Chasing You (On Hold)

Chapter 9

Two words. Sobrang awkward.

Sobrang awkward palang pumasok sa DQ na kasama ang nag-iisang Kade Madrigal. Right from when we came in up to when we ordered, hanggang sa makaupo na kami. Ang daming tumititig samin ni Kade.

How in the world am I supposed to eat my icecream in peace?

I looked up to the person who's sitting in front of me at natanto kong hindi pa niya ginagalaw ang icecream niya.

"Ayos ka lang ba?" Tanong ko, I casually took a scoop of my icecream while looking at him. Hindi niya ako sinagot at ibinaling niya nalang ang tingin niya sa labas.

See? Aalukin niya akong lumabas, tas ganito. Tahimik. Walang imikan. Tas ang dami pang nakatingin.

Nabasag ang walang-hanggang katahimikan sa pagitan namin nang tumunog ang cellphone ko. Sabay kaming napalingon sa nagriring na cellphone sa gilid ng mesa kaya agad kong kinuha iyon.

"Hello?" Tanong ko, I didn't look at the caller kaya hindi ko alam kung sino ang tumatawag sakin ngayon.

"Miss Isla?" I sighed upon hearing the voice of my secretary.

"Yes? Napatawag ka?" I heard a hesitating sigh from the other line kaya napakunot ang noo ko. I saw Kade looking intently at me tila ba ay sinusuri ako ng mabuti.

"Ah, meron po kasing may kakausap sana sa inyo. Eon daw ho yung pangalan." Eon? What is he doing in my office?

"Pakisabing sa bahay nalang niya ako kausapin Charlotte. Its already my out time at ayoko nang bumalik pa sa opisina." Naging tahimik ang kabilang linya pagkatapos kong sabihin ang gusto kong mangyari. Agad ring bumalik si Charlotte.

"Ah--eh miss, ayaw po ni Sir Eon kasi urgent daw po yung pag-uusapan ninyo." Sabi niya na may bahid na pag-aalinlangan. Ipinikit ko ng mariin ang mata ko. I've already had enough work to deal with this week at dadagdag pa si Eonicus? Seriously?

"Sige Charlotte. Pakisabing hintayin niya nalang ako diyan." Sabi ko at kumain pa ng icecream para mabawasan ang stress na ibinibigay sakin ng balitang sinabi niya.

"Yes miss. Salamat." Nagpasalamat rin ako at ibinaba na ang tawag. I am pretty sure that Kade is still looking at me na para bang may hinihintay siyang sagot sa tanong ng mga nangungusap niyang mata.

I didn't dare look at idinial na ang number ni Eon.

"Hey Gabbie! I heard wala ka sa office mo, asan ka ba--" Bago pa siya makapag-tapos sa magandang intro niya ay inunahan ko na.

"What do you want Eonicus?" Mariing tanong ko.

"Chill, geez! Okay, okay. Teka nga, sagutin mo muna ako. Nasaan ka ba ngayon? I can pick you up at sa gayon ay makakapag-usap tayo ng matino." Kalmadong sabi niya. I sneered.

"Matino? Eon, I am very tired at kailangan ko ng pahinga. Can't your agenda wait for at least Monday?" I frustratingly said while smudging my ice cream to pieces.

"No. Ano ba iyang ginawa mo at talagang pagod na pagod ka? I'm sure its just work." Napahilot ako sa sentido ko, mabait naman akong tao but definitely not when I'm super tired like this! I heaved out a heavy sigh, realizing na hindi ako tatantanan ni Eonicus when I keep on saying that I'm tired, he will probably never understand. Kahit noon pa man ay ganito na talaga siya ka kulit.

Shocker right?

"Well, you should try working in the field sometimes para maranasan mong mapagod ng husto. You're always sitting on your comfy swivel chair that you don't see how tiring people can get from work because you got used to the mindset that you're always chilling." He just chuckled at what I said, this crazy guy.

"Sa bahay mo ko hintayin. Stop bugging my secretary dahil kailangan pa niyang umuwi. Kung ayaw mong umalis diyan, sige at magdamag kang magintay diyan." Sabi ko pa at ibinaba na ang tawag para hindi na siya makaangal pa.

Tumingin ako ng saglit kay Kade at nakatitig ito sa labas. Nakita ko ring naubos niya na ang ice cream niya. Good for him.

Tumikhim ako at mukhang nakuha non ang atensyon niya. He looked at me with his dark eyes and that brought shivers down my spine. I managed a smile at nagsalita na.

"Tara na?" Tanong ko sa kaniya. His expression remained dark and silent, but he gave me a nod as a response. Hindi na rin ako nagsalita pa dahil baka dumilim pa lalo ang aura niya. We went out of DQ with multiple pairs of eyes gazing at us and it made me feel very uneasy. Tiningnan ko si Kade at parang balewala lang sa kaniya ang atensyong natatanggap.

We went inside his car silently. Nagpakawala ako ng isang buntong hininga.

"Kade, are you sure you're fine? Kani-kanina lang sa opisina binagabag mo ako to get ice cream and you didn't even say a single word nung andun na tayo sa loob." Sabi ko. He remained quiet.

"Yan ang problemang nakikita ko sayo Kade. You're very unpredictable. Your path is hard to trace, hard to chase. Hindi ko mahahabol ang mga iniisip mo, and maybe that's what's stopping you from being near me. Palagi kang tahimik, you should talk a bit you know." He scoffed.

"Coming from you? Sino ka ba para pagdiktahan ako?" I was taken aback by his answer.

"I'm Isla Gabrielle Andrada, a freelance musician. Graduate of Juilliard. Bakit masama na ba ang magsabi ng sariling opinyon ngayon? If it is, tell me Madrigal, ano pa ang silbi ng free will?" Hamon ko sa kaniya, as much as I want to be offended by his answer papanindigan ko ang gusto kong panindigan.

Hindi niya ako sinagot at nagsimula nang magdrive papunta sa bahay namin. He doesn't need to ask me kasi alam naman niya kung saan ako nakatira simula nung hinatid niya ako mula sa private island nila Hugo.

Nang makarating na kami sa tapat ng bahay ay may nakita akong itim na kotse na nakaparada sa gilid nito. Which I think is Eon's car. I took a glance at Kade at nakita ko sa mga mata niya ang paghihirap. Na para bang may gusto siyang sabihin pero ayaw niya.

Lalabas na sana ako nung hinawakan niya ang palapulsuhan ko. I looked at him, and my heart started beating out of control. What..

"Thank you." Huh? Anong ginawa ko?

"What for? Wala naman--" He cut me off.

"Thank you for being a genuine person. Maraming tao na ngayon ang puros salita lang at walang gawa. Hindi nagpapakatotoo sa sarili, kaya kahit sa ibang tao, pwedeng itampal sayo ang kasinungalingan. But you.. you make me see a whole new side of things I never thought I would be able to see." I wanted so bad to smile at his comment but I couldn't because I was focusing on the erratic beating of my heart.

"I told you--" Pinutol niya ang sanang sasabihin ko.

"That I'm not that bad after all. I know. Now go, alam kong may aasikasuhin ka pa." He said, his eyes dark and gloomy made me think how opposite our eyes were. I had radiant blue eyes that spoke of the nice weather and the blooming flowers, while his' spoke of the stormy night in between a field of withering flowers.

I didn't say anything at lumabas na ng sasakyan niya. I looked blankly at his car's window. It's heavily tinted kaya wala akong makita sa loob. Natigil ako sa paglalakad sa sarili kong mundo nang may narinig akong sigaw si likod ko.

"Gabbie! You're here!"