Chapter 13 – Where Did She Go?!
Rein’s P.O.V.
The next thing I knew is I woke up in my own private room in Makati Med with my Mom, Dad, and Papa talking about what happened.
“This is all your fault! If you hadn’t pushed Alex with my daughter, none of this would have happened!” My Mom was obviously mad.
“I didn’t push Alex kay Rein! If I knew Alex was hurting her I would’ve been the one who stopped their relationship in the first place!” Dad shouted back at Mom.
Siguro they didn’t notice na gising na ako. They were standing with their back behind me eh.
Papa was just standing between them and was listening to both sides calmly. I knew him well, he’s thinking about something that could lessen the tention in this room.
“You clearly pushed my daughter into this, Matteo!”
“I didn’t! Kung alam ko lang na ganon na yung nangyayari, edi sana nilayo ko na si Rein sakanya! I care for Rein, Erika! Anak ko din siya!”
“She’s not even your own flesh and blood!”
“She grew up with us! Ano ba, Erika! If you’re thinking I’m using Rein against you, I’m not! I love Rein as my own daughter!”
“Mom, Dad, please don’t fight.” Napatingin silang tatlo saakin. My Mom rushed and hugged me.
Suddenly, I was like an 8 year old child who was begging for her parents to stop fighting over a non-serious matter.
Bigla nalang umiyak si Mom habang hug niya ako. “Sorry if your Dad, Papa, and I didn’t have time for you. This is all our fault. Are you feeling okay now?”
I just nodded in return.
We took time on discusing the things that was happening even before they knew it. I had to spill it because alam nanaman nila. They told me that they would never let Alex near me again.
We were having our snack when I remembered the last vission and the last voice I heard before I collapsed… It was Josef. I thought to myself. Why does he always seem to appear when I needed someone to protect me? Why can’t I see his face?
Is he really that mysterious to every girl he meet?
“Mom, do you know who brought me here? I mean, did you see him?”
“No eh. Sabi lang ng nurse na a guy wearing a suit brought you here. Why?”
“Wala lang. Kahit name, hindi niyo nakuha?”
Hindi daw sabi ni Mom. Halata mo na they were confused with the things I’m asking them. I just continued eating my snack when Ella came in with a big boquet of flowers and a small box wrapped with a gift wrapper.
“How sweet of you to buy me something!” I said sarcastically as she placed the boquet at the side table near the hospital bed.
“It’s not from me! Trust me, I wouldn’t give you anything even if you were in a serious condition.” She said while handing me the small box.
“Eh kanino galing ‘to?”
“Ewan. Nakasalubong ko lang yung nurse na papasok dito. Tinanong ko, sabi sayo daw. Edi ako na nagdala dito.”
I reached for the card in the boquet. It was a violet card with cute flowers and a “Get well soon!” written across the front page. I got surprised to see who was it from.
Hi Rein!
I hope you get better soon. Don’t think too much and relax yourself. Don’t forget to bring your meds everywhere you go.
And I gave you a little something. I know you have one of those already but take that as your private line only for the both of us. My number is already in there. Just give me a call or text whenever you need someone to talk to.
Love, Josef. :)
I imediately tore the gift wrapper open and saw a box of a white iPhone4s. It was obviously new but the box was already opened. I held the phone and pushed the menu botton. A picture of me from one of my photo shoots flashed from the lock screen of the phone.
“Who’s it from?” Ella asked me while she was trying to get the phone from my hands. Nilayo ko but nakuha niya parin.
Pinakialaman niya na yung phone while I had no choice but to wait for her to finish looking through it.
“JOSEF WAS THERE LAST NIGHT?! OMG! WHY DIDN’T I SEE HIM?!”Ella shouted in shock.
My mom was obviously listening but it doesn’t matter. She doesn’t know who Josef is. Yung dalawa ko nga palang tatay, umalis na kanina. May kailangan pa daw gawin. Yung mga kapatid ko naman, mamaya pa daw pupunta.
“Eh malaya ko bang nandoon yon?! Masquerade party nga eh! Lahat nakamask until kami-kami nalang naiwan. Bigla lang naman siyang lumitaw nung nanghihina na ako! Hindi ko din tuloy nakausap.” I let out a heavy sigh.
Bigla namang tumabi yung Mama ko kay Ella and tiningnan din yung phone ko.“May number dito, Ally ah. Why don’t you try and text him?”
Oo nga naman! Hindi ko naisip yun. -.- Pero hindi ba awkward na itetext ko siya? Diba dapat guys ang laging may first move? -.-
My Mom wasn’t strict about those things saakin because I’m already at the right age daw. Pero sa bunso namin, medyo lang naman. 19 palang naman kasi si Bliss.
