Comrades in Action Book 5: Cece Klein

Chapter Thirty seven

Cece woke up to the sound of her phone blaring. Groaning, she turned to pick her phone from the bedside table. Her thumb hovered above the screen when she saw who's the caller.

For a moment, she contemplated whether to answer it or not. Natigil ang tawag bago pa siya makapag-decide. Nagpakawala siya ng isang buntong hininga. Mayamaya pa'y napapitlag siya ng muli na namang tumunog iyon. With difficulty, she answered the call.

"Cece." Ani ng kabilang linya. Mariin siyang napapikit.

"Chase.."

"Are you okay? You sound off."

Tumikhim siya upang matanggal ang bikig sa kanyang lalamunan. "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

"You haven't called. And I wasn't able to reach you for the past five days." Chase sighed. "Cece, are you really okay?"

Natigilan siya. Her phone have been off for five days now. Sa katunayan, dalawang araw na ang nakalilipas ng matapos ang misyon nila. Pero ng dahil sa nangyari sa kanila ni kamahalan—

Marahas siyang napailing.

Heto ka na naman, Cece.. Quit thinking about him and about what happened, for pete's sake! Pero kahit na anong iling niya, pagka-isip pa lang niyon, tila landslide na naman na dumagsa sa kanyang isip ang mga alaala. And you know those times when you have something embarrassing you wanted to forget about? Iyong tipong bagay na nagawa mo on the spur of the moment at late mo ng na-realize kung gaano siya nakakahiya? Pero ng marealize mo... wala na.. nagawa mo na.. napahiya mo na ang sarili mo... And no matter how much you forget... No matter how much you wanted to turn back the time and rewind everything para lang mawala na siya sa alaala mo... hindi mo na magawa kasi tapos na. And so you don't have a choice but to live with it.

It's like doing stupid things when you're drunk and rembering it over and over again when you finally get sober. It's like reliving the humiliation over and over again!

Ibinagsak niya ang sarili sa kama and groaned internally. Tila gusto na naman niyang parusahan ang sarili at i-untog ang ulo sa pader..

"Cece?"

She immediately got up and fixed herself. Chase is on the other line and yet she's thinking of another man! Goodness!

She decided to tell him the truth. Well at least half of the truth.

"I had a mission. But it's finished now."

"Oh.. Well are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

Suddenly, she felt guilty. This is the man she told herself she's going to be with. Iyong lalaking sinabi niyang mamahalin niya at papakasalan makaalis lang siya sa trabaho niya.

Now, hearing his concern for her and remembering what happened between her and kamaha— that duke... Pakiramdam niya, pinagtaksilan niya ang nararamdaman niya para dito. She's a reckless and a stupid girl combined.

"Cece?"

"I'm fine.. I wasn't hurt."

"That's good.. Ahm.. listen.. I'll be flying to Colorado on Tuesday. It's a business trip and I was wondering if.. you know.. you and I could meet over.. let's say dinner..?"

Napalabi siya. She have a flight back to Colorado on Sunday. Kung darating ito ng Martes, malamang sa malamang, madadatnan siya nito doon.

"Cece?"