CHAPTER 5

“Blaise! Blaise!” nagising ako dahil sa mahinang tapik ni Manang sa pisngi ko.

My eyes widened when I realized something! Wait! Nandito na ba si Bastian? Why is Manang panicking!?

“Dumating na ho ba si Bastian, Manang?” my voice laced with panicky

Huminga nang malalim si Manang na para bang ang laki ng kaniyang problema “Ayon nga ang inaalala ko Blaise. Malapit na mag alas dose ngunit hindi parin nakauwi ang alaga ko. Lumamig na ang mga inihanda natin hindi parin siya umuuwi.”

My lips parted. Today is Bastian's day. Kanina ko pa lang din nalaman na ngayon ang birthday niya. Manang prepared for his birthday. I helped her. Rason kung bakit ako nakatulog dahil sa pagod. I looked at the wall clock above the door. Manang's right! It's nearly twelve but Bastian is still not here!

Matatapos na ang birthday niya!

“Si Mayor po ba umuwi?” tanong ko habang bumabangon para magbihis

Sadness crossed in Manang eyes. She shook her head making my heart fell. Does Mayor forget his son's birthday? I bet it's a yes.

“Manang, does this usually happen? Hindi ba siya umuuwi tuwing birthday niya?” I asked curiously

“Tuwing kaarawan niya, dumadalaw siya sa kaniyang ina. Ngunit hindi pa siya ni minsan umuwi ng ganito katagal. Ano kayang nangyayari sa batang iyon! Nakita ko pa naman na nag-usap sila ng kaniyang ama kaninang umaga. Nagkaalitan na naman siguro ang dalawa.”

Manang sounds so worried. Of course, she cares for Bastian. She's like a real mother to him. Dahil simula bata pa lang si Bastian at nang mawala ang ina. Manang took care of him.

“Saan ka pupunta Hija?” tarantang tanong ni Manang nang makita niya akong bihis na bihis na

I'm wearing a white sleeveless top under my black leather jacket and a black double flap buttoned mini skirt paired with my black boots.

“Hahanapin ko po si Bastian.” I said politely

“Mag-uumaga na at hindi natin alam kung nasa'n siya. Baka mapahamak ka lang sa daan. Hindi rin ako mapakali ngunit mas mainam pang hintayin na lang natin siyang umuwi. Manalangin na lang tayong makaka-uwi siya ng maayos at ligtas, Blaise.”

I know she's so worried for Bastian sake but I didn't saw it coming how Manang also cared for me. Someone caressed my heart.

Ngumiti ako at lumapit kay Manang. Hinagod ko ang kaniyang likuran upang pakalmahin siya.

“Kaya ko Manang. Hindi rin ako mapapanatag sa isiping wala pa si Bastian. Hahanapin ko siya. I'll make sure that he'll come home safe.” I assured her

Manang gave me a small smile as she nodded her head.

“Mag-iingat ka...” Manang whispered. I nodded my head and smile at her.

Nang tuluyan na akong makalabas ng mansion. I immediately headed to one of the old mansion just few meters away from Contreras Mansion to get my car. Can you believe it? Talliah owned that old mansion! Noong nakaraang linggo ko pa lang napag-alaman. I can't help but to be amazed how rich she is. She has so many hidden treasures that I still didn't know.

I maneuvered my car and drive faster than I can. His location tells me that he's inside the Asher's Club. I can locate him whenever he was because I turned on the location on his phone.

He's probably partying right now. To celebrate his birthday I guess? If he has the plan to celebrate his birthday in the club. He should've at least tell Manang. Manang is so worried about him!

Smell of cigarettes smokes and alcohol mingled in the air when I entered the most known club. I walked with my emotionless face while roaming my eyes around. Trying to find the man that's just so hard to predict. In the corner of eyes I saw how their heads turned to me. I chewed my inner cheeks when I'm not comfortable with the stares that I received from them. I tried to calm and composed myself.

My eyes light up when I spotted the man I'm looking for. Leaning his both arms on the counter. Legs spread apart like he's just sitting on the couch comfortably. He was wearing a black turtle neck long sleeves paired with black slacks and black boots. He looks so sinfully handsome.

His face don't support any emotion at all. He's just there sitting without minding anyone. Like he has his own world and you have no right to be part of it. When his eyes landed on my direction. I saw how his eyes squinted a bit. He was about to ignore me when he bring back his eyes to stare at me longer.

I walked towards his direction making him shifted on his seat. Wala paring emosiyon ang kaniyang mukha ngunit nakita ko ang pagkakasalubong ng kaniyang kilay nang matanaw ako.

“What the hell are you doing here?” mariin niyang tanong nang makalapit ako

“I'm fetching you.” I answered and shrugged my shoulder

His thick brows furrowed even more.

“I'm not a kid.” he gritted his teeth. Like my presence is annoying the hell out of him.

Naglakad ako patungo sa gilid niya. I can feel his intense glare following me.

I saw a glass of liquor beside him.

“Go home.” he ordered lowly

I didn't listen to what he said and looked up at him.

“How many glass did you take?” I asked and looked at him in the eyes. His green eyes darkened at my question. I shifted a bit and stared at his eyes longer. His eyes doesn't seem drunk at all.

“Go home.” ulit niya sa matigas na tono

Again. I didn't listen to him.

“I'll go home if you'll come with me.” saad ko tunog nanghahamon

I heard him groaned a bit and looked infront. His jaw moved and his brows meeting each other.