Bigla nalang nagring yung phone habang nagagames si Ella. Nagpanick si Ella tapos sumigaw. “OMYGOSH!! REIN!!! JOSEF CALLING!!!”
She told me habang parang kilig na kilig siya. Bigla nalang kinuha ni Mama yung phone and handed it to me. Tapos bigla niya hinila si Ella sa may door.
“Ella and I will just have coffee. We’ll be back later. Enjoy talking with Josef!” Sabi ni Mama before sila lumabas ng pinto.
I just stared at the phone until it stopped ringing. I didn’t know what to say when I answer the phone. Nahihiya ako na hindi ko alam.
I was like a 6th grader having her first crush na pag nakikita or nakakausap niya yung crush niya, kikiligin na or mahihiya.
Again the phone rang and my heart beat faster. But this time, naglakas loob na ako na sagutin yung call. I tooke a deep breath and answered it.
[Hello? Is this Rein?] A familiar voice spoke on the other line which made my heart beat more loudly.
“Yes. This is Rein.”
[Thank God you’re already fine! Why didn’t you bring your meds with you last night? I was so worried. Good thing I saw you before Alex drags you inside the powder room.] He sounded like my father for a moment.
“Good thing talaga. And about that, thank you. You’ve saved me for the second time.”
[That wasn’t a problem. I always seem to see you when you’re in trouble. Am I some kind of your superman or something?] He laughed slightly which made the mood more cooler than before. Bago pa siya makapagsalita ulit, I found myself smiling like crazy. [Anyway, sorry kung kailangan ko na umalis agad dyan sa hospital I had some… appointments kasi.]
“That’s okay. Thanks for the flowers and this phone nga pala. You could’ve just given me your number. I have a phone already.”
[Alam ko. Parehas pa nga yata eh? I wanted it to be more private kasi. Don’t worry my separate din ako na phone na ikaw lang ang makaka-tawag saakin through the phone I’ve given you.]
“My other phone is black. White naman yung binigay mo kaya okay lang. Anyway, sino ka ba talaga? The only thing I know about you is you’re Josef. Yun lang. Nothing else.”
He didn’t answer for a while then I heard a heavy sigh. [Let’s just put it this way. I’m your superman and nothing else. I’ll help you with your problems but as much as possible, I don’t want you to know me.”
Bigla akong nasad. Hindi naman siguro siya masamang tao or something para magtago diba? Pero tatanggapin ko yung gusto niyang privacy since… ewan… ang gaan kasi ng loob ko sakanya. ^____^
Halos buong hapon na kami magkausap sa phone. Ang saya saya niya kausap! Ang bait bait pa! ^___^ And gwapo! Kahit naka-shades or nakamask siya nung nakita ko siya, alam ko na gwapo kasi… basta gwapo! Haha. :P
Hanggang bumalik sila Mommy at si Ella sa room ko at dumating yung mga kapatid ko, magkausap parin kami. Yaman niya sa load eh! Haha. Joke naka-line daw kasi siya. Binaba lang namin yung phone nung matutulog na daw siya. Ganon katagal inabot yung paguusap namin. :>
“Hey, Allyson! Muntik nang may mangyari sayo and you just got through a relationship disaster, tapos ganyan pa yung ngiti mo? Don’t tell me na kung sino man yang kausap mo eh gusto mo yan?” Sabi ni Seth, my brother, habang inaayos niya yung food na dala nila.
Oo, mas matanda ako kay Seth at Safe pero they treat me as their baby sister. Totoo naman din na they’re more matured than me. My sister and I are sheltered princesses kasi. Well, I was, until I woke up to life’s reality a year ago. And sana lang, habang buhay nalang mabuhay si Bliss nang ganon. You don’t know how hard it is for someone who grew up to be pampered, sheltered, and spoiled, like us to try to live simple and how hard is it to get through every hindraces in our life.
Sobrang hirap talaga kasi nasanay kami na nanjan lagi yung mga tao na nakapaligid saamin. Kaya nung first time ko masaktan (when Mike passed away), hindi ko talaga alam ang gagawin ko. Haaai.
Ella’s P.O.V.
Graciella Cruz. 21. Professional model. Rein’s bestfriend since highschool. :)
First impression ng mga tao saakin? Simple lang.
Btch daw ako. And yes, magkaibang-magkaiba kami ni Rein. Masyado kasing mabait yun. Anghel. Wala na akong masasabi.
Since Rein has been stressing out lately after a week niya na lumabas sa hospital, sinama ko siya dito sa isang bar.
Kasi naman after nung muntik na i-rape ni Alex si Rein, lagi na siyang binabantayan nang parents niya. Parents talaga literally. Paano ba naman kasi dalawa tatay niya. Haha. Basta ayon. Lagi na siyang tinatawagan, tapos minsan hatid-sundo pa siya kung saan pupunta. Parang bata tingin nila kay Rein. Mahal na mahal eh! Kaya ayon, ang nasasakal na tuloy si Rein sakanila.
