CHAPTER SIX
NATALIE pulled away from the kiss as soon as her head went sane. Walang pagdadalawang isip na sinampal niya ito sa pisngi!
"What the --" Vhal was caught off guard, nagkasalubong muli ang mata nila ni Natalie and he saw tiny tears in her eyes. "Nat.." hindi na niya ito napigilan dahil tumakbo na ito papalayo.
Fvck! Ano ba kasing pumasok sa isip niya? That was really a jerk move, Vhal!
But she didn't resist, instead she responded! He should know, her kisses were raw and sweet.
Walang pinagkaiba ito sa mga halik na binibigay nito noon. Oh goodness gracious, he could still feel her sweet and soft lips right now.
"Vhal!" Nakita niya si Riley. "We are so doomed!" Hindi na niya naiintindihan ang sinasabi ni Riley, how could he?
"Vhal, nakarating na kay Gilbert ang balita! Papunta na sila rito"
"Sila?" He asked.
"Yes, he's with Blake and Jader!" Oh,it didn't sound so good. "Jusko, sana hindi na nila sinama si Jader. Paniguradong madaming away pa ang mangyayari sa mga babae, isa din yung playboy eh!"
He glared at Riley. "Hindi ako playboy"
"Mukha mo! Papalitpalit ka kaya ng mga babae dahil lang naman kay Natalie kaya ka--" natigilan si Riley nang mapansing nakatulala si Vhal. "Where is she by the way?"
Umiling na lang si Vhal, he can't tell that to Riley dahil paniguradong kung anong kalokohan na naman ang sasabihin nito.
Kalokohan o katotohanan?
He hissed. Now he felt so gulity! Not about the kiss, God knows how much he wanted to kiss her again but you know.. she's upset and he doesn't want her to be.
"Where's Stacey?" Tanong niya sa pinsan. "Why did she do that?"
Riley shrugged his shoulders. "Other guests said that she was the one who initiated the fight, that's why I asked the manager to send her home. Mahirap na, baka kapag naabutan pa ni Gilbert iyon malintikan tayo" napakamot ito sa batok.
Lumapit si Riley sa kanya at pinatong ang isang kamay sa balikat niya. "Are you okay, dude?" Bakas ang pagaalala sa tinig nito.
"Mahal ko pa rin siya, Riley" he said. "Mahal na mahal ko pa rin siya" napabuntong hininga si Riley sa narinig but he didn't object though, because that's the truth.
"What are you going to do then?" Hinarap niya si Riley, nakakunot ang mga noo at hindi alam kung gagawin ba ang mga bagay na nasa isip niya.
"To get my woman back" napaatras si Riley sa narinig at umiling.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Vhal." Walang emosyon na sambit nito. "You're not gonna lose yourself again"
"But I'm still lost, Riley! Can't you see?" He blurted out. Napayuko na lamang si Riley, wala nang masabi sa pinsan.
Akmang may sasabihin sana siya nang dumating si Zacharie. "K-Kuya, they're here" aniya.
Sabay silang napatingin dito at nakita si Blake, Jader at Gilbert na nasa likod nito. Their affect says it all, they're not happy.
Gilbert step forward while his hands were in his pockets. "Conference room. Now." He authoritatively said, tumalikod na si Gilbert at naunang pumunta sa conference room nilang magpipinsan.
Nagkatinginan silang apat na natira. Alam na ni Vhal ang sasabihin ng mga ito.
"Have fun!" Paalam ni Zacharie, hindi siya kasali sa meeting ng mga ito. Mayroon silang sariling meeting mga Rodriguez girls and coincidently, lima rin sila kahit na yung isa ay half cousin lang nila, they still consider it though.
Nakaupo na sa swivel chair si Gilbert pagkapasok nilang apat. Seryoso ang mukha nito na tila hindi marunong ngumiti, actually hindi naman talaga.
"Seat" he commanded. Sunod naman silang lahat, Gilbert is not usually like this maliban na lang kapag tungkol na sa mga pinsan ang issue and right now, he did. Vhal was involved.
"Gilbert, I swear hindi ko alam ang nangyari--" sambit agad ni Vhal.
"Wala pa akong tinatanong, Vhal" sagot ni Gilbert. "And it wasn't that thing that we should talk about"
Napasandal si Vhal sa upuan at napasapo ng sentido. "She's here, isn't she?" Kahit hindi pangalanan ay alam niya kung sino ang tinutukoy ni Gilbert.
"What is she doing here?" Tanong naman ni Blake. "Hindi naman pwede makapunta dito sa Nueva Castillo nang walang invitation from us, unless if she's a shareholder." It was true, ang mga nakakapagbakasyon lang sa Nueva Castillo ay ang mga shareholders ng country club na ito, maliban doon ay dapat may imbitasyon ka mula sa mga Rodriguez.
"Zacharie invited her, she's her guest" ani Riley, napatangis naman ng bagang si Jader.
"Does she know?" Tanong ni Jader. "Does she have any idea about Natalie and Vhal?"
"None" Vhal answered. "W-wala siyang alam and it's better to stay that way"
Napabuntong hininga silang lahat. "How did that happen?" Ani Blake. "Nasa States si Zacharie, hindi ba?"
"Precisely, hindi naman niya nameet si Natalie even before dahil sa States naman kami lumaki hindi ba?" Sambit ni Riley.
"Nagkakilala sila sa States?" Tumango si Riley sa tanong ni Jader. "Damn, how small the world could be?"
"Vhal" napatingin silang lahat kay Gilbert na kanina pa tahimik, pagkuwa'y tinignan ang tatlong pinsan. "Iwan niyo muna kaming dalawa"
Nakakaintinding tumango naman ang tatlo at lumabas muna ng conference room.
Pagkasaradong pagkasarado ng pinto ay may nilabas si Gilbert na folder at inabot sa kanya. "What is this?" binuksan niya ang folder at isa itong invitation for a race car tournament.
"I'm on vacation, Gilbert" pagkuwa'y nilapag niya ito sa table. "I can't join that, I could get disqualified if I do"
"I know." Gilbert said. "It's not for you, you didn't read to whom was this for?" Napakunot ang noo ni Vhal, nang tignan niya ang pangalan ng nagmamayari ng invitation ay siya namang kinagulat niya.
"It's for her" he inaudibly said. "She can't compete to this!" Asik niya, this tournament is for professionals only! This is like a wild car event, if you'll win this game, you'll go straight to the wholewide tournament.
And it's like a suicide mission. You could win in this tournament but on that real one, it's matter of life and death! Hindi ka sasantuhin nang mga makakalaban mo roon!
"How does she get an invitation?" Tanong niya sa pinsan but he hissed when he figured it out. "That tournament, I thought it was for charity?"
"Vhal, she wants this" napailing na lang siya sa narinig sa pinsan. "She wants to prove something"
Napatayo si Vhal, what does she want to prove? Hindi ito ang buhay na para kay Natalie! "You can't let her compete, Gilbert. Don't give this to her"
"I'm afraid it was too late for that, she was already on her way" Nagtangis ang bagang ni Vhal at napakuyom ang mga palad.
"Where is she?"
"Preliminaries, it was on the next island--" hindi na niya pinatapos ang pinsan at nagmarcha papalabas. Nandoon ang tatlong mga pinsan na nagaantay lang't dinaanan niya.
"Vhal, where you--" hindi na ito nagpapigil kay Blake. "Vhal!"
No, she can't do this. Hindi niya maaring hayaan na pasukin ni Natalie ang mundo ng pagkakarera, it's absurd!
She could get killed in the racing field!
Napasapo si Vhal ng sentido at sumakay ng chopper, he would do everything to stop her.
