Dancing with Fire

CHAPTER 13.5 - City of Angels

CHAPTER 13.5

"Sweep, gising na."

Tiningnan niya ang kanyang relo to check the time.

Whoa! I slept for five hours! Parang sampung minuto lang ah.

They made a stop-over in Singapore. Tumingin siya sa bintana and it's almost sunset. Bumaba sila para kumain muna sa airport at maya-maya ay sumakay na uli to continue their journey.

It's already five in the morning in Los Angeles when they arrived. Sumakay sila ng taxi pagkalabas nila ng airport.

"Good Evening sir, ma'am. Welcome to Los Angeles." The driver greeted jollily.

"Thanks, well here...", sabay abot ng isang kapirasong papel sa driver. "Do you know this place?"

"Well, definitely.", the driver frowned, "One of my passengers headed there puked all over my seats last holiday. I scrubbed it all off for almost two days, the stench just won't come off."

"That's awful, such a bad luck for a national holiday."

"Yeah." The driver agreed. "Need not to worry, my car seats are 100% cocktail-free, unless either one of you might take it again the second time around."

"We're sober." Trenton chuckled, "but we'll halt you when that happens."

"Nah, I'll call it a night." The chubby driver laughed.

"Sa hotel ba tayo magse-stay?" Bulong ni Sandra sa binata.

Trenton shook his head. "Hindi. Sa bahay natin."

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"Whoa! This house..."

The residential building is two stories high with three bedrooms on the second floor and composed of a living, dining and guest room on the ground level. Sa laki nito ay tatlong pamilya ang magkakasya dito. Addition to that is a basement wherein a mini gym is already set up down there.

"I bought this one in an auction event. Skylar was the one who chose this house. She's my loyal friend who actually resides here and she's a Filipino." He said.

"Skylar?"

"You'll meet her eventually." Ngiti nito sa kanya. "Oo nga pala, nakapili na ako ng eskwelahan mo. Papasok ka sa Eastern University and-"

"Wait, hold on!" She said surprisingly. "Papasok ako?"

"Yup. As a matter of fact, mag-eenroll ka na this semester."

"Does that mean, magtatagal tayo dito?"

"Sa totoo lang, I have no idea... But I'm always ready for a contingency plan. Sa ngayon ay ganito muna, kailangan mong ipagpatuloy ang pag-aaral mo para hindi masayang ang oras mo dito sa L.A., and I think your father will agree with me that we'll strive to live a normal life."

"That's near to impossible." She sighed.

Lumapit naman si Trenton and leaned on the wall beside her. "That's why I came with you here to help you out and make you see that there's still life after this. Kakampi mo ako dito and if you need someone to push you, I'm always here to shove your behind."

"What?" Raising a brow at him.

Tumawa naman ang binata. "I like that reaction, yan ang kanina ko pang hinihintay. Alam kong nag-aalinlangan ka pa saken, but take your time. Malaki ang respeto at utang na loob ko sa tatay mo and this is my way of repaying him, by keeping you safe." He ran his hand through her hair.

"You'll get through this, magtiwala ka lang. Don't let these people put you down and scare you off. You're not threatened of them at all I know that, but you need time to prepare for the war they've started." He caressed her hair one more time and pinch her cheek gently.

"Your father believes in you. He always did." He said finally. "But why don't we get some sleep first?

(Author's note: This additional chapter was roughly made so pardon the rush. C: Chapter 14 and 15 will be coming out this week to make it up to ya'll. lovelots!)