Lara heaved a sigh, as if she could remove all the nervousness she's feeling in one exhale. She fixed her hair for the nth time and stepped outside her building. There she finds a brand new-looking car, shinier than any jewelry she could wear.
Klein momentarily got off his car to open the door for Lara. Naninibago siya dahil ngayon lang naman nakita ni Lara na nakakotse si Klein.
Pagpasok nilang dalawa sa kotse ay hindi na niya napigilan ang sarili na magtanong, "Why didn't you bring your car whenever we had our dates?"
Tahimik. Naghihintay ng sagot si Lara. Hindi alam ni Klein paano sisimulang magpaliwanag.
"I try to disassociate myself from my family's wealth," he started. "That's why when I graduated, I started to live my own life like an ordinary human being. And honestly, it felt a lot better. But now that you're meeting my family, I feel like you should have a glimpse of it now before we even reach the mansion."
The mansion. He's that rich!
Mas lalong kinabahan si Lara sa paliwanag ni Klein. "Please don't leave me just yet, Lara. I really, really like you a lot."
Despite all of the emotions she's feeling, Lara gave a reassuring smile. "I'm here because I'm willing to give this a try, Klein."
Just like that, he felt a wave of relief.
* * *
As they arrived at Klein's family mansion, Lara can't help but drop her jaw. Walang-wala ang munting bahay ng pamilya niya sa mansyon nila.
Para bang biglang bumalik lahat ng kaba at takot niya nung makita niya kung gaano kagara ang mansyon na nasa harap niya. Agad na hinawakan ni Klein ang kamay niya. "Do you need a safe word?"
How could she not give him a chance when he's being this thoughtful? But all throughout the time, Janine's questions kept on bugging her.
Kakayanin ba niyang mabuhay sa mundong ito? Is he worth changing the life she has built for herself? Handa ba siyang papasukin ito sa buhay niya? Handa ba siyang pumasok sa buhay nito? Magiging masaya ba siya kapag pumasok siya sa buhay ni Klein?
Wala namang problema sa pamilya ni Klein. They were actually nice. Kahit na akala niya matapobre ang mga ito. Pero nahirapan si Lara makisabay sa usapan nila. For her, it was as if the conversation got blurred between the lines. A mashup of words like stocks, villa, private jet, penthouse, and many more got jumbled in her head.
During the entire dinner, Lara kept her mum after she introduced herself, quietly contemplating whether she made the right decision to give Klein a chance or not. Then there she had an epiphany.
The only reason why Alvin remains to be her blind spot is because he has always made her feel comfortable. Too comfortable that she never really thought of him in a romantic way. But if she would enter into a relationship with somebody, she would like to be comfortable with the love of her life. Like she's in paradise.
Not here... where she totally feels like she doesn't belong.
BINABASA MO ANG
Problems We Can't Solve (Love on Call, #2)
Roman d'amourLove on Call, #2 Problem 1: Lara is being pressured to bring a date to her cousin's upcoming wedding. For a single person like her, where would she look for a decent date she could bring to the wedding? Problem 2: Alvin can't deny that he has fallen...
