People on the dance floor parted like how Moises did to the sea. Pero iba ngayon. They parted because of the burning fire that walked to the center like no one of them wanted to get burned by the flames of his anger. He marched like a king holding me like I'm his and when someone tries to take me away from him, he would burn them… But I'm not his. I am the queen of myself. I don't need a king to save me and protect me… because I can.
Hunt was holding me firmly kaya kung sino man ang sumubok na haklitin ako palayo ay hindi nagtagumpay. Hunt was still holding my wrist.
"Teka! Hindi pa tayo tapos!" sigaw noong lalaki.
Sa sobrang inis ko, hinila ko ang kanang kamay ko mula kay Hunt at sinuntok ang lalaki.
Nagsinghapan ang mga nasa paligid. I also saw Red holding Ace's waist.
"Fuck off!" biglaang sabog ko.
He was wiping the blood on the side of his lips. He looked at us darkly before leaving.
Duwag!
Hunt held my hand and pulled me out the bar. Sumunod naman ang mga kasamahan namin. Just that, parties over.
Nang nasa labas na kami, medyo kumalma ako dahil sa ihip ng hangin. We are now in the parking lot.
"You okay?" Hunt asked and let go of my hands.
I smirked and looked at him. You should've asked the guy who received a double punch.
His brows furrowed. Mas lalong nairita sa pagngiti ko. I don't know why, but I like seeing him pissed off.
"Yeah" I said coolly.
He sighed and looked away. Iritado pa rin. Parang hindi lang ako nainis kanina ah. My mood shifted smoothly huh. I guess saving me once won't hurt my ego.
"Astig nung pagkakasuntok ah. Parang humiwalay yung kaluluwa nung manyak eh." Yudis said jokingly.
Tumawa pa at a-apir sana kay Red pero busy ito sa kakabulong kay Ace. Reason why he did not see Yudis' hand.
Nabitin sa ere ang kamay ni Yudis kaya inapir niya na lang ang sariling kamay at tumatango-tango.
Kahit sa seryosong kaganapan, nasisingit niya talaga yang kabaliwan niya.
"I'm sorry for ruining the party." I sighed after a while.
Kakarating ko pa lang gulo na agad ang dala ko. Hindi pa nga ako nakainom.
"I'm sorry as well. Dapat di na kita dinala sa dance floor." si Ace.
Binalingan siya ni Red. Ace pouted and told him some things..
"Even so. A guy who is in his right mind won't just harassed and force someone." Hunt said in his low voice.
"Tama" tumatango-tango na sang-ayon ni Yudis.
Hunt hissed at Yudis reaction. Silence enveloped us. I was already calm, but I don't know with Hunt. He seemed so mad about what happened.
The night wind hugged me. Buti na lang at may jacket ako. I felt safe feeling the air comforting me. It calmed my mind.
I was busy looking around nang mapansin kong wala pala sina Rex at si Rainela. Kanina sa dance floor wala rin sila.
Kumunot ang noo ko at hindi na napigilang magtanong.
"Where's Rainela and Rex?"
Ngayon lang din ata nag-sink in sa kanila na wala nga ang dalawa.
"Oo nga noh? Baka nagtanan?" biro ni Yudis.
"Gago" singhal ni Red at hinampas sa dibdib si Yudis.
Yudis acted like he was hurt so bad.
"Bunganga mo" saway naman ni Ace sa kasintahan.
"Sorry, mahal" suyo ni Red at hinalikan sa sentido si Ace.
I rolled my eyes at them. Parang wala naman silang pakealam na wala ang dalawa dito.
"Ayown. Under ka pala pre"
"Pag inggit pikit. Maghanap ka kasi nang sa'yo"
At yon na nga nagsimula na naman sila. I kept looking on the entrance baka sakaling lumabas doon sina Rex.
Imposible namang hindi nila natunugan ang nangyari. By now, they should've noticed that we weren't on our table anymore.
We waited and after a while, both of them were now on our way. Kasama ang pinsan ko.
