I didn't know how long I was staring at Storm while he was sleeping. This man beside me made me fall in love with him unintentionally. I was in love, no doubt. I did not expect this... It didn't even come to my mind.
I decided to go to the bathroom and locked myself there. I didn't know what to do. Paano ko siya kakausapin, titingnan at papakisamahan kung ganito ang nararamdaman ko sa kaniya? It would be awkward as hell.
I cried in frustration.
After a moment, I heard Storm's voice outside the bathroom. "Fara? Are you there?"
"Y-yeah!" I quickly washed my face with water to hide the evidence that I had wept. "S-sorry, natagalan ako sa loob," paumanhin ko sa kaniya nang makalabas ako.
He just smiled slightly. "Okay lang," he said before he walked past me and entered the bathroom.
I inhaled and then exhaled. Keep calm, Fara, I reminded myself.
I heard a phone ringing. I looked around until I saw Storm's phone placed beside the lampshade on the bedside table. I glanced at the bathroom door before I grabbed it.
Tita Helena Calling...
Wait, it was Kirby's Mom.
I was about to answer it when I heard the door of the bathroom creak open. I turned around and faced Storm who had just got out of the bathroom. I walked towards him. "It's Tita Helena," I told him and handed the cellphone to him.
He answered the call. "Hello, Tita... We're in Las Vegas..."
Nanatili lamang akong nakamasid sa kaniya habang kausap niya si Tita Helena sa kabilang linya. My brows furrowed when his eyes widened and his lips parted, especially when his gaze turned on me.
"O-okay, Tita," he said before hanging up the call.
"W-what happened?" I asked.
Matagal siyang tumitig sa akin bago nagsalita, "Nothing."
***
"How are you, Hijo?" Dad said while we were eating lunch in the kitchen.
"I'm doing good, Tito," Storm answered politely.
Nakita ko ang paglipat ng tingin sa akin ni Dad. I just looked away to avoid his gaze.
"How about you, Fara?" he asked me this time.
"I'm... fine," I said without looking at him. Nanatili lang na nakatuon ang mga mata ko sa pagkain ko. I didn't want to disrespect him in front of Storm but he was no longer a father to me after he exchanged me for money.
Dad didn't take his eyes off me but I didn't mind him.
I wanted to inhale some fresh air, so I decided to go outside after we ate while Storm was doing his work on his laptop.
"Fara."
Napalingon ako sa tumawag sa pangalan ko. Hindi ko inasahan nang si Dad ang nakita ko.
"Can we talk?" he told me in a serious tone.
"For what?" I replied coldly.
"About you and Storm."
I gave him a chance to talk to me, and here we were in his office. I sat on a red long sofa while he sat on a single couch across the coffee table.
"What about us?" walang paligoy-ligoy na tanong ko sa kaniya.
"First of all, I wanna say sorry to you," he said without any facial expression.
I wanted to roll my eyes at him. Sorry? It's too late to say sorry, I thought.
"You should have told me that before, Dad." I looked at him sharply. "You can't do something about this anymore―"
"I can," he cut me off.
I looked at him with disbelief. "You can?"
"Yes. I can file an annulment."
I was shocked so I was speechless. I wondered why he was offering me an annulment now.
"If you want your marriage to be annulled, I can do something about it."
"W-why are you doing this?"
"I don't want you to hate me forever."
I gave him a sharp look and said, "My hate for you will never fade as long as you're not giving the justice that Mom deserves for her death." I saw his jaw clenched, but he didn't respond. "You're no longer a father to me!" madiin na sabi ko.
He looked startled at first but his eyes later softened and saddened at the same time.
"And about the marriage... I don't want an annulment. I love Storm now..." naiiyak na sabi ko.
His brows met in wonder.
I stood up and quickly left his office. I went back to my room. I had just opened the door when I saw Storm there talking on the phone while sitting on the bed. His brows were met like there was a misunderstanding between him and the caller. When his gaze turned on me, he said goodbye to the caller and ended the call.
I came to him and sat beside him.
"Where have you been?" he asked.
"Nagpahangin lang ako sa labas," sabi ko sabay higa sa kama.
I didn't want to mention to him about my conversation with Dad, especially about the annulment.
