Run Poppy Run

A/N: Dedicating this part to Ohhlala_77 for the awesome cover on the side.

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“Everything about him is dark. Tall, dark and brooding. Maybe those are three reasons why I am drawn to him.” -Poppy

 

            “Getting rid of someone has always been a piece of cake until her. But when she’s out of my sight, I begin to panic.”- Kael

 

            Naïve, gentle and sweet, that’s Poppy Lefebvre to everyone. Pero kagaya ng iba, may itinatago rin siya at ito ang dahilan ng pag-uwi niya sa bansa kasama ang kanyang pamilya.

            Maybe it’s fate that her curiosity picked up meeting this arrogant badboy, Kael Buenavista, who later ordered her to stay away from him and better to turn tail and run.

            Pero hindi ang tipo ni Poppy ang basta na lamang sumusuko, bagkus mas naging interesante pa sa kanyang paningin ang lalaki kahit alam niyang delikado at hindi tama.

            Bakit nga ba siya pinapalayo ng lalaki? Was it because Poppy could be a hindrance to his own plan or was it due to the fact that this difficult girl had stealthily and expectedly sneaked her way into his heart? Or maybe both…

              But one thing for sure is love's never easy...

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PROLOGUE

               With her dominant hand, she picked up her phone nestled next to her while her other free hand maneuvered the steering wheel without breaking eye contact on the road ahead of her. Napapangiti sa sarili, kahit di niya pa nasasagot kung sinuman ang tumatawag sa kanya.

            “Susmaryosep Poppy, nasaan ka ngayon?” Without even a preamble from someone on the other line, alam niya na kung sino ang tumatawag. Nasa imahinasyon niya na kung ano ang hitsura ng kanyang ina sa kasalukuyan. Her mother’s back pressed against the doorframe which sometimes made her think she’s foreboding a tragic news that she needed the hard wood for support.

             “Mom, relax okay?” she chuckled. Hawak-hawak niya pa rin ng mahigpit ang kanyang celphone nang hindi iniiwan ng tingin ang daanan sa kanyang unahan. . “I’ll be there in a jiffy, you see,” she added jokingly.

            “Be serious Poppy. There was a shootout outside the city and I need you back here as soon as possible.” Seryosong tugon ng kanyang ina sa kabilang linya.

            “Mom, I’m protected,” she tried to assure her mother on the other line eyeing the licensed firearm located on the dashboard.

You might find it odd to know her parents allow the firearm around her; in fact, they were the ones who insisted that she should learn how to use a protective device. As far as she knew, she’d never used her revolver to fire at anything or bless her soul, to anyone, and she was quite terrified to use it, most of all, to hold it around her fingers.

            “You’re driving!”  Sigaw ng kanyang ina sa kabilang linya. “You shouldn’t be using your phone when driving.” Her mother added hysterically. “Be safe sweetie. I should end this call now before anything happens to you while you-

            “Sweet Jesus!” she stepped onto her break abruptly that she almost threw herself and hit her head into the front windshield of her car. “Call you later Mom, I’m okay,” sabi niya na hindi iniiwan ng tingin kung anuman ang nahagip ng tingin niya sa unahan at ibinalik ang celphone sa bulsa ng pantaloon niya. Tiningnan niya ang paligid. She could hear the loud thudding of her heart that it feared her it might get out of her ribs any moment from now. Suddenly, terror gripped her.

            There’s a body splayed on the side of the road just beside a car, an abandoned car perhaps. Bumaba siya sa kanyang sasakyan at dire-diretsong tinungo ang katawan. She guessed it was a boy’s form; he’s wearing a black leather jacket, she noted and a familiar twist in her stomach sent thrill to run down her spine.

             

 She knelt just beside his head, and feel for the proof of life at the side of his neck. Sighing in relief while at the same time hearing him moan. Thank God, he can be responsive after all, she mused.

“Are you alright? Can you move your body? Does your head hurt? Please answer me.” Sunod-sunod at mahinang tanong niya kahit alam niyang parang lalabas na ang kanyang puso sa sobrang kaba. Malay ba niya kung sino ang taong ito, baka masamang tao o di kaya takas sa preso.

“Go away please,” his clipped voice in a controlled manner of speaking in a muffled way shocked her. Apparently, he’s in pain but he’s too stubborn to admit it. Too much for stubbornness.

“I’ll call for an ambulance or I could help you to your feet,” suhestiyon niya, pilit iniignora ang nararamdamang disgusto ng lalaki sa kanyang pagdating. She fumbled for her phone and numbers but his next move astounded her.

“Bloody hell! Can’t you get any stupider?” He muttered as he rolled on his stomach. With his closed eyes, Poppy was sure to say that she’s kneeling beside Kael Buenavista.

“I’ll call the hospital Kael,” Matigas niyang sabi at biglang napamulat ng mata ang lalake. She didn’t know if it’s because of the word call, hospital or his name. Perhaps the latter…

“Merda, you know me.” He said in a gritting manner as he looke at her that she realized he’s awfully white as a sheet and Jesus Christ, he’s bleeding when she looked down at his left shoulder.

“I’ll call the ambulance,” pinal niyang sabi sa matigas na tono at ginawa ang bagay na alam niyang tama. She could feel his deadly stare boring into her but she ignored him and talked to someone on the other line.