Midnight Embrace (COMPLETED)

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

 The sun was about to set, silence is in the air. Now that my friend Joey was already left, I was now completely alone in this room. Cedric was not here also, since he was really pissed at us because we’re too noisy for him to handle pero alam ko naman na nandiyan lang siya sa labas. Ha! For someone who’s dedicated at his work, it’s impossible to be afar within the vicinity. I trotted on my way the kitchen area dahil kanina pa kumakalam ang kyuubi sa tiyan ko.

My forehead furrows. Is he freakin’ kidding me?! His refrigerator was empty! How am I supposed to cook?

 Nagmartsa ako palabas ng kusina at papalabas na sana ako para bumalik sa condo unit ko pero hindi ko pa nga nahawakan ang door knob ay biglang bumukas iyon kaya hayan tuloy. The door hit me especially my face! Oh not the face!

“Agh!” Sapo ang mukha ko.

“Ano bang ginagawa mo sa harap ng pinto?”

Marahas na napalingon ako sa taong iyon. I narrowed at him. What the heck! Wala bang sorry diyan? “Babalik sa bahay ko. Seriously, kailangan mo atang mag-grocery bukas dahil walang kalaman-laman ang ref mo, Cedric!”

“So?” Pumasok na siya tuluyan sa loob. Nilagpasan lang ako, nakakaiyak naman. Don’t I deserve a little nice treatment here?  

“So, hindi ako makapagluto.”

“You can just go back to your house to get something to eat. I had already make sure that you are safe there, besides malapit lang ang bahay mo sa akin.”

“You’re as cold like Sesshomaru.” Walang emosyon na wika ko. Blankong ekpresyon na tiningnan niya ako. “What? Hindi ka pa ba nakapanood ng inuyasha n’ong bata ka pa?”

“For someone like me who came from a poor family I needed to work my ass off just to make a money para makapagtustos sa pag-aaral ko.” Shocks. Now now, I know that his not from a well off family but I didn’t expect that aside from being a scholar in our school, he also did a part-time-job outside the school!

Mas lalo ata nadagdagan ang hanga ko sa kanya.

“Now you can go back to your house.” Dagdag niya.

What the heck! I thought na dito ako pansamantala matutulog na kagaya sa mga cliché movie na napanood ko?

“OH MY MAXINE, are you sure that his not your boyfriend?” My make-up artist for the day, Tia, ask me while glancing at Cedric. As much as would I love to say NO to her but I can’t baka laman na naman ako sa mga news, hindi in a good way but a bad one. Baka isulat doon na nagsinungaling ako!

“He’s not my boyfriend, Tia. Like what I said in the interview, his my temporary manager. Binigyan ko ng vacation leave si Gaia.” Well, I wasn’t lying in that part. Pinagbakasyon ko si Gaia ng ilang araw siguro para naman believable ang kwento na hinabi ko sa mga press. Napag-usapan na din namin ni Cedric ito, he will act as my manager.

“Good.” She said. I stare at her in disbelief, did she just said good because his not my boyfriend? I swear I didn’t like the way she look at him. Nang sinundan ko ang tingin niya ay nakita ko na nakatingin sa direksyon namin si Cedric—ay mali, ako lang pala!

He was looking at me!

I flash him a dazzling smile but It didn’t affect on him.

“Pero off limit siya, Tia.”

Laglag ang panga niya. “You like him?” Hindi ako makasagot, like him? I don’t just like him pero bago pa ako makapagsalita ay nagpatuloy siya. “Well, it doesn’t matter, no matter how you put a fence around him. Women will just destroy it and throw themselves to him. He’s hot!”

“And you’re one of them?”

