The Best Man

Chapter 16

I woke up and it is still dark outside. I glanced at my clock it’s two in the morning. When I tried to get up, my head hurts.

“Ouch, this hurts,” touching my head while lying back in bed. I tried to rest for a while and get up again. “I need to take some Paracetamol.”

I went to my drawer and get my medicine bag. Luckily, I still have them here. I put it in my mouth and took a sip of water.

“In a while I will be relieved of the pain.”

But suddenly, I felt the urge to look outside my window. I don’t know why but something is telling me to go and look outside. I know that when I open the window, it will be cold outside so I put on my robe.

I walked to the window and from here; I can see a silhouette of a man standing behind a car. I can’t see his face but I felt nervous.

The man suddenly turned to look at my window, maybe he noticed me looking at him. I hid from my window curtains and held my breath. I hope he didn’t see me.

I know that I was just being paranoid because I scanned my room, it is very dark. Only the lamp shade on my bed side table is turned on and that man will not be able to see the light from here.

I took a look again and now, the man is starting to go inside his car. I hurried downstairs, not minding of the dark. I didn’t turn on the lights thinking that I might wake Manong and Manang who are sound asleep.

When I reached the last step of the stairs, I heard the car engine start and I know that the man is gone.

I hurried to open the door and went to the gate to see who that man is.

When I am already outside, I just had a view of the vanishing car, it is a black Audi. But I am really not sure if it is black or gray because it is too dark outside.

The morning wind is chilling me so I went inside the house. Still shivering from the cold, I went to the kitchen and made myself a coffee.

I sat on the bar stool and weakly mixing my cup of coffee. I remembered the night me and Justin had coffee at a café. That was a happy night. That was the night when I finally got a close interaction with the country’s most eligible bachelor, Justin Adrian Madrigal. A voice startled me with my thoughts.

“What are you doing here Ella? It’s only 3 o’clock in the morning sweetie.” My mom said while still stretching.

“Did I wake you?” I asked.

“No sweetie. I just want some coffee and I really do need to wake up early today.” She’s now reaching for the cups at the top drawer.

When she returned, she seated in front of me and with wide eyes she asked, “Since when you started drinking coffee?”

“Ma, it’s just coffee,” I spat.

“Yeah I know, but I also know that you hate coffee sweetie.”

“I started liking one. But with cream,” I smiled at her.

“Hmmm, sudden change of taste. You have to explore my dear. Though the coffee is bitter, just add some sugar and cream and the bitterness is gone.”

“Yeah mom, you’re right,” I shrugged.

“But wait,” she is looking me in the eye, “have you been crying?” She’s looking at me at every angle. “Why is my sweet daughter crying?”

“Ma, I’m, I’m not,” I tried to hold back my tears and turned to look away.

“Sweetie, you can tell me. I’m your mom. Why are you crying? I know that the last time you ever cried is when…”