6. Seeing You Again

January 2018

Baguio City, PHILIPPINES

TRACE

Luckily, I could easily find the house address that Paige had texted me. I am now in front of the gate of a large house with two floors. I've been honking for a while, but no one is opening the gate. Hell! Should I blow up this gate?! Yes, I should.

I backed the car up and was about to hit the gate when it suddenly opened, and Paige stepped out. Thanks to the devil, my brat sister appeared!

"Kuya!" Paige happily called me. My sister is always bubbly and happy, sweet but often mischievous, and can't be trusted with her impulsiveness.

Pissed off, I parked my car on the side of the road and rolled down the window. "Hop on!" I'm not in a good mood to sweet-talk this brat.

"Wait!!! I will introduce you to my best friend first," she excitedly said. 

"Get in!" 

"Aren't you going to thank my BFF first for letting me stay here for three days?" She was trying to convince me.

I didn't say a word. I'm getting annoyed with Paige's nonsense. I stared at her, and I knew that from how I gave her an eye, she knew better that I didn't have time to indulge her whims and wants or even the simple courtesy of introducing me to her best friend.

Paige made a face and rushed into her friend's house. After a few moments, she came out wearing a backpack, walking out the gate with a teenager her age that I concluded was the BFF she was talking about. I frowned. Why does Paige's friend seem familiar, like I've seen her before?

I leaned against the side of the car and smoked while watching the two say their goodbyes. When I gave a look to Paige's friend, I saw that she immediately blushed. Typical teenagers, just one glance and will immediately be thrilled. 

"Thank you for making me stay here, Harriet. You're such a good friend, and I wish I had a sibling like you who is very considerate."

I heard Paige talking to her friend. My brows crossed at what I heard. Considerate? Tangina! Is she saying I am not a thoughtful sibling? What a brat! 

Isn't it a consideration that I'm here, attempting to comprehend my sister's folly in her escape from home? If she wants to leave Salvacion, she should tell me so I can take her to Agrianthropos. 

"It's okay, Paige. It's too bad you can't meet my cousins... but it's okay since your brother is here now," Paige's friend whispered to my 'adorable' sister. "But you didn't tell me that your brother is gorgeous," my sister's friend added.

"Eewww... Don't ever like him, he's bad."

I just shook my head at Paige's overreacted line. If I had not been protecting Paige, I would have left her alone to grow up. Papa said Paige ran away because she didn't buy the limited edition bag she wanted. That's the only reason, a very shallow one, but no matter what happens, I'm not on Papa's side, so I go in Paige's favor. I even told Papa that he should spend his money on Louisianna alone. After all, nothing else is essential to him aside from that whore mistress of him.

I know I am usually unreasonable with Papa, but since Mama's early death was his woman's fault, I will repeatedly blame him for that. Years had passed, but my memory of what happened when I was fifteen, and I caught my father and Louisianna in my parents' matrimonial bed made me cringe at the anger I felt.

"Please message me when you're in Salvacion, and maybe I can go there with my cousins Carly and Chloe," Harriet said with a smile to Paige that made me cock my brow. Aren't they done chatting?! Hell!

The two continued talking, and it seemed they had no plans to stop their nonsense conversation. I looked at the watch I was wearing with irritation. I will give them another minute to say their goodbyes to each other. When the one minute I gave them lapsed, I stood straight and looked at the two.

"Let's go! Enough with your rubbish act!" I yelled at Paige, and they were both surprised by the scolding I gave them. Paige immediately frowned and made a face. If she doesn't listen to what I say for another minute, I'll send her to Brazil to be trained and disciplined so she can stop her tricks.

"Bye, Harriet... Thank you again, and will message you later." Paige waved before frowning again when she looked at me, but she obligingly got into the car now. Good!

Paige was already inside the car when a van arrived, and I saw Harriet smile as she opened the gate for the newcomer. It seemed that we had been forgotten because of her excitement. I went inside my car and started the engine. I glanced at Paige, who made a face again. Tantrums. Paige's tantrums really need a doctor.

Brat!  

****

CHLOE

From a few meters away from the van we were riding in, I saw a man leaning against a car who looked like he was waiting for someone while smoking. Two teenagers were talking in front of his car. The other girl is my cousin, Harriet, and the other is probably the man's girlfriend, whom he might pick up. 

Even though the man was meters away, I knew he was the one I had bumped into at the airport six hours earlier. I couldn't forget his ruggedly handsome look and devil-may-care attitude. My eyes moved to his sports car. 

Wow! The man is rich because the value of his car is worth millions of dollars.

We were nearing them when I saw the girl my cousin Harriet was talking to getting inside the car. The girl wears black shorts, pink tees, a black denim jacket, and white sneakers. Her hair was in a ponytail, and I could see she was charming. She is still young, and she is only my age. I pouted my lips irritably. It's funny that the guy who ignored me earlier because I looked young, has a girlfriend of my age too, or maybe even younger than me.

The van I, my aunt and uncle were riding in had already entered the parking area. However, my eyes were still glancing at the sports car that was now getting away from my sight until it was no longer outside. Oh, darn me!

But gosh… My eyes turned bigger with excitement. My wish was granted! Yes, it is! I giggled. Although he didn't see me, I still saw him! Nice! 

Then, because of that, I made another wish to see him again. Hopefully, next time I will have a chance to get to know him.

I immediately got out of the van and came near Harriet, smiling. She smiled back at me. How I miss her.

"I saw you talking to your friends. Who are they?" I couldn't stop asking. I was curious and ecstatic about the man, Harriet's friend's boyfriend.

Harriet smiled like she knew what was on my mind. Oh, jeez! Am I that transparent? I suddenly felt embarrassed because of that. I grimaced as I lost my mind over the fact that I had just seen Harriet again after years, and the first words I uttered were to ask about her friends.

The last time I saw my cousin was when we were seventeen years old, in California, when she and her parents were on vacation there. We usually interact on social media, so we are still connected even after not seeing each other personally for a long time.

"That's my best friend," Harriet answered my question teasingly. "Her brother just picked her up because they needed to return to their province. She stayed here for three days and three nights," she said, and my smile broadened as I learned that my crush was not her friend's boyfriend but rather a brother.

"Oh... okay," I said with slight regret, for maybe if we had arrived earlier, I would have had a chance to meet the man. "Cute siblings. What are their names?"

"My friend's name is Paige. Her brother, if I remember right..." my cousin answered while trying to remember her friend's brother's name. "Oh yeah! I remember. Paige said her father's name is Patricio, and that is her brother's. So that's it! Patricio Dimagiba, Jr." 

"Patricio... sounds Spanish, but it's a cute name," I said. "It suits him."

"He's more than cute, Chloe. They are half Brazilian and quarter Spanish, I think... that was what Paige told me."

"Oh… that is why!" I smiled when I said that while nodding. Harriet joined me in what I was thinking, and we giggled.

Patricio… Oh, God! I have a crush on a man with only his name I know. His eyes. His hazel brown eyes. How I wanna see him again. I want him to stare at me and make me feel like he likes me too.