𝐴𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠

14

Once they reached where Herbert's car is, he helped her get in first. "Ayan, oh here's your bag" He said as he gave her, her bag and put the flowers at the back seat before finally going into the driver's seat.

"I got my seatbelt on, so you too" Kris reminded him as soon as he got in.

"Aba, advance ka magisip ah" They laughed a bit while Herbert's putting on his seatbelt as per Kris' demand and safety meassures of course. "Okay, all set na ako. Ikaw? Okay ka na?" He asked, so Kris nodded in response.

"Yeah I'm all good na. Anyway, drive safely. Remember, ako passenger mo. So pag may nangyari sa 'tin, edi you're so lagot" She jokingly threatened him.

"Don't worry, safe ka naman sa 'kin" He smiled as he started to drive as well.

Moments passed, silent athmosphere is all they have inside. Perhaps feeling each other and thinking if who should talk first. Only music is all you can here and short glances with each other from time to time. Kris who still has this question in mind that she wanted to ask Herbert, sighed; which caught Herbert's attention instantly.

"Okay ka lang?" He asked.

"Huh? Ah yeah. Ano lang kasi. Something's kind of bothering me lang"

"May I know kung ano yun? I don't know if tama ako or mali, but is it your question a while ago sa dressing room mo? Ano ba kasi yun? Who knows, baka nga masagot ko"

Kris looked at him and nodded. "Baka kasi hindi mo rin sagutin so edi I'll be left hanging rin. Wag na lang"

"Come on, I'll try my best to answer. Para na rin hindi ka na problematic dyan habang nakatingin sa bintana" he chuckled.

"Sure kang pwede?" Kris asked once again for reassurance, so Herbert nodded as a response. "Okay since you nodded, I guess that means yes... I'm just wondering kasi. Why now? I mean, why just now?" She asked.

Herbert gave her a slight confused look, obviously having a hard time processing her question that was out of context. "Sorry, medyo confused ako sa question mo. What do you mean? Pwedeng paki explain pa further yung context ng question mo?"

"Oh okay. Sabagay, my question has no context nga naman so understood. Ano. What I mean is, several years has passed already pero bakit ngayon mo lang naisip to come back? Like, a lot has happened already eh" Kris asked as she glanced at Herbert for a while.

It took some time for Herbert to respond but before that, he sighed. "Eh diba you kept on pushing me away. Tsaka isa pa, you ran away from me, remember?" He answered seriously with a hint of sadness in his voice, just looking on the road and didn't even thought of glancing at Kris.

Kris who got caught in the act somehow fell silent for a while. "Uhm, okay" She answered since she got lost of words.

"But I do understand your reason kung bakit ganon. Deserve ko naman nga ata. Tanga ko eh" He chuckled, trying to atleast lighten up the mood.

Kris on the other hand, just nodded and looked at the window again. Somehow it made her remember things that had happened in the past. The pain that still felt like it happened yesterday. She can't just easily forget about it, she said in her mind. Thinking about it alone, makes her want to vent all the anger out to Herbert, but the other side of her tells her no. She also wanted to reject Herbert, but again the other side of her thought, why not try and maybe they can work things out. She's uncertain but there's also a reason why she entertained him. To know the answers to her "questions". Questions that has been bothering her for years. But she doesn't want to ask it all in one sitting. She wanted to take things slowly. And perhaps when she got her answers, maybe, maybe from there she could decide what to happen between them. But for now, she's enjoying things. She'll admit, she missed him, everything about him that is also why she can't just say no to him. She wanted to, but she just can't afford to. There's also a lot of reason for her to take advantage of the situation. To settle things there and then.