Mending Heart's Affliction [Phoenix Countesses: ETHEREAL MAIDENS SERIES I]

Chapter 35

That girl

I placed the ice bucket on the round table and glanced at everyone who was still laughing. I noticed Arik's gaze fixed on me when I didn't sit next to him.

"Maluwag pa rito. Bakit nandyan ka?" He asked me. Everyone heard it.

"Huwag mong sabihin na nahihiya ka pa rin dahil sa nakita namin kanina, Celesete?" Aurora boldly asked me, laughing. I almost wanted to slap her face.

Agad na nag init ang buong mukha ko. Napainom na lamang ako sa alak na para sa akin.

"Celeste," Arik called me, so I looked at him.

"What?"

"Sit here next to me. Sarah will sit there later," he said.

Saglit na umalis kasi ito kasama si Benj upang bumili pa ng mga pagkain.
I glared at him, then reluctantly stood up and sat beside him. His arm immediately wrapped around my waist.

"Why didn't you tell her that today's your birthday?" Oliver asked as he sipped his whiskey. "Of all people, you didn't inform Celeste. Naturally, she'd be upset."

My irritation grew even stronger.

When I found out that Arik's birthday was actually today and not next month as he had previously said, I was truly disappointed. He even insisted it was next month! At ngayon ko lang nalaman ito! Ni hindi niya masabi sa akin ang rason kung bakit!

"Are you still mad at me?" Arik whispered to me before taking a sip of his drink.

I sighed and looked away, staring at the cake on the table. "I don't know, Arik. Why didn't you tell me? You lied to me."

"I'm sorry. Please, don't be mad," he pleaded, gently kissing my shoulder. "I just don't celebrate birthdays. I hate it, baby. I'm sorry."

"But why?"

His eyes grew even more intense. They've been drinking for a while now. Nagpapahinga na si Kim sa guest room dahil pagod ito at may maagang seminar pa bukas. It's just Oliver, Aurora, and me, along with this guy I'm not sure if he's Kim's boyfriend or just someone pursuing her.

He's too timid. Kung hindi pa namin tatanungin ay hindi siya magsasalita. Hindi tuloy namin malaman kung ano ang relasyon nila ni Kim.

Arik avoided my gaze and took another sip of his drink. I could see the tension in his jaw. "I just... hate celebrations, especially my birthday."

I saw sorrow in Arik's eyes, so I didn't ask further about it. Tila ba may malalim na dahilan talaga iyon sa kanya.

The night is growing deeper at tila ba hindi nalalasing ang mga kasama namin. I headed back to the kitchen to get some ice cubes. When I returned to the lanai, Arik was no longer there.

"Where is he?" I asked Oliver. Aurora was leaning against his shoulder with her eyes closed.

"Somebody called. He's in your room."

Instead of following Arik, I just sat back down in my spot. I glanced at Ino again, who remained silent.

"Are you okay, Ino? Bakit hindi mo pa ginigising si Kim? Di ba saglit lang daw siya magpapahinga?" I asked, pushing the bottle of whiskey in front of him.

He smiled faintly and shook his head. "She needs to rest more, Celeste. She hasn't been getting much rest at her house lately."

Aurora furrowed her brow and quickly opened her eyes. "Why?"

"At bakit nasa bahay nila siya? Di ba may sarili na siyang bahay?"

Ino's eyes turned pitch black. It seemed like anger as he stared at his glass.