Maybe Someday (Published under Precious Hearts Romances)

Chapter Two

Napalingon siya sa alarm clock sa bedside table. Two am was registered there. Alas onse pa siya humiga but still hindi pa rin siya makatulog. After eating dinner ay nagkuwentuhan sila ng daddy niya and she was so happy to be with her father again. She thought na pag-akyat niya muli sa kwarto niya since she was a kid, she'll be able to sleep soundly pero papuknat-puknat ang tulog niya. Naiidlip siya pero after 12 ay nagising siya at hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin makatulog. Inis siyang tumayo. There's nothing to think about pero parang ang dami-daming laman ng isip niya. Mariin niyang ipinikit ang mga mata pero dagli ring nagmulat when Anton's face flashed in her mind.

"He changed." Wala sa loob na bulong niya. But he really had. He has grown more mature and more handsome. Parang hindi na niya makita dito ang dating makulit at masayahing lalaki noong una niya itong makita nang dalhin ito ni Melissa sa asyenda pagkatapos na pakasalan ng papa niya ang babae isang buwan ang nakakalipas. She was only seventeen then and he was 24.

"Cassie, Cassie..."

Nilingon niya ang tumatawag and found her father waving his hand at her. Beside him ay si Melissa at isang binatang noon lang niya nakita. Nagpaalam siya sa katiwala sa asyenda na katulong niya sa pagte-train ng mga kabayong binili pa ng papa niya sa ibang bansa upang maibigay ang hilig niya sa mga kabayo. Lumapit siya sa mga ito and the younger man suddenly raised his face.

She stopped when he automatically smiled at her.

"Hello..." Magiliw na bati nito.

"H-hi..." She answered and stared at him. Gorgeous. It was the first thing that entered her mind. Lulumain ng lalaking ito ang favorite Hollywood actor niya na si Leonardo di Caprio. He looked like an angel; black hair, cut short, a muscular body that it seems would felt good to be pressed up against, and pretty gray eyes that seemed to see into her mind and know all of her thoughts.

"I'm Anton." He stretched his hands towards her.

Tinanggap niya ang pakikipagkamay nito while still staring at him.

"What if I melt?" Maluwang ang ngiting tanong nito. His unusual grays eyes are also smiling.

Dagli niyang binitawan ang kamay nito at nagyuko ng ulo. She has a lot of crushes sa school pero hindi siya natulala ng ganito sa mga boys na iyon and right there and then ay nakalimutan na niya ang pangalan ng bawat isa.

Narinig niyang tumawa ito, nagtaas siya ng tingin and met his still smiling gray eyes. Tipid siyang ngumiti at itinago ang hiyang nararamdaman.

"Iha, he's Melissa's son." Pakilala naman ni Ricardo sa dalawa.

"His name is Jose Antonio. He's 24 years old at siya ang namamahala ng negosyong naiwan ng papa niya." Melissa continued the introduction.

"Why I haven't seen him sa kasal nyo?" She asked her. It had been a month since her father and Melissa's wedding pero ngayon lang niya nakita ang lalaki.

"Biglaan ang kasal namin ng daddy mo at hindi siya nakapunta dahil sa biglang naging problema ng kumpanya ng araw na iyon." Melissa explained.

"Much as I wanted to attend to my mother's wedding, hindi ko nagawa. Kaya heto, bumabawi ako." Anton supplied in.

She inhaled deeply. That was more than four years ago. Tanggap pa niya si Melissa bilang pangalawang ina. She was twelve when her own mother died, si Carmen dahil sa sakit sa puso and since then ibinuhos na lang ng papa niya ang attention sa kaniya at sa asyenda at sa iba pang negosyo. After four years, nakilala ni Ricardo si Melissa na sampung taon na ring biyuda at may isang anak na lalaki. Melissa's a doctor. She was sixteen when she had appendicitis. It was Melissa who performed the operation and from then on, nagkagustuhan ang mga ito.