Gunita [EDITING]

siete

"Stay away from my girl."

Uno's words kept on repeating inside my head like it's already a broken cassette tape. I didn't know what to say or react! Pakiramdam ko binuhusan ako ng malamig na tubig! Idagdag mo pa 'yung pagiging tahimik ni Uno habang katabi ko siya sa loob ng van.

"Did Gio pay you to stalk me?"

"The hell?" Uno scoffed, muntik tuloy akong matawa dahil mukha siyang ewan sa naging reaction niya. Hello! I'm just being curious! Malay ko ba kung ano talagang dahilan kung bakit nando'n siya sa café na 'yun!

In any way. . . I'm still very glad that it was him and not Zachary. I'm pretty sure he'd kill Fallon if it was him.

"Pero, bakit ka kasi nando'n!? Malay ko ba kung ano'ng trip mo sa buhay mo! For all I know you could've been stalking me!"

Uno rolled his eyes and sighed, "Nag-aaral ako."

"Sure."

He sighed, "Are you assuming that I was there because I like you?"

Nanlaki naman ang mga mata ko pagkasabi niya no'n. I paused for a while, unable to think of anything. Pakiramdam ko rin may isang malaking question mark na sa tuktok ng ulo ko.

And then silence.

"I didn't mean that. . . I was also really there to study since dito ako tumatambay kapag bumibisita si Zach sa inyo. I realized that the ambiance is calming," pagbasag niya sa katahimikan naming dalawa. My bodyguards were outside the van since kinakausap pa ni Gio 'yung may-ari na sana ay walang makalabas na news tungkol sa nangyari kanina. "Tsaka, ayaw ko lang na magtanong siya nang paulit-ulit. Masakit sa ulo."

I chuckled, "So, wala kang ibang naisip na rason?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "And maybe he'd distance himself from you after hearing me," he said. "Hindi tayo close o kung ano man, Brandi. Pero kaibigan ka ni Zach. Konsensya ko na rin kung hindi ako mag-iisip ng magandang palusot para layuan ka ng gagong 'yun. I'm a Law student, Brandi. I do things logically."

I smiled.

"You think we're still not in good terms?"

Uno sighed, "Fine," he said. "When Zach's not available, ako na lang."

Natawa naman ako sa sinabi niya. "Baliw," I said. Silence enveloped us afterwards, and then a few minutes later pumasok na rin ng van sina Gio.

"We've settled everything already. As per Mr. Juarez, his bodyguard was already informed. There won't be media leakage of any sort, just as you wanted." I nodded and smiled.

"I'm sure he'd go roaming around his household telling about what happened, Brandi. How can you handle that?"

My forehead creased, "Handle what?" Gio was about to speak pero biglang napaubo naman si Uno. Alanganin namang napangiti si Gio.

"That," he said. "Just so you know, Uno. You put yourself into danger."

Uno shrugged his shoulders, "Been risking danger my whole life. Might as well play with fire."

Gio chuckled, "I'm very sure your stepmother's digging for your grave already, Bran."

I smiled, "I'll let her dig it but it would be for her, for sure," I said. "I'd kill them first before they kill me."

We all kept silent the whole ride, and I suddenly found it awkward. I was used to silence ever since I was a kid, but it suddenly became. . . different. Hindi ko rin alam kung dahil ba 'yun sa nangyari kanina.

Until now, I'm still scared.

Fallon's scaring me so much. Walang oras na hindi ko naisip 'yung suggestion ni Chen na umalis na lang ng bansa—hell, I'll probably choose to become a Buzzfeed Unsolved case who died due to unidentified circumstances, only for them to theorize that I flew to some far island and changed my name.