Whimps of Heart (VALENTINE SERIES #2)

Chapter 10

T E N

Nandito na ako sa opisina ni Miss Jimenez, at agad kong naramdaman ang kakaibang aura niya. Parang may bigat sa hangin, at di ko alam kung bakit, pero nakakaramdam ako ng kaba.

Without hesitation, she went straight to the point. "Is there something going on between you and Eric?" tanong niya, her tone serious and sharp, catching me completely off guard.

Napatingin ako sa kanya, naguguluhan at nagulat. "Hell no!" I blurted out, my voice firm.

I wasn't expecting that question at all. What made her even think there was something between me and Eric?

After I blurted out my response, Miss Jimenez's expression didn't soften. In fact, it seemed like she was studying me, her gaze sharp, almost like she was searching for something in my reaction. Her lips pressed together, and for a moment, she just stared, making me feel a bit uneasy.

"Are you sure?" she asked again, her voice a bit lower this time, but there was something behind her tone, something I couldn't quite place. Parang may halo itong ibang bagay, like irritation? I couldn't tell.

"Of course, I'm sure," I answered, still confused as to why she would think that way. "Bakit mo naman na isip na may something kami ni Eric?" I couldn't help but ask, trying to understand where this was coming from.

She crossed her arms, leaning back slightly in her chair, her eyes flicking away for a second as if she was trying to compose herself. "I just noticed… he's been giving you a lot of attention lately," she muttered, her voice sounding almost casual, but there was a sharp edge underneath. "Too much attention, if you ask me."

Napakunot ang noo ko. "Miss, hindi ko naman kontrolado yung ginagawa ni Eric," I replied, a little defensive. "He's just… friendly, I guess."

She gave a small, almost sarcastic huff. "Friendly, huh?" Then she looked at me again, her gaze more intense. "You might want to be careful with that. People might get the wrong idea."

I couldn't understand why she was being like this—why it even mattered to her. But as I looked at her, I noticed something different in her expression, something that felt… personal.

Parang may konting jealousy na hindi niya maamin, hidden behind her usual cold demeanor. I wasn't sure, but I could sense it. Yet, wala akong ideya kung bakit.

"I just don't want distractions, Iris," she finally said, her tone softer now, almost like she was trying to convince herself more than me. "Not for you."

"And by the way, when it's just the two of us, stop calling me 'Miss Jimenez.' Just call me Deen, okay? Like when we're together outside." dagdag niya pa at pag iiba ng topic.

Wala namang masama kung aasarin ko siya at syaka komportable naman na ako sa kanya, and besides gusto niya din na tawagin ko siya sa pangalan niya.

"Deen?" I repeated, a teasing smile creeping onto my face. "Okay, Deen. I see what you did there. Are you getting jealous?"

Pang-aasar na tanong ko, agad siyang tumayo, her posture stiffening again. I could see a hint of annoyance in her eyes, but there was also that underlying tension, that mixture of emotions swirling just beneath the surface.

Agad itong tumayo sa pag kaka-upo niya at every step she took toward me made me instinctively back away a little, though there was nowhere left to go as I hit the edge of her desk.

Okay, wrong move ako.

"I'm not jealous,” she replied quickly, a bit too defensively for my liking. "I just don't want you getting any ideas."