Yours To Keep (NHU Series #1)

Chapter 13

Months had past and Aretha can't seem to move on about what happened. Her friends keep on asking if she's okay but she didn't even bothered to answer them and since then, Cloud has been always in her side.

She didn't even know what to do in her life anymore, her studies got affected by what happened, she didn't get to come in their CPAR Culmination and it affected her grades, she know it. It even got to point where her subject teachers have to talk to her because of her sudden changes. But Cloud was always by her side and always do the talking because Aretha can't seem to talk. Hindi alam ni Cloud kong nasa tamang posisyon s'ya na mag sabi ng pinag dadaanan ni Aretha pero dahil ayaw n'yang madagdagan ang pinagdadaanan ng dalaga ay s'ya na mismo ang nakiusap sa mga subject teacher nito na bigyan pa s'ya ng oras.

Since that incident, Aretha's been living her life in Cloud's condo since she can't bare to see her kuya, or even her dad, and even Loriele, she's not ready to see them yet.

"Reina kumain kana" saad ni Cloud habang nag-aalalang naka tingin kay Aretha na naka tingin lamang sa kawalan ng harden ng kanilang iskwelahan

"I don't have an appetite Cloud, please I want to be alone" mahinang saad ni Aretha na ikinabuntong hininga ni Cloud, hindi naman s'ya madaling maubusan ng pasensya pero ayaw n'ya talagang hindi ito kumakain dahil iyon ang nakakaubos ng pasensya n'ya

"Reina you have to eat. Malapit na ang final exam natin kaya kailangan may laman iyang tiyan mo para mas makapag aral ka ng maayos." malambing na saad ni Cloud na parang nag susumamo kay Aretha
"Please Reina don't do this to yourself"

"Then what am I supposed to do Cloud?" tanong ni Aretha bago lumingon kay Cloud na naka luhod sa may paanan n'ya habang nakatingin sakanya ng taimtim
"how can I move on Cloud?" nanghihinang tanong n'ya

"We'll figure it out together, okay? Now you need to eat and stop worrying me Reina." naka tingin lang si Aretha sa gwapong mukha ni Cloud

"I'm sorry" simpling saad n'ya na ikinailing ni Cloud

"You don't have to be sorry Reina. I understand you and all. Now, please eat your food and we'll study together" Aretha smiled a little at Cloud before eating the food that Cloud place on the table. Napa hinga naman ng maluwag si Cloud ng makita itong kumain. Habang si Aretha naman ay kumain nalang kahit ayaw n'ya naman talaga, iniisip n'ya kasing baka nagiging pabigat na s'ya kay Cloud

When Aretha finished her food tinulongan agad s'ya ni Cloud na mag review, si Cloud na din mismo ang gumawa ng reviewer ni Aretha, hiniram n'ya pa ang notebooks ni Sage para lang magawan ito ng reviewer

"Cloud" mahinang tawag ni Aretha kay Cloud na tinuturoan s'ya sa GenMath

"hmm?" simpling tanong ni Cloud

"You need to study too" saad ni Aretha at napatingin naman sakanya si Cloud

"I'm studying Reina" nakangiting saad ni Cloud bago ibinalik ang paningin sa reviewer ni Aretha at may sinulat doon

"No, Cloud you need to focus on your studies, you don't need to do this." madiing saad ni Aretha, kunot noong napa tingin naman sakanya si Cloud

"It’s my will to help you Reina, I'm not helping you because you need it, I'm helping you because I want to." madiing sabat din ni Cloud habang nakatingin ng seryoso kay Aretha, napa buntong hininga naman si Aretha bago hinayaan itong turuan ulit s'ya

She knows that Cloud has been busy this days, kapag nasa condo nila sila ay halos wala itong panahon kumain at busy lang sa kakagawa ng project daw nila

"Cloud?" pag tatawag n'yang muli dito

"hmm?"

"Anong subject iyong ginagawan mo ng project n'yo?" tanong n'ya na ikinatagil ni Cloud
"it's been days, and you've been busy with that project" dadag n'ya pa, hindi naman maka tingin sakanya si Cloud at nanatili lamang itong nakatingin sa papel na nasa harap nila