YVES
As we drove through the city, the hum of the car engine was the only sound until Shawn finally broke the silence. "How's Bohol with Nics?" he asked casually, glancing at me with a hint of curiosity.
I was about to answer, pero tumawa siya bigla.
"Buti kinaya mo ang ugali niya, almost one week din na magkasama kayo" he said, his tone somewhere between a joke and a hint of sarcasm.
"She’s fun to be with" I replied, a small smile forming on my lips as memories of our time together flashed through my mind. "If I were given the chance, I’d really want to stay there forever."
'Kasama siya' I added silently in my thoughts, at pasimpleng ngumiti.
Shawn’s expression shifted slightly, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. "Buti kinaya niyang bumalik doon kung saan siya lumaki" he said, his voice taking on a more serious tone.
"She hates that place." he whispered pero rinig na rinig ko.
Nawala naman ang ngiti sa aking labi, so may alam siya? Mas nauna pa niyang malaman kesa sakin?
Malamang kaibigan siya.
"Bakit naman?" I asked.
Kahit alam ko ang dahilan, nagtanong pa rin ako.
I know na it's about her mama.
Shawn hesitated for a moment, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. "Bad memories" he said simply, his voice barely above a whisper, as if those two words carried a heavy weight.
I wanted to ask more, but the way his eyes darted back to the road told me not to push.
"Siguradong madami kayong na-explore" Shawn added quickly, obviously trying to shift the conversation.
"Madami sana kung hindi bumagyo" I answered with a slight laugh, the memory of that stormy night flashing in my mind.
Kung hindi kaya bumagyo, hindi kami magiging close?
"Malakas din yung bagyo dito sa Manila, signal number three pa nga, buti hindi binaha yung bahay nila Nics."
I paused, sensing something off.
He seemed to think we stayed at Nico’s old house.
"Actually, hindi naman kami sa bahay nila nagstay" I corrected, watching his reaction closely. "Sa rest house niyo kami tumuloy."
There was a moment of silence before he responded.
He turned to me, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Rest house nino?" he asked, his tone carefully controlled.
"Nico told me na rest house niyo daw 'yung tinuluyan namin" I explained, trying to recall the exact words Nico had used.
"So, thank you, Shawn. We really appreciated it."
I watched as his expression shifted again, that same unreadable look from earlier.
He let out an awkward laugh. "Yeah… rest house namin" bulong niya, almost to himself kaya hindi ko naintindihan.
"Welcome" he added more loudly, but the energy in his voice was noticeably different now, like he was holding something back.
The car fell into an uncomfortable silence after that, the earlier ease between us evaporating as the minutes passed.
Habang papalapit kami sa gate ng subdivision namin, nagdesisyon na akong magsalita "You can drop me here"
Lumingon siya sakin ng nakakunot ang noo. "Okay lang, Loi. Ihahatid na kita mismo sa harap ng bahay niyo." he insisted.
YOU ARE READING
GETTING TO KNOW MS. ANGER | MaColet
FanfictionHAVEN'S ZQUAD SERIES #1 on-going When a happy-go-lucky stranger meets Ms. Anger on a bar balcony. What starts as a casual conversation quickly turns into an unexpected connection. As they talk, she's determined to break down her walls and get to kn...
