SANTANA (SISON IN LOVE #1)

CHAPTER XLII

A week has passed after that game and since then Santana avoided Ayrton like the plague.

After realizing she's having feelings for Ayrton, Santana busied herself. Not that she needed to, her schedule was packed. Between her thesis, commissions, and occasional calls from the family's lawyers—which puzzled her to no end–she didn't even have the time to eat, much less ruminate about her infatuation towards Ayrton.

Before it deepens anyway.

It terrified her how much he affected her and how much she got used to him being by her side. And how she terribly misses his presence. Snap out of it, Santana. Not your priority. She scolded herself.

After making sure he wasn't hurt nor injured because of the hard fall, she avoided him. Although, one of them didn't go home that night unscathed from falling.

And she chose to nurse her damage by keeping him at arms length and by evasion.

It did help that she lost her phone. It worked perfectly for her advantage and for that same reason ay hindi muna siya bumili ng phone. Emergency calls would immediately be transferred to their lola's house and their parents' lawyers, while commissions goes straight to her emails.

Slowly, Ayrton and her...grew apart. Busy ito sa basketball niya at busy naman siya sa buhay niya. Everything worked out pretty well in her opinion. Hindi na din niya masyadong nakikita sila Eli dahil intensive na yung training since second round na sa UAAP. She does eat sometimes with Erin and Gio pero sobrang busy na din nitong mga ito kaya't minsan nalang sila nagh-hang out.

Kidlat and the twins are worried more than ever. Especially after they had witnessed her panic attack. They noticed her being distant and distracted. It's to the point where they had to call Claude dahil sa pag-alala. That's where Santana found his brother, arms crossed and glaring at her from her bedroom door.

"You're so stubborn." Claude's voice hardened, umigting din ang mga bagang nito.

"Claude, I'm fine. I'll take Kidlat and the twins tomorrow for your game. I can't stay though, marami akong ginagawa." Sabi ni Santana habang nag-aayos ng mga paintbrush nito, hindi ito tumitingin kay Claude. Pinapagalitan kasi nito si San pagkadating nito dahil hindi nanaman sumabay sa pagkain ng dinner.

"Break na ba kayo nung Araneta? Ano bang nangyari? Pumayat ka na and you look like you haven't slept for days." Inis na na puna ni Claude. King called him earlier—crying because of how San was behaving and how worried they were.

At the mention of his name, her stomach clenched. "Wala okay?" She whirled around to face him. "I'm just stressed out dahil sa thesis and commissions. Yun lang. Stop worrying too much." Her tone was almost desperate which rang the alarm bells for Claude.

Something was bothering her and it was more than school and her art.

"Liar." He pinned her with a look that says he knew she was hiding something.

Natahimik ang magkapatid. Nagtitigan lang itong dalawa, waiting for someone to back down.

Santana was the one who averted her gaze and decided to beat the silence, "I'm—I'll promise I'll sort it out. Please. Just let it go." She almost pleaded. She looked so vulnerable and defeated just then that Claude went rigid. His eyes blazed as he stared at his sister. She backed down? He thought. What the fuck is going on? He remained silent though.

San was literally their family's Sun. They all gravitated towards her and she was their middle ground. Everything they've accomplished right now after their parents passed was because of Santana. Claude remembered how much she's changed after realizing she had to care for four little siblings.