Ba't sumama pa tong isang to?
I looked at Rex and Rainela like they're some puzzle that is hard to solve. I can sense something in between them. After Rex gone missing, I felt some of his changes especially with Rainela. My instincts are not always right, but there were times that when I kept thinking about it, mas lalong nagiging tumpak ang hinala ko. I don't wanna think ill about Rex. He's my friend. It's just that Rainela gives me that negative air. At ngayon na nakikita ko silang magkasama parang mas lalo akong napapaisip.
I looked at Atticus intently. He saw my gaze and immediately explained.
"They were looking for you kaya sinamahan ko sa paglabas and also I want to check on you."
I sighed. I saw how my friends looked at each other meaningfully. Hindi ko pa pala siya naipakilala sa kanila kaya kung ano-ano siguro ang iniisip. Though I already told Ace about it. Mas better pa rin na ipakilala siya.
"This is my cousin pala. Atticus, these are my friends."
Nagsitikhiman ang mga lalaki. Except Hunt. Kanina pa tahimik eh.
"I'm Ace. Boyfriend ko si Red." sabay turo sa lalaki.
"Yudis, bro" sabay fist bump kay Atticus.
"This is Rainela and Red." ako na ang nagpakilala sa dalawa.
Tumango lamang ang aking pinsan at tiningnan ang tao sa likod ko.
"And this is Hunt." I said pointing Hunt at the back using my thumb.
Yudis lend his hand for a formal handshake. Hunt just looked at it for a sec before accepting my cousin's hand.
He looked a bit calm now. Hindi katulad kanina na parang isang kalabit mo lang ay magwawala na.
I sighed. My cousin put up a serious face when he looked at Hunt. He scanned him like he was trying to read his emotions, but it turned soft when he averted his gaze to me.
"You good? How's the punch?" he asked.
Natawa si Yudis. Everyone else laughed too. Of course Hunt remained silent. Mukhang hindi pa nakaka-recover sa nangyari.
"Satisfying" I said and rolled my eyes at him.
"Yabang" Atticus teased. "Aren't you going home? Malamig na."
"Uuwi na. Hinintay lang namin sina Rex." I said.
Tumango si Atticus at nginuso na ang motor ko. "I'll watch you leave."
Napabuntong-hininga ako at pumunta na sa motor ko. The rest of my friends also went to their respective cars.
Umangkas na ako at sinuot nag helmet. I turned on my ninja and it roared to life.
"Thanks for tonight. Till next time." paalam ko.
"Be careful." sabay na sabi ni Hunt at ni Atticus.
Nagkatinginan ang dalawa. Hindi rin inaasahang sabay silang magsasabi nang ganoon. Atticus looked at me meaningfully. Bumusina ako ng dalawang beses bago tuluyang umalis. Nakita ko sa side mirror na hindi pa rin umalis sa kinatatayuan si Hunt kahit pa umalis na ang iba.
I just erased my thoughts and drove back home. Alam kong kukulitin na naman ako ng pinsan ko bukas.
Kinaumagahan, hindi nga ako nagkamali. Kakagising ko lang at tawag ng tawag si Atticus. Syempre, makikitsismis.
"What?" bungad ko nakahiga pa rin sa kama.
"Kayo ba nung Hunt?"
Napanganga ako sa litanya niya. Tss. Paulit-ulit naman to eh.
"Hindi nga!" inis kong saad.
Hindi ko alam kung saan ako nainis. Sa sinabi kong hindi kami o dahil sa pangungulit ng pinsan ko.
Kung maka-asta naman kasi si Hunt parang pag-aari niya ako. He keeps saying he likes me, but he never pursued me. Magpaparamdam lang siya ng feelings niya if he is jealous.
Mas lalo akong nainis sa naisip ko. Ang aga-aga umiinit na ang ulo ko.
"Eh ba't galit kung makatingin sa'kin yon? Kung di mo ko pinakilalang pinsan baka nasapul na ako"
"You're overthinking. At isa pa ba't mo ba ako hinalikan sa harap ng mga kaibigan ko? You made them think we're together."
