Orphic Love

Chapter 27

Nang ngumiti siya sa akin, biglang pumasok sa isip ko ang ideya na baka nagsisinungaling lang siya na may pupuntahan para hindi ako mailang sa biglaan kong pagyayayang tapusin ang date namin at umuwi.

Kumalma ako ng kaunti dahil sa kaisipan na iyon. Binitawan ko ang door handle ng aking sasakyan at hinarap ng mabuti si Ralph. He glanced at my hand, then his eyes went back to my face. May bakas na ng pagtataka.

I can still feel the irritation flowing in my system and the urge to leave this place, especially when my eyes fluttered to his back and saw Aedion and Engineer Zoniega walking towards where we are.

I looked back at Ralph and forced a smile. "Pasensiya na, ah? I'm just really... tired. I promise I'll make up for it, next time."

"Ayos lang, Yuri. It's getting late na rin. Mabuti na ang umuwi nang maaga para hindi tayo gabihin sa daan." Ralph chuckled lightly. "Although, I do look forward to that 'next time' you are saying." he added.

I laughed a bit, which he followed a few seconds after. Pareho kaming natigilan nang tumunog ang sasakyan sa kabilang side. Lumingon ako at agad naramdaman ang pagbabalik ng iritasyon sa aking sistema.

It felt like they were conspiring against me, purposely trying to push me to my limits tonight. Aedion and Engineer Zoniega have parked their vehicle just on the other side, in front of mine.

But what irritated me more was when I saw the vehicle that he went in to. It was a black land cruiser, just like mine, only in a different color.

"Mag-iingat ka sa daan,"

Nag-iwas na ako ng tingin bago pa nguling kainin ng iritasyon. I nodded at Ralph.

"Ikaw din." I said.

Nauna akong umalis, ngunit gaya ng unang date namin, Ralph followed me from behind. At nang maghihiwalay na kami sa daan, bumusina siya bilang paalam. Bumusina ako pabalik bago binilisan ang takbo ng aking sasakyan.

Ralph was right. Tama lang na maaga kaming umuwi. Sinandal ko ang aking likod sa backrest ng kinauupuan. My hands are both holding on to the steering wheel while I was looking at the traffic in front of me.

It's already nine in the evening, so it's natural for the road to be this busy. Hassle nga lang. I wanted to get a long good night sleep after this tiring and, unexpectedly stressful day. Lalo na't mahaba-haba ang biyahe ko bukas para sa isang photoshoot ng parehong brand kaninang umaga. Then I have to go back here in Manila para naman sa commercial ng isang beauty product. Pero mukhang hindi ko magagawa iyon.

I picked up my phone and decided to message one of our family drivers para siya ang maghatid sa akin bukas. I checked my emails too while I was stuck in traffic.

Halos labing limang minuto din ang tinagal ko doon dahil sa traffic, at nang tuluyan nang makawala, I stepped on the gas a little harder. Mabilis na ang takbo ng aking sasakyan, ngunit imbes na bagalan ng kaunti, mas binilisan ko pa ito lalo na nang sulyapan ang rear view mirror at makitang nakasunod pa rin siya sa akin. What the hell?

Kanina ko pa napansin ang pamilyar na black land cruiser sa likuran ko. And yes, I also did catch a glimpse of the person behind the wheels for his car wasn't heavily tinted. It irritated me, but I tried to control my own emotions. Pareho kaming na stuck sa gitna ng traffic. I shouldn't assume too much.

Ngunit ngayong nakawala na sa traffic, hindi ko na mapigilan ang sunod-sunod na pagpasok ng iba't ibang ideya sa aking isipan. Gusto kong isipin na pareho lang kami ng dinadaanan, pero naka-ilang liko na ba ako? He's still behind me like a goddamn stalker!

Nagtiim bagang ako. I glanced at my rear-view mirror again and he was still there. I could feel my cheeks heating up in anger. Ano bang ginagawa niya?! Inis na inis na ako, naisip ko nang tumabi saglit so I could knock some sense into his head and stop him from doing this foolishness.