Beyond The Pale (Montavilla Series #2)

Chapter Nine

"Why do you love this kind of place?"

Nagulat ako nang magtanong siya sa akin. Hindi ko maiwasang pagmasdan ang kanyang makakuhang atensyon na mukha. Nakatayo lang siya sa aking tabi habang mataman na nakatingin sa karagatan, pinapanood ang mga alon nito. Nakasuot nalang siya ngayon ng printed polo at pantalon, ang kanyang buhok ay nililipad ng hangin sa kanyang mukha. Mula sa aking gilid ay naaamoy ko ang kanyang mamahaling pabango, sumasabay sa sariwang simoy ng hangin.

"It's calm. Sometimes, I can ignore my problems when I'm here. It helps mo to ease the pain, ocean breeze helps me put my mind at ease. Maski na mag isa lang ako minsan, it embrace my solitude," I answered as I remain breathing deeply the ocean smell carried by the air, while listening to the percussion of waves that feels like a lullaby to my ear.

The beach is my go-to place. Some people are going here to enjoy or to have a vacation, but me—I'm always going here to escape my problems.

"You're in pain..." he mumbled.

Oo nga pala, hindi niya pa pala alam ang sitwasyon ko dahil hindi ko naman sinasabi at hindi ko rin naman alam kung dapat ko ba sabihin sa kanya.

"Extremely painful," I whispered into the breeze. I closed my eyes as I breathes in. I scrunched my toes when I felt the softness of the sand. Through narrowed eyes, I watched each wave overlaps with one another.

"What happened?" he asked.

Nagugulat talaga ako sa kanya ngayon, ibang iba sa Dallas na kilala ko, laging nagagalit at nagsusungit. Now his voice is so soft, para akong pinapasunod nito nang walang halong pananakot. My lips parted when he sat down, he stretched his legs, facing the beach. I shrugged before I also sat beside him.

"My mom died a week ago, before I went here. Suicide, family problems," I faked a smile, maski ang pag ngiti ko ay peke nalang at purong kapaitan lamang. Sino bang sasaya habang ikinekwento mo ang pagkamatay ng iyong ina?

Wala akong narinig na kahit ano mula sa kanya kaya mga alon lamang ang nagsisilbing ingay sa aming paligid. Ilang minuto pa ang lumipas bago siya nagsalita.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I'm always hoping that one day, someone will ask me that kind of question, and now—I feel so satisfied.

"Mukha ba akong nagsisinungaling kapag sinabi kong oo?" mahina kong tawa.

Nagmistulan kaming nagpapakiramdaman dito dahil ang tagal bago sumagot ang isa, he's now careful with his words. While waiting for him to speak—at this moment, my eyes were just like a digital camera, catching every corner of the landscape. I wish I can live here for a long time.

"Yeah. You don't look okay. You can..." he paused just to sigh, "—you can open up, if you want," he added with a husky voice.

Seryoso ba 'to? Ang Superior Dallas, ine-encourage ako mag open up? It's kinda new to me, I can't imagine na magkakaroon kami ng ganitong oras dahil puro kami away at pagtatalo sa loob ng mansyon. Naninibago tuloy ako sa kanya ngayon, pati ang way ng pananalita niya o ang tono ng boses niya.