Every Tick of Serendipity ( Ruler of Fate Series #3 )

KABANATA 11

Kabanata 11

The eleventh tick

Kuya Zyler looked back at me when I entered our front door. He's holding an iced coffee in his hand while leaning against the barricade of the staircase. I bowed my head. "Hello..." Bati ko habang mahigpit ang yakap sa folder.

Wala siyang naging sagot sa'kin, at base sa mga tingin niya ay sinisipat niya ang kabuuhan ko. Aakyat na sana ako, pero mabilis niyang hinarangan ang daan sa hagdan.

"Patingin ng mukha mo." I bowed my head even more because of that.

Sunod-sunod ang narinig kong tunog mula sa inumin na hawak niya. He was shaking it, causing the pieces of ice to clash against one another. "Angat ang mukha sabi..." He said it again, impatiently.

I pursed my lips and shook my head. "I tripped kanina... So, I'm kinda ugly right now."

"Palagi ka namang gusgusin." What he said made me raise my head.

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin. "What?!" I yelled and hit his chest with my folder.

Nang lumipas ang ilang segundo, pero wala akong nakitang emosyon dahil sa paghampas ko sakanya ay tsaka lang ako natauhan. My lips parted when it was indeed a trick lang for me to follow what he was telling me to do. Because of my stupidity tuloy... He can now finally see my puffy eyes.

I gulped. "Si... Mommy?" Mahinang tanong ko, pero wala siyang sinagot. "Daddy?" I asked, again, trying to take his eyes away from piercing straight to my soul. "Kuya... Xavier?" Still, he didn't answer me. "Hmm?" I smiled at him. "Where sila?" I again asked, hopeful for his reaction.

He poked his inner cheek. "We just had a talk..." Tinignan niya ang relong nakapaikot sa kaniyang pulso. "Hindi pa lumalagpas sa kalahating araw..." His jaw clenched when he looked back at me. "Pinaiyak ka nanaman niya?" Madiin at puno ng galit niyang sinabi.

Ngumiwi ako. "Kuya... You're so overreacting na. What if hindi naman si Kairos yung nagpaiyak sa'kin? Huh?" I brought my hands beside me and crossed two of my fingers. "So judgemental mo naman..."

He raised his brow at me. "Sige... Sino? Sino?" Maangas niyang tanong habang pabirong tinutulak ang balikat ko. "Lapagan mo 'ko ng pangalan ngayon din, Amber Nyxene."

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin at tinabig ang kamay niya. "Ano ba? Do you really have to do that?" I rolled my eyes and tapped the area his fingers touched.

"Huwag mong iniiba ang usapan. Sino nga?"

I brought my gaze back to him. "If I tell you... What would you do, huh?"

He sipped the remaining coffee in his drink, purposely making a slurping sound to make me wait. "Babangasan ko..." He stretched his neck after saying that.

I scoffed and tried passing him. "As if you can beat Kairos naman..."

He's lampa to begin with. All he does in a game is run — run his fingers through his hair.

My eyes widened when he pulled me back in front of him. "So... Kairos?" Tanong niya.

"Huh?" My eyes blinked. "Anong Kairos?"

He squinted his eyes at me. "I heard you, Nyx."

My forehead creased. Tatanungin ko sana ulit siya nang pumasok sa utak ko ang ibig niyang sabihin. I did say that phrase... Did I? It was supposed to be inside my head, lang! I didn't mean to blurt it out loud, oh my gosh!

Hinuli niya ang mga mata ko. "What was he like?"

I harshly pulled my arm away from his grasp and took a step back. "Anong 'what was he like'? What do you mean?" Naguguluhan kong tanong.