Tides of Betrayal (Casa del Pueblo Series #1)

Kabanata twenty-six

Kabanata twenty-six

Remind you

Hindi ako nakatulog buong gabi, kaya madaling araw pa lang ay tumakbo na ako papuntang Casitas. Pagdating ko doon, tahimik ang paligid. Nagkubli muna ako malapit sa pintuan, nag-aalangan na baka may empleyadong makakita sa akin at magtaka kung bakit ako nandito nang alas tres ng umaga.

Lumapit ako sa bahay ni Apollo at mahinang kumatok sa kanyang pinto. Sa pangalawang katok ko, binuksan niya ito, at bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko nang makita siya.

Agad ko siyang niyakap nang mahigpit.

Hindi siya agad nakapagsalita. Ramdam ko ang bigat ng kanyang mga braso nang yakapin niya ako pabalik. Nang lumayo ako ng kaunti, tumingin ako sa kanya at doon ko lang napansin ang pagod sa kanyang mukha.

"Elle..." bulong niya, habang hinawakan ang mukha ko, marahang hinihimas ng daliri ang pisngi ko. "You shouldn't have come here this early."

"Hindi na ako makapag-antay, Apollo," sagot ko, pilit na pinipigilan ang panginginig ng boses ko. "I haven't slept either. I kept thinking... what if something happened to you?"

Kitang-kita sa mga mata niya ang pinaghalong pagod at pag-aalala. "I'm okay," aniya sa wakas, "You're the one who needs to rest."

Hindi ako tumugon agad. Nakita ko ang bahagyang panginginig ng mga kamay niya, at ang bigat na pilit niyang itinatago. "Apollo, akala ko may nangyari sa'yo."

Apollo shook his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips, as if trying to reassure me. "Baby, I told you to trust me."

Pero hindi ko maalis sa isip ko ang bahagyang panginginig ng mga kamay niya, o ang bigat sa kanyang mga balikat. Like he was carrying the weight of the world. "Trust you?" tanong ko, pilit pinipigil ang panginginig ng boses ko. "You can barely stand. You need to rest, Apollo."

Dahan-dahan niyang hinaplos ang pisngi ko, at sa kabila ng pagod, naramdaman ko ang init ng kanyang kamay. "Okay lang ako, Miss Elle." his voice was calm, confident, like nothing could shake him.

"You can tell me if something's wrong. I want to help." malumanay ang boses ko, pero malinaw ang desperasyon sa mga salita ko. Ngunit umiling ulit siya, mas mariin ngayon.

"I don't want you in the middle of this," aniya, "You're safer away from it all. That's the only thing I'm worried about right now... is keeping you safe."

His words were meant to comfort me, but they only made the fear gnaw at my insides. He was trying to protect me, like always, but it felt like he was shutting me out. "And what about you?" bulong ko, "Who's protecting you?"

Apollo smiled again, that confident, unshakeable smile that always made me feel like everything would be okay, even when it wasn't. "I can handle myself. You know that."

But I didn't believe him... not entirely. I could see the cracks in his armor, the weight of everything bearing down on him. And I hated that he was carrying it all alone.

"Baby," he said softly, leaning in just a little closer, his eyes locking onto mine. "I'll be fine. Pero gusto kong mangako ka sa akin."

I held my breath, waiting.

"I need you to stay safe. Wala nang tatakas ng madaling araw," he tried to sound light-hearted, but there was a seriousness in his tone that I couldn't ignore. "I can't focus if I'm worried about you."

Nanikip ang dibdib ko dahil sa paraan ng pag-aalala niya sa akin. "Okay," bulong ko, though the word felt heavy on my tongue. "But I need to know you're going to be okay too. I can't just stand by and do nothing."