Sweet Cherries

Chapter 29

On the laptop, I could see myself—everything I had been doing in my room was visible through that camera, even the moments with Micah. Tears started to well up in my eyes, and Marian came over to hug me.

"Sha, call Micah. Ate Alia needs her," Marian said to Shanian.
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Micah POV

I had just exited Ninong's office and was on my way to Alia's condo, still struggling to wrap my head around the shocking news I had just received. Suddenly, my phone rang, breaking the silence and pulling me from my thoughts. I quickly grabbed it, making sure to keep my eyes on the road.

When I saw that it was Shanian calling, I felt a sense of curiosity mixed with concern. I wondered what she needed to tell. Without hesitating, I answered the call, hoping it wasn't anything urgent that would add to my already heavy thoughts.

                          (On call)

Shanian: "Hello, mac?"

                                           Micah: "hello? si Alia ba yung naiyak?"

Naririnig ko kasi yung hagulgol at kaboses ni Alia

Shanian: "ah oo, pwede ba pumunta ka dito sa condo n'ya, kaylangan ka ni ate Alia mac"

 
                                             Micah: "huh? bakit anong nangyari?"

Shanian: "ah eh, dito nalang namin sabihin yung nangyari"

                                          Micah: "osige sige"

                     (call ended)

I quickly set my phone down, anxiety washing over me. What could have happened? My mind raced as I pressed down on the accelerator, determined to reach the condo as quickly as possible.

After a minute, I finally arrived at the building. I parked my car in a hurry, barely taking the time to ensure it was straight before sprinting toward the elevator. Unfortunately, just as I reached it, I saw the doors closing. "the hell!" I muttered to myself, frustration bubbling up inside.

With no time to waste, I decided to take the stairs instead. As I began climbing, I felt a surge of urgency. Each step brought me closer, but my heart raced with worry about what I might find when I got there.

After climbing several flights of stairs, I finally reached Alia's floor. I rushed toward her condo door, which was open, and quickly stepped inside. Not seeing anyone in the living room, I headed to the bedroom and found them there.

I noticed the broken lamp on the floor, and Alia was crying while Marian comforted her. "Baby? What happened?" I asked, out of breath from running. Alia immediately stood up and hugged me tightly.

"What happened?" I asked them, still trying to catch my breath.

Jaron stood up and showed me the laptop. "Nabasag yung lamp, and then Shanian found a maliit na camera inside it," she explained as she displayed the screen.

"Fuck," I muttered in disbelief at what I saw. "Baby, are you okay?" I asked Alia. She nodded but continued to cry, so I tightened my embrace around her, wanting to offer as much comfort as I could.

"Baby, stop crying; I’m here now," I said, kissing her forehead. "I’m scared," she replied, tears streaming down her face. I gently wiped her tears away. "That Patrick is really frustrating. I had my doubts about him from the start," I said angrily. Alia looked at me, concerned. "How did you know?"