He just laughed on the other line. Pinatay ko ang tawag sa inis ko.
Damn this guy. Walang ibang ginawa kundi inisin ako.
My phone beeped. I opened my messages and saw Atticus' message.
Atticus:
I'll just wait for the news na kayo na :-)
Nagsalubong ang kilay ko sa message niya. I know he's just teasing me pero damn. Why is my heart beating so fast right now? I feel like I ran a thousand miles and I am now having a mini heart attack because of my furious heartbeat... Fuck!
I went to work to make my self busy and to avoid stressing over this matter.
"Hi Nyx." bati ni Keihan.
He's just wearing a black shirt and pants paired with combat boots. Most agents wear the same style of clothes anyway.
Bagay sa kanya ang ayos niya. His body shows how much he frequently visits the gym or during trainings. Hindi naman gaanong malaki ang muscles niya. Just enough to fit his body.
I smiled at him without showing my teeth. After our lunch together, we somehow became casual. I mean he's now comfortable interacting with me. I'm always casual to everyone. Unlike before, he can now greet me without feeling shy.
He was holding a folder. Maybe a file report.
"Kumusta?" he asked without any malice.
He's just being friendly. I know. But the way other agents stare at us screams curiosity. Lahat ng napapadaan ay hindi maiwasang tumingin sa amin.
"Good."
I looked at my watch and he seemed to notice that.
"Ok. Sige, ihahatid ko lang to." aniya sabay pabirong saludo.
I just nodded and left for work. So far, wala pang field work na inatas sa akin. I just did some paper works and investigate some cases.
I busied myself reading the cases and checking evidences. That's a load of work I had, but it occupied my mind to focus on my work.
I was too busy burning my eyebrows doing everything thaf I forgot lunch. It's already one o'clock.
Kaya pala masakit na ang ulo ko. I massaged my temples to lessen the pang of pain I felt.
Isang supot ang biglang tumambad sa mesa ko. I slowly looked up to whom it was and immediately straightened my back when I saw Hunt.
He put the brown paperbag of food from a nearby restaurant here and a water bottle.
Napamaang ako dahilan para hindi man lang makagalaw. I looked at him. His aura is a bit calmer now than the other days. Kung noong nakaraan ay isang kalabit mo lang ay galit agad… Ngayon parang anghel na maamo ang mukha.
"I heard you haven't eaten lunch. Dinalhan na kita." aniya.
"Thanks. Hindi ka na sana nag-abala pa."
I felt conscious of the curious eyes on us. Some agents who walked past us would take a second look before continuing to walk. Some stopped working for a while watching us like they're watching a very interesting movie.
I looked at Hunt meaningfully. He knows that all eyes are on us now. Imbis na umalis, mas lalo pa siyang lumapit sa cubicle ko. He crossed his arms, raising his brow at me.
"You should eat to lessen your headache."
"Thanks for the concern, Cap" diniinan ko ang huling salita.
His eyes grew darker at my remark pero nawala rin kalaunan. Well, nasa trabaho naman kami kaya Cap muna tawag ko sa kanya. Wala namang masama doon.
"It's Hunt for you." he said coldly.
I smirked at him. "We're at work… Cap."
As much as I remember Cap din naman tawag ko sa kanya kapag nasa misyon. Ewan ko na lang anong kinagagalit niya ngayon.
He rolled his eyes and exhaled. Tumayo rin siya ng tuwid bago ako sinamaan ng tingin.
I chuckled at his reaction. Inis ka na niyan?
"Whatever. Eat your lunch now. I'll go to work too."
I nodded at him. "Thanks again."
I couldn't contain my smile when he left. Parang baliw. I really do like pissing him off. Ang bilis mapikon eh.
Kinain ko na ang lunch na binili niya. It was pork adobo and bulalo. Naubos ko lahat. Walang natira.
I focused on my work after. When it was five in the afternoon, I already fixed everything on my table. Kailangan ko ng umuwi para makapagpahinga ako.
