"Pretty Little Promise's"

Chapter 79 Stuck with you

Risa:

Ugh, this day is an absolute catastrophe!

If Alice hadn't insisted on dragging me to this ridiculously extravagant masquerade ball in Pampanga - and at 7:30 PM, no less

- I'd be home, curled up on the couch with a good book and a glass of wine. But no, evidence gathering demands my immediate attention, so here I am, sweltering in this ridiculously car

Alice, beside me, is unusually quiet, probably silently fretting about her elaborate preparations for tonight's event.

Balak sana naming mag-convoy ni Alice, kaso nga lang, nasira ang sasakyan niya. Kaya inalok ko siyang sumabay na lang sa akin, pareho naman kami ng pupuntahan kaya why not?

I had no date

wala akong maaya ......

Kanina pa siya tahimik, suot ang nirentahan niyang green ball gown. Bagay naman sa kanya, pero mukhang mabigat para isuot niya

Tuwing sumusulyap ako sa kanya, busy siya sa cellphone niya. Dapat sana susunduin siya ni Donya ngayon, pero ako na ang nauna.

She looks absolutely breathtaking in that emerald green gown,

I can see her subtly adjusting it every few minutes, trying to find a comfortable position, the long train trailing behind her like a royal burden. Her makeup is flawless, the work of a true artist, probably costing more than my monthly grocery bill.

She's been glued to her phone since we left, occasionally glancing at the passing scenery before returning to her device. She's probably frantically checking the time. We're supposed to be at the venue by 7:30 PM, and the traffic is already a nightmare. I'm starting to feel a knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach. Maybe she's shy about waiting for Donya to pick her up, or maybe she just didn't want to inconvenience her. Whatever the reason, I'm secretly relieved I offered to drive. At least I can control the speed, even if the traffic is doing its best to thwart my efforts.

"Smiling huh?" tanong ko sa kanya ng mahina habang hawak ang manibela, ang tingin ko ay nasa daan. Ramdam kong sumulyap siya saglit sa akin.

"Obviously," pabulong niyang sagot.

She glances at me, a fleeting expression of exhaustion and perhaps a touch of anxiety crossing her face. The worry lines around her eyes are more pronounced than usual. She looks tired, both physically and mentally.

"may kausap lang maam" she mumbles, her voice barely a whisper. It's clear she's not in the mood for conversation, her mind preoccupied with a thousand other things. She's probably silently calculating how late we're going to be and trying to figure out a plan B.

I focus back on the road, the agonizingly slow progress of the traffic only adding to my growing unease

We are going to be significantly late, and the thought fills me with a mixture of frustration and dread.

Just then, buzzzz...

My phone!

My phone rang ...

sino na naman

Naka-patong ang phone ko sa stand sa kanan, at hindi ko maabot. Wala akong choice.

"Alice, would you mind see who it is ? Someone's calling," I ask, feeling a twinge of guilt for imposing on her already stressed state.

But I need to answer the call, whatever it is. It could be important.

She leans over, her movements graceful and deliberate, careful not to smudge her perfect makeup or wrinkle the delicate fabric of her gown.