Chapter 7: Alone
I didn't know he was alive all this time. Ang gumugulo lang sa akin ay kung paano niya pa rin ako nakikilala? Saksi ang dalawa kong mga mata kung paano nilamukos ni Brixton ang kanyang sa puso sa mismong harapan ko.
He should have forgotten everything after his heart got extricated from his chest. That's how it was supposed to be.
Pagpasok ko sa sasakyan ko ay kinuha ko agad ang cell phone ko. Tinawagan ko si Hestia at sinabing puntahan ako sa penthouse.
"Right now?" she asked.
"Yeah. I want to drink," I responded as I maneuvered my car carefully with one hand. "Don't tell me you are with your lame-ass boyfriend again?"
"He's a gangster, Nath. He's far from lame!" she defended.
"Bad lame guy, then?" I smirked.
I accidentally laid my eyes on the rearview mirror. Mabilis ko ring iniwas ang tingin ko nung hindi ko nakita ang sarili roon. I avoid mirrors when I am not wearing my necklace. It just frustrates me that I need it to appear there.
"Babe..." I heard Hestia over the phone. That just proved my point she's with her boyfriend all this time. "Wake up. I need to go somewhere."
"Where?"
Her boyfriend's forced deep voice cringed me. I swear I heard his voice before and he didn't sound like that. Everything about him was calculated for the sake of being cool.
"Yes," sagot ni Hestia. "Can you drive for me?"
"I am still sleepy—"
I ended the call before he even finished his words.
Goddamn. I hate fake bitches.
After I parked my car, I took the elevator and went directly inside my penthouse. I was tossing my keys when I smelled food in the kitchen. I almost forgot that Kristan told me that he cooked for our dinner. Wait. Did he really?
Sinundan ko ang amoy. Dinala ako nito sa kitchen kung saan nakahain ang mga pagkain. There was even a lit up candle on the center of the table.
Tumagos ang tingin ko sa lalaking nakaupo sa dulo. Nakayuko si Kristan sa lamesa at tila nakatulog na roon.
I shook my head. I still don't get why he needed to do this. It was a rough week and that's all. I see no reason to celebrate surviving such normal days for me.
Sinadya kong patunugin ang mga stilletos ko nung maglakad ako palapit sa kanya. Nagsalin ako ng wine sa baso saka uminom.
Umangat ang ulo ni Kristan. He stared at me for a moment, as if he was trying to remember if he knew me. Then, he straightened up his back from his seat.
"Hey!" he said.
Napaubo ako sa iniinom nung marinig ang boses niya. Oh, my feels. Kristan has what Hestia's boyfried thought he had. Deep and husky voice.
"I invited a friend to come over." I put the glass of wine on the table. "Magbibihis lang ako. Ikaw na lang ang magpapasok sa kanya."
"Wait!" he stopped me from walking away.
"What?"
He swallowed. "Not Hando, right?"
"Not your sweet lover, Mr. Admiral."
He laughed. "So... a new friend?"
"It's Hestia. She's not new."
"Oh..." he nodded. "Okay."
Napansin kong napangiti siya.
"Did Hestia's name just make you smile?" I arched an eyebrow.
"No!" he chuckled. "Ang buong akala ko kasi ay ayaw mong malaman ng mga kaibigan mo ang tungkol sa akin. But you invited a friend to come over here and I am here so..."