Minsan nga tumatawag si Rein saakin in the middle of the night, umiiyak. Pinapag-awayan daw kasi nila Tita at Tito yung safety niya. She’s been blaming herself because her family has been a ‘bit magulo ngayon.
Clearly naman, Rein wasn’t the reason why any of those are happening to her family. Sadyang stressed lang sila Tito at Tita sa problems sa kompanya nila na nagkasabay-sabay. Tapos sumasabay pa yung sobra nilang pagka-worried kay Rein at problema ni Seth.
Buti pa ako, simple lang buhay ko! :P
“Rein, sigurado kang okay ka lang dito? Doon muna ako sa kabila, I’ll just do something.” I asked her bago ko siya iwan sa may bar table. Kasi naman hindi yan sanay sa mga ganitong lugar. Hindi din sanay uminom. Mabait talagang bata. D ko alam kung paano kami naging magbestfriends. Haha.
“Boy hunting nanaman? Ikaw talaga, Ella. Oo, okay lang ako. You can leave me now. I’ll just have a few drinks.”
“Few lang ha! Promise? Babalik-balik ako dito to check on you.”
“Oo nga! Bilis na! Off you go!” Sabi niya while slightly laughing.
Ako naman, umalis na ako and went to the one who were arranging reservation of the tables for the bar and asked kung saan ang table ni Chase Bustamante.
The waiter guided me to a table that was almost at the back part of the bar. This is going to be my first time in meeting Chase since we just met through friend. Sabi kasi ng friend ko na I should date this type of guys, eh knowing my attitude, game na game ako sa ganyan! :P
Pagkadating namin sa table, I saw a bunch of guys seating but what really caught my eyes was the guys seating at the edge. Si BLAKE BUSTAMANTE!!! YUNG ULTIMATE CRUSH KO!! OMYGOSH!! I thought to myself. My heart beat went faster and napatulala nalang ako sakanila.
“You must be Ella Cruz?” A guy coming from behind my back asked me. Inakbayan niya agad ako. He lowered his face to mine. I smelled the masculine and seductive smell of his perfume. He smiled.
“I’m Chase Bustamante. Nice meeting you.” Hindi ako nakapagsalita. Instead, my gaze found its way back to Blake Bustamante. He was laughing and joking around with the other guys in the table.
He looked really nice. Ang hot. Ang gwapo. Lahat na!
Pinaupo niya ako sa tabi niya but still, my eyes were still on Blake. Grabe. This is the first time I saw him in person tapos… starstruck! *o*
“Hey guys! This si Ella Cruz. My date for tonight.” They all looked at me while smiling. Isa-isa silang nagshake hands saakin even Blake! OMYGOSH! Dapat sinama ko na si Rein dito!
“Nice meeting you Ella. I see it’s the first time you’ve met my cousin. Ingat ka dyan.” Blake told me habang nakasmile parin! OMYGOSH! I’m melting dahil sa smile niya! Grabe!!!!
Pero wait! Cousin?!
“You t-two are c-cousins?!”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Wala lang. :)”
Hours passed and ang saya-saya nila kasama. I’ve already drank enough kaya tumigil na ako. Nihihilo na din ako eh.
Nakakwentuhan ko si Blake and he’s really nice. Ibang-iba sa mga news na sinasabi sakanya. He’s even a gentleman. Bakit kaya siya sinisiraan sa mga news? Sayang naman yung image niya.
Niyaya ako ni Chase na magsayaw so nagsayaw kami.
Ang saya talaga nila kasama. ^___^
“Hatid na kita. Let’s go?” It was already around 2am nung niyaya na ako umuwi ni Chase. We were already outside the bar when I remembered Rein.
“Chase! Wait lang! Yung friend ko! Muntik ko na makalimutan!” He laughed a little bit tapos tinanong niya kung nasaan daw ba si Rein.
“Then let’s go back for her. Yung pinsan ko nga rin pala muntik ko na makalimutan.”
Chase called Blake for a couple of time while we were walking pero hindi siya sumasagot. Si Rein naman, pagkapunta namin sa bar counter, wala.
“Excuse me, nakita mo ba yung babaeng nakawhite na dress dito kanina?” I asked the bartender.
“Yung kausap niyo po kanina ma’am?”
“Ay hindi! Ano ba kasi? Nakita mo ba o hindi?!” I was starting to panic.
“Nalasing po kasi ma’am. Nagtanong po kung saan yun CR kanina. Tapos pagkabalik po, buhat na siya nung isang lalaki tapos umalis na po sila.”
“WHAT?!”
I am so dead.