NOT A RIVALRY

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

ON THE way home silence envelope between Naih and Elijah, it was just the two of them and Naih couldn't stand the silent atmosphere but she doesn't have a conversation to open for them to talk to. Until Elijah himself broke the silence.

"Babe, gaano kayo ka close kay Kyng? I mean... I know Vitale and Montreal are in good terms when it comes to business, I just don't know how you guys treat each other."

Napabuntong hininga si Naih at isinandal ang likod sa upuan ng sasakyan. Ayaw niyang nagkukwento patungkol sa kanila at kay Kyng dahil pinapaalala lang sa kanya na hindi na sila katulad nang dati, pero wala namang mawawala kung sasagutin niya ang tanong ng boyfriend.

"We're closed, closed enough to treat him like our own brother and so as him to us, he treated me and Naia like his little sisters. Si Kuya Noah lang naman ang hindi niya makasundo, kung nandiyan siya wala si Kuya, kung nandiyan si Kuya siya naman ang wala. Kung meron mang pagkakataong na magkasama sila sa iisang lugar iyon ay dahil sa kagustuhan ng mga magulang namin. But even though they're like that— Kuya Ezra, me and Naia are in good terms with him so as the rest of his siblings but shit happened. The Kuya Kyng now is no longer the Kuya Kyng we used to know." Mahabang pagkukwento niya.

Panandaliang napatingin sa kanya si Elijah kapagkuwan binalik din ang atensyon sa daan. "May I know what happened?" He asked out of curiosity.

Naih bit her lower lip and afterward it was replaced by a sad smile. She look down and started to play with her fingers. "This isn't a secret though, but I hope whatever words comes out from my mouth tonight, mananatiling sa atin nalang iyon. Ayokong pinag-uusapan ito, sasabihin ko sayo ito kasi may tiwala ako sayo and I hope you won't disappoint me, Babe."

Sunod-sunod na tumango si Elijah, ayos lang naman sa kanya kahit hindi na magkuwento si Naih, naiintidihan niya. They're not just talking about themselves, they're talking about someone's life. It may not be like that but Elijah feels like he's invading someone's privacy.

Napabuntong hininga si Naih at sinimulang magkuwento. "It was more than eight or nine years ago, he lost his sister to a car accident and it was him— the underage him— who drove the car. No one blamed him but it was him who blamed himself for her death. He's blaming himself when he did nothing, he too was just a victim." Hindi na napigilan ni Naih ang pagpatak ng luha habang nagkukwento, palagi naman ganito kaya ayaw na ayaw niyang nagkukwento. "They were running for their lives... they were running from their kidnappers. Mahigit dalawang linggo silang nasa kamay ng kidnappers and God knows what happened to them during that time. Nang magising siya matapos ang aksidente, ayaw magkuwento ni Kuya Kyng kung ano ang nangyari sa kanila habang nasa poder ng mga kidnappers, basta isang araw ayaw na niyang lumalapit kami sa kanya, maging sina Brianna at ang nakababatang kapatid niyang babae ay hindi rin makalapit sa kanya.

"Then he was consulted to a specialist, it was said that he's suffering from multiple trauma and was diagnosed with PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder. The accident and trauma cause him to became sensitive to loud noises, and the lost of his sister— Queen Calina Vitale— made him think that every girls that he cherish around him would ended like Ate Calina if they get close to him, he think that he'll dragged them into their own grave. So he did what he think is the best for him and for us, he distance himself away from us, he live on his own."

Pinahid ni Naih ang basang pisngi dahil sa luha at malungkot na napangiti, kahit gusto niyang bumalik sa dati ang relasyon nila parang imposible pa sa ngayon, mangyayari lang iyon kapag tuluyan ng gumaling ang Kuya Kyng nila.

Elijah cleared his throat, wala siyang alam na may ganoon nangyari sa pamilya ng Vitale. Ang alam niya lang ay namatayan ang mga ito ng panganay na anak na babae. "How come the kidnapping incident didn't reached the media? wala akong narinig na balita patungkol sa insidenteng iyon." Kunot noong tanong niya, imposibleng hindi makakaabot sa media ang ganoon klaseng balita. They are a well known family after all.