Chapter 12 Star gazing

His POV

Sinundan ko ng tingin si Claire habang papalayo ito sa aking sasakyan, I could still smell her scent inside my car.

Who thought that we would end up having sex. She has become more aggressive now. I got the chance to look at her in her eyes and still all I saw was sadness and pain and she was just masking with those makeups and with her actions. There was a part of me that wanted to comfort her just when I saw her in Adrianne's bar, but I was afraid that she would just push me away from her more.

Mariin ko itong tinitigan habang papalayo hanggang sa mawala ito sa aking paningin. Napapailing na lamang ako habang minamaniubra ang steering wheel ng aking sasakyan.

She was really different, kung ibang babae pa siguro yon, ito na mismo ang magtatanong kung kailan ulit kami magkikita, kung ititext ko ba sya o kaya'y tatawagan at di pa nga nag-isang oras nakafollow na agad ang mga ito sa lahat ng social media accounts ko, pero si Claire dalawang linggo na akong nakafollow sa kanya ngunit ni followback ay di nito nagawa.

I made myself busy, I really wanted to focus on what I read but a girl kept on bothering me. Parehong babaeng ayaw akong patulugin sa gabi simula noong may nangyari sa aming dalawa.

"Shit!" Inis na binagsak ko ang hawak na signed pen sa ibabaw ng office table ko. Sinandal ko ang likod sa sandalan ng swivel chair, pinahinga ko ang likod ng ulo sa itaas na bahagi ng sandalan, napahilot ako sa aking sintido."For once Claire, stop bothering my mind! Fuck! Ano bang meron sayo at ayaw kang mawala sa isip-" I stopped midway when my mentor went inside my office.

"Sino kausap mo?"

"You see nothing, right?" I sarcastically answered.

"Should I call a psychiatrist now?" She laughed a bit.

"Whatever."

I was driving my way home, I was kinda tired, I really kept myself busy so that when I got home diretso ang tulog ko, I just hoped Claire wouldn't bother my sleep anymore...

I was so near to my condo when Miggy called, I picked it up using my right hand at inipit ko sa gitna ng tenga at balikat ko.

"What now?!"

"Galit agad?! Inom." he chuckled on the other line.

"No thanks, pagod ako."

"Seryoso yarn? Nandito si Claire..."

"Nice try but yes I'm seriously fuckingly tired."

“Okay! Sabi mo eh."

Ibinaba na nito ang tawag, I was about to place my phone back to my dashboard when my phone beeped.

I rolled my eyes when Migz sent me a photo to my Instabook. Out of curiosity, I opened it pasulyap-sulyap lamang ang mga mata ko sa phone at sa daan. He sent me the address to where he was right now and a blurred photo. I waited for it to load.

I almost bumped into the next car when I saw the photo. It is really not a good idea to use mobile phones while driving. I wasn't just endangering myself but the lives of other people. Iginilid ko ang sasakyan, tiningnan kong muli ang picture. It was a picture of Claire. She was so gorgeous in her red dress, she was playing beer pong. I stared at her face carefully. It was so obvious that she was already drunk.

Matagal kong tinitigan ang kanyang mukha, I was worried and concerned.

I shook my head and continued driving my car to my condo. “ I'm sure she is with someone... " Kausap ko sa aking sarili."and why do I care huh? she's old enough to take good care of herself-- fuck!" Nakita ko na lang ang sariling kinabig ang manibela papunta sa address na sinent ni Migs. "You're crazy dude!" I chastised myself.

I called Miggy that I was already inside the house where the party was held but I couldn't find them both, he and Claire.

"Oh, pare! Change your mind?" Tila nakikita ko ang nakakalokong ngisi nito mula sa kabilang linya. "San ka ngayon ba't ang ingay dyan? "

"I'm already here, where is she?"

"Sabi ko na nga ba eh! Oh shit!"

"Bakit?"

"Tangina! San kaba? I think Claire is in trouble!"

"Wag mo kong pinagloloko Juan Miguel!"

"Nandito ako sa may kitchen, bilis! Puntahan natin!" He sounded nervous kaya binilisan ko ang mga hakbang at hinanap ang sinabi niyang kitchen.

