SANTANA (SISON IN LOVE #1)

CHAPTER XXXVI

THE sun was setting and she couldn't sit still.

Nasa parking siya ngayon ng campus nila, contemplating whether to go and get it over with or just drive off.

Kagabi, she cowardly texted Eli kung may training ba sila because she can't muster enough courage to text Eli's older brother. Hiyang hiya pa din siya, but she wanted to apologize in person. It didn't help that Eli keeps on teasing her about it.

When she woke up earlier to drive her siblings to school, everything came back to her vividly. She remembered everything she did nung nalasing siya and ever since then she was blushing from head-to-toe.

Kahit si Kidlat ay napansing namumula siya at tinanong nito kung may sakit ba siya. She shrugged it off as if naiinitan lang siya kahit naka-shorts lang siya and the aircon inside her car was cold enough for the twins to wear their varsity hoodies.

She rested her head on the steering wheel with a soft thud. The sun's warm rays was touching her cheeks. A nice calm contrast on the storm brewing inside her. She closed her eyes and groaned softly. Normally, she would enjoy a beautiful sunset like this, but she can't even appreciate it dahil sa kaba niya.

Hindi niya maalala yung huling beses na nakaramdam siya ng ganitong hiya. She was never one to make embarrassing mistakes like this, so she never had to think about how she would deal with this kind of situation.

With great reluctance, she peeled off her seat and went out of her car bago pa man siya mawalan ng lakas ng loob.

It was still their termbreak kaya't hindi masyadong madami ang tao. Kahit sa parking ay hindi siya nahirapan mag hanap. Although, she did went around the area twice and purposely parked farther than necessary so she could buy time and prolong her agony. Which now that she thinks about it, mukhang mas okay mag park ng malapit sa gym. So she could get the hell out of there as fast as she could.

She kicked the tiny rocks along the path on the side of the gym, still buying time before heading straight to the gym. She stretched her arms up and look at the time. Less than two hours before she pick up Kidlat and the twins.

She straightened her back as she reach for the gym's door. She hesitated when she heard the muffled noise inside the gym. She suddenly remembered his teammates were also at the party.

Siguro naman ay hindi nila siya namumukhaan? San thought. She knew she was kidding herself though.

"Hindi yan mag bubukas kung tititigan mo lang, San." A voice interrupted her internal struggle. She whirled to see Carlos smirking at her.

"You know that's not how doors work, San. You gotta push the handle down to open it." Carlos said as if talking to a child while gesturing how to open the gym's door. San's thoughts immediately went back to last night about her introducing the door to her siblings. She scowled. The irony was not lost on her. It was like everything's coming back to bite her on the ass.

Carlos laughed as he saw her expression. "Come on. He's probably waiting for you." Carlos went to open the door and San exhaled loudly before heading in.

"If you're talking about Eli, then sure. He was flooding my inbox asking kung anong oras ako makakapunta." She grumbled.

The Maroons are playing so no one really paid attention to her. She did not dare to look at the court, dahil for sure, Ayrton would be playing.

Carlos laugh again nang maupo si San sa may bleachers, looking anywhere but the court. "San, I gotta leave you, may inutos lang sakin si coach kaya ako nasa labas. And by the way, you can sit on the bench."

"Go ahead! Don't mind me. And I'll have to pass on that." San replied. Carlos laughed quietly at how Santana's behaving.

Ngayon lang ata niya nakitang flustered itong si San. It was honestly refreshing and adorable.

San was busy looking at her phone dahil sa texts ni Erin when the buzzer and whistle rang around the gym—way too loud that she jumped in surprise and finally looked at the court.

They were huddling on the side where the coach was. Then, as if a cable snapping straight with tension, Santana's eyes met Ayrton. She shivered. He looked at her as if he saw right through her. She did not like it. Especially now that she remembers how things went last night, it unnerved her. She felt expose.

Even though Ayrton is the one standing there shirtless along with his four teammates.

She barely had the time to react when Jules—who was also shirtless—waved at her while calling her name loudly making everyone snap their attention towards her, even their coach—who did not look happy at an outsider inside on his gym.

She did the only thing she could think off. She ducked.

Dios mío, off all the days they could have trained with the shirt on-and-off scheme ay ngayon pang nandito siya?! She physically felt her blush creeping up to her scalp.

Hindi na siya tumunhay pa ulit mula sa pagkakayuko niya habang bini-busy ang sarili sa pag gamit ng kanyang phone. She only looked up when she saw a pair of shoes heading her way.

She looked up to see Ayrton already looking at her. "Sabi ni Eli meron ka daw sasabihin?" Sambit nito habang pinupunasan ng towel ang ulo at buhok nitong basa ng pawis.

Santana was used to seeing skin especially nasa swim team siya pero having Ayrton looking at her from where he was standing, still shirtless and all—got her blushing. She can also see a bit of his ink peeking at his side.

She stood up to ease her discomfort.

She bit her lip before offering a small shy smile. She nodded, "Yeah. I came to apologize personally."

Ayrton shrugged, "No biggie." While draping his towel on his head. San could not gauge his reaction. He eyed her hand that was touching her ear. She did not even realize she was doing it.

She put her hands at her sides, "It is to me. I'm sorry if I ever made you feel uncomfortable last night." She continued. She genuinely felt bad for him that he had to be the receiving end of her actions. He had to take care of her dahil hinahanap ni Erin nuon si Gio.

Ayrton's lip curled slightly as if remembering something from that night. He stepped a little closer to San and leaned in, "I didn't tell anyone about your secret." He said lowly, a lilt of playfulness edging his voice.

Santana flushed. She remembered blabbering about it to him and making him swear to not tell anyone. Nag pinky promise pa sila.

"When are you going to sing for me, Sison? Sabi mo sa akin, ako lang kakantahan mo." Ayrton teased. He looked as every bit of playful.

"Don't remind me. I remember everything. I'm so sorry." She pleaded at him, looking anywhere but him.

"You kept on asking me to take you to the sun." Ayrton said. San closes her eyes as embarrassment crossed her cheeks. "Araneta in the sun."

"Oh my God. Stop na." She touched her cheeks with the back of her hands as she looked everywhere but Ayrton.

She remembers it all. She kept on pestering him to take her to the sun and then some.

___________________________

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Ahhhh more than a week of not updating huhu sorry, was too busy. Dahil babawi ako, next chapter will be on Ayrton's POV ☼

Tao po HAHA sorry will try and update consistently if meron man nag babasa huhu thank you for bearing with me! ☼