“Liar will go to hell.” Hindi na lang ako kumibo. Iyon na din nagtatapos ang pa-uusap namin dahil tinawag na ako ng director para mag-shooting sa last scene ng suspense movie. The shooting was going smoothly, dalawang beses lang nagkaroon ng mali pero 'di sa akin kundi sa ibang kasamahan namin, two days from now ay matatapos na din ang movie na ito and I’m so excited! Matapos niyon ay mabilis na nagpaalam ako sa kanila and as I expected muntikan na akong madumog ng mga fans ko, mabuti na lang mabilis kumilos iyong mga mukhang bouncer para pigilan sila. Kumaway lang ako at nginitian ang mga ito before I slid inside the van at naabutan ko si Cedric doon na tahimik na nakaupo sa driver sit and yeah, siya na din ang maging driver ko. Aba, kung ganito pala siya na multi-tasking ay wala akong e-reklamo.

Hindi man lang ako tinapunan ng tingin, sungit!

Hay, what a life!

“Hey, gorgeous!”

Well, at least I have a chance to be with him!

“Tapos ka na?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I’m not.” Inayos ko ang pagkaupo.

Wala kaming imikan buong biyahe, I’m too tired to talk to him especially with his aura right now. It was as if I was surrounded by a gloomy air or something. Seriously, this guy should loosen up a bit!

Minutes goes by, I notice that he was not taking the same route, headed to the condominium building where we are currently staying. “Um. Cedric. I know na maganda ako at siguro na-realize mo na irresistible ako pero k********g is against the law!”

“Why is it every minute your mouth is open?”

“No I don’t think so, Gorgeous. Exaggerated naman iyang sinabi mo.”

“It’s just a idiomatic expression, woman.”

"Whatever, lover boy, still this is against the law! But since you’re my kidnapper I don’t mind.” I said playfully. I heard him grunted before he drive even faster.

“You wish. And to put it in your small thick head, I would gladly tell you that we are being followed by someone.”

Napalingon ako sa likod, I saw a black car was now few meters following us. Napansin ko na ito kanina noon na naka-park malapit sa kung saan kami ng shooting. At first I thought that black car own by one of my colleagues. Cause this car was so familiar to me, di ko lang alam kung saan ko ito nakita!

 Umayos ako ng upo. “So what are we going to do now?”

“Well, we can’t just stop here because it’s definitely not safe. So let’s just escape.”

I gape. “huh?”

“We don’t know who’s inside. Baka armado din iyan or maybe one of your paparazzi.” Hindi na lang ako kumontra, alam ko naman na magiging safe ako sa kamay niya 'no. He was my savior back then. I trust him.

Humalukipkip na lang ako, napansin ko na may bahagyang sumungaw iyong putting papel sa bulsa niya. His eyes were fixed on the road, hindi naman siguro niya mapapansin na kukunin ko iyon. Like robin hood I secretly took that thing poking out from his pocket. My heart was pang as soon as I laid my eyes on the piece of paper. It was a photo of a woman with an angelic face. Saglit ko lang nakita iyong picture na iyon dahil inagaw ni Cedric iyon. Masama na tiningnan ako.

“Didn’t your parents tell you not to encroach someone’s things?”

“My parents let me do things whatever I want. So no. They didn’t. Anyway, who is that woman in the picture?” Curious na tanong ko, although a part of my mind was yelling to stop asking but I just ignore it.

“Shut up, woman.”

“Sige na! Ang ganda din ng babaeng iyan pero siyempre mas maganda ako sa kanya. Sige na!”

“She’s my girlfriend, dammit!” Bigla niya naapakan ang preno. Good thing was I perfectly put a seatbelt kung hindi baka mangudngod ako sa harap ko.

“G-girlfriend…?” Hindi makapaniwalang sabi ko. I didn’t know he has a girlfriend. What about me? Oh great, Maxine, pano mo naman malalaman iyon eh nakasara ang isipan ko tungkol doon na taken na pala siya?

“Yes. Kung pwede lang huwag ka ng madaldal. s**t. Mukhang hindi tayo makakauwi nito. Seems they are not just a paparazzi who wants an interview or something.”

Magtatanong pa sana ako kaso nga lang biglang may narinig akong putok sa labas. Napapitlag ako ng pinaharurot niya ang sasakyan ng mabilis.