Whisper of the Heart

Chapter 4

Chloe usually orders food for herself and Wyatt, and they have lunch together. But today, she was left to eat alone because Wyatt went out with Ava. She found herself in the canteen, not really hungry but wanting to eat to avoid overthinking. She ordered a chicken salad and took a seat.

As she settled in, she unexpectedly spotted Noah. "Hey, Chloe! Can I share this table?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied, realizing she needed company to distract her from thoughts of Wyatt. As they chatted about work, she couldn't help but notice how much Noah made her laugh. "Do you know what you call someone who doesn't work in the office? Office-ble!" he joked, and Chloe burst into laughter.

Before she knew it, lunch was over, and they were saying their goodbyes. "See you when I see you!" Noah said as he left. When she returned to her office, reality hit her. It was already past an hour, and Wyatt still hadn't come back. Why was she worried? She reminded herself that he was the CEO and owner of the company; he could do whatever he pleased.

She kept herself busy, organizing Wyatt's schedule, calling investors, sorting files, and tidying up his office. She lost track of time and suddenly realized it was 6 PM. Disappointment washed over her; she just wanted to catch a glimpse of Wyatt and spend a little time together.

Deciding to leave the office, she hailed a cab and impulsively told the driver to take her to Mow's Bar. She wanted to treat herself; she was too hard on herself lately and needed to unwind while listening to live music.

When she arrived at Mow's Bar, a band was playing, and they started with the song "Sining." Every note and lyric seemed to resonate deeply with her, it felt like the song was meant for her. She ordered a sweet cocktail, a Mai Tai, that packed a punch. As she sipped her drink, she felt a sense of freedom and joy, losing herself in the atmosphere.

However, as she stood up, the room suddenly spun around her. Before she could react, a strong hand caught her just before she fell. "Whoa, easy there!" said a familiar voice. She looked up to see Noah standing there, concern etched on his face.

"Hey, you again!" she managed to say, feeling a bit lightheaded but grateful. In that moment, while laughter filled the air around them, the ache in her heart still lingered. The changes happening in her life were overwhelming, and even though Noah was there to catch her, all she could think about was Wyatt.

As they stood together, the music playing in the background, Chloe realized she needed to confront her feelings. Though she was trying to enjoy the moment, the emptiness from Wyatt's absence loomed large.

Noah decided to take Chloe home after seeing her in that state. Hindi niya inasahan na mag-isa lang si Chloe sa labas. Parang hindi ito normal para sa isang babae. Kaya't nag-isip siya, baka may problema si Chloe. Buti na lang at nagpunta ang mga college friends niya sa Mow's Bar; kung hindi, baka mas malala ang nangyari.

Inilagay niya si Chloe sa kotse niya. Tulog na tulog ang dalaga, para siyang anghel sa itsura. Napakaamo ng mukha niya. Paano kung wala siya doon? Siguradong napagsamantalahan na siya ng kung sinong lalaki. Mayroong kakaiba kay Chloe na nakakabighani sa kanya. Para siyang magnet, ramdam niya ang malakas na koneksyon sa kanya. Pero kailangan niyang tiyakin ang sarili niya.

Nang makarating siya sa bahay ni Chloe, nakita niyang nandun si Wyatt sa harap ng porch kasama ang mga magulang ni Chloe. Habang papalapit siya kay Chloe, biglang sumugod si Wyatt at binigyan siya ng masamang tingin. Agad na inalalayan ni Wyatt si Chloe palabas ng kotse.

"Chloe, gising!" sabi ni Wyatt, visibly worried. Si Chloe ay talagang wasted, at makikita ang pag-aalala sa mukha ni Wyatt.

Kahit na ganon, polite pa rin si Noah. "Good evening, Wyatt. Good evening, po," bati niya sa mga magulang ni Chloe. "Nakita ko po si Chloe sa bar, and I decided to take her home."

"Salamat," sagot ng mga magulang ni Chloe, pero ramdam ni Noah ang tensyon sa hangin. Wyatt looked like he wanted to say more, but instead, he just took Chloe in his arms and carried her inside.

Wyatt carefully laid Chloe in her bed, tucking her in gently. Habang nag-aayos siya, damang-dama niya ang galit na namumuo sa kanya. Bakit siya kinakabahan? Parang ang daming tanong na hindi niya ma-explain. Galit siya kay Noah—bakit kailangan pang dalhin si Chloe sa bar? At bakit hindi siya makapaniwala na nag-iisa si Chloe?

