“Ma’am, nandito na po tayo” I was shaken off from my deep slumber when I heard the nostalgic accent of pinoy taxi driver right before me
My eyes fluttered open when I saw the taxi hault in front of the Green Meadows, an exclusive subdivision in Malate where my parents lived
I groaned internally when I forgot that the subdivision was so strict, they wouldn’t let a taxi inside.
I sighed while I pulled a sleeping Scarloe on to my arms before paying the manong taxi driver
I even paid an extra bill for his tip, afterall.. it was that way back then in states.
“Manang? Its Diane.. kararating ko lng ng pinas and I’m right in front ngayon sa main gate ng Green Meadows.. can you ask a driver to pick me up?” I said on the phone
“HAAA?! Ba’t di ka man lang nagpasundo sa airport?”
“It’s a long story.. wait, is Dad right there?”
I began to panic, I don’t want my Dad to worry about me. Ibang klase kung makapag alala ang Dad ko and I know he wont be please when I tell him what happen
“Wala yung Daddy mo dito pati Mommy mo din.. pero, Sige.. ipapatawag ko lang si Domeng para sunduin ka. Okay?”
“Sige, Manang. Bye”
I waited right there for almost 10 minutes now but no driver came up to pick me up. I was becoming more and more impatient thinking na maiinitan na yung Baby Scarloe ko..
Iba talaga ang init sa pinas!
Just then, a Blue Jaguar XKS stopped right in front of me. Thinking that it must’ve been someone from inside the Green Meadow, I ignored it and started texting Manang through my iphone
to my ultimate surprise, the car’s window started rolling down only to reveal some lean muscular figure who wore a sexy rayban shades
“Hey!” He said with a casual smirk plastered on his face. I didn’t recognized him at first but when he finally removed the shades out of his eyes…
“Alex?” I smiled at him, obviously surprise of his presence
Alexander Llanza, a former fling of mine back in the days. He was 4 years younger and was our neighbor. We were both pretty close when we were young until he asked me out, at first I thought it was fun because I wanted to start with something new.. something like going out with someone younger than I do.. but I started to feel like he was too much to handle.. too clingy and whiny so I broke up with him.
I was afraid he’ll grow too attached on our “fling” but.. it was too late. He was indeed falling ridiculously on me, which im not ready for.. besides I’ll be in states in due time for college.. I don’t expect a long distance would work
Don’t blame me.. He was just 14 that time and I thought he was up for a fling not some kinda overly tacked relationship.
I sighed, I did feel guilty remembering the times when he cried for me saying I was his first love and his first heartbreak. I could still feel those words stung unto my heart
“Hi there, Sexy siren.. haven’t seen you in awhile huh?” He said totally erasing his innocent image of him inside my head.
He changed so much I thought looking at him intently. His feature became more masculine and his face became a little bit .. well, let me just say…---HOT
He also started growing a beard at the sides of his jaw, just like a grown up man should be. I smiled at him as he took noticed a sleeping baby on my arms
then darted his gazes on mine once again, his expression was hard to read but he smiled reluctantly and opened his car’s door
“Need a lift?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“That little angel sure is cute. Yours?” He uttered holding unto the car’s wheel
“Yep. The name’s Scarloe” I said looking down at Scarloe’s sleeping form on my arms, sleeping so soundly and peacefully that I can’t helped but lean down and kiss her forehead
“She’s quite a little charmer isn't she?” Alex uttered which caught me in a complete surprise. He was never a fan of toddlers nor a baby before..
I smiled at him and said “You’ve change a lot,Moo”
It was our endearment when we were still together. It means *M*y *O*ne and *O*nly. He was the one who came up of it and I really find his creativity cute
I saw him flinched when he heard me say the long-almost-forgotten endearment we had.
“I did?” He said while he tried to force a smile on his face
I guess I’ve hurt him that bad I thought
We’re now driving through Flamingo Street, a high street in Green Meadow subdivision and he finally turn his wheel for us to cross Pelican Street.
I was holding on to my Iphone, typing a text message to Manang and telling her I wont need a driver to pick me up.. when Alex noticed ring on my left finger
“So…. You’re married? I didn’t hear it from Tita Ingrid though”
“Oh that?” I said while hiding it from his gaze
I sighed “I’m not…”
“Really?”
“I suppose.. basta—its too complicated to tell” I said while I stared out of the window
We broke unto a long awkward silent before I started breaking the icy cold quietness between us
“Hey! I’ve heard from Iñigo you were going steady with uhh.. what’s her name? Bea?”
