Nights Like This

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Cake

Gulat na gulat ako at hindi agad nakabawi. Even more so when Rex Niccolo decided to show up in front of me. Naka alalay pa rin sa akin at may bahid ng pag-aalala sa mukha.

"You're here..." I muttered in a low voice, still in disbelief.

Maingay dahil sa music festival na nagaganap kaya mas lalo siyang lumapit para marinig ako.

"How are you here? In front of me?"

He's supposed to be in Hong Kong. Or Singapore. Or I don't know, anywhere but here! This is almost impossible!

"I missed hearing your voice," he said, ignoring my questions altogether. He's close but it sounded like a whisper. I heard it loud and clear, though. Mahirap lang intindihin dahil magulo ang isip sa pinaghalong gulat at pagkamangha sa kanya.

I just got a good look at him. Rex Niccolo still exudes the serious and strict aura but his soft expression towards me tones it down a bit. He has always been in a neat haircut but now it's different. He grew his hair and it's unusually longer than his normal hair preference. At ang suot niya na ngayon ko lang napansin... Why in the hell is he in work attire? Don't tell me...

"Galing ka lang ba ng trabaho?"

"What?"

Kung iisipin ko, hindi nga iyon impossible. If he just came from a nearby country, it's not a farfetched idea.

"You just came from work," I concluded. "Right?"

A rowdy group from the crowd passed by behind me. May nakabangga pa sa akin. Not once but twice. I get that I'm a bit short when I'm not wearing tall heels but can't they see that I'm literally standing here? Mas lalo tuloy akong napalapit kay Rex Niccolo. He's almost hugging me now.

I saw how he eyed the guys who bumped me. Humingi naman ng paumanhin pero dahil may bahid ng tawa ay wala ring sense. I just don't have the time to bother myself with it because my crazily beating heart is of greater concern.

"Can we talk somewhere else?" he suggested.

Tumango ako. Gusto ko rin iyon dahil bukod sa maingay, magulo din ang mga tao sa paligid. I looked for my friends and I found them grouped on the far left side. Pare-parehong nakatingin sa aming dalawa. I signaled that I'll leave for a while and they all nodded.

Rex Niccolo held my hand as we exited the grounds section for the festival. The familiar comfort I felt was enough to make me think back on all that's happened between us. Sa paraan ng trato niya sa akin ngayon, parang walang siyang galit na nararamdaman?

Well, maybe he just hides it better? Or that it doesn't matter enough to make him lose his cool for such trivial things from our past?

He led the way until we reached a sleek black pick up car. Nasa hilera iyon ng VIP parking. It immediately dawned on me that it's not his car. Wala siyang ganito. At hindi niya rin tipo. He rarely uses the pickup car that he owns.

"It's Devin's," he answered even if I didn't voice out my question.

"He's here, too?"

"Yeah, with his girlfriend."

Oh, okay. But, what of his own car? Pinahiram pa siya ni Devin ng sasakyan?

"I went home on impulse. My family doesn't even know. Si Devin ang una kong tinawagan nang makarating. He lent me this car. Mine's stored and I couldn't really get it on such short notice," muli niyang paliwanag. I see that he can still read me. I didn't even voice out my curiosity.