"Wag mong ialis ang tingin sa kanila Miggy!" I seriously told him!

"Bilisan mo pare! Pinasok sa kwarto si Claire kasama ang lima na lalaki!"

"Damn!" Napatakbo ako ng marinig ang sibani nito.

Sinipa ko ang pintuan kung saan nakita ni Miggy na dinala si Claire kasama ang limang lalaki. Napatiim bagang ak, napa kuyom ang mga kamao ko ng makita ang kalapastangang ginawa nila kay Claire. "Asshole! Get off of her!" I went directly to the guy and kicked him on his side! Nagulat ito sa aking ginawa ngunit di na ito nakapalag. Tumayo ito at kasama ang iba pang kasabwat nito na tumakbo but Miggy abruptly cornered him at malakas na hinawakan ito sa leeg, I wanted to punched him untill he could no longer breath but when I saw Claire almost naked, arm crossed in front of her chest and was scared and crying, I abruptly took off my polo as fast as I could and covered her nakedness. I went closer to her nanginig ito sa takot.

"No!" Tinulak nya ko without looking at me, she was traumatized, she thought that I was still one of the bad guys. "No! Wag mo akong hawakan!"

"Hey... it's me..." Tumingin ito sa akin, naawa ako ng makita ang takot na takot niyang mukha but when she realized who I was, I saw relief in her eyes, kasabay ang pagpatak ulit ng panibagong luha sa kanyang mata. Mabilis kong binalot sa kanya ang hinubad kong polo, mahigpit itong yumakap sa akin. Siniksik ang ulo sa aking balikat, binuhat ko sya in a bridal style, "Babalikan kitang hayop ka! Pagbabayaran mo to at ng iba mo pang mga kasamang animal ka!" Mariin kong tinitigan ang tumarantado ni Claire na hawak pa rin ni Miggy"Miggy kaw na bahala dyan make sure he will going to pay what he did!" Pagkasabi'y mabilis na lumabas ako ng bahay na iyon, pinagtitinginan kami ng mga tao but I didn't care. They just continued partying, walang kaalam-alam sa nangyari, isinakay ko siya sa sasakyan ko, maingat ko syang binaba sa shotgun seat. Bahagya akong lumayo ngunit mas humigpit ang pagyakap nito sa akin at mas idiniin ang mukha nito sa balikat ko.

" Wag mo kong iwan please..."

"It's okay Claire... you're safer now... I'm not gonna leave, but I need to go to the other side, at the driver seat... okay... I'll take you to the hospita-"

"No! I don't want to be there... I don't want to go home either... just take me to where you wanna go... I just don't want my parents to worry about me... " Lumayo ako ng bahagya sa kanya, hinawakan ko ang kanyang mukha, unti-unting nawawala ang panginginig nito at takot.

"But-"

"Ewan ko, but I feel safe with you..." Tila may kung anong humaplos sa puso ko ng marinig ang kanyang sinabi.

I took her to my place, when we arrived she was already in a deep sleep.

I carried her again, from the car up to my room inside my unit, dahan-dahan ko syang ibinaba sa ibabaw ng aking kama.

Nilinis ko muna ang katawan nito gamit ang bimbong binasa ko sa maligamgam na tubig, binura ko ang kolorete nito sa mukha, pinagmasdan ko ang natural nyang ganda. She was like an angel, kay amo ng kanyang mukha, she looked so different without her mask, ibang-iba sa nakasanayan kong makita...

Di ko mapigilan ang sariling haplosin ang malambot nyang pisngi, "Ba't pakiramdam kong obligado akong alagaan ka? Na responsibilidad kong protektahan ka? Nakakagago ng taong nanakit sayo... ‘di nya nakita kung gaano kalaki ng halaga mo..." yumuko ako at pinatakan ng halik ang kanyang mga labi...

Pagkatapos ko syang linisan, ay pinalitan ko ang napunit na nyang damit, isinuot ko sa kanya ang malaking tshirt ko at boxer shorts.

