Dangerous Love

Chapter 11

As soon as I reached my room, I slammed the door shut and dropped onto the bed. I took a deep breath, hoping I could escape the chaos in my mind. But the moment I closed my eyes, Matteo's gaze came rushing back to me-how he looked at me earlier.

"Arghhh!" This is so frustrating! I buried my face in the pillow. Why can't I get him out of my head? It's so annoying! Yet here I am, thinking about his every stare, every moment we spent together.

I felt crazy. I shouldn't even be paying attention to the way he looks at me, but why does it have such a strong effect on me? I'm even more confused. Does his stare mean something? Or am I just overthinking all of this?

I hugged the pillow tighter, trying to hide the nervousness building in my chest. But why does it feel like he keeps getting closer every time I try to run away from it all?

×××××××××××××

I woke up to the sound of soft murmurs outside my room. Groggy and disoriented, I glanced at the clock-it was past dinner time. My stomach churned, but not from hunger. The heaviness in my chest reminded me of everything that happened earlier. I sat up, gripping the edge of my bed, when the door creaked open. It was Dad, carrying a glass of water and a plate of fruits.

"Ija, kumain ka naman kahit konti," he said, his voice calm but firm. He placed the plate on my bedside table and sat beside me. "I heard what happened. Seah, bakit hindi mo man lang sinabi na hindi ka okay?"

For a moment, I couldn't answer. The lump in my throat made it hard to speak. "Dad... I didn't want to bother you and Mom. Alam ko kung gaano kayo ka-busy," I finally said, my voice trembling. I looked down, avoiding his eyes. "I just didn't want to add to your problems."

His expression softened, and he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Ija, kahit anong mangyari, ikaw at ang kuya mo ang priority namin. Alam kong mahirap dahil sa trabaho, pero hindi ibig sabihin na hindi namin kayo iniintindi," he said. "Don't shut us out. Huwag mong tiisin ang mga problema mo nang mag-isa."

Hearing his words made my chest feel lighter. For the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to lean on him-just like I used to. I hugged him tightly, letting the tears I'd been holding back finally fall. In that moment, I realized that no matter how distant things felt, my parents would always be there. And maybe, just maybe, I didn't have to carry all the weight on my own.

××××××××××××××××××

The days passed, and nothing much had changed. Mom and Dad were still busy. I decided to focus on the lessons I missed last Friday-thankfully, Frea had sent me everything I needed.

It was Sunday night, and the thought of going back to school tomorrow weighed heavily on me. I couldn't shake off the memories of what happened last Friday. The mere idea of facing Matteo made my chest tighten. There was a pull inside me telling me to avoid him, though I couldn't quite pinpoint why. My mind was in turmoil-I had no idea how to act around him anymore. I didn't want to pretend nothing happened, but I also didn't want things to get messy.

Why did his gaze always feel so different? Whenever he looked at me, especially when his jaw clenched and his voice deepened, I couldn't help but freeze. It was as if he did it on purpose, knowing it left me flustered. Part of me was annoyed, but another part-one I didn't want to admit-was captivated. Ugh, it was so confusing!

I busied myself organizing my school stuff, hoping it would distract me from the whirlwind of thoughts in my head.

"Manang, please get my uniform ready for tomorrow," I said as I plopped onto my bed, trying to focus on anything else but him.

"Noted, Ma'am. Ayos ka na ba?" Manang asked,while folding some clothes nearby.

Pero hindi ko nalang siya sinagot. My mind was heavy-not just with thoughts about Mom and Dad, but also Matteo. It was all too much. Hays.

As I lay there, I tried to quiet my mind, but the memories of Friday kept creeping back. What exactly was my problem with Matteo? Why couldn't I seem to act normal around him? Every look, every word-it was as if they carried a meaning I couldn't grasp. It frustrated me to no end.

"Just focus on school, Seah," I whispered to myself. "You can't let things like this distract you." But no matter how many times I tried to convince myself to move on, Matteo's presence lingered in my thoughts, his intense gaze etched into my mind.

I let out a deep sigh, hoping that tomorrow, everything would go back to normal-or at least, as close to normal as it could get.