While in the room, Wyatt felt a surge of worry. What was happening to Chloe? She used to seem so much happier, but now it felt like something was off. These changes confused him, and he found himself thinking about things he shouldn't.

After tucking Chloe in, he lay down beside her, trying to force himself not to overthink. But he couldn't help but realize just how important Chloe was to him. It was frustrating, but beneath his anger toward Noah, there was also a hint of concern, was Chloe worried about him too?

He needed to get his thoughts straight, but ultimately, all that occupied his mind was Chloe. Why was he so angry? Was it because of what Noah did, or because of his feelings for Chloe? Amid all this, the real question loomed—what would happen to them?

Wyatt took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew he loved Chloe like a sister, but he wasn't used to seeing her with another guy. He wanted Chloe's attention to be just for him. Maybe he needed to get used to these changes.

He reminded himself, "I have Ava, my dream girl." He needed to set expectations with Chloe or explain the changes to her. He owed her that much. He understood that he would be spending a lot of time with Ava, but at the same time, he didn't want to hurt Chloe. She held a special place in his heart because she was his best friend.

But he didn't know how to draw the line. He had to figure out how to navigate this situation for the sake of his relationships with both women. It was complicated, and as he pondered, he knew he needed to be honest with everyone involved. Ultimately, his friendship with Chloe was important, and he didn't want to lose that. He had to find a way to balance everything, even if it meant making tough choices.

When Chloe woke up, ang unang bumungad sa kanya ay ang matinding hangover. Pinahid niya ang kanyang temples at kinuha ang pain reliever, ininom ito kasama ng baso ng tubig. Pagkatapos, pilit siyang bumangon, naligo, at nag-ayos para sa araw. Buti na lang, Sabado, kaya wala siyang pasok.

Habang unti-unting bumabalik ang mga alaala ng nakaraang gabi, napuno siya ng mga tanong. Paano siya nakauwi? Anong nangyari noong gabi? Isang takot ang bumalot sa kanya, pero bigla na lang siyang nakarinig ng text message notification. Galing ito kay Noah.

Ipinaliwanag ni Noah ang lahat ng nangyari, at nakaramdam siya ng malaking pasasalamat. "Buti na lang si Noah," naisip niya. Agad siyang nag-reply, nagpasalamat, at nangako sa sarili na kung sakaling lumabas ulit siya nang mag-isa, hindi na siya iinuman ng sobra. Pero sa kabuuan, masaya siya. Nakapag-check siya ng isang item sa kanyang bucket list—ang lumabas nang mag-isa. Lagi siyang kasama si Wyatt tuwing weekend, kaya ito ay isang first para sa kanya. Kahit na hindi ito nangyari gaya ng inaasahan niya, masaya pa rin siya na nag-enjoy siya.

Pagkatapos ng tanghalian, nagpunta si Chloe sa bahay ni Wyatt. Alam niyang hindi siya nagigising ng maaga sa mga rest day, at buti na lang ay wala si Ava. Agad siyang umakyat sa kwarto ni Wyatt, pero nagulat siya sa nakita: si Adam, totally naked, nakahiga sa kama na naka-expose ang likod. Mabilis siyang kumuha ng blanket para takpan si Wyatt at napigil ang tawa sa nakakatawang sitwasyon.

Maya-maya, nagising si Wyatt, tila may naramdaman sa kwarto. Nang makita si Chloe, ngumiti siya at niyakap siya mula sa likod. Sa kabila ng nangyari noong gabi, parang hindi siya nagalit. Sa halip, tinanong niya, "Bakit ka nag-out nang mag-isa?"

"Naisip ko lang na gusto kong makinig sa live band," sagot ni Chloe, sinubukang gawing simple ang dahilan.

"Pwede mo akong tinawagan," sabi ni Wyatt, may alalahanin sa boses niya.

"Hindi ko gusto na istorbohin ka sa oras mo kay Ava," sagot ni Chloe, pero natutuwa siya sa pag-iisip ni Wyatt.

"Dapat sabihin mo sa akin kung nasaan ka. Talagang nag-worry ako," insist ni Wyatt.

Naramdaman ni Chloe ang kaunting inis, pero hindi na siya nag-argument. Alam niyang wala nang katapusan ang usapan kapag nagsimula na siya. "Sige, sige. I promise, sabihin ko," sabi niya, pumayag na lang para matapos ang usapan. 

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