The Burning of Summer

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"Well that was one hell of a call." natatawang sabi ko dahil tapos na akong magluto nang bumalik ito.

"Sorry it took too long." he says with an apologetic face.

"It's fine, I don't like an audience when I cook."

"I'll set up the table then." umiwas ito ng tingin sa akin saka inayos ang lamesa.

He looked bothered. I wonder what was that call all about. It must be very important.

Tumikhim ako.

"I made Chicken Alfredo by the way.."

"Relly? Well I cannot wait to taste it." ngumiti ito at hinayaan ko na siya ng magboluntaryong siya na ang bahala sa iba at umupo na lamang ako.

Hinubad ko ang apron na suot at saka iyon isinabit. Tinanggal ko na rin sa pagkakatali ang aking buhok at saka inayos iyon gamit ang mga kamay.

I sat down while I watch him do the plating. Although his face looks unbothered, his eyes say otherwise.

It's like that call he got last time when he was driving me. He got a call and suddenly his aura changed and I don't know why.

Umupo na rin ito sa tapat ko nang matapos at mukhang excited na tikman ang niluto ko.

"Let's eat?" tumango ako habang natingin sa kaniya. And I watched him as he taste it.

I'm not even nervous about what he's about to say about it, I'm confident that it tastes good.

"It's so good." he mouthed.

"I know." saka pa lamang ako sumubo ng sa akin. "And I only ever cook for my sisters and Dad and I only do it when I'm in the mood so you should be grateful that I cooked for you."

Pumikit ito ng mariin sa mga sinabi ko ngunit nakangiti namang dumilat.

"You never really fail to be so confident about yourself."

"Mom and Dad raised me to be confident about myself."

That's right, kahit na noong bata pa lamang ako at nakakitaan na nila ako ng pagkamaldita, palagi nilang sinasabi sa akin na hindi iyon magandang ugali ng isang mabuting tao but then they would say that my flaws are what defines me. That my uniqueness is what made me stand out from the crowd.

"You wanna know why I called you Princess before?" he suddenly asks me.

"You called me a Princess to make fun of me." I seriously said while giving him a daggering look. Remembering that time when did call me that makes me want to seriously punch him in the face.

"You're looking at me like you're gonna punch me anytime soon."

"You've read my mind." ngumisi ito sa sinabi ko. "I still hate the fact that you called me a Princess, you weren't praising me that time so I'm sure as hell wouldn't take that as a compliment."

"If only you would listen to what I'm saying now.."

"Enlighten me then.. before I decided to really punch you in the face." namamanghang tumawa ito.

"It is a compliment." I raised him an eyebrow. "I think that it suits you well, I think of you as a princess. You live in a castle and I'm just a peasant servant here in your land."

Natahimik ako sa sinabi niya. Hindi ko masabing kahit kailan ay inisip ko ganoon nga siya, I know I've thought of him like that so many times especially when I am mad and angry.

"That's true though." I simply said.

"And I just never thought that you would even look at me or talk to me.. and I just knew from the beginning that you are very different from your sisters."