In Another Life

9: That impulsive decision

Tyrese

Almost every day for 3 months since Eisley and I last messaged each other, I would dream about him. Strangely, every dream would be a continuation of the previous one. In my dreams, I loved him for a long time and despite him ignoring me and my feelings, I'd still run after him. Eventually, after all my hard work, he had developed feelings for me.

Tragic events also occurred like his mom dying and him getting extremely sick, then I got pregnant and we got married. I loved him so much. It felt so real that I would find myself in tears whenever I would wake up. It was bittersweet. 

Why and how did my brain decide to make up a story about us?

Because of my dreams and his confessions, I had been thinking about him every single day. Why was I letting my dreams affect me?

Also, I thought he liked me, but why on earth wasn't he talking to me?

I messaged him first.

Tyrese: Buhay ka pa???

He did not respond. Naalala ko tuloy yung mga panaginip ko. When I messaged him and he didn't reply, I felt like I was that girl in my dreams. In real life, I wouldn't chase him. Manigas siya!

Eisley: Yes

Tyrese: Are you sick?

Eisley: No

Tyrese: Good. You have to stay safe.

Sana talaga wala siyang sakit.

He was taking so long to reply tapos pag sumagot na siya, puro isang salita lang. Parang wala siyang ganang kausapin ako at napipilitan lang siya mag-reply. Well, I did ask him not to wait for me, so it wasn't his fault.

Eisley: I sincerely hope you're okay.

Tyrese: Can I call?

This time, he replied quickly.

Eisley: Okay

I did not expect that. I didn't even expect him to say yes since he didn't like phone calls. When he picked up, I greeted him too enthusiastically. Meanwhile, he just gave me a cold 'hi'. Nanlamig ako sa sobrang cold.

I asked him to meet me on his condo's rooftop if he wasn't busy. It took him awhile to respond, pero nag yes din naman siya. He didn't ask me why I wanted to meet him and what I was doing here. He just said yes straight away.

These past few months, I had been making impulsive decisions. I had always known what I liked and disliked, so it was easy for me to make choices.

Now, I was going to make another impulsive decision; a risky one, too. Why?

Because if Eisley agreed, I would definitely fall for him.

No doubt.

Eisley

I wasn't sure why she wanted to meet here straight away, but I agreed because I wanted to see her. When I went up the rooftop, she was already waiting for me. It was windy, so her hair was fluttering in the wind. She was leaning against the railing, looking at the sunset. She turned her head to the right; her eyes had a distant faraway look. 

She was stunning.

She turned around only to catch me staring at her. She beamed a smile and ran towards me. "Hi, Eisley boy. Have you been doing well?"

Eisley boy? I had never heard anyone calling me that, but it sounded so familiar. What kind of nickname was that? Weirdly, I did not cringe. It just made my heart skip a beat.

I could not hold myself back any longer.

I ended up wrapping my arms around her. "I've missed you." I didn't feel like talking to anyone other than her. I wanted to see her, but I did not want her to feel like I was rushing her. She should take her time. 

She wrapped her arms around my waist. She hugged me back?

"Really? Whatever, I don't believe you. You did not contact me at all. You couldn't even be bothered shooting a message." She pushed me. "Anyway, I faced my bullies and reported them."

I smiled. "Good job."

"One of them got fired because apparently, a lot of people had reported her already. Her friends got reprimanded, too." I got distracted when the wind blew in her hair and she had to brush her hair away from her face.

I looked away. "They got what they deserved."

She went really close to me and whispered into my ear, "And then... I quit my job and moved out from my parents' place. I'm currently staying here. Anong floor mo?"

I was surprised this time. She said them so quickly that my brain couldn't process the information she just gave me. I also couldn't focus because she was so close to me. "What?"

"You heard me. I live here now," she said, giving me a mischievous grin. "Anong floor mo?"

"20," I replied, still trying to sink in what was happening.

"Really?" She clapped. "Sa 19 ako. Ang lapi- oh wait, I'm too happy." She shook her head. "I can't believe myself at times, but anyway, the main reason why I wanna meet you is because of this." She handed me an envelope. "Open it."

I opened it. "Why are you giving me your resume?"

"Honestly, I've learned a lot from you when we were in Cebu. I admire your creativity. You may not be the best at verbal communication, but you express yourself really well through arts, so I really want to learn from you. So... Can I work for you?" She looked genuine. She must be serious. "I'll work my way up... no matter how difficult it gets. I don't need a special treatment. Just because you like- I mean, liked me does not mean I'll use you." 

'I still like you,' I thought.

She continued speaking, "I swear, I'll do my best. You just inspire me... that much." 

Hold on. She quit nursing, moved to a place which was really close to mine and now she wanted to apply for a job in my company? 

"I'll show you something. Let's go!" Hinila niya ako papuntang elevator. The next thing I knew, we were inside her unit. I cleared my throat.

'I'm okay. I'll be okay,' I convinced myself. What was I thinking? I was suddenly watching her lips move and her eyes shine as she talked about her love for arts. It made me smile, but it also made me want to pull her into my arms again. 

She made me sit on her couch and opened the TV, then she asked me to wait for her. She walked inside one of her rooms and took her time. She came back in the living room with a few paintings. Her paintings looked familiar. I felt like I was there. They were mostly sceneries, but I felt like I was inside her paintings. 

She then handed me a folder. "That's my portfolio. I really want to learn from you, become a real artist and own a business. Can you teach me? Can you help me achieve my dreams? Can I be your intern? Or your assistant? Or both? Please?"

"I already have a secretary, but you can be an intern for now."

I could not help but agreed not because I liked her but because she was special and had so much potential.