Seasons 2: A Second Chance in Spring

Chapter Thirteen

"Dad, I don't really know what happened! Swear! Wala ako'ng relasyon kay Apollo! I told you I was through with him years ago! I don't know! Ask him," ngitngit na sabi ni Andy bago pinindot ang 'end call' button.

Hindi pa niya naiibalik sa clutch bag niya iyon ay tumunog na naman iyon. It was from Gabby.

"Ate, wala nga kaming relasyon ni Apollo! I'm just a second away from committing murder! No, of course. I'll find a way somehow. No! I won't be marrying him!"

Nang matapos ang tawag ay ini-off niya ang cellphone at padaskol na ibinalik iyon sa dashboard habang si Apollo ay ngingiti-ngiti lang na nagmamaneho. Mataktika nito'ng nahila siya palayo sa press. Hindi na niya nagawang makapag-protesta dahil nawindang siya sa mga pangyayari.

"You think this is funny, Apollo?" asar na sabi niya.

Lalo nang tumawa si Apollo. His throaty laughter filled the car. Othertimes, she would have savored the moment. Pero hindi ngayon.

"Bakit sa'kin ka nagagalit? Blame it on yourself. Ikaw ito'ng mapilit na harapin ang press."

"Wala kang sinasabi sa'kin!" sigaw niya dito. "Hindi ko naman alam na nasa dyaryo na tayo. And in the first place, you were the one who brought me into this mess. If you hadn't appeared yesterday--" Hindi na niya naituloy ang sasabihin. Sinabutan na lang niya ang sarili. "I hate you, Apollo!"

"And again, you brought this unto yourself," sabi pa rin nito.

Sa inis niya ay dumukwang siya at nanggigigil na piningot ang tenga nito.

"Aray! Andy, maaaksidente tayo!"

"Bwiset ka!" she shouted. Humalukipkip siya sa upuan niya. "You appear in front of me after several years and mess things up in my life."

"Was it because of that guy earlier? Kaya ba galit na galit ka sa'kin ay dahil doon?" matalim nito'ng tanong.

She gritted her teeth. "Hindi lang doon! You coerced me into this situation. And now everyone thinks I'm supposed to marry you!"

Apollo cocked his head sideways and gave her an almost mocking grin. "Hindi ba at ganyan rin ang ginawa mo sa'kin noon?"

Natigilan siya dahil may point ito. Tumingin siya sa labas ng bintana. Iba naman ang sitwasyon nila ni Apollo. Back then, she loved Apollo with all her heart that was why she wanted to marry him. Pero si Apollo ngayon ay ginagamit siya para lang makatakas sa pagpapaliwanag sa lahat. The fact hurt her so in a way she never thought she would be hurt by him again.

"Gumaganti ka ba? Matagal na iyon at kinalimutan ko na iyon. Pinakawalan na kita sa usapang iyon," she said quietly. "But if by this way you wanted to get even with me, eh 'di sige, papayag ako. But I won't be marrying you."

Hindi umimik si Apollo. Siya naman ay sinisikap pigilan ang pagpatak ng mga luha. Darn! She was not supposed to get teary-eyed in front of him. Matagal na niya dapat kinalimutan ang kahit na ano'ng matitinding emosyon meron siya para dito. She was not the little girl who used to follow him around at school anymore.

Kapagkuwan ay pinindot ni Apollo ang stereo sa kotse nito. Mabilis siyang napalingon dito nang marinig ang unang nota ng kanta. It was the same song that was playing when she danced with Apollo for the first time on the night of her prom. Bigla tuloy ay naalala niya ang sandali na yakap-yakap siya nito habang ang lahat ng mga tao sa paligid nila ay tila naglaho.

Nananadya na talaga ito!

"You can't melt my heart with that song," inis pa ring sabi niya dahil sa totoo lang ay affected siya. Apollo knew exactly what to do to bring her mood from down to up.

"Wala naman ako'ng masamang intensyon," pa-inosenteng sabi nito. "It just happened that this song reminds me of one magical night I danced with the most beautiful girl I've seen in my life."

Nang tingnan niya ito ay ngumiti ito sa kanya. Her heart suddenly had wings and wanted to fly out of her chest. Dagli niyang iniwas ang mata.

"That magical night you were talking about ended sourly," mapait niyang sabi.

Apollo stiffened. Naramdaman niya ang tensyon na nagmumula dito pero hindi siya umimik. Imbes na sagutin siya ay sinabayan ni Apollo ang kanta na nagmumula sa stereo. And her mind travelled down memory lane once again.