Waiting Until Dawn (Bittersweet Series #1)

CHAPTER 15

Chapter 15

Kanina pa siya sulyap nang sulyap dito sa banda namin at hindi ko namang maiwasan na pansinin iyon. Mabuti nalang at narito si Laurel para naman may makausap ako kahit na hindi ko naman na maintindihan ang mga sinasabi niya.

"Reign!" Nilingon ko ang kung sinong tumawag sa 'kin. Napangiti ako nang makita si Tita Vanessa at Fairy. Nang makalapit sila ay hinalikan ako nito sa pisngi at saka inabot ang regalo. Oh, parang ganito rin noong 17th birthday ko!

"You're 18 now, Reign! Parang kailan lang..." she said while caressing my hair. I smiled sweetly at her as I looked at Fairy to tease her. 

"Ikaw ba ulit ang gumawa nito?" nangingiti kong tanong sakaniya. She looked at me with bored eyes.

"Hell no..." she answered and rolled her eyes. Iniwan niya kami nang makita ulit sila Yna. Natawa ako sakaniya kaya inasar ko pa rin siya kahit na nakalayo na siya.

"Thanks for the gift, though! It made me happy!" natatawang sigaw ko kay Fairy pero inilingan lang ako nito at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad.

Iginiya ko si Tita Vanessa sa table nila at saka sinabihang kumuha lang ng pagkain. Iniwan ko rin sila kalaunan dahil kailangan ko pang mag-entertain ng mga bisita. May mga dumalong ibang kasosyo nila Mommy sa business at kinailangan kong magpakita sakanila.

"Ang laki-laki mo na!"

"You're so pretty, hija!"

"The last time I saw you, you're so small. Now, you're a grown-up!"

And such. 

They're even lowkey expressing how they want their son to be with someone like me. Ngumingiti lang ako sakanila at nagpapasalamat tuwing pinupuri nila ako. After they compliment me, they'd talk about business again kaya nag-eexcuse na ako na umalis. I am not celebrating my special day for business.

I took out my phone to text Kuya Mavi. Hindi ko pa siya nakikita rito kanina pa. Kanina pa siya dapat narito dahil kanina pa rin siya nakaalis. Tumigil muna ako sa isang lamesa para magtipa sa cellphone. Huli na nang matanto kong sa lamesa ng mga Cavallero ako tumigil.

To: Kuya Mavi

Kuya Mavi, where are you?

They're looking at me with I-don't-know-expression. Hindi ko alam kung paano ako aalis doon sa tapat nila nang wala man lang sinasabi. It'd be disrespectful and I don't know want that. But as much as I possible, I don't want to interact with Reese now. I don't think I'm in the mood to have a talk with him.

"Hija, what are your plans now that you're entering college?" Tita Eleanor suddenly asked, maybe to lighten up the mood. Ngumiti ako sakaniya at humarap. My posture a few seconds ago looked like I had no plans to talk with them and was ready to walk away.

"I'm planning to-"

"She's planning to focus on studying business, Eleanor. I won't allow her to entertain any boys now that she's matured and more beautiful. I'm actually planning to send her lots of bodyguards—"

"Isn't that too much, Gregory?" Mr. Cavallero cut off my father who suddenly appeared. Sakto pang ito ang pinag-uusapan.

"Oh, I just want an assurance. You know that she's an only child so I'm expecting a lot. I won't allow failure," sabi ni Daddy at tumingin sa 'kin. "Right, Beige?" he asked as he kissed my forehead. Wala akong nagawa kundi ang tumango.

His plans aren't my plans and I can't believe that he's serious about controlling my life even now that I just turned eighteen. Ni isa roon, wala sa gusto ko. Gusto kong umapila pero hindi ko magawa. Something's stopping me from doing it and I hate the feeling of it. I hate that as much as I want to voice out the things I want for myself, I still couldn't. Even I, cannot understand and that's the worst feeling ever.