Chasing Sunsets

Chapter 17:

♪♪ I've been spending the last 8 months thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end. But on a wednesday in a cafe, I watched it begin again...

"Saan ba talaga tayo pupunta? Gabi na kaya." Tanong ko sa kanya.

"Malalaman mo din mamaya." He said, smirking.

"Baka mamaya out of place ang suot ko dun ah." I'm wearing a floral sunday dress and my favorite white sneakers. Sinuot ko din ang binigay nyang guitar pick necklace. "Malalagot ka sa 'kin." He just laughed.

"Your chocolate chip cookies are the best!" Sabi nya. Binigay ko na kasi sa kanya yung ginawa kong cookies for him kanina bago kami umalis.

"I know." I smirked. He just rolled his eyes jokingly.

His favorite denim jacket is in car, just beside me and it smells of him.

Mayamaya napansin kong nasa may town proper na kami. Marami ng botiques, shop, and restaurant na nadadaanan.

Then he parked in a very familiar place.

Lyric Bistro

Ito yung lugar kung saan kami unang nagkita!

"Don't tell me sa'yo rin 'tong lugar na 'to?" Tanong ko sa kanya pagkatapos nya akong buksan ang pinto. Bumaba ako ng kotse at nagsimula na kaming maglakad.

"Why did you ask?"

"Lyric Music School. Lyric Bistro. And I saw you singing here so...."

"Talino mo pala no? Naisip mo yun?" He said, looking at me. Binatukan ko naman sya bilang sagot. Ang yabang e.

"It has two other branches in Manila." Sabi nya habang tumatawa.

"How about Lyric Productions and Lyric Records?" I asked, half-joking. May nakikita kasi akong ganun sa mga credits ng music shows o kaya TV ads ng concerts o kaya naman naririnig kong pinasasalamatan ng mga singers. Medyo impossible naman na kanya din yun dahil hindi naman sya mukhang busy person.

"All mine." My eyes widened in disbelief. Ngumiti lang sya at saka ginulo ang buhok ko at saka umakbay sa akin habang papasok kami ng bistro.

Then every thing went in slow motion except my heartbeat.

And now you're saying you don't have a crush on him?

Oh, shut up!

Binati sya ng mga empleyado nung nakita syang pumasok. Dumeretso kami sa isang table for two sa bandang corner.

"How do you get to manage all of that considering you're also teaching?" Tanong ko sa kanya. "May superpowers ka ba?" He just laughed and lightly pinched my nose.

"Nah. I hire people to do that for me. I'm doing this all for the love of music, remember? And music is not supposed to bring stress so why be stressed out working for music? I'm still young. I should enjoy life first."

"Gusto ko yang mga prinsipyo mo sa buhay ah. Bakit hindi kaya kita gayahin?" Biro ko sa kanya.

Mayamaya ay lumapit na yung waiter para kunin ang order namin. Pero bago sya umalis ay may binulong muna sa kanya si Nikos.

"You have no idea what I am before I decided to be like this. Truth is half a year pa lang akong ganito. I used to be very hands-on sa business. But then I realized things so I decided to take a break." Kwento nya.

"E paano mo nasisiguro na maayos parin yung takbo ng company mo?"

"I still work at home on weekdays. Sometimes I visit the company. Plus, my business partners are actually my friends and relatives so I know they take of everything while I'm gone."

Mayamaya ay dumating na yung order namin at may binigay sa kanya yung waiter. Tumayo sya at lumapit sa akin pagkaalis nung waiter. Pagkatapos ay may inilagay syang kung ano sa ulo ko.

Tiningnan ko naman kung ano yun gamit ang frontcam ng iPhone ko. Isa yung flower crown pero gold sya at hindi gawa sa fabric tapos maliliit lang din yung flowers. Simple lang sya at hindi takaw tingin.

"Nakita ko yan kaninang nakadisplay sa isang botique na nadaanan natin and I thought babagay yan sa'yo kaya pinabili ko." Sabi nya pagkaupo nya. "And I'm right."

"This is lovely. Thank you." At dahil bukas narin naman ang camera ng phone ko, yinaya ko syang magpicture kaming dalawa.

"Did you start your businesses yourself?" I asked him.

"The bistros and the schools are mine. Well, not 100% mine, sa akin lang galing yung idea at yung majority ng shares. But my friends and I started everything together way back in college. I inherited the rest from my mom."

"Schools? Ibig sabihin may branches din yung school?!" He nodded. "Anyway, you surely love your mom. You're always mentioning her."

"Oo naman. Mahal na mahal ko sya. She's my biggest influence." He smiled weakly. I wondered why.

"Nasaan na sya?" Tanong ko sa kanya.

"Wala na sya."

"I'm sorry." I apologized. "If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?"

"She committed suicide when I was 10."

"Oh I'm such a terrible person for asking that! I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay. Nakakagaan din ng loob pag may napagsasabihan ka." Sabi nya.

There was a long silence between us. I don't know what to say.

"Almost 9 na pala." Sabi nya. Napansin kong marami na palang tao sa loob ng bistro.

"Come on." Hinawakan nya ang kamay ko then I just felt all of my blood went to my cheeks.

Naglakad kami papunta sa stage. Kinuha nya ang isang gitara at iniabot sa akin, gamit naman nya yung isa pa. Gulat akong tumingin sa kanya pero ngumiti lang sya. "You'll be fine." He mouthed.

"Good evening, everyone." Naghiyawan ang mga tao. "I'm Nikos Caprielle and I'll be singing a few songs with my friend Serenity. Here we go..."

♪♪ Beauty queen at only 18 she had some trouble with herself.
He was always the to help her she always belong to someone else.♪♪

He started singing and he was looking at me the whole time. A moment later, I was singing with him and all my anxiety disappeared.

Now tell me you don't have a crush on him.

Shut up.