. Hinayaan niya akong isama iyon palabas. I'm only taking a cab back home. This is actually my biggest struggle whenever I go out. I don't have my driver's license yet, so I still can't drive a car.
 
Bago ko pa man magawang pumara ng cab, huminto na ang itim na sasakyan ni Torren sa mismong harap ko. He immediately got out of his car after. Natulala ako sa kanya nang ilang sandali. I watched him walk toward me. It was so fast that he only took three steps forward to come nearer to me.
 
I thought he had already left earlier. Alam kong kanina pa siya natapos sa pamimili. Almost 30 minutes na rin ata noong nakita ko siyang lumabas kanina dala ang cart ng mga groceries niya. Bakit siya bumalik? Did he forget something? My mind started to get clouded because of so many thoughts.
 
"Let me carry that in my compartment." Tukoy niya sa mga groceries ko nang makalapit.
 
"Why are you still here? Akala ko umuwi ka na kanina," I said instead, ignoring his offer.
 
Ilang segundo ang naging titig niya sa akin. His eyes really has its natural soft feature. Malamlam ang kanyang pares ng mga matang kung tumitig ay napakalambot. 
 
I watched how the sides of his lips curled as he spoke. "I came here with you, so I should also come home with you."
 
He didn't wait for my reply anymore and just carried the bags of my groceries. Pinanood ko siyang isalansan iyon sa compartment niya. When he finished, he opened his car's door for me. Ako ay naiwan nang tulala sa kanya. Natauhan lang ako dahil sa busina ng sasakyang dumaan sa harap. 
 
Since my groceries were already in his compartment, I have no reason to reject him anymore. Tahimik akong sumakay sa sasakyan niya. Ganoon din siya nang maupo na sa tabi ko. We were silent for the first few minutes of our ride. Binasag lang iyon ng tikhim niya.
 
"I heard we have a new neighbor," he tried to open a conversation. "Nakita kong may naglilipat ng gamit doon kagabi."
 
"Hm, really?" 
 
Ako naman ngayon ang napatikhim. Wala akong ideya kung paano pa pahahabain ang usapan. Nakita ko nga rin na may naglilipat nga ng gamit sa apartment na katabi lang ng kay Torren kagabi noong lumabas ako. 
 
Our floor only has three apartments. Mas malaki at mas malawak ang mga iyon kumpara sa mga apartment sa mga babang palapag. For sure, the one who bought or rented that apartment is filthy rich too. Si Kier ang pumili sa akin ng titirahan ko rito. Aware ako sa presyo at kung gaano kamahal ang apartment ko, kaya malamang ay parehas lang din iyon sa presyo ng sa kapitbahay ko.
 
Nang makarating kami sa building, nag-park muna si Torren sa second floor. I didn't wait for him to open his car's door for me and just went out on my own. 
 
"Ako na ang magbubuhat nito." He took three bags of groceries from my hand. 
 
"Ako na." Sinubukan kong bawiin mula sa kanya iyon, pero bigo. Tinignan ko siya nang masama. "You have your own groceries to carry."
 
"Yeah." He nodded without showing any effort, as if my groceries didn't have any weight at all. "Babalikan ko na lang ang akin."
 
I watched how the muscles and veins on his arms flexed when he walked ahead of me, not letting me argue with him anymore. Dumiretso kami sa elevator paakyat sa dulong floor. I saw him staring at my reflection in the mirror in front of us the whole time. I don't know how I even survived that in a smooth way.
 
Pagkarating namin sa pintuan ng apartment ko, hinayaan niya nang kunin ko ang mga groceries ko sa kanya. He didn't insists to help me walked it in inside. I thanked God for that, because if he did, I might struggle again to decline him. Ayoko pa namang nagpapapasok ng ibang tao sa loob. Bilin iyon ni Kier para na rin sa safety ko. 
 
Pagkatapos kong ayusin ang mga groceries, naglinis na rin ako ng kwarto ko. Hindi naman masyadong madumi dahil araw-araw akong nagwawalis. It was already 12 o'clock when I finished. I was preparing my lunch in the kitchen when I heard my doorbell ring. I didn't think of checking the intercom to see who it was and just went straight to my door. Nang buksan ko iyon, bumungad sa akin ang taong hindi ko kailanman akalaing makikita ko rito.
 
