Bad Times at Sunrise (La Fortuna Series #3)

Kabanata 37

Kabanata 37

Race

Suminghot ako. Tinulungan niya akong makaupo ng maayos sa steps. Napansin niyang namumula ang mga paa ko dahil sa suot na heels kaya hinubad niya iyon sa akin. I just looked at him like a lost kitten while he did all that. Umupo siya sa tabi ko at saka marahang hinaplos ang aking buhok.

"Kunin mo ang bulaklak mo," aniya.

I hesitantly took it from him. Inamoy ko muna iyon bago inilapag sa aking hita. It smelled fresh and expensive.

"Salamat."

His eyes lingered on me. "Why were you crying? May nangyari ba?"

"Wala naman." Umiling ako.

"Hm. Then can you tell me what you felt? Hindi ka naman iiyak kung hindi ka totoong nasaktan."

"M-masaya lang ako kasi nakapasa ako sa board exams."

"Are you sure?" He continued to stroke my hair. Para ako nitong hinehele. "That didn't seem like tears of joy."

Ngumuso ako. Gusto kong sabihin sa kaniya ang totoo pero hindi ako kumportable. There is something so scary about letting him in. It's a risk I couldn't afford to take.

"Hindi kita pipilitin kung ayaw mong sabihin," aniya sa banayad na boses. 

Umusog siya upang maging mas malapit kami sa isa't-isa. He put his arm over my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. Halos mapasandal na ako sa kaniyang dibdib. I admit, his gesture comforted me. He rubbed my right shoulder and stayed silent. 

Naluha ulit ako. Napasinghap ako at tahimik na lamang na pinalis ang mga luhang lumandas sa aking pisngi. Sa sobrang lapit namin, naririnig ko na ang tibok ng puso ni Ico. His heart was beating in a calm rhythm. Ilang sandali pa at nag-sync na rin ang tibok ng puso ko sa kaniya. Mine was beating loudly at first, but now it was back to its normal rhythm. 

"I'm calm now," I said after a while.

"Shall we go then?"

Nagtama ang tingin namin. The bright lights of the establishment reflected in his eyes. It made him look ethereal... and maybe he really is. Ilang beses ko na siyang tinulak palayo ngunit heto siya at bumabalik pa rin. He had all the right to be angry at me, to yell at me 'til my eardrums bleed... but instead, he was gentle, understanding, and merciful. That was so unworldly of him.

I absent-mindedly cupped his face. Namilog ang mga mata niya dahil do'n. Nang matanto ang nangyari ay agad kong binawi ang aking kamay. Now my heart was back to running a mile a minute.

"What?" he probed.

"Wala." I bit my lip and sighed. "For a minute there, you just... didn't seem real."

Bahagya siyang tumawa. "Hawakan mo ulit ako, Sunny. Kahit saan pa. Para malaman mong totoong-totoo ako."

"Kahit saan?" Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mga mata.

He just smiled. "Kahit saan."

Bago pa kami mapunta sa maberdeng usapan ay tumayo na ako. Ico tried to help me with my heels, but I shook my head.

"Ako na."

"Alright." His lips curved for a satisfied smile when I was done wearing them. 

I arched my brow. "What?" I asked this time.

"You look unreal too."

Naglakad kami pababa ng steps at papunta sa sasakyan niya. My eyes widened in shock when I saw his car. I looked at him in both astonishment and accusation.