Chasing Rogue

Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen:
The Mission's buried past

PAST

third person perspective

"Uy Archer, yun yung nililigawan mo diba? Si Heiress ba yun? Bakit kasama niya yun?" Sabi ng isang binata kay Archer habang nag e-ensayo sila ng Basketball, agad naman netong tinuro ang dalawang nag lalakad malapit sa kanila.

Napa-igting ang bagang ni Archer sa nakita. Si Heiress at ang binatang si Rogue ay masayang mag-kasama habang nag lalakad padaan ng basketball court.

"Hayaan mo, ayaw naman ni Heiress diyan. Tsaka isa pa, malapit ko na siya mapa-sagot." Segunda ni Archer habang naka tingin parin sa dalawa.

"Eh mukhang close na close na nga yung dalawa eh. Baka maunahan ka pa mapa-Oo niyang si Rogue pag-dating kay Heiress." Biro ng Lalaki kay Archer.

Agad namang nag init ang ulo ng binata at hinila ang suot netong basketball jersey. Nag tama ang mga mata ng dalawang binata at nagka-alitan. "Puwede ba, Jacob? Naririnig mo ba sinasabi mo? Saakin lang si Heiress!" Pang du-duro ni Archer sa kaibigan.

"Chill bro, joke lang naman." Mahinang tawa ng binata habang inaayos ang damit neto.

"Puwes, hindi magandang biro yun." Matalim na sabi ni Archer at hinagis dito ang bola.

"Diyan ka na nga, mukhang mainit na naman ulo mo eh, bukas nalang ulit." Sabi ng binata at tuluyan na siyang iniwan mag-isa.

—

"Hi, Archer!" Bati ni Heiress sa binatang si Archer habang papalapit siya rito. "Oh, bakit naka-simangot ka na naman? Di pa naman simula ng basketball season diba? Mukha ka na agad natalo." Biro ng dalaga.

Bigla namang hinila ng binata si Heiress at hinawakan ito ng mahigpit sa baba. "Sabihin mo nga sakin, Heiress. May gusto ka na ba sa Rogue na yon?" Prankang tanong nito.

Gulat na napa-tingin si Heiress sa binata, "Archer bitawan mo ko, ang sakit ng ginagawa mo. Tsaka ano ka ba? Partner ko lang si Rogue sa Chemistry project ko!" Inis na sagot ni Heiress.

"Siguraduhin mo lang." Sabi ng binata.

"Alam mo wala pa ngang tayo ganiyan ka na sakin. Bakit ba napaka seloso mo? At kay Rogue pa talaga, wala namang ginagawa sayo yung tao." Umirap ang dalaga dito.

"Simula ngayon ayokong dumidikit-dikit ka sa Rogue na yon, baka isipin ng mga tao na yun ang boyfriend mo." Pagalit ni Archer.

"At anong karapatan mong sabihin sakin yan, Archer? Sino ka ba? Hindi naman kita boyfriend pa. Alam mo napaka-laking red flag niyang ginagawa mo, ayaw na kitang sagutin, diyan ka na." Galit na umalis si Heiress sa tabi ng binata.

"Heiress! Bumalik ka dito! Heiress!" Galit na sigaw ng binata at hindi nagawang habulin ang dalaga.

PRESENT

Rogue

"Go ahead, explain yourself." Sapphire urges as we were getting ready for bed.

I swallowed a lump in my throat, I didn't know where to start. "Rogue? I thought you were going to explain yourself?" She raises her brow.

"I don't know where to start, honestly." I chuckle as if I said some funny joke.

"Well..there's always a beginning to everything."

"You're right." I sighed and plopped on the bed beside her, "It all started when my dad died when I was around the age of 17. When he passed away everything got messed up, especially our.." I trailed and stared into her eyes.

"Your what?" She blinks.

"I don't want you to be scared or anything but, our family..it has uh, a Mafia business." I looked down, not knowing if I should feel ashamed.

"A Mafia business? That's still a thing?" She laughs. "I've only heard of that in the movies."

"Well, our family has been running one for years, it's a legacy, it's what we're known for in the underground world. Being business men is just a front." I explain. "Hence the reason why I pretended to be Beau Vega." I bitterly smiled.

"Why did you need to pretend to be your brother?" She curiously asks.

"Because he needed to take over the Mafia business and no one can ever find out about it so my Mom took advantage of the fact that we look alike. I needed to protect my brother and our family." I pursed my lips, I have no idea why I was starting to feel a little sad.

"And that's why you had to forget your own identity?" Her eyes screamed pity towards me and I was becoming even more vulnerable.

"I guess." I bitterly laugh. "Hindi pa ako fully nakaka-recover nuon nung namatay si Papa, I was in an accident. A few months later, he died tapos sabi ni Mom I needed to go to United States for an Ivy League University so I could take over the family's business, so it won't be suspicious to the public eye."

"An Ivy League University? That's impressive, pero paano ka na-aksidente?"

"I was in the Chemistry Lab with my then girlfriend, and I wasn't sure what happened but the entire room suddenly blew up and my girlfriend..sh—she died." I tried blinking my tears away. This was my first time opening up about Heiress to someone other than my family.

"S-She died?" Sapphire stammered and I nodded.

"She was my first love too, it sucked, I was extremely depressed during that year, luckily therapists were a thing in the US so I got the help I needed, the pain was still there of course but it didn't hurt so much anymore." I truthfully confessed.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, Rogue." She sadly smiles and rubs my back.

"Thank you, Sapphire." I brush her hair and smiled.

"For what exactly?" She innocently smiles.

"For all that you do, for forgiving me and most importantly; bringing out Rogue Vega." I truthfully say as I looked into her eyes.

"There's no need to be cheesy, everyone deserves a second chance. And I'm glad I was able to bring out the real you." She yawns.

I moved down the bed so I could come in contact with her growing belly, I softly planted kisses and murmured the sweetest words. "You're going to be one lucky child to have Sapphire as your Mom, little Raisin." I grinned and looked up to Sapphire. Her eyes glimmered with pure joy.

"That tickles!" She laughs. "Rogue, tama na nakikiliti na ako."

I didn't listen and planted even more kisses on her stomach. "Hey, when is your next appointment with the OB?"

"Next week."

"We have to get back to Manila by Sunday then. But before that, I want you to meet the rest of the Vega clan and see what we're all about."

              Chasing  Rogue |•| katemariedolan