Chained Memories

Chapter 13

Happy Birthday Francisco 🎉

Rendezvous

"Are you okay?"

Unconsciously, those words slip on my mouth.

I shouldn't care because he's a stranger right? At sabi nga nila, don't talk to strangers, but seeing him on his vulnerable state pinch my heart.

Maybe because it is our nature to comfort someone when they're feeling down. Whether they are strangers or not. Whether they're good or bad. Whether we are close with them or not.

Hindi natin maiwasang makaramdam ng pag aalala sa mga taong nakapaligid sa atin. Itanggi man natin o hindi, deep inside our heart, we care for them.

With his bloodshot eyes, he looked away. "I must've thought of her too much I'm dreaming right now..."

My brows furrowed when I heard him murmured.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ulit ko sa tanong, nagbabaka sakaling hindi niya lang ako narinig kanina. "May problema ka ba?" Usisa ko.

Mariin akong napapikit at kinastigo ang sarili.

Wow, the guts of you Hera to ask him that, when you, let alone, also have a problem to deal with!

So what if he has problems? Why does it bother you? Kaya mo ba siyang tulungan kung sakali, kung ikaw nga mismo ay hindi kayang solusyunan ang problema mo? The audacity of you, young lady!

"Reina..." he mumbled so low, so soft it sounds music to my ears.

Reyna? Queen?

My brows creased when he looked at me with pain visible in his eyes, he seems like holding back his self and when our eyes met for the second time, I was stuck and mesmerized. He has a deep set of enticing eyes that will lure you to stare at him more. Ang kanyang mga mata, bagaman malungkot ay sadyang nakakapang-akit... nakakahalina. And then slowly, my eyes traveled down to his perfectly carved nose... my stares linger on his luscious lips longer.

Madilim ngunit malinaw kong nakita ang mga detalyeng iyon sa kanya. Walang taong perpekto ngunit bakit ganoon? It would be unfair for other guys if they'd be compared to him. Parang sobrang... unfair. He was favored too much in terms of physical appearance.

Oh my, since when did I became like this, huh?

I was pulled in reverie when he cleared his throat. Hindi ko napansin na napatitig na pala ako sa kanya.

Pikit mata kong pinagalitan ang sarili.

My god Hera! Get a grip of yourself will you?! You aren't that ignorant meeting with people! You are not friendly but you are not ignorant! And you know very well that staring is rude and disrespectful!

"I-I'm sorry..." nahihiyang ani ko.

He chuckled delicately. "Madilim na, what does a beautiful lady like you doing here? Hindi ka ba natatakot?"

I looked away from his intense gaze and focus my eyes in front of the dark abyss as I contemplate whether to answer him or not. In the end, I just sighed.

"Actually, I was diagnosed of having a nyctophobia... reason why I am afraid of darkness." Simula ko.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit ganoon na lang kabilis para sa akin na sabihin sa kanya ang bagay na hindi ko masabi sa mga taong malapit sa akin. Maybe because he's a stranger.

Sabi nila, mas madali raw magsabi ng problema sa isang taong hindi kakilala because strangers don't judge easily. Or if they did, their judgement won't matter that much because they are strangers. Unlike if we confide our problems to someone who matters to us. Because when a loved one judge us, and we cannot accept their judgement, it will break us.