Dealing with Mr. Scared of What? (Quadro Series #1)

Chapter 8

The rain was heavy. Halos naririnig niya ang pagbagsak ng mga ito sa sasakyan. She's currently inside of Kyx car. Tahimik lang sila at nasabi niya na rin kay Kyx kung saan siya nakatira and GPS already did its job kaya wala kang maririnig sa sasakyan kundi ang pagbagsak ng ulan at boses ng GPS. This is awkward, she thought. She wanted to say something or more likely ask something.

Hindi niya din alam kung bakit naisipan ni Kyx na ito na lang ang mag-hatid sakaniya. Nasa backseat siya ngayon kaya nag- mukhang driver si Kyx. Medyo natagalan siya sa restaurant nito dahil doon niya naisipan i-edit ang iilang larawan nina ni Tate. Kyx was polite enough to excuse himself and keep checking on her from time to time.

"Doc?" She called as she looks at Kyx. He tilted his head sideways, just enough to get a glimpse of her. To be honest, he still looked tense and pale. Guess that's what he looked like around all women. She doesn't want to meddle but she's curious and if this question offends him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Aren't you already asking?" Pambabara nito habang ang mata ay nasa daan pa din. Unti-unti naman nawala ang ngiti dahil dito. Kyx just seem scared and aloof but now that both of them are talking. Nalaman niyang mahilig mambara ang binata. Hindi niya alam pero halata talaga ang pagiging suplado ng binata pero halata pa rin na nag-iingat ito.

Now she doubts if this man really has that kind of phobia but who is she to judge. Iwinaksi niya sa isip niya iyon bumalik na ang kaba na nararamdaman niya anina. Parang nakatali ang dila niya at mukhang nagtaka na si Kyx sa pananahimik niya. He glazes at ger in one swift motion. "What?"

"Is it true?" She finally chirped. Her heart was beating like a drum. Kyx looked confused as to what she was talking about. She squeezes her hand, why does she think of asking him about this. She could have blackmail Dave to tell her. Tanga. "Um. Is it true that you have a phobia?"

She felt her breathing stop as Kyx step on the break, kung wala siyang suot na seatbelt panigurado na sumubsob na siya pagitan ng driver at passenger seat. She breathes out as her back slam gently against the seat. Now, she regrets it. She thought as silence swallowed the car. Tangina, dapat talaga hindi na lang niya um-oo sa pabor ni Dave. She was starting to consider running out of the car when Kyx started the car again.

"Dave told you?" Kyx asked in a voice that sends an odd tingle in her. She didn't speak, she can't even utter a small sound. She can see Kyx serious face looking straight in the road. Fuck, she messed up. Pakiramdam niya mahihimatay siya. Mukha itong galit, kita niya din ang pag- higpit ng hawak nito sa manibela.

"Sorry, it's just —  "

"It's true."

She froze, it took her second before she finally gets a grip of herself as a flood of new questions fill her head. She looked at Kyx who is currently looking rigidly at the road. He was gripping the wheel so tight that she can see his veins popping. She wanted to shut her mouth but the questions she had in her mind is overwhelming.

"What?" She croaks. "If that's true. I shouldn't be here." She continues. It doesn't make sense if he's afraid of women he wouldn't have been close to her nor even speak to her. Cause the way she understands a phobia, that phobia is an irrational kind of fear you feel. "You have a phobia in women and yet you're close to a woman right now. I couldn't understand this."

She squealed when suddenly the car came into a jolting stop. Mabuti na lang at nakasuot siya ng seatbelt kundi lilipad talaga siya. Her heart is racing before she looks at Kyx who's breathing heavily and eyes sharp as a sharding glass and dark as the night sky. Her shock was replaced by fear looking at the man. Damn.

"No one asks you to understand." Kyx declared before looking at her. "And what made you think that I owe you an explanation?" He asks the familiar fear in his eyes is now gone. It was replaced by fury and anger that make her heart beat rapidly. The vulnerable Kyx was gone. "All of you people won't understand."

