Chapter Six

RED was stunned before the man who offered her help. Halos manginig ang katawan niya dahil sa marahas na tambol ng puso niya. A notch formed in her stomach. Parang maduduwal din siya sa hindi malamang dahilan. But it is very evident that she will throw up because of so much fear caused by the man in front of him.

Pero bakit naman siya matatakot kay Fallon? She isn't indebted to him anyway, to her knowledge at least. The last time she checked she wasn't indebted to anyone but the erratic beating of her heart tells otherwise.

"Who are you?" she asked, her nose humped because of that lie.

Fallon didn't answer her instead he took a step towards her making Red move back.

"S-sino ka? Anong ginagawa mo?"

She heard him scoff. Panigurado'y naiinis na ito sa mga itinatanong niya. Nanatili ang titig nito sa kanya kaya nadagdagan ang kaba at pagka-asiwa niya rito. Fallon wasn't responsive also. He kept on looking at her like she was a specimen. Nang tuluyang mahinto sa paglapit si Fallon ay napapikit si Red.

"Ang bilis mo namang makalimot," Fallon said across her ear.

Red's face flushed red because of what Fallon did. Halos matumba siya dahil sa epekto niyon sa kanya. She muttered curses in her head. Nang gumalaw si Fallon ay agad siyang lumayo at aligagang tumalikod pero bago pa siya makalayo ay agad siya nitong nahila pabalik.

"Let me go!" she protested. "Ano ba! Ano bang kailangan mo?"

Nakapirmi ang kamay ni Fallon sa siko niya. She intends to dismiss it but she can't help it. Tiningnan niya ang pagkakawahak na iyon ni Fallon kaya agad na nag-init ang mukha niya. Agad siyang nag-iwas ng tingin at nahinto iyon kay Fallon.

"So, what can I do for you?" tanong nito.

Nangunot ang noo niya dahil sa tanong na iyon. He doesn’t need to do anything because in the first place I don't need his help. Sigaw ng isip niya pero wala siyang lakas ng loob na sabihin iyon at hindi niya alam kung bakit.

"Bitiwan mo ako," she said. Fallon looked at her intently before sighing.

"I don't need your help, okay? Stay away from me,"

"You need help. Your bike is, well, you know what happened to it,"

"Says who?" buska niya. Fallon's forehead creased. "What do you mean?"

"Who told you that I needed help?"

"No one but-"

"Exactly!" she hissed.

"I don't need help. So why are you here? Stop meddling on someone's business."

Naiinis siya dahil sa asta nito. How dare him offer for a goddamn help if she doesn't need one? Anong pinupunto nito? Na hindi niya kaya ang sarili niya? Na hindi niya kayang umuwi ng mag-isa? Na hanggang ngayon ay wala pa rin siyang lakas na makapag-sarili?

To hell with him! I don't need a freaking help! Her mind shouted.

Red broke his grip and walked towards her bike. Umuusok ang dulong gulong nito kaya napapikit siya sa inis. Now what she's going to do with it? Inis na inihilamos niya ang kamay sa mukha at bumuga sa kawalan.

"Damn it." She swore as she took out her phone.

Agad niyang hinanap ang numero ng kaibigan at mabilis iyong tinawagan. Gusto niyang magpapadyak dahil kinain niya rin ang sinabi niya kay Fallon. Of course she needed help! But she just can't admit it right into his face. At hindi niya rin maatim na magpatulong rito.

To hell with his thoughts about me! Hirit muli ng isip niya.

Red knows how her pride took over her system. Hindi niya binalak na bumalik sa Pilipinas pero wala siyang nagawa dahil kay Marie. And this . . . Red hopes that this is just a coincidence. Ayaw niyang pagtuunan nang pansin ang muli nilang pagkikita ni Fallon. Kahit na merong kaunting bahagi ng puso niya ang nagsusumigaw ng hindi niya malamang dahilan.

Muntik pa niyang mahulog ang cellphone dahil sa kaba nang mapansing nakatitig pa rin sa kanya si Fallon at balewala rito ang mga sinabi niya.

Narinig niya ang sadyang pagtikhim nito para makuha ang atensyon niya na agad naman napagtagumpayan ng huli. She saw how his eyebrows meet making his face look grim and . . . hot.

For the past two years, Red concluded that something didn't change about him. Ganoon pa rin ang ayos ng buhok nito, ang matangos na ilong, at ang perpektong hubog ng panga nito. His eyes remained emotionless and the way he looks at her makes her want to dive right back to what happened years ago. Napapikit siya ng mariin. Red didn't let herself continue checking more on Fallon. She controlled herself not to go back to that specific scene her head is screaming.

"Come on. I'll take you home," Fallon's voice was low and cold. Nagmulat ng mga mata si Red at sinalubong ang titig nito. "Let's go."

Umiling siya bago imuwenestra ang hawak na cellphone.

"No. I can go home on my own," she said. Humalukipkip naman si Fallon at nanatiling nakatitig sa kanya.

"You can but not today. You're going home with me."

"Woah. Easy there. Bingi ka ba? I already told you that I can go home on my own. Bakit ba namimilit ka?" inis niyang saad.

Red doesn't get him. Why is he insisting so much of taking her home?

"And for the record, I don't know you. So please, just please, kindly leave me alone . . . for good."

She saw how Fallon's jaw clenched upon hearing her words. Nakaramdam din siya ng tensyon sa paligid kaya agad na nag-iwas ng tingin at muling sinubukang tawagan ang kaibigan. Nang sumagot ay tahimik siyang nagpasalamat.

"Hey, Jet! Hi. Uhm . . . busy ka ba? Yeah. Well, can I ask you a favor? Yeah? Oh, thank you! Okay. I'm here at Santa Ana Ma---" Naputol ang sasabihin niya nang may humablot sa cellphone niya.

