Chaos in the Cavity of Peace (Love in Mendiola Series #1)

Chapter 02

CHAPTER TWO

KEECIA

As soon as I caught sight of him, my lips parted slightly and my heart began to race. Hindi ko alam kung sobrang pagod lang ba talaga ako, pero para akong nawala sa sariling mundo. Ako ba ang umakyat sa langit, o siya ang bumaba mula roon?

It really feels like a god was standing in front of me, and he commanded attention so effortlessly. Even in a basic, oversized navy blue shirt tucked into dark gray trousers, he looked majestic. And despite the loose fit of his top, bakat na bakat pa rin 'yung makikisig niyang dibdib. Gosh, someone give this man a bra. At hindi pa talaga siya masyadong nakaayos sa lagay na 'yan because his hair was slightly disheveled. Some strands fell loosely around his face, reminding me of '90s Hollywood heartthrobs—like young Leo Dicaprio or Joey in the early days of FRIENDS. 

Natulala ako nang sobra. Kung hindi pa niya binuksan ang bibig para magsalita, hindi ako babalik sa katotohanan. Tao pala talaga siya.

"Having some car trouble, miss?" he asked so casually as he looked over my shoulder to get a better view of my car.

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I quickly averted my gaze. "Uh, yeah..." my voice came out hoarse, so I swallowed hard. "I don't know. It just won't start."

"Mind if I take a look?" tanong niya.

My head snapped back to him, naka-taas ang mga kilay. "Marunong kang kumalikot ng kotse?" Parang wala kasi sa hitsura niya. Mukhang 'di pa nakakahawak ng grasa. 

Whew, kung makapagsalita ka riyan, girl, parang nakahawak ka na rin ng grasa? You don't even know a thing.

He nodded, a genuine smile lighting up his face. "Don't worry, it's my forte," he said confidently.

Tumango-tango ako. I thought about his offer carefully. Tatanggapin ko ba o hindi? Safe ba 'tong kinakausap ko siya ngayon o hindi? But he didn't seem to be lying, and he sounded sincere. Plus, I really needed the help. There was no way I could handle this on my own. And I'm really, really exhausted.

"Alright," I said finally, stepping away before gesturing towards my car. "Please, if you don't mind."

His smile widened as he walked towards my car and got to work. I watched him quietly as he inspected my vehicle, then he adjusted some wires and other parts that I couldn't identify. 

"Uh, kaka-repair lang niyan last week, pero ayaw na namang mag-start ngayon," I mentioned suddenly, baka importante at makatulong 'yung impormasyon na 'yun eh. "It's the second time this month. I really have no idea what's wrong."

He nodded in response, briefly glancing at me before returning to what he was doing.

Unti-unti nang napapawi ang pagiging skeptical ko. The way he moved with such confidence and skill reassured me that I had made the right decision. It really seemed to be his forte.

Nakaramdam ako bigla ng hiya. Na-realize kong ang gwapo niya masyado para kalikutin ang kotse ko... though he looked real hot, ha. Pero ano bang karapatan ko at ginawa kong isang mekaniko ang isang tulad niya habang standing pretty lang ako rito sa gilid? 

But then again, why not? I mean, no matter how good-looking he was, at the end of the day, he's still a man, right? Dapat lang sakanila 'yan.

After a while, he turned back to me. "It's your battery," he concluded. "It's dead."