Hold Me Close (Azucarera Series #3)

Kabanata 31

Pumasok si Chantal. Bumili siya ng pandesal sa malapit na panaderia. Ako sana 'yong bibili kaso nagpresinta siya kaya hinayaan ko. She smiled at me.

"Waiting for someone to show up?" she asked.

Ngumiti lang ako. "Hindi naman."

"Not to be nosy but... totoo ba 'yong sabi nila? Na... binasted mo raw si Captain?"

Nilingon ko siya. I chuckled a bit to make everything lighter.

I actually wonder if they believed that. Alam ng lahat na gusto ko si Alvaro kaya imposibleng mabasted ko siya. Yes it happened but I'm surprised everyone didn't think that I was the one who got rejected?

Kung sa bagay, naiwan ang bulaklak sa lamesa niya. Hindi ko tinanggap. Dapat pala kinuha ko na lang 'yon kung ganoon.

"Naniniwala ka? Ako? Babastedin si Alvaro?" I asked her playfully.

She pursed her lips. "Mali ba ako? Nanliligaw siya noong nakaraan, hindi ba? And it seems like, he's crazy over you.

I was a bit shocked to hear it from her.

Chantal laughed a bit. "Kilala ko 'yon. Hindi 'yon nanliligaw. Hindi 'yon marunong. I could never imagine him courting someone but I've seen it here with you. So I was sure that the rumors were true, you rejected him."

"I don't trust him," sabi ko nang hindi siya tinitingnan.

"Understandable. Playboy nga 'yon at maraming naging girlfriend."

I thought she'd say more but she didn't. Nagkatinginan kami. Ngumiti siya.

"You liked him very much then. It's amazing you can reject him this way right now. Pero... matagal na rin siguro 'yon, 'no? Nagbago na ang nararamdaman mo."

I couldn't answer her. Hindi niya rin naman hinintay ang sagot ko. Nilapag niya na lang ang pandesal sa harap ko.

"I'll get the staff," aniya at umalis na.

Nagbago ang nararamdaman? Siguro nga. Imposible naman kasing hindi nagbago. Nagbago ang buong pagkatao ko, ang buhay ko. Marami akong natutunan sa pagdaan ng panahon, maraming nakilala, maraming pagkakamali... My young heart is still her but she's changed from all the past experiences.

Like him, he didn't like me then. He wasn't in love with me like I was with him. Pero sa trainings niya, naalala niya ako. Nagbago rin ang puso niya.

But I wonder if my changed heart could never accept him anymore? I wonder if this new person inside could never love him again? I think I know the answer to that. Kaya nga miserable ako nitong nakaraang araw, hindi ba?

And in his case, he fell for me while we were apart. I wonder if his experiences would also cause his heart to change right now? Like he would fall out for me and change his mind? Who knows, right?

Kaya tama nga naman si Aria. Mabuti nga na tinanggihan ko siya. That way, I could see if he is just infatuated with me or not. Kung makahanap siya ng iba, walang problema, hindi ba? Masasaktan ako pero nasalba ko naman ang puso ko sa mas matinding sakit.

I comforted myself with those thoughts because I could no longer stop thinking about Alvaro and his absence.

Friday nang pagod akong dumating sa shelter para muling magcheck doon. Nagulat ako nang wala sa sarili kong buksan ang pintuan ay nakita ko si Alvaro na nakaupo sa harap mismo ng pintuan!

I couldn't even hide my shock! Nakita niya iyon pero binagsak ko na lang ang tingin kay Kuring na nasa kandungan niya.

"Schedule ni Kuring ng deworm," paliwanag ni Alvaro kahit hindi pa man ako nagtanong.