Itinaas ko ang kumot niya hanggang dibdib, banayad kong hinaplus ang kanyang buhok. Tumayo ako ng tuwid at muli ay pinagmasdan ko ito, napangiti ako ng makita ang kapayapaan sa kanyang mukha. Tumalikod ako, pinatay ko ang ilaw bako ako lumabas ng sarili kong kuarto. ‘Di ko alam pero ang bilis kong nakaramdam ng antok ngayong alam kong she was just less than ten meters away from me...

Kinabukasan, nagising ako, dahan-dahan kong minulat ang mga mata, napasulyap ako sa malaki kong walk clock sa itaas na bahaging wall ko, medyo napahapa ang tulog ko dahil alas nuwebe na ng umaga. I stretched my muscle ngunit ng bigla kong maalala na nandito lang si Claire, nasa loob ng aking kwarto ay kay bilis kong napabalikwas ng bangon. Napatakbo ako sa loob ng aking kwarto ngunit ganun na lamang ang pagkadismaya ko ng wala na akong naabutan sa loob nito.

Bagsak ang mga balikat kong lumabas ng silid ko ngunit agad rin akong napakunot noo ng may maamoy ako. Amoy ulam, ngayon ko lang napansin marahil ay iba ang focus ng utak ko. Tinungo ko ang kusina, hoping I could find her there ngunit bigo pa rin akong makita itoa. I went near the table to where she placed the dish she cooked for me, who thought she knew how to cook. Nalipat ang tingin ko sa isang maliit na papel na nakadikit sa lamesa.

I bit my lower lip kasabay ng pag ngiti ko as I read her message.

[Thanks for being my knight in shining armor, in return I cooked you breakfast.

PS. Sorry for the dish, next time it will be myself, I guess.

Kidding! Eatwell Jerick :)]

Napagalaman kong nakakulong na ang limang nagtangkang mang rape kay Claire and with my connections even without Claire's statement, they gonna stay in their forever.

I was inside my office again. I was so busy making a marketing strategy report again when my attention was caught by the beep of my phone. Kinuha ko ang cellphone, I swiped up, I pressed my four passcodes. I got a new notification from my instabook, I clicked the message to open it, Claire Salvador followed you.

Napangiti ako ng mabasa ang notification, muli kong ibinaba ang cellphone sa ibabaw ng aking lamesa tila ginanahan akong magtrabaho. Kay bilis ng kamay kong kinuha muli ang cellphone ng tumunog ulit ito.

‘I think I owe you dinner :)’ she chatted.

"Where do you like?" Kay bilis ng mga daliri kong magtipa ng irereply..

We were both lying at the back of my Ford Ranger. After our dinner at a fine restaurant, we went to the beach side. Naglatag lamang ako ng manipis na foam upang higaan namin habang nag star star gazing.

"How do you feel now?" I broke the silence, ilang minuto na kaming nakahiga habang nakatanaw sa langit, ang tahimik namin pareho.

"I'm okay now and feeling better when I know that they are already in jail. Thank you. " She said without looking at me.

"They deserved it." I said.

"Yeah... I just pray for their souls..." I looked at her, she smiled while still looking at the dark sky.

"Hala shooting star! Mag wish tayo!" She gently closed her eyes and she was so serious with her wish, gumalaw ang mga labi nito habang tahimik na sinasabi ang hiling. I just stared at her, ang ganda niya talaga, hindi nakakasawa. Minutes have passed she opened her eyes, I was still looking at her, naramdaman nito marahil ang tingin ko kaya napalingon ito sa akin.

"What did you wish for?" I asked. Ibinalik nito ang tingin sa kalangitan, muli ay nakita ko ang lungkot sa kanyang mga mata.

"Simple lang... Na sana'y tuluyan ng mawala ang sakit dito..." Tinuro nito ang puso... "Ayoko nito... Sa kagustuhan kong mawala ang nararamdaman ko dito, ‘di ko na namalayan na napapahamak ko na sarili ko..." nilingon nya ako... " Ikaw, anong hiniling mo? "

"Hiniling ko na sana matupad ang kahilingan mo... " Inangat ko ang kamay at marahan na hinaplos ang kanyang pisngi.. "Di ko rin maintindihan ang sarili... Nasasaktan rin akong makita kang nahihirapan…”