Titili na sana siya kung hindi niya lang napagsino ang kumuha niyon. Red faced the grim looking Fallon and it made her heart in a somersault.

"I thought you can go home on your own?" he hissed.

Hindi na siya nakapagsalita pa nang hawakan siya nito at hilahin. Red winced not with the sudden tug of strength but with their contact.

ILANG beses na nagmura sa isipan si Fallon dahil sa galit at inis na nararamdaman. His jaw clenched repeatedly. He doesn't know why he suddenly went berserk upon meeting her. Pero alam niya kung bakit nagkakaganoon siya.

Two years! I've let her get away from me for two years and this . . . this what happened? Sigaw ng isip niya.

Napamura uli siya at sa puntong iyon ay kumawala ang kalutungan niyon.

"Stop cursing and let go of me!"

Natinag siya dahil sa narinig. Nahinto siya at tiningan si Red. He saw how her angelic face turned sour when she looked at her wrist. Agad naman niyang binitawan iyon. Napapikit siya ng mariin nang makitang nagmarka ang pagkakahawak niya. He cursed himself more.

"Damn it," he murmured.

"Ano bang problema mo?"

"Just get in the car."

Agad niyang binuksan ang passenger seat at tiningnan ang dalaga. Red looked so pissed and he was too. He can't stand the fact that the woman is questioning his apperance right now. It pierced his heart.

"Please! J-just let me go," anito.

He was torned upon seeing the fear in her eyes. It was as if he would do some bad things to her. Mas lalong nagsugat ang puso niya dahil sa sinabi nito.

"Get in the car," he said.

Napaawang lang ang bibig ng babae at halos masipa niya ang harap ng sasakyan. He cursed mentally as he swoops Red just to be seated perfectly at the passenger seat. Napatili ito dahil sa ginawa niya pero siya ay nagpasalamat nang mahindian ang temptasyon.

As he closed the door, Fallon knew that Red was already muttering curses. He smirked as he looked at her once more.

"You never change," aniya sa makahulugang tinig.

Agad siyang umikot papunta sa driver's seat at binuksan iyon. Nang lingunin ang babae ay matatalim ang titig nito sa kanya. He looked at her for a second and started to reeve up the engine.

"How about my bike? I can't just let it stay there!"

"My secretary will take care of it."

He heard her puff a loud breath kaya napatingin siya rito. Kita niya ang pagkalukot ng magandang mukha nito. Even so, she still looked gorgeous. He only sighed upon his thoughts and started driving.

"How can you let your secretary take care of my baby? May alam ba iyon sa pagmo-motor? Eh babae ang secretary mo! Damn it! She'll wreck my bike more! Pull over!"

Naiinis man ay pinili niyang lingunin ito. Red was looking at her; worry etched in her eyes. She calls her bike baby, huh? Mas lalong hindi nakatakas sa pandinig niya ang pag-aakusa na babae ang sekretarya niya. Fallon wished she was checking on him for the past years. Pero ayaw niyang mag-assume dahil sa bayolenteng reaksyon nito nang mapagsino siya kanina.

"My secretary is a he. He knows how to drive your bike. And. . . I don't accept female secretaries. Just stay there and rest," aniya bago ibinalik ang tingin sa kalsada.

Hindi na muli nagsalita ang dalaga at gayon din siya. He took the left turn and they were already nearing her condo. Fallon made sure he knew where she's staying. Kahit gusto na niyang iuwi sa sariling condo ang dalaga ay hindi maaari. He can't just scare her away by his sudden actions.

As he stopped the car, he felt the strange look she was throwing at him.

"Paano mo nalaman kung saan ako nakatira?" tanong nito.

Kinalas na muna niya ang seatbelts at hinarap ang dalaga. How he wishes to just drive her home and never let her go out again. Naririndi na siya sa mga katanungan nito pero hindi niya maaaring balewalain ang mga tanong nito.

"Intuition," aniya.

"My bike..." Red protested again. Tango lang ang isinagot niya bago lumapit dito. He felt her stilled and he smiled mentally. Ramdam niya ang pagkaasiwa nito sa lapit nila at mas lalong nagdiwang ang kalooban niya nang makitang napapikit ito.

How he wishes he could do it but he knew she'd loathe him more. Sa ngayon ay makukuntento na lang muna siya sa pagkikita nila. Agad niyang kinalas ang seatbelt nito at marahang hinakawan ang kamay nito. Her hand was so soft and he wished he won't let go of it.

"Hey..." untag niya.

Red opened her eyes and was shocked to see him so close to her. Agad na umatras si Fallon at bumaba. Umikot siya papunta sa passenger seat at binuksan iyon. Red immediately went out and he only sighed.

Parang diring-diri itong magkalapit sila at labis ang kagustuhang makaalis kaagad. Ramdam niyang kakawala uli kaagad ang dalaga kaya maagap niyang hinawakan ang palapulsuhan nito. He locked his car and drag her towards the entrance of the building.

"Ano ba! Bitiwan mo ako. You can't get inside my condo! Hey!"

"I'm not going inside. Ihahatid lang kita."

"That's enough! Thank you for the ride."

Nilingon niya ito at kita niya ang paglunok nito.

"Come on." He said as he dragged her again. Marahan niya itong hinila at nagpaubaya naman ito. Fallon smiled secretly as he felt that she was no longer throwing a fit. Tumikhim siya bago hinatak ang babae patungo sa elevator. Agad na umatras ang babae sa gilid pero agad niya itong hinatak at hinawakan sa baywang. Fallon rested his chin on her shoulder as Red stilled quiet.

Fallon felt sated by that simple thing. Maybe. He could be content by this feeling of Red being this close to him after years of longing.