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

KABANATA 13

Kabanata 13

The thirteenth tick

"Amber..." A poke on my arm stopped me from walking. Nilingon ko si Atlas na pinapanood ang bawat reaskyon ko. My eyes blinked. "Huh?"

"Are you okay?" Nag-aalala niyang tanong.

Tipid akong ngumiti sakanya. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Tumagal ang tingin niya sa'kin, sinisipat ang mukha ko kaya minabuti ko nalang ibaling ang tingin ko sa daan. "I know a good place where they sell big burgers..." He paused for a second. "Do you want to try it?"

I smiled. "May shake?"

I saw from my peripheral view how he nodded his head in excitement. "Meron! Ano bang gusto mo? Chocolate? Vanilla? Mango?"

May kumawalang tawa sa bibig ko dahil sa sunod-sunod niyang tanong. "Baka naman, it's your family business, ah?"

He peeked at me, with his two hands holding the strap of his backpack. "How can you say so?"

I glanced at him. "You sound like a tindero, eh."

His lips parted, shock and admiration were in his eyes. "Gwapong tindero?"

My nose scrunched. "Pwedeng tindero lang?"

Parehas kaming natawa nang magkasalubong ulit ang mga mata namin. Unti-unti lang humupa ang akin nang tuluyan kaming makalabas sa parking lot. I bit my lip, seeing the same spot where we talked with each other.

I felt my heart aching, as we get closer to it. All the pain, words, and emotions came back to me that day... All the things I've learned from who he actually is... And how he ended the night for the both of us.

He cleared his throat, taking me back to the reality. "That guy yesterday..."

Naagaw ng tanong niya ang atensyon ko. "Hmm?"

His eyes blinked, before looking back in front of us. "Who is he?"

I pursed my lips. "Someone..." I gulped, when I couldn't continue what I was saying. It feels like something is stuck in my throat that is preventing me from speaking.

"It's complicated?" Hula niya sa sitwasyon naming dalawa.

I could only hum at him as an answer.

He pulled my wrist as soon as we got away from our school. Pinagpalit niya ang pwesto naming dalawa matapos lumiko pakanan. "Do you want him?"

My lips parted in shock at his question. Tumigil ako sa paglalakad at tinignan siya. He also stopped and looked back at me. "Huh?" Naguguluhan kong tanong.

His head tilted. "I said, do you want him?"

I gulped and faced the sidewalk again. Nanguna ako sa paglalakad na kaagad niya namang sinabayan. "It doesn't matter"

"Why? Because he doesn't feel the same way?"

I shook my head. "He does..."

"Then... Why?"

I glanced at him. "That's the thing I couldn't understand." Hinawakan niya ang braso ko at hinila ulit paliko sa isang eskinita. "He likes me... But he doesn't want to pursue me." I chuckled.

Nanahimik siya nang ilang saglit; pinag-iisipan ang sinabi ko sakanya. Dumaan ang katahimikan sa'min hanggang sa kusa siyang tumigil sa isang hindi kalakihang shop. He opened the door for me before himself.

When I roved my eyes around, there were also some students from our school, eating and bickering with each other. Naglakad kami sa pinakadulo, kung saan walang masyadong tao.