When I went to the parking lot, nagulat ako nang makita si Hunt. He was leaning on his car, his hands inside his pockets. His car was parked near my ninja kaya doon din ang tungo ko.
The sight of him made me a bit nervous. That same feeling every time he stares at me.
I walked straight towards him, not minding my wobbling knees and my fast beating heart. I collected all my confidence and asked him para hindi niya mahalata ang nararamdaman ko.
"Waiting for someone?" I asked.
He stared at me intently like it was a miracle I asked him. He stood up properly and crossed his arms.
"Yeah" he said using his manly voice.
Damn! Even his voice affects me now.
Napalunok ako dahil sa titig niya at nag-iwas ng tingin.
"I'll get going now, then." paalam ko.
"Okay. I'll follow you home." he said which shocked me.
I smirked to hide my reaction. Oh come on Zyl. This is not the first time he let you see his motive. Alam mo yan. Una pa lang.
"Oh, akala ko ba may hinihintay ka?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
He bit his lower lip and sighed again. I chuckled to pretend like ngayon ko lang nalaman.
"Don't tell me ako ang hinihintay mo?" I asked stifling my smile.
He bravely looked at me and he pouted, hiding his smirk as well. Hindi inalintana ang panunuya ko.
"Would you mind me following you home, then?"
That question made my heart flutter. Naninikip ang dibdib ko na parang kinikiliti. Ewan. I couldn't even explain it. That's what he can do to my system.
I want to decline dahil ayaw kong iba ang isipin ng mga nakakita. More like, ayaw ko siyang paasahin dahil ako mismo hindi sigurado sa kung ano ang nararamdaman ko sa kaniya. But something inside me wants to at least give it a try. Wala namang mawawala diba? Instead of letting him wait, I chose the latter.
"I don't mind at all." I said. It was almost a whisper na kaming dalawa lang ang nakarinig.
He was shocked also at my decision. We stared at each others eyes letting ourselves see our feelings hidden deep within us. It was a fleeting moment that we both wanted the time to stop for a while so we can be like this – Without thinking of our own responsibilities. Without thinking of the reasons why I couldn't just give in and open my heart for love.
Tumikhim ako, nahimasmasan. Sabay kaming nag-iwas ng tingin sa isa't-isa – tila napaso sa titigang naganap.
"Go now. I'll wait till you're done wearing your helmet." he said.
I nodded and proceeded to my bike. I hopped in and wore my helmet. Sinuot ko na kanina pa ang leather jacket ko. I swiftly moved my bike backwards so I can easily drove away. Pinaandar ko na ito. Pinatunog ko muna ng ilang beses para uminit bago ako dahan-dahang nagpatakbo.
I checked Hunt on my side view mirror. Nakasunod siya sa akin. Sa tuwing may mag-oovertake sa kanya, ay binubusinahan niya o di kaya ay binibilisan niya ang takbo para walang ibang bumuntot sa akin.
My drive home is still too far from here. But I don't mind driving slowly. I want to feel this moment with him.
Late night drive huh.
Alas-sais y medya na nang makarating ako sa condo. Sa labas pa lang tinigil ko na ang motor para makapagpaalam sa kanya.
I opened the cover of my helmet so he could hear me. Binuksan niya rin ang kaniyang bintana.
"Thank you for today. Papasok na ako sa parking." paalam ko.
"Take care. And… Thank you also for today." he smiled.
Natulala ako sa ngiti niya. Nang matauhan ay binaba ko na ang cover ng helmet. I beeped at him before driving to the VIP basement parking.
Hindi ko alam anong oras ako natulog. Pabaling-baling ako sa kama at minsan tulala sa kisame. Minsan naman napapangiti nang wala sa oras. What happened today was special for me.
I didn't expect that I'll be this happy. Ngayon lang ata ako natuwa na nagtrabaho ako kanina. It was a simple gesture, but it touched me. I sighed. Baliw na nga siguro ako.