“Steady?!” He chuckled a little before saying .. “She just lasted for 5 months but I must say, she was the longest so far”
Did I made a monster out of you.. a monster who breaks heart? I thought while I was staring at him intently
“We’re here!” He said and parked his car in front of our gate. It was indeed my parent’s house but there were so much renovation that I didn’t almost recognize it..
“You go inside while I help you with your luggage” He said
“Oh, no need! Really---“
“I insist, Diane.. you don’t want little baby Scarloe waking up from her sleep right?”
I just smiled at him as he reluctantly open the door for me
“Thanks, Alex” I said
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“DIANE!!!!”Manang Rosario squealed on top of her lungs as she locked me into her warm big hug
“Manang! Manang! Maiipit ang baby ko” I said in between chuckles
“Ang ganda ganda mo talaga, ‘nak!”
Manang Rosario is one of the oldest household maids in our family. She was the one who took care of me when I was just 7 years old, and now 27.. she grew closer and became as if an official family member of ours
“Ang cute cute naman ng baby, parang ikaw lang oh!” She commented and then finally noticing Alex approaching the door
“Oh! si Alex pala ito..”
“Magandang Hapon po, Manang Rosario.. gumaganda po yata kayo araw araw ah?” He said flashing our great manang with his famous irresistible smile
Kunwaring nagblush naman si Manang while tucking her invisible long hair unto her ear
“Naku! Ito talagang si Alex bata ka.. kung makapag bola eh… sige na iwan mo na lang dyan.. iaakyat ko na lng yan mamaya”
“Ako na manang.. ipaghanda mo na lang si Diane, siguradong gutom yan eh.. kakarating lang” He said while he carried my luggage as if it weigh nothing
“Ahh osige…” She said before turning to my direction and tapped my left shoulder
“Diane, Hija yung kwarto mo nandoon pa din.. ayaw kasi ipagalaw ng Daddy mo. Mamaya maya darating na din sila.. pinuntahan kasi nila mga Enriquez, kasal daw kasi ni Gerard sa makalawa” She added
Wait—what? Kasal?! I thought while my eyes had widen from the news I’ve heard
“Kasal?! What do you mean?” I asked
Nauna pa sakin si Gerard?!
“Yep. He’s going to tie the knots in due time” Alex answered on behalf of Manang
“Oo tama si Alex, teka lang, Hija ah? magpahinga ka na muna sa taas maghahanda na ako” Manang said as she made her way to the kitchen
“With who? I’ve heard he was going steady with some college sweetheart but I didn’t know It’ll be too soon.. ” I said while I started taking the wide curvy stairs of our house
“Nope. He’s going to marry someone else.. im not so sure but I think she goes by the name of Roselyn” He said while trailing off behind me
We finally made our way in the front door of my room and when I turned the knob I was indeed surprise to see my bed was untouched.. it was just the way I left it.. my side tables, dressers—everything.
I laid Scarloe on top of my soft Queen-sized bed with Pink mattress and pillow on it surrounding her..
She looks so adorable I thought
“Thanks, Alex” I said turning to his direction. He was staring at my room too, surveying each details out of it
“I haven’t seen this room for ages” He said
I chuckled a little and walked towards him
Then I kissed him on the cheeks and said “I miss you too, Moo!”
I was about to grab my luggage from his side when he held through my arm, making me face him once more
He lessen the distance between our faces and whispered “Don’t do that, Diane”
I was puzzled of what he told me and asked “Do what?”
“Don’t make me fall for you all over again”
“Don’t make me fall for you all over again…”
“Don’t make me fall for you all over again…”
“Don’t make me fall for you all over again…”
“Don’t make me fall for you all over again…”
It kept echoing inside my head. I felt like I was an antagonist, I felt like I was a villain in a romance book. I felt bad for Alex and I felt bad for my self.
I felt guilty and responsible for pushing Alex into something like this.. being a monster I made out of my experiments and curiosity and I know despite of how many sorry’s and compensation I’ll do.. it wont change a thing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(A/N: Alex is from A night w/ Mr. Arrogant chapter two.. he was there on the reception where nagkakilala si Iñigo and Nina.. he was with Patrick too.)
BINABASA MO ANG
The Runaway Bride
RomancePerfect ---- The understatement of Diane's life. Former playgirl Diane Bustamante felt happy on her upcoming wedding. Finally, She was ready to tie the knots with Tyler and was content on settling down once and for all. But WAIT!! -- CANCELED...
