Chasing Sunsets

Chapter 55:

♪♪ Wanna hear your beating heart tonight. Before the bleeding sun comes to life...

I felt claustrophobic in the crowd of strangers.

Ang dami nang tao sa venue nung exhibit nang makarating ako. Wala akong kilala kahit isa. Sana pala isinama ko si Elle o kaya si Kuya.

I searched around the room for Jon and Jenine but I couldn't find them. There was a charcoal portrait of Jenine's bare face at the center. I walked towards it to appreciate the artwork.

May biglang tumawag sa akin and to my surprise, nandito ang buong barkada ni Nikos! First time ko silang makakasama in four years!

Tom welcomed me with a warm hug. He's still as charming as before.

"Serene! Namiss kita!" He kissed me on the cheek. "Halos hindi kita makilala. You're so beautiful."

"Thanks, Tom!"

"Namiss ka namin Serene!" Paulo said before hugging me.

"Tama si Nica. Ang ganda mo lalo ngayon ah. Buti naman nakarating ka. We missed you at Sunsets last week." Matteo said. Nica was clinging on his arms and she was smiling sweetly at me. Girlfriend nga sya ni Matteo. How stupid I was to speculate something bad. I kissed them both on the cheek.

"Wala nang magagawa si Nikos. Yayakapin ka namin ngayon hanggang magsawa ka." Gab hugged me. At saka ko lang napansin na nandito rin pala si Nikos. He was smiling with his hands in his pockets.

"Nice hair." He said. Natahimik silang lahat waiting for my response. I thanked him to break the awkwardness then I initiated a group hug.

"Miss na miss ko na din kayoooo!" I told them.

"Wow, looks like a mini reunion is happening." Jon and Jenine emerged out of the blue. They joined our group hug.

Magkakasama kaming naglibot sa buong place para tingnan yung mga painting ni Jon at nung mga kaibigan nya na nagcontribute din.

Pansin ko lang, napaka-casual namin ni Nikos ngayon. Mabait sya sakin at pinapansin nya ako. Hanggang sa napansin kong unti-unti na silang nawawala hanggang sa kami na lang ni Nikos ang magkasama. Alam ko naman na sinadya nila yun. Surprisingly ay hindi naman awkward.

"Tingnan mo to." Turo ni Nikos dun sa isang artwork.

"Wow. Hindi ko akalain na ganito pala kagaling na artist si Jon." I told him.

"Yeah. Look at this one." Turo pa nya dun sa katabing painting. "You can see love and apprehension at the same time."

I was trying my best na magfocus dun sa mga painting dahil kahit gaano pa yata kagaganda ang mga artwork na makikita ko ay mas gugustuhin ko pa ring sa kanya tumingin.

"This one shows confusion. Just look at the brush strokes. Perfect." Sabi ko naman sa kanya nung may napansin akong isang magandang monochromatic na painting.

"Gets ko na." He said.

"Alin?" I asked him.

"Kung bakit nya tinawag na 'Timeline' tong exhibit. Medyo lame yung name nung collection sabi ko sa kanya but he insisted. Ngayon gets ko na. Look at the transition of the paintings from the first one to the last." Tiningnan ko naman bawat painting at may napansin nga ako.

"Oh my gosh! He's so romantic."

"It shows the timeline of emotions he felt for Jenine." Sabi nya pa.

"I'm speechless. This is so romantic." I told him.

"I wouldn't be surprised kung magpropose na sya kay Jenine mamaya." He looked at me and I can say na masaya sya para sa kanilang dalawa and I am too.