"What?" She croaked breathily while looking at the man who had unexplainable anger on his face. Mukha itong conflicted at ramdam niya ang pagsisi habang nakatingin sa lalaki sa harap niya. He look overwhelmed that she wanted to calm him down but, hindi niya alam kung paano.

He never meet Kyx before. Natatakot siya na mas lalo lang niya mapa-lala ang anxiety ni Kyx nagpapa-salamat lang siya na hindi pa nagpa-panic si Kyx. "It's unbelievable I know but trust me. I want to live normally without fearing anything!" Kyx raised his voice, she flinched a little. He was looking at her. "And I'm tired explaining and receiving all those judgemental stares and opinions!"

"I'm sorry." She can't think of anything else to say. Looking at Kyx eyes, she feels bad about everything that she assumes and thinks. "And I'm not judging you Kyx. I'm sorry for opening this topic, it's insensitive of me to ask these kind of question. Forgive me."

Kyx didn't answer. He just looks away before starting the car and drove off. She breathes out as she looks down at her feet. What is this situation she got herself into? Wala sa sarili siyang napakapit sa seatbelt niya ng biglang bumilis nang pagmamaneho nito.

A few minutes later, she found herself in front of her Condo. Kyx park the car in front of the building. She immediately grabs her bag and was about to go out when her body abruptly stops. Hindi niya maigalaw ang katawan niya na lumabas doon. She felt bad for asking suck a person question. Without thinking much she open her mouth, letting herself say what she wanted to say. "Forgive me." She remarked.

"Just get out." Kyx remarks. He was looking straight on the road. She turns her body facing him. Which obviously makes him uncomfortable. He is mad and frustrated but the fear is still there, lingering in his eyes. "W — what are you d — doing?"

"Let me help you." She remarked. Stupid, she thought. How could she help a man who had a fear of women? But he's scared around women so if he stuck around with her, he might recover a little? Right? Hindi niya alam kung bakit niya gustong tulungan ang binata pero pursigido siya. May rason kung bakit hiningi ni Dave ang tulong niya.

Noong una hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit parang ang big deal kung makalapit siya kay Kyx pero nang malaman niya tungkol dito. Naintindihan niya na ngayon.

"It's too late Quinn. J — just leave!"

She flinched hearing Kyx shout again. Hindi siya nakagalaw ng ilang segundo, tinignan niya si Kyx na ngayon ay nakatingin sakaniya puno ng galit ang mata nito. She bows her head down before she grabs her bag and gets down the car, as soon as she shut the door close. Kyx immediately drives off. She stands there unmoving while looking at Kyx car until it was out of her sight.

Naiintindihan niya ang reaksyon ng binata. They literally meet just few days ago and now she's meddling with his life. Napabuntong-hininga siya dahil sa katangahan niya. How could she even think it's okay to mendle with Kyx private life. Masyado siyang nadala pero marami siyang nalaman at hindi niya alam kung anong iisipin dahil sa mga iyon.

"Aurora?"

Agad naman siya napatingin sa likod niya ng may tumawag sa pangalan niya. When she looks the heavy feeling in her chest subsided seeing her long-time friend. Agad naman siya napangiti bago niyakap ang kaibigan. "It's been a long time." She remarked still hugging the person.

"I know right." He just laughs before letting go of Sunny. Sunny smiled before looking at her then at the road in her side before looking back at her. Looking at her so called friend, he didn't change a lot. He met him right after her parents move her here after they moved out at Canada. He's her therapist for a while back then. "Who was that? His car seems familiar." Saad nito habang nakatingin sa daanan sa gilid niya.

"It was no one." She remarked. Masyado na niyang napakialaman si Kyx. "What are you doing here though?" She asks. Sunny smiled before showing her a folder. Her heart instantly beat rapidly seeing the folder. She looks at Sunny. Sunny smile before confirming her thoughts. Matagal na niyang gustong mahawakan ang folder na iyon pero bakit parang natatakot na siya ngayon.

"It's the record you're looking for."