Safe In His Heart

01

Tumikhim ako nang makasakay sa backseat. Sa sobrang bagal kong magsarado ng pinto ay mas lalo lang akong kinabahan. I bit the inside of my cheeks.

Nanginginig pa ang kamay ko nang bitawan ang handle. This is crazy.

"Wala ka na pong naiwan, Miss?" ang driver.

I only shook my head at sumiksik na ko sa tabi ng pinto. Halos sa bintana na lang ako nakaharap para lang 'di ko makita at di ako makita ng nasa harap. Gosh. Para kang tanga, Hemi!

I was praying inside my head na sana sobrang bilis lang ng byahe. Mabilis naman talaga pero sana mas bumilis pa, 'di ba?!

Napabuntong hininga ako ng huminto na ang sasakyan sa parking lot ng school. I shrieked when the door suddenly opened before I even got to open it!

Mabuti na lang at bago ko malaglag ay nasalo ko ni Jorgi! He carried me down our SUV while Grethos is laughing behind him as he hold the door.

"Nasisiraan ka na ba ng ulo?! Why did you do that?!" I grimaced.

He continued laughing. "Well, you didn't pay for the bills last friday. The loser will pay according to you."

Umirap ako at kinuha sa loob ng bag ang wallet. I was about to throw it at him when a guy suddenly approached us.

"Hemi? I was messaging you but you weren't answering," his brows furrowed as he looked at my two cousins. Pero mas masama ang tingin niya kay Jorgi na nakahawak sakin. "Sino sila? I thought you like me?"

"Huh? They're my cousins," kumunot ang noo ko.

He looked kinda relieved at what I said. "Good to know. I thought for a second na baka pinagpalit mo na ko."

Jorgi elbowed me. "Who's he?"

"I don't know." I whispered. "Probably some guy na I met sa random bar?"

"Before you start getting relieved, you should ask her first if she knows you, man." Grethos chuckled as he closed the door of our SUV.

Agad ko siyang tinignan ng masama. Sa mga oras na ganito talaga, wala akong maaasahan na matino kay Grethos! I so wanted to strangle him!

"Miss Hansel, maiwan ko na po kayo ni Sir Santi," I heard my driver said before our SUV left.

At the mention of his name, agad akong lumigon-lingon dahil saglit kong nakalimutan na kasama ko siya. I immediately saw him standing at the other side of the way. Nakapamulsa at gwapong-gwapo na seryosong nakatingin.

I pursed my lips.

"Hemi?" I immediately tore my eyes off of Santi.

"Huh?"

Humalakhak si Grethos at inakbayan ang lalaking hindi namin kilala.

"Man, she doesn't know you. She doesn't even remember meeting you," tumatawa pa din si Grethos at tinapik-tapik pa ang balikat ng lalaki.

The guy's expression changed. "But you gave me your number."

"Probably not her real number." Grethos was laughing like a fool.

I don't like this. He'll just make this situation complicated. Even if it's rude, I told them that we should go.

"Sorry, man. You're just not enough to take her attention... or someone already got it," I caught him looking back at someone.

I hissed and walked faster.

"Wait! Don't you really remember me? I'm Lilo, you said you like me!" humabol ito samin.