HEAVEN BY YOUR SIDE

Chapter 15

The whole household was in chaos when Avalon stepped out of her room. Maids go there and there. Avalon can feel their nervousness, hands are shaking, lips were trembling and their faces were all pale.

She let her curiosity take her whole being as she followed the maids and it bring her on the living room, if that deserves to be called like that. It was wide, lots of sofas, dining table, ottoman chairs, side tables, lamp, chandelier, plants and decorations. Not a typical living room.

Then there he sits, in one of the single sofa facing men who sits on those long sofas. She can clearly see that Baxter is rampant and she doesn't have any idea why he's like that. She tried ransacking her mind but no answer was found.

She jumped in shock as she heard him talk loudly and he's so furious yet it doesn't scares her. "There's a mole in this fucking mansion!"  Oh, so this is a mansion? My bad, I thought this is just a normal huge house with lots of maids.

Nagkatinginan lahat ng naroon habang ang isa naman, tumingala sa kanya at ngumiti ng maliit. Naalala n'ya ang mukha nito at kung saan n'ya nakita. Sa mall noong kasama nila si Summer.

"Karter, you're the next man being respected after Gregory, my assistant." Avalon started reading between the lines so that she can understand even if she had no idea what they were talking about.

"Do you have any idea who the mole is?" Baxter chafed his teeth as he control his anger that is about to blow off.

"Wala po akong ideya, isa pa ay maling magparatang lalo na kung walang katunayan."

Biglang tumingin sa gawi niya si Baxter. Hindi kagaya ng kanina, kalmado na ito. Lumingon ito sa mga tauhan nito, "meeting adjourned."
Tumayo ito at naglakad palapit sa kaniya.

"Wanna go for a ride?" Nagulat si Avalon sa biglaang pagbabago ng ugali ng kausap. Kanina lamang ay kaya nitong kumain ng tao pero ngayon ay mas maamo pa ito sa maamong tupa!

"Anong nangyayari kanina? Bakit ka sumigaw?" Umiling lang si Baxter at iginiya s'ya ni Baxter pabalik sa kwarto niya.

"Huwag mo na lang pansinin iyon, wala lang iyon." Hindi na kumibo si Avalon. Nasaksihan niya kung gaano kagalit si Baxter kanina at hindi niya na ginusto pang magtanong.

Akmang bubuksan na ni Avalon ang pinto nang may tumusok sa balat niya. Agad siya nakaramdam ng hilo at natumba.

~•~

There he sat on his swivel chair on his office as his assistant sitting across him. "Already know who's that fucktard?"

Umiling si Gregory, "paano mo ba nasabi na may traydor?"

Inilabas ni Baxter ang phone n'ya at pinakita ang text message galing kay Kayden saying, 'Don't you dare touch her. '

Tumingin si Gregory Kay Baxter, "paano niya nalaman? Naging maingat naman tayo."

"Malakas ang kutob ko na may nagsabi sa kaniya. We've been very careful so I'm sure there's a mole in here and everyone's a suspect." He received that text message last night and it keeps him awake all night thinking who's the culprit.

The darkness of the night faded as soon as the sun came out. The same time as Avalon's eyes cracked open. Kaagad na kumulo ang tiyan niya pagkaupo.

Dahan-dahan niyang binuksan ang pinto at naglakad ng walang ingay papunta sa kusina. Sa tagal niyang nag-stay rito, nakabisado niya na ang daan papunta sa kusina na kinakailangan lumiko ng siyam na beses para marating ito.

As she reached the fifth turning point, a slightly opened door has a light peeking through the gap. Curiosity immediately sipped through every fibers of her body and there's no way she can stop it.

"I've read the contract, lahat ay pabor sa kanya. Is that your way of getting her?"

Avalon heard something clicked but that doesn't matter to her. She needs to feed her curiosity by eavesdropping.

"Yeah, she'll be gone some other time." Kaagad na naguluhan si Avalon sa narinig, "she'll be carrying my heir, she'll give birth and then boom! Burnt into ashes."

And that's it? That's the fucking reason why that contract was in my favor! Pambihira kagigising ko lang!

She was about to leave and end her eavesdropping but she accidentally run into a vase making a loud sound. The little light peeking through the gap became wider and followed by a dangerous voice.

"Kanina ka pa?"

It was her stomach who answered by a  wamble making his eyes drop from her eyes to her stomach. "Oh, you must be hungry."

Ay hindi. Narinig mo na ngang tumunog eh.

Hinatid siya nito sa kusina at sinabayan kumain. Hindi pa rin maalis sa isip niya ang mga narinig pero wala siyang nararamdaman na kahit na anong pagtutol ng isip niya dito.

"May pupuntahan ako mamaya, gusto mo sumama?"

"Sige, sama ako." Tutal naman ay maglalaho ako sa huli, hindi ako papayag na siya lang ang may makuha.

"Do you know how to drive motorcycle?"

Avalon swallowed her food as she looked at him flatly. "No."

"You better learn how to drive one," he shrugged. "I'll teach you later. Excuse me for now." He stands up and leave her in the kitchen.

~•~

"Pull the throttle towards you and don't forget to put it back to its original place, squeezing the brakes, and lastly, may paa ka, gamitin mo yon para itukod sa lupa para hindi ka mabuwal." Baxter ride the motorcycle before her. Siniguro niya na maayos ang pagkakalagay ng lahat ng riding gears na suot ni Avalon bago siya sumakay sa motor.

"Sigurado ka na ba dito? Baka magsemplang tayo," nanlalamig ang mga kamay ni Avalon at hindi kumakalma ang tibok ng puso niya kahit nakaraming beses na siyang huminga ng malalim.

"Ano pa ang silbi ko kung hahayaan ko na mabuwal lang tayo?" Baxter clicked his tongue as he move backwards to give way for Avalon.

Nang makasakay si Avalon, bahagya siyang nakatingkayad dahil may kataasan ang motor na inilabas ni Baxter mula sa garahe. Naituro na sa kanya ni Baxter kung paano paandarin ang makina kaya ginawa niya ito.

She twisted the key and starts the engine by kicking start the engine making the motor roar as she pull the throttle. She haven't drove a motorcycle before but she always observes her father's doing while riding one and that gave her knowledge about riding motorcycles.

She squeezed the clutch that is located in the left handlebar and gently kicked the gearshift. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she pull the throttle then she slowly removed her hand clenching the clutch and let the motorcycle move.

It was hard to maintain the balance at slow speed and that makes the trajectory of the motorcycle awry.

After almost an hour of driving slowly, she decided to move into 35 km/h and it was stable. Guess I already know how to drive motorcycle.

She speeds up her driving and wind was blowing making it hard for her to hear with helmet on. She heard that Baxter spoken but she didn't understand it.

"Enjoy your remaining life to the fullest."