Bay of Strangers (Manila Girls #2)

Kabanata 9

Kabanata 9

Lose

"What's wrong?"

River approached me. Inangat ko ang tingin sa kanya. Napaupo kasi ako rito sa may gilid ng pintuan papasok sa hall kung saan idaraos ang aming peer support group. Rinig ko na ang ingay nina Sheena pero hindi ko magawang sumilip at pumasok.

I'm torn between staying here or am I going to see Atticus. We have an important discussion in the group tonight, but it seems that Atticus is going to tell me something important too. I know him too well, he'll immediately tell me right away if it's not important or if it's only triviayand simple. But in this one, I felt that there's something wrong... I felt that I need to go see him.

"My brother needs me." I sighed. Nilahad ni River ang kamay niya. Umawang sandali ang mga labi ko pero tinanggap na rin iyon. Marahan kong nilapat ang kamay ko sa palad niya. His palm is rough and calloused. Something about it represented the big difference between us. Something touched my hallow stomach—as if it knows that my lightness and vulnerability cannot match his roughness and trouble. But still, it affected me in a way that I wanted to try...

Ngumiti siya. "May kapatid ka pala?"

"Oo... Mas matanda sa akin."

"And he needs you? Seems like a younger brother to me,"

"Tss. You don't know Atticus, River."

"Atticus, huh?" He said, smirking. Completely ignoring what I just said.

"Yeah..."

"Puntahan mo na. Magpaalam ka sa kanila," Bumaling siya sa hall.

"Yeah, I should."

"At puwede rin kitang ihatid."

Natigilan ako at napatingin sa kanya. His eyes are like a window to a summer house somewhere in the North. It's calm, passionate, and endearing that it contradicted what it made me feel. For some reason my heart felt like it's about to jump. The hallowness in my stomach felt like it's slowly weaving a war inside me. The crimson that runs deep in my bloodstream went up to my throat, my neck and my cheeks—for sure I'm as red as a cherry.

Slowly, my heart started to be at ease. I looked away and tried calming myself as I walk towards the group. I felt River following me—totally silent.

At ano? Ihahatid niya ako? Bakit? Bakit niya ako ihahatid? Is he my driver? Hindi naman, diba?

But the thought excites me...

I bit my strawberry-tainted lips and brushed my long, slender fingers on the strands of my hair falling to the side of my face. My cheeks flushed profusely again and my heart started to play another rhythm that I am unfamiliar with.

Kinikilig ba ako?

I told the group I have some emergency. Hindi ko na pinaliwanag sa kanila dahil hindi naman nila kailangang malaman ang detalye. It's just out of courtesy and respect.

"Sasamahan ko rin si Lei," River announced even though I haven't accepted his offer.

I'm sure Manong Epi is here, right? Kaso kapag alam niya kasing may peer support group ako, alas siyete pasado pa iyon pumupunta.

Napatingin ako kay River na ngumiti sa akin. Rinig ko ang kunyaring pagmamaktol nina Sheena, at pang-aasar nila na baka mag d-date lang daw kami.

Mas lalo tuloy akong namula na kinailangan kong agad magpaalam sa kanila dahil

"Sayang ma-mimiss mo ang discussion..." Saad ko habang naglalakad kami pababa.

"Ayos lang."

"I can take a cab, you know..."