"PUYAT nanaman. Nag jogging pa kaninang madaling araw around the campus." Erin explained while smiling at Santana who didn't move an inch.
"May kasama ba siya? Feel ko nakita ko siya kanina, I just didn't think much of it." Carlos asked as Jules and him sat down.
"Yeah. Her siblings." Sagot naman ni Gio.
"Ah yung kaninang madaling araw na-nagjog? Kasabay natin nung training?" Jules asked Carlos who nodded in return.
"Huy, are you asleep?" Tanong ni Jules kay Santana. She was still facing the other direction, not moving an inch.
"Let's let her sleep nalang muna. We'll buy her food later." Erin suggested as the boys volunteered to order their food.
☼
Naalimpungatan si Santana kayat napa-bangon siya agad, she stood up so suddenly she bumped her head on the low lamp that was hanging above their table. She whimpered in pain, clutching her head.
"Jesus Christ. Are you alright?"
Napakunot si San because someone was hovering above her, trying to examine her head that was dented by the damned lamp. She caught a whiff of that person's perfume.
Armani.
She looked up to see Ayrton peering at her head. Nakakunot ang mga kilay nito habang tinititigan ang ulo ni San. She looked at their table, wala na ang dalawa niyang kaibigan.
Siya nalang at si Ayrton ang nandun.
"Are you okay?" Tanong nito sa kanya, napatingin ulit siya dito. "Do you mind if I check your head?"
San shook her head so Ayrton moved closer. Ang tangkad talaga nito, ang eye level niya eh torso nito.
"Let's get you some ice. I can feel a bump forming already." He said as his hands hovered against her head. For such a big guy, he was so gentle. Hindi kagaya ni King na ang bigat ng kamay.
She chuckled, "No need na. Hindi na masakit, nagulat lang ako. Nasan nga pala sila Erin and Gio?"
"Stay." Utos nito nang biglang umalis at pumunta sa counter.
"Ginawa pa akong aso." San grumbled as she plopped back on her chair.
After a minute or so ay bumalik na si Ayrton na may dala-dalang cup na may lamang yelo. He sat down next to Santana while she observed him.
He opened the plastic on his other hand and transferred the ice before knotting it and gently placing it against San's head.
He stared at her, she stared back.
After a few seconds he spoke and adjusted the bag of ice on her head, "Was about to go home when Jules called me and told me to meet up here because of an emergency." He sighed, catching her eyes again, "Turns out, you fell asleep here. Your friends and mine had to go to their classes and they didn't want to wake you."
"Oh my God. Nakakahiya!" Santana grabbed the bag of ice from Ayrton habang iniiwas nito ang tingin sa binata.
Ayrton leaned back on his chair while observing a smidge of pink creeping up San's cheeks.
"I find it really odd." Sambit nito na napatingin naman si Santana. His lips are tipping at the corners.
"Alin?" Kunot noong tanong ni Santana.
"How can someone with your cute height bump their head on overhead lamps." He was fully grinning now. Even his damned teeth looks good. San thought, for some reason it pissed her off even more.
"Shut up." She glared at him bago palitan ng kamay ang nakawak sa plastic at i-wisik kay Ayrton ang basa nitong kamay. In which earned a chuckle from him.
"So, kanina ka pa dito?" Santana asked as she sat back down after she ordered. Nakakahiya na nakatulog siya dito pero hindi naman siya sinita kaya't inorder na din niya si Ayrton.
He shrugged as he put away his phone, "An hour or so."
Santana's eyes widen, "Sana ginising mo 'ko! Nakakahiya!"
"It's fine. Had nothing to do." He leaned back on his chair and looked around.
"Still! Nakakahiya tas ngayon sinasamahan mo pa ako kumain." Santana mumbled and Ayrton looked back at her. She's looking at him.
"Do you want me to leave?" Ayrton asked as he stared at her.
Kumunot ang noo ni San, "What?" She looked away before saying, "Ikaw bahala."
He gave her an amused look as she still did not want to make eye contact, "Okay. I don't want to leave."
"I don't think I ever thanked you for the painting." Sambit ni Ayrton matapos tumahimik silang dalawa at nanood lamang ng mga dumadaan.
She catches his eyes, "No need! Ano ka ba, nadamay ka lang naman dun sa kalokohan na yun ni Anastasia." She chuckled.
He just hummed in response.
☼
"Kuya, libre mo ko smoothie." Pamimilit ni Eli. Nakita kasi nito ang dalawa nung dumaan siya malapit kung saan sila kumakain.
"Coffee nalang! Treat ko!" Santana offered. Kakakain lang kasi nila ni Ayrton. Hindi ni Ayrton alam na ibinili niya din ito ng food kaya't hindi na si Ayrton nakatanggi dahil nasa harapan na nila.
They were walking towards the new coffee shop na sinabi ni Erin. Eli was talking about how their dad babies Jacob.
"I'm glad they didn't shelter us much. Diba, Kuya?" Sabi ni Eli habang umupo sa outside chair ng cafe.
Hindi nito ito pinansin at humarap ito kay Santa na umuupo palamang. "Cold brew?"
Santana smiled and nodded. "I'll pay you later! Salamat!"Ayrton left to go inside and order.
"Attitude!" Eli called out to his older brother dahil hindi manlamang nito tinanong kung ano ang order niya. He rolled his eyes and stared at San.
He slowly grinned. It unnerved Santana. "Why do you look like you're up to no good?" She raised an eyebrow his way.
If anything, Eli's grin got bigger. "I'll let you in on a secret."
Santana stared at him, weirded out by the way Eli was acting. "Um...okay?"
"Kagabi, Mamá and Kuya fought. Kaya badtrip 'yan ngayon." Eli leaned back on his chair, briefly looking at Ayrton's retreating back. San scrunched her eyebrows, "Bakit?" Tanong nito.
"Kuya wanted to hang your painting sa kwarto niya but Mamá doesn't want to. They were arguing about it until Kuya had to concede dahil Papá was getting irritated na din. So he backed off." Santana did not know how to react to that.
She must've made a face because Eli chuckled. "Lighten up, San. Oh and next time you go in our house, you'll be greeted by your painting." He winked at her.
Santana was loss for words much to Eli's amusement. "I do think Kuya has a crush on you. I never saw him this invested before, much less to a woman. You know how aloof he is."
"Eli, you're making my head spin. I don't know what to say to that. Baka nagkakamali ka lang." She laughed awkwardly.
"Maybe, maybe not." He shrugged then grinned at her. "See for yourself." He playfully winked at her.
Before she could even react, dumating na si Ayrton with only two drinks on his hand.
"Hey! No fair!" Eli complained as he handed out the coffee. "Ako nag aya!"
"Bumili ka ng sayo." Ayrton said in a clipped tone.
Santana laughed at the two. "Ako nalang bibili! Caramel Macchiato?" She stood up and went inside the cafe.
If Eli didn't know any better, he'd think it's because what he said earlier. Ang bilis ng lakad ni San palayo eh, hindi pa siya nakakasagot.
At least tama yung order.
BINABASA MO ANG
SANTANA (SISON IN LOVE #1)
Romance"On any given day, the sun moves through our sky in the same way as a star. It rises somewhere along the eastern horizon and sets somewhere in the west. But as the weeks and months pass, you'll notice that the sun's motion isn't quite the same as th...