The moment I met his pair of siren's eyes, I just found myself striving to stand up straight in front of him after his stare made my knees weaken. Kung hindi lang ako nakahawak sa doorknob para kumuha ng suporta, baka natumba na ako rito. 
 
My eyes traveled from his eyes down to the bridge of his nose, then to his slim yet full lips. My eyes didn't stop there. I still have the face to scan him from head to foot. I gulped hard when I finished checking him out. I no longer have the strength to look directly into his eyes. 
 
"Hi. I'm your new neighbor here," he said. His voice doesn't sound friendly, but I think it's his usual tone. 
 
"U-uh, uhm, hi? How are you?" 
 
Kinagat ko ang pang-ibabang labi nang mautal ako. Nakita kong tumaas ang isang sulok ng labi niya. It made him look sarcastic. 
 
"Filipina?" Tumaas ang isang kilay niya.
 
I was astound because of his question. Did he not recognize me? Nilapitan niya ako noong gabi sa prom! Imposibleng hindi niya ako kilala!
 
I pursed my lips as I nodded at him disappointedly. "Yeah, I went here to study. Uhm, may kailangan ka ba?" 
 
Gustong-gusto kong sabihin sa kanyang schoolmates kami. Gustong-gusto kong itanong sa kanya kung bakit hindi niya ako namumukhaan. Ang dami kong gustong itanong!
 
"Nothing," he shook his head. "I just want to apologize for the noises coming from my apartment last night. Bagong lipat ko lang. Magdamag akong nagbubuhat at nagkukumpuni ng mga gamit kaya maingay."
 
"Ginawa mo 'yon nang mag-isa?" Bahagyang tumaas ang boses ko na siya namang ikinagulat niya. Nahihiya tuloy akong nagbaba ng tingin. "Sorry, uh, sana nagpatulong ka man lang."
 
"It's fine. I can do it alone." For the second time, I saw his lips start to curl up again. "Thank you for the time, Miss."
 
Tanging tango na lang ang naitugon ko sa kanya nang putulin niya na roon ang usapan. He gestured his head, telling me to close the door first before he went. Sa sobrang pagmamadali kong itago ang mabilis na tibok ng puso ko, pabagsak kong naisara ang pinto. Sobrang kaba at taranta ang nararamdaman ko. Pakiramdam ko, kahit may pintong nakapagitan sa amin ay maririnig niya, pa rin ang kabog ng dibdib ko.
 
So this is the feeling of having a conversation with him, huh?
 
Patakbo akong bumalik ng kusina para manguha ng tupperware. Nang makahanap, nag-umpisa akong magsalin doon ng niluto kong ulam. Kaunti lang ang niluto ko, pero tingin ko, hindi ko naman iyon mauubos lahat. I decided to put rice on it before going out of the apartment. Nawala na sa isip kong i-check pa sa salamin kung ano ang itsura ko ngayon. My hands are trembling when I press his doorbell. 
 
Isang beses ko pa lang iyong pinindot, pero bumukas na agad ang pinto. Yael looked shocked when he saw me standing in front of his door. Dumaan ang mata niya sa aking mukha pababa sa dala kong pagkain. His brow arched when he saw the tupperware on my hand. And once again, I made the side of his lips rise up. Bagong imahe niya na naman sa isip ko ang nabuo. This is now my new favorite. He really looks like a playboy whenever he smirks. Mas nasanay lang siguro talaga ako sa masungit niyang mukha sa tuwing nakikita ko siya noon sa school.
 
"Uh, since we're living in the same neighborhood, I think we should be friends, right?" 
 
Hindi ko alam kung saan ako kumuha ng lakas ng loob para masabi ko iyon sa kanya nang diretso. Gusto kong bumaon sa ilalim ng lupa sa sobrang kahihiyan. 
 
"It's not really necessary," sumagot siya.
 
Bumagsak ang dalawang balikat ko. I looked down to hide my face from him. I am now looking down at his pink slippers. The color suits his feet perfectly. It looks cute. Sandali akong nawala sa pag-iisip dahil do'n. Nabalik lang ako sa wisyo nang muli siyang magsalita. The words he said made my heart go wilder. 
 
"You shouldn't be friends with me, Vienna. I have no plans on being friends with you. I don't like the idea."