Chasing You (On Hold)

Chapter 18

Great. Just great.

Bakit ko nga ba ginawa ang lahat ng 'yon kanina? Ah, yes. For Engineer Kade Madrigal! Who also happens to have a flat tyre right now as he takes me to whatever "place" he said he would!

I'm just slightly.. no-- very frustrated at Kade right now, and the situation has just aggravated it further.

"Kala ko ba engineer ka?" Inis na tanong ko, he gave me an intense stare at naaalala ko naman ang sinabi niya kanina.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked huskily after I agreed with him courting me.. my heart is still beating erratically and with his face so close to mine, it's not helping!

Sinagot ko ba talaga si Kade? Wait- what? Sagot? 'Di pa nga nililigawan sagot agad? Masyadong advance Isla Gabrielle!

Pinayagan lang manligaw!

"Paninindigan mo ba?" I said, returning a piercing stare. He gulped at my question, and as he did his adam's apple moved up and down quite slowly.. damn.

Distracted by the sight, he lifted my chin up to level his eyes. Now it was my turn to gulp at his gesture..

"Oo. Paninindigan ko."

Thinking about it now, I still find it hard to process. A Kade Madrigal, willing to court--no, courting me?

Nakakababa knowing that there are so many girls out there that are better than me, more accomplished than me. Trust me, I'm not asking for a pity party. But then, I don't really know why Kade chose to court me, why he even wanted to in the first place--or maybe the reason has always just been there, and I haven't figured it out yet.

Even so, it all just boils down to my self-consciousness and insecurities.

"Oo, pero hindi ako talyer." Napatingin ulit ako sa lalakeng nakaluhod sa tapat ng gulong ng sasakyan, kunwari iniinspekto. Sabi na nga niya hindi siya talyer, I rolled my eyes jokingly at him.

I sighed mentally, this guy is so bipolar! One minute he's all serious, then he's sarcastic, then he puts on this boy-next-door, Mr. Nice Guy facade--and quite frankly, it frustrates me. 

"Hindi ka nga talyer pero ikaw naman ang may ari ng sasakyan nato! Shouldn't you at least have a spare tyre for emergencies? Perhaps maybe like this one?" Sabi ko na may bahid ng pagkasarkasmo. Kanina pa kasi kaming dalawa nakatayo dito sa tabi ng kalsada, at eto namang kasama ko, kanina pa rin iniinspect yung gulong. As if nakakatulong yun.

"Well, if you already couldn't tell Miss Genius- I don't have that." Tipid niyang sabi at tumayo na, he then took out his phone and dialled some number.

"And! If you already couldn't tell Mister Genius, walang nagagawa yang pagtingin mo sa putok mong gulong. Okay?" He eyed me dangerously and I glared at him. He noticed my change of mood kaya nag-iwas nalang siya ng tingin at ibinalik ang pansin sa cellphone.

Napabuntong hininga nalang ako.

"San mo ba kasi ako dadalhin? At bakit ka ba kasi nagdadrive ng sasakyan mong may sira pala? You could get fined for that, Kade." I said softly at sabay na kaming pumasok ulit sa loob ng sasakyan.

I could never bring it upon myself to be frustrated, disappointed, or angry at someone- let alone my parents, friends, even Kade. I always end up getting so frustrated with myself, that I push all of the harsh emotions aside to avoid getting hurt.

"Xavier used my car yesterday to go on a mountain trip with Kahlia and Hugo. His car was still in coding so I let him. He got it checked and cleaned before he gave it back. My other cars are also in coding today and I didn't have much of a choice. I didn't know my tyre was flat, I'm sorry." I sighed. He immediately went closer, as if alerted by my reaction.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Napatingin naman ako sa kaniya, he looked so worried and compared to his other usual intense stares- this one is my favourite.

Napangiti nalang ako at napailing sa iniisip. I am suddenly so stirred by this man, it's crazy.

"What, what are you smiling at?" Tanong pa niya. I looked at him and bit my lip to stop myself from smiling. Nakakunot na ang noo niya, tila'y hindi alam kung anong dapat gawin o sabihin.

"You're making such a big deal out of such a small thing.." Mahinang sabi ko, still biting my tongue to refrain myself from smiling. Damn it! Kade!

"Hmm, am I?" He whispered, his nose touching my cheek. I could smell his fresh musk from here and it just messed me up. Big time. I closed my eyes again and pushed him aside to stop my face from fully turning into a tomato!

I looked away. "Hmp! Eh, san ba kasi tayo pupunta? At bakit wala pa rin yung taong kinontak mo ha?" Mabilis kong sabi.

I saw him move away from my peripheral vision, and I could feel his ghost of a smile hiding behind his very amused expression.

Shit! Am I blushing right now?

I tilted my head much further away from him and just looked out the blank nothing in the windows. Ba't kasi ang lapit niya? May lapit-lapit pa kasing nalalaman!

"Hmm, I don't know.." He said languidly, I could sense a great amount of amusement from his voice right now at nakakahiya!

"Isla.." He said dangerously, with a hint of lightness.. when his phone suddenly rang.

Napatingin naman ako sa kaniya at agad naman siyang bumaling sakin.

"Hey," He said cooly while still keeping his gaze on me. I rolled my eyes and looked out the windshield to stop myself from smiling again. Just.. remembering what happened a few minutes ago, it just.. takes me awhile okay?

"I don't know. We're not going." Mariing sabi ulit ni Kade.

Makes me wonder, sino kaya kausap niya? Is it Adelaide? Or.. a business partner, I don't know about because I've been so disconnected with them for the past few weeks?

"Yes. Okay, I will review your reports next week.. No, next week.. I can't do tonight.. I told you we're not going.. yes, you can handle the construction team's accommodation.. Thank you," Construction team? Accommodation? Reports? So it must be a business partner then? What if it's a woman?

Wait, why am I even thinking about this? We're still stuck here with a flat tyre!

"Isla," He called, agad naman akong napalingon.

"What.." I answered disinterestedly, not looking at him.

"Look at me." He said while still sounding very amused. He is enjoying this!

"Dito na lang ba tayo buong araw? Kade, hindi ako nag-leave buong araw para lang sa ganito-" I was cut off by his sudden warm embrace.

"Pwedeng pwede Isla." He whispered, as my heart began wildly beating.

"I could do this all day." He added, napasinghap ako sa nararamdaman. My stomach was churning, and I could feel my face burning up again. I can't help but smile..

I was silent. Drowned by the sea of my emotions, I couldn't mutter a single word.

"Hey," He said, slowly loosening his very tight embrace. Tsansing lang talaga 'to eh!

"Alam mo.. ang dami mo talagang alam ano?" I said quietly.. still smiling.. I really can't stop myself--plus he can't see me!

"Hmm.." He murmured. His tone suddenly worried me, he sounded stressed.. is he alright?

"I've been tired too, you know.." I can hear my heart pounding, and slowly tearing at his statement. I could feel every inch of my body just slowly getting comfortable with him. We can be selfish sometimes, right?

"Ba't mo pa kasi ako dinadala kung saan-saan.." Which makes me think.. kaya ba siya naiistress dahil sa tawag kanina? Maybe it was a big project na kailangan niyang atupagin and here he is, with me?

Andami ko ring aatupagin yet here I am.. with him.

Even if circumstances didn't permit.

Isn't it funny how it did?

"You're my getaway Isla Gabrielle. My peace," I hitched my breath, he finally let me go. And at that moment, I didn't want him to. I wanted to keep him close to me.. the tranquillity I've been meaning to find, right in front of me.