I Will Take Hold of You

Chapter Sixteen

The days continue to pass without any change in their relationship with Paolo. And gradually Isa also forgot what she was thinking. He is happy with it. Happiness he did not feel in the company of Thomas.

"Juana, I'm the one who will deliver these flowers to Donya Josefina. Anyway, her house is in Polo. I'll just take a tartanilla and from there I'll continue home," she said while carefully placing the flowers in the box.

"It's only one o'clock. What if Paolo picks you up? What can I say?"

"I'll be home ahead of time. I'll catch up with him..."

Arriving at the Polo, the girl did not let the tartanilla go and after a few minutes she was riding it home. She made the tartanilla go past their house and into Paolo's shop.

The girl paid for the tartanilla and entered the shop. She wasn't sure if the young man was still here or if he was at home and preparing to pick her up.

"Excuse me..." she said to the man bent under a cart.

The man raised his face and when he recognized her he smiled. The girl retaliated. Are all Paolo's mechanics as handsome as this one?

"Is Paolo there or at their house?"      

"Miss de Leon, they are there. Mang Pedro and Marga," answered the man. The girl thanked and continued inside. The door was open and she entered. Like when she first went there, no one was in the front room but she could hear someone talking in the next room. She was about to knock on the slightly ajar door when she heard the voice of one of those inside rise.

"Why do you have to rush into marriage? You're still young?" from that voice, the girl deduced that it was Paolo's father who was speaking.

"That's what we agreed on, isn't it Paolo?" Marga's voice.

"Did you decide this, Paolo, before you even told me?"

"Marga and I talked about that, Dad..." Paolo said to his father.

Isa did not know how she got out of the room and went home. Her whole body was numb from what she heard. Paolo will marry another woman while she seems madly in love with him!

In her room, the girls brought out everything, her tears still flowing. If she hadn't come home early, she wouldn't have discovered that he was cheating and just playing with her.

She was punching her pillows in anger. What Thomas had said the last time they talked came into her mind.

"And what kind of man is Paolo who would try to get into you when he knows you're my girlfriend? Except maybe because he knows you're an easy lay...!"

The girl was shocked. Does Paolo think so? And whimpered again when she was thrown back by a soft knock. She quickly straightened herself up and opened the door to her room.

"P-Papa..."

"Alicia said you're here... why are you looking like that? Did you cry?" asked her father one after the other.

"I-I don't, Pa. I just have a headache. I'm having a migraine. And Pa, please, if anyone is looking for me... anyone, please say I have a headache. I don't want to talk to anyone, Papa. .."

Nicholas looked at her suspiciously. "By anyone you mean Paolo, is that so? Are you angry, Isa?"

"No, I really don't want to face anyone. I have a headache... I have a cold... and I think I'll miss supper. I just want to rest..."

Without moving, Nicholas turned around and looked at her again before he went down completely. The girl closed the door and lay down again and cried until her tears ran out.

She was just staring at the ceiling and thinking about the events of her life. To the two men, she was associated with. Oh, I hate all of you! You guys! Her mind screamed. Thomas is unreasonable jealous, possessive, and has violent tendencies. Paolo... Paolo played with her love.

And maybe, that's why he keeps himself from going beyond what is necessary because of his relationship with her father.

It was half past eight on their big watch when he heard Paolo's car parking in front of their house. Her chest suddenly heaved when she heard the car door slam. A few moments later she heard the operation of the car.

"I hate you, Paolo dela Cruz! I hate you!"

Early the next day the young woman was already dressed. She will not waste her tears and time on a worthless man. She thought it was her fault that Paolo played with her. She couldn't control her attraction to it. If Juana noticed her feelings towards Paolo from the beginning, so is Paolo. And he took advantage of her dumbness!

That man's ego was probably boosted because she wasn't even sad about his breakup with Thomas. And that because of him, Thomas left her and she traded Thomas to him.

The girl took a deep breath. There is still the heartache and pride that will probably take a long time before she can recover. She shrugged and looked at herself in the mirror. Who really said 'It is better to love and lost than not to have loved at all? She doesn't know who wrote that famous line. And she was right! At least she knows how to fall in love... to have color around her... And next time, if there is a next time, she will be careful in choosing the one to love. She will avoid the man who can melt even the hardest stone if he stares.

She'll get by. She said it was high time and then came down the stairs. Nicholas had just come from running and was still sweating.

"Hija, you're very early...!"

"I have a breakfast appointment with my customer, Pa. And don't argue because I'll have none of it. I'll bring Panyang..." there was the firmness in her voice that raised Nicholas's eyebrows. Isa kissed her father's cheek. "Bye..."

Nicholas was still staring after his daughter was gone for a long time.





At the shop, Juana was even more surprised when she came to see that it was open and Isa was already there.

"This is a surprise! Did Paolo drop you off early?"

The girl stopped making designs. "From now on, my dear friend! That man is a close book!"

The girl put her bag on the table. "Did you two fight because he didn't come here yesterday? But he didn't seem angry and even said that you two might be at odds..."

"I don't want to talk about him right now, Juana. Maybe some other time, but not now. When my chest is okay, I'll fill you in. In the meantime, I just want to get him out of my mind. So please, you all take the orders. When he's there, tell him anything as long as you don't let him in. That is if he still bothers to come here. Maybe by now, he'll thank me by avoiding him already," she continued to say to the dumbfounded Juana.