Kanina pa hindi mapakali si Belle sa likod ng sedan. Bukod kasi sa gulat pa rin at naguguluhan ang kalahati ng huwisyo niya dahil sa mga pangyayari, pakiramdam niya ay puputok na ang pantog niya dahil ihing-ihi na siyang talaga!
They have been driving for a solid two hours now, non-stop!
Ngayon siya talaga nagsisisi kung bakit pa niya tinanggap-tanggap ang offer ni Lee Ann. She was forced to do attend and socialize with people not within her crowd. She was persuaded to talk to Zyrone, the most infuriating man she had ever met, just to get an exclusive scoop for their magazine. And now she was forced to go with Zyrone to wherever godforasaken place he plans to go! Idagdag pa na malapit na siyang magkaroon ng sakit sa bato dahil sa pagpipigil niya ng ihi.
Lihim siyang nagngitngit. Gigil niyang kinalabit ang likod nito. Sandaling gumewang ang sasakyan.
“Dammit!” singhal nito bago inayos ang manibela. Mukhang nagulat ito
Humigpit ang hawak ni Zyrone sa manibela ng sasakyan. He took in a sharp breath and focused on what he was doing—driving the hell out of the place as far away as he could. He was trying to rein in his anger for the writer who posed as his employee.What’s her real name again?Belle.Right. Belle Nolasco.How dare she invade his privacy? Going through such length as disguising as his employee just to get a story about him being ditched by Audrey.He scoffed.That’s why he doesn’t trust any of these people from the media. They’d pose as your friends and tell the world your secrets. They are all natural liars!And he can’t believe he’d almost allow one to pry into his life with ease!He raked his fingers through his hair. Belle Nolasco is the least of her concerns now. Ang dapat na iniisip niya, kung saan siya pupunta at pansamantalang magtatago—malayo sa mga magulang n
“Bakit mo ko binalikan? Akala ko ba galit ka sa mga gaya ko na ang trabaho ay pagkakitaan ang kamalasan ng iba?” nakaingos na tanong ni Belle kay Zyrone.He scoffed and slowly shook his head. “So, that’s what I get by saving your ass back there, huh? Right, you’re welcome, Ms. Nolasco,” sarkastikong sagot nito, ang mga mata nasa daan pa rin.Rumolyo na ang mga mata niya. She doesn’t mean to be an ingrate but she’s hungry, too shocked and too confused to even give a hell of a care to what he has done.Kung tutuusin, dapat nga talaga siyang magalit dito dahil kung hindi siya nito isinama sa pagkatakas, maayos pa sana ang buhay niya ngayon. She might be three thousand bucks poorer dahil sa ginawa niyang panunuhol kay Marie, but at least she would be in the comfort of her own home by now.But here she is again with Zyrone, driving to the dark of the night to some place only he knows.“
“Tell me something about yourself,” ani Zyrone sa kanya, ang mga mata nasa daan pa rin.They were still driving into the night to wherever but the only difference was, she’s now holding onto a siopao and a bottle of water. Dumaan sila sa isang bus stop na nadaanan nila at doon sila bumili ng pagkain. She’s thankful that the bus stop have a 24/7 souvenir shop and selling some shirts and shorts. Doon niya nalaman na nasa Pangasinan na pala sila. She bought themselves a pair of shirt and shorts. Doon na rin sila nagpalit ng damit. Mabuti na lang at hindi sila masyadong namukhaan ng mga tao na naroon sa bus stop kaya nagawa niya nang maayos ang pakay niya roon. And now she’s happily munching on her siopao and doesn’t care less to where they are going.“Well you already know my name and my profession. I’m 26 years old. Single but not ready to mingle. What about you?” kaswal na sagot niya bago muling kumagat