I lay face down and buried my face against the pillow. Ayaw ko kasing makita ang mukha ni Storm. Ngayon pa lang na alam kong nasa tabi ko siya, bumibilis na ang tibok ng puso ko. Paano pa kaya kung matitigan ko siya? This was really frustrating! Ugh!
Naramdaman ko naman na nahihirapan akong huminga dahil sa pagkakasubsob ng mukha ko sa unan kaya inangat ko ang mukha ko at nakita kong nakatingin sa akin si Storm. Ngumiti siya sa akin. Napaiwas ako ng tingin dahil sa ngiti niya. Gosh! He was so cute! Aaah!
"W-why?" I asked. Wala naman kasi siyang dapat ikangiti pero ngumingiti siya.
"May naaalala lang ako," he said while still staring at me. My goodness! Was he torturing me or something?
"A-ano naman?"
"Noong inaway mo 'ko sa honeymoon natin," he said.
I swore I turned red because I felt my cheeks becoming warm. "I-It was not a honeymoon," I said and rolled my eyes.
He let out a chuckle. "Did you know..." aniya pero hindi tinuloy, like he was double-minding.
"What?"
He shook his head. "Nevermind."
I frowned. "Tell me."
"You don't want to know about it," natatawang sabi niya.
"Whatever, just tell me."
"Did you know..." he said again.
I waited for him to continue his sentence but he just let out a chuckle. He stood up and went to the study table to go back to what he was doing on his laptop.
"Storm," I called him with annoyance in my voice. He was now typing on his laptop. "Come on!" I persisted.
He stopped and looked at me. "Do you really wanna know?" he reassured.
I nodded.
He smirked and said, "Promise me that you will not get mad."
"Promise."
He sighed before speaking, "Lolo is requesting... a grandchild from me." He wore a half-smile before he went back to what he was doing again.
And I was... speechless.
Naglakbay ang isip ko sa kung anu-anong bagay at pilit na pinroseso sa isip ko kung ano ang hinihingi ng Lolo niya.
I want to punch myself because I was thinking about something that―argh! Fara, you're such a bad girl! I scolded myself.
Tinalikuran ko nalang siya at pinikit ang mga mata ko. Baka makatulong ito sa pagpipigil ko sa paglalakbay ng isip ko sa kung anong bagay.
Storm wouldn't do that with me!
***
I awoke when I heard someone talking somewhere. When I opened my eyes and looked around, I saw Storm beside the window talking on his phone again.
I saw the darkness of the sky. It was already evening.
"He can do it... No... Please..." There was tension in his voice. My brows furrowed when he bowed his head then his shoulders shook. He even weakly leaned against the wall.
I sat up when I realized that he was weeping. "Storm?" I called him.
He slowly lifted his gaze to me. There I saw the tears in his eyes.
"Is something wrong?" I asked him out of curiosity.
He stared at me for a few seconds before answering, "Kirby is dead."
My brows furrowed. "K-Kirby?"
He must be kidding me...
He weakly let go of his phone. It fell onto the ground. Napatitig ako sa cellphone niya na nalaglag sa sahig bago hindi makapaniwalang ibinalik ko sa kaniya ang tingin ko. I saw how serious his face was.
I stopped dead in my tracks. I felt my teardrops continuously welling on my cheeks. I started to sob until I loudly wept.
"N-no! KIRBY IS NOT DEAD!" I yelled out loud.
Humahangos na lumapit sa akin si Storm at niyakap ako.
"He's not dead, right? You're just kidding me!" I looked at him with pleading. His eyes were also wet with tears. "Storm..." I clutched his shirt with my both hands and then I shook him. "Tell me!"
He shook his head and said, "F-Fara, Kirby has leukemia. He hid it from you and his family. That's the reason why he wore a cap on Mark's birthday, 'cause his hair was falling out, and he didn't show up for almost a year 'cause he underwent treatments. There were so many complications... he didn't survive."
I shook my head in disbelief. "No... no... no..."
When he asked me for a hug during Mark's birthday party. That hug had a meaning - it was a goodbye. That was why he was gone after that night. I couldn't contact him anymore.
This can't be, I thought. Not my best friend, please!
"Kirby!" I cried out. Storm just hugged me tighter to comfort me.