Melting Me Softly (Sanford Series #5) [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 3

SABRINA was disturbed from her reminiscence when she felt someone moved beside her. She looked up at the thing that was blocking the heavy rain from hitting her body. It was an umbrella, a yellow one.

Seconds after she sat on the bench near the Narra tree, the heavy pour of rain started to fall, but she did not bother to run to shade. She let the rain embrace her while she was looking back at the past.

She looked at the man who disturbed her and made her expression colder when their eyes met. She won't let him break the defenses she built for the past years.

She was fifteen when she first met him. Even though she was beaten by her father that night, she still slept peacefully because she kept on thinking of Apollo before going to bed. She was a fool, a naïve teenager who admired the boy that saved the poor dog.

Looking at him now, all she could feel was hatred. She can't forget the things he had done to her, and probably she can't forgive him.

"Did you follow me here?" she asked indifferently and rose from the bench. She looked at him as cold as the raindrops.

He stared at her face for a couple of minutes, she did not shy away and met his eyes bravely. He was the first one who gave up on their staring match and sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry, Sab..." he muttered meaningfully. "I didn't mean—"

Hindi na niya ito pinatapos sa pagsasalita at mabilis na pumihit upang makaalis sa harapan nito. Ngunit dalawang hakbang lang ang kanyang nagawa dahil hinawakan siya nito sa braso.

Bago pa siya makahuma ay inilagay na nito ang payong sa kanyang kamay at tumalikod upang umalis. Hindi nito alintana ang malakas na ulan na bumabasa rito.

Naikuyom niya ang kamao habang nakatitig sa papalayong likuran ni Apollo. Binitawan niya ang payong na ibinigay nito, hindi niya kailangan iyon. Basa na rin naman siya ng ulan at hindi siya tatanggap ng mga bagay mula rito.

Paglabas niya ng gate ay hindi niya pinansin ang guwardiyang nagbabantay roon at tuloy-tuloy na pumasok sa loob ng kanyang kotse. Pinaarangkada niya ang sasakyan patungo sa kanyang bahay dahil nakakaramdam na siya ng panlalamig. Hindi siya puwedeng magkasakit.

Malakas pa rin ang ulan nang makauwi siya. Mabilis siyang naligo at nagpalit ng damit. Kapagkuwan ay bumaba patungo sa kusina at naghanap ng makakain. Ngunit walang laman ang kanyang refrigerator na puwede niyang kainin kaya dinampot niya ang bote ng wine na nasa cupboard. Binuksan niya at nagsalin sa isang kopita at tinungga.

Dinala niya iyon sa sala, inilapag ang bote sa center table at sumalampak ng upo sa mahabang sofa. Tiningnan niya ang cellphone na nasa lamesa at nakitang alas-otso na ng gabi.

Tanging ang malakas na tunog ng ulan sa labas ang tangi niyang naririnig bukod sa kanyang paghinga. Inilibot niya ang paningin sa kabuuan ng kanyang bahay kasabay nang pagdala sa bibig ng kopita.

Her house looked so bare and melancholic. There's nothing a single photo hung on the wall or the shelves. She doesn't have flowers or any decorations. She only had her sofas, the center table and a big television in her living room.

Sabrina was living alone and she was a minimalist. And besides, everything was comfortable for her.

Her thoughts were disturbed when she heard a knock on the door. She frowned, she doesn't expect a visitor at this hour and weather, and she did not call for a delivery.

She was greeted by her neighbor when she opened the door. Then her eyes settled on the food container she was holding.

"Come in." She had no choice but to let the woman in. Her neighbor was getting wet despite that she was holding an umbrella.