Nakahalukipkip na pinagmamasdan ni Belle ang guwapong mukha ng supladong si Zyrone. At habang tumatagal na nasa gano’n siyang posisyon, hindi na niya sigurado kung gusto pa niya itong gisingin o hindi.Hindi naman talaga kasi maipagkakaila na napakaguwapong nilalang ng suplado. Lutang na lutang ang American features nito—makakapal na kilay, matangos na ilong, at delectable lips. And his eyes… his cerulean eyes that can send to magic land in just once glance. Masarap pa rin talaga itong pagmasdan kahit na allergic siya rito. ‘Di ba, gano’n naman talaga ang allergens, enticing but deadly.Umirap na siya. Kung anu-ano naman ang naiisip niya. In as much that she wants to stare at Zyrone’s handsome face and keep him sleeping for her peace of mind, hindi niya puwedeng hindi gisingin si Zyrone. He has been sleeping for hours now! He even skipped lunch. At kahit na alas tres na ng hapon, hindi pa rin ito nagigising. And what&r
“Sige na, mag-igib ka na ng tubig,” ani Belle kay Zyrone nang nasa harap na sila ng poso. Latag na ang dilim subalit ngayon pa lang sila maliligo.Salubong ang mga kilay nitong bumaling sa kanya. “Where’s the faucet?”Agad na nalukot ang mukha niya. “Kuryente nga wala dito, faucet pa kaya,” nagsusungit na sabi niya bago ininaba sa harap niya ang gasera.May bitbit siyang gasera dahil bukod sa walang kuryente si Lila Mati, may ilang metro din ang layo ng banyo mula sa main house. Tipikal iyon sa mga lumang bahay sa probinsiya na napuntahan na niya.“So where will we get water?”“E d’yan nga sa poso,” sabi niya, tinuro pa ang poso na halatang luma na subalit gumagana pa naman.He looked at the manual water pump in front of him like it was a monster he needs to be afraid of.“Hindi mo ba alam gumamit n’yan?” tanong na niya.
When dinner came, wala silang imikan sina Zyrone at Belle kahit na magkatabi sila nito sa maliit na hapag ni Lola Mati. Ipinagluto sila ulit ng matanda ng piniritong isda at pinakbet. The dinner was simple yet scrumptious. Ang sabi pa nito, bukas ipagluluto naman daw sila nito ng ibang ulam upang hindi sila agad manawa sa pagkain. The old woman was really kind at hindi niya lubos maisip kung paano na lang at na may estrangherong gaya nila na aabusuhin ang kabaitan nito.And thinking about that, she was mentally reminding herself that she needs to wake-up early tomorrow to help Lila Mati in whatever way she could.Awtomatikong bumalik ang isip niya kay Zyrone nang magsalin ito ng tubig sa baso nito. He quietly downed the whole glass of water before he resumed eating again, silently.After Zyrone was done bathing, nakaligo rin siya… nang mag-isa. Hindi na siya nagpatulong rito sa pag-iigib at lalong hindi na siya nagpahintay rito s
Hindi agad nakapagsalita si Belle dahil sa ipinagtapat ni Zyrone sa kanya. So, Zyrone wasn’t originally an only child. He had a brother who died of drowning.“I-I’m sorry to hear that,” she said sincerely.Kahit na suplado ito at madalas magsungit, she can’t help but feel for him. Matagal na siyang ulila and she had lived a pretty rough life. At alam na alam niya ang pakiramdam ng mga nawalan ng mahal sa buhay.Hindi sumagot si Zyrone. Nagbuga lang ito ng hininga. Tila ito nahulog sa malalim na pag-iisip. Sinong mag-aakala na ang isang suplado at antipatikong gaya ni Zyrone ay mayroon ding malungkot na nakaraan? She had always thought of him as so entitled kaya ito ganoon kasungit
Sinag na lumalagos mula sa kung saan ang nagpagising kay Belle kinabukasan. Nang tuluyan siyang magmulat, agad na tumambad sa kanya ang maliwanag na paligid ng kuwartong kinaroroonan niya.Ngumiti siya, nag-inat at umupo sa kama. Last night was the best sleep she had in two days. She felt well rested and energized for what she needed to do today.Maingat siyang bumangon sa kama and made a mental note of the things she would do tpday. Nakalapat na sa sahig ang mga kama niya nang may maalala siya. Kagabi, hindi niya matandaang naglakad siya pabalik sa kama at doon natulog. The last thing she remembered last night was she was on the hood of the car, watching the stars while talking to Zyrone.Napasinghap na siya. Did he…Natutop na niya ang bibig, namula na rin ang kanyang pisngi. There was a logical scenario forming in her mind on how things had transpired last night but she found it too preposterous to believe!Wala na siyang inaksayang