How to Save a Heart (Saving Destiny #1)

2. "Love is kind."

 Chapter 2

"Love is kind."

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Agad kong pinatay ang engine ng kotse ko before taking my things and hopping out of the car. Hindi na ako nagulat sa dami ng tao sa may open field at sa open area ng school. Every morning, bago magsimula ang klase, ay doon nakatambay ang lahat ng mga estudyante. Isinara ko ang pinto and locked the doors. Maglalakad na sana ako nang may napansin akong kakaiba.

The black figure that I saw yesterday was standing a few feet away from me. He had his back turned to me so I couldn’t see his face properly. Bigla akong kinabahan. Parang naninigas ang mga kalamnan ko. I couldn’t move an inch. And when he turned to face me, agad siyang naglaho. Was I really just seeing things?

Napapitlag na lang ako nang may maramdaman ako na yumakap sa akin mula sa likuran ko, snapping me back to reality.

“Good morning, babe.” a husky voice whispered on my ear, sending shivers down my spine. I immediately untangled myself from him and walked a few steps away from him.

“What’s your problem?” I hissed at Hermes. Umagang-umaga, sinisira niya agad ang mood ko. He shrugged his shoulders and smirked at me.

“Masama na bang batiin ng ‘magandang umaga’ ang girlfriend ko?” he asked casually, his smirk still in place. Inirapan ko siya, tinalikuran at inunahan siya sa paglalakad. Agad naman siyang sumunod sa akin dahil napansin ko na nasa tabi ko na pala siya. I decided to ignore him, hoping na mananawa rin siya sa kakakulit sa akin. Pero sadyang matigas ata ang ulo niya.

“Ganyan ba talaga kainit ang ulo mo tuwing umaga?” tanong niya pero hindi ko siya sinagot. Nagpatuloy lang ako sa tahimik kong paglalakad, without even glancing at him.

“Bakit ang sungit mo?” he asked again. Still, I ignored him.

“Babe!” he exclaimed. Jeez! Ganito ba talaga siya kakulit? Binilisan ko ang mga hakbang ko, but he’s still catching up with me.

“Ayaw mo ng babe? Sige, honey na lang.” pangungulit pa niya. Hindi ko pa rin siya pinansin kahit na hiyang-hiya na ako. I could already feel my cheeks heating up from embarrassment. Madaming naka-tingin, at pakiramdam ko ay nasa amin ang atensyon nilang lahat. Badtrip. Napaka-attention seeker!

“Ayaw mo rin? Ano bang gusto mo? Sweetheart? Cuppycakes? Pancakes? Ube? Halo-halo? Meringue?” that did it! I stopped dead on my tracks and decided to face him. At ang walang hiya, nakuha pang ngumiti!

“Manahimik ka, pwede?” halos isigaw ko sa kanya. Nakakairita! Hindi ba niya alam ang kasabihan na ‘Magbiro na sa lasing, huwag lang sa bagong gising’? Nakakainis eh! I wasn’t able to sleep well last night because my dad called.

Nais ulit nitong makipagkita pero I declined. Noong huli ko kasing kita sa kanya, he was trying to set me up with someone. And that was also the time when the accident happened, kaya ako na-threaten ni Hermes to be his girlfriend. I didn’t see the relevance as to why my dad would set me up. I’m still 18. Bakit  niya ako ipagkaka-sundo sa kung sino? Kaya lantaran kong sinabi kay daddy na ayoko na muna siyang makita, thinking na baka ipilit niyang kitain ko ang lalaking gusto niyang makita ko.

Mom and dad had their divorce ever since I was a kid. Ang naalala ko lang ay madalas silang mag-away noon. Iyon siguro ang naging dahilan kung bakit kami nagpapalipat-lipat ng bahay ni mommy. Even my name na Destiny Robertson ay pinapalitan niya as Destiny Salvatore (mom’s maiden name) nang makarating kami dito sa Pilipinas two years ago. I didn’t want her to change my name but it wasn’t as if I have a choice. I had no say in that because my opinion doesn’t matter to her. Even my dad, hindi na napigilan si mommy sa pagpalit ng pangalan ko.