His Runaway Bride

Chapter 12: Chaotic Beginning

Jillian Klairo

"You are not going to school." Mariing sabi niya bago niya isinara ang pinto ng passenger's seat kung saan ako nakaupo. Nakahalukipkip na pinanood ko siyang umikot patungo sa driver's seat.

"Creed," Tawag ko sa kanya, agad naman siyang lumingon sa akin. Magkasalubong ang kanyang mga kilay. At yes, naaatim ko na din na tawagin siya sa kanyang first name, and somehow I liked it. It is also the least thing I could do is address him by his first name. This man saved my ass countles times. "I will be fine in school--"

"Uh, uh." Mabilis niyang sagot at umiling. Napasimangot ako nang hinitak na niya ang seatbelt niya upang ikabit iyon. The engine of his expensive car revved, pero ilang segundo na ang lumipas ay hindi pa niya pinapalakad ang sasakyan.

"Jillian, seatbelt."

"Oh," Medyo pahiyang sagot ko at isinuot iyon. He then proceeded to exit the hospital parking lot, nang makalabas kami ay sumalubong sa amin ang maliwanag na kalangitan. Hindi pa masyadong mainit dahil alas sais pa lang ng umaga, pero madami nang sasakyan at may mga tao na sa sidewalk. Dapat kaninang three pa ako na-discharge pero nakatulog ako at hindi ako ginising ni Del Russo, kaya ngayon lang kami nakalabas.

I sighed.

Dumapo ang paningin ko sa side-mirror, nakita ko ang isang itim na SUV na nakasunod sa amin. Naroon sila Janna at ang dalawa pang tauhan ni Del Russo. We passed by the streets, sarado pa ang ilang mga establishemento na nadadaanan namin ngunit karamihan ay bukas na. Sasabihin ko sana sa kanya na mali ang dinadaanan namin dahil puro magagandang building at malinis na paligid ang nadadaanan namin, ngunit naalala ko na hindi na pala ako doon sa apartment nakatira.

And somehow, that relief washed over me, knowing that I don't have to deal with the catcalls, the disgusting comments, and the looks of men whenever I passed by them--especially Tony. That son of a bitch, he's definitely hiding, which scares me knowing that he's out there.

Nang makatulog muli ako ay hindi ko na napaniginipan pa si Tony at kung ano ang nangyari, but it was another dream about my mother...just lurking around, hindi na kasing sama ng dati, dahil siguro ay hindi na ako magisa. Creed provides that feeling of security because I knew that he wouldn't let anything happen to me. And that thought right there makes me feel warm in my chest.

My brain processed what happened with Tony because I had to. I still have big fat childhood trauma to process. And maybe, what happened to me last night didn't affect me that much because it's not new anymore.

I lived all alone for six years and traumatizing things happened to me and yet I managed. Kaya hindi lang ang trauma ko ang dahilan kung bakit hindi ako makatanggap basta-basta ng tulong. It was also because I have been used to nobody helping me. I was so used to being alone that I pushed people to protect myself from further damage because I always think that people are only there because they need something from me and will eventually hurt me and leave me.

But then Creed came along. The annoyingly handsome good friend that I didn't expect to have, who offered me his home, and now stopping my hardheadedness. I glanced at him, he was silently driving. His hands were on the steering wheel. I can't help but to notice how his nails are neatly trimmed, the veins in the back of his hand, how it snaked towards his forearms.

Hindi ko maiwasang mapalunok. What the hell was wrong with me? Itinaas ko na lamang ang tingin ko sa kanyang mukha. His side profile is of course a model-like, sobrang unfair.

He clicked his tongue.

"Jillian, if you're gonna ask me about school..the answer is no..the doctor himself told us that you must rest physically and mentally for two days." He dismissed what I am about to say. It was true tho, bago ako ma-discharge ay dumaan muli si Dr. Serjo upang iemphasize na kailangan kong mag-physical at mental rest ng dalawang araw, completely. Matapos noon ay pwede na akong bumalik muli sa eskwelahan, pero hindi pa masyado sa trabaho. I don't know what I would do with that since my parent's debt wouldn't pay for itself.