“You're my servant. You should follow my orders. Go home before I drag you out of here.” his voice was so dark and marked with finality

I can't help but to be amused at how vicious he sounds right now. Man... He's now twenty but he sound like forty! I whistled making him looked at me again. He shot me a deathly glare making me want to bark a laugh but I stopped myself.

“Manang ordered me to find you.” kahit ako naman talaga ang gustong hanapin ka “She's worried. She prepared for your birthday and you didn't even go home.”

His lips went in grim line. I saw a faint of emotion crossed in his eyes but it immediately fade.

“You see, I'm celebrating my birthday here. You came and interrupted my celebration.” he sarcastically pointed out

I licked my lowerlip and lean my back on the counter too. Nitong mga nakaraang araw he's being nice to me. And now he's being sarcastic and rude again. This man!

“Uuwi ka or I'll make a scene here?” I shot my brow up to challenge him

His eyes were so dark and dangerous like he wants to strangle my neck right now. Nagpipigil siya ng galit habang nakatingin sa'kin. My eyes went down to my wrist watch and I saw it's already 11:55 pm, five minutes before his birthday ends.

I took my courage and go infront of him.

“Happy Birthday, Ryker...” I whispered that made his eyes widened in fraction

Despite the loud music the DJ played. I can still hear the loud booming of my heart. It feels like I've been seeing fireworks infront of me when I saw how Bastian neck reddened up to his cheeks. He avoided my gaze and bit his lowerlip. He suddenly drink the shot of liquor beside him and stood abruptly like he didn't hear nothing making my lips parted.

“Let's go home.” he faintly uttered

I blinked my eyes and chewed my lowerlip.

He ignored me. I felt my heart ache a bit.

Wala akong nagawa kundi ang sumunod sa kaniyang likuran. He's so tall that his steps are also fast and precise. Nakita ko kung paano niya hinaplos ang batok niya habang naglalakad ng mabilis. Goodness! I thought Talliah is the only person I'll encounter who's so hard to predict and read. Mas may malala pa pala sa kaniya!

Dahil sa pagmamadali para maabutan si Bastian na patungo na sa parking area. Hindi ko namalayan ang isang babaeng patungo sa direksyon ko! She bumped into me making a lighter she was holding fell!

“I'm sorry–”

“I'm sorry–”

We uttered in unison. Maagap akong lumuhod para kunin ang lighter niyang nahulog. Nag-angat ako ng tingin at nakita siya nakangiting pinagmamasdan ako. There's a cigarette between her plump lips.

“I'm sorry, I didn't saw you coming. I was busy lighting up my cigarette.” she said apologetically but her stares lingered on my face longer

“I'm sorry too. I was occupied of running into someone. I didn't noticed you." I smiled a bit. Truly sorry.

“No, it's okay. It's my pleasure to bumped at someone who's hot and pretty.” her eyes were sparkling with amusement and adoration

My heart flutter at her words. It feels so good whenever I heard a compliment coming from another woman and the intention is so pure. Being admired by my face is not new to me. Moments like this are rare though. I received a lot of compliments but it was all ugly and came from people who don't have good intentions.

“Can you light up my cigarette? Please?” my eyes widened at her request. I find it amusing that she's also a bit bold like me.

“Sure," I smirked and eat our small distance. I'm tall compared to her so I needed to lean a bit. I turned on the lighter enough to light her cigarette. Her eyes looks so amused with our closeness.

I straightened my back when I'm done. She puffed her cigarette to the other side before turning her eyes on me again. She looks so nice and innocent. But a little bit feisty.

“You're so hot. What's your name? Do you have a boyfriend–”

She didn't finished her words when a strong presence suddenly beside me. I slowly looked up and saw the angry eyes of Bastian.

Without a word. He pulled my wrist.

“Hey, why are you dragging her! We're still talking!” the girl shouted with frustration in her voice but Bastian didn't mind her and just dragged me

He's gripping my wrist tightly as he fastened his steps.

“Bastian, wait... I need to give her lighter back.”

Ngunit tila bingi siya na walang naririnig. When he saw my familiar car. He immediately stopped.

“I thought we're going to go home? That's the reason why you're here right? To fetch me?” his sarcastic smile pasted on his lips

He let go of my wrist. Naramdaman ko ang konting hapdi. I glared at him. He also glared back at me! His eyes were so angry and intense. Like I've done something wrong!

“What the heck is your problem?” I asked in a controlled voice.

Bastian Ryker Contreras is so furious infront of me. His face were so red. The veins on his neck corded.

“I don't like the scene I saw earlier. Happy?” he blurted that made my lips parted in shocked!

“I'm just helping her!”

“It doesn't look like that to me.” he angrily snapped that made me dumbfounded

“Damn it. Let's just go home.” he breathe like he's controlling the small patience he have

Ano bang masama kung tinulungan ko lang ‘yong babae kanina?

“She's asking for help. So, I helped her.”

He chuckled without humor “Does she looks like she doesn't have her own hands to light her cigarette? She looks completely fine yet she asked for your help. For what?”

Wait... I don't get him! I can't see any wrong with what I did earlier. Anong nangyayari sa kaniya?

He rolled his eyes at me and muttered something.

“Just get inside and drive. I'm sleepy.” he ordered coldly and open the backseat door.

I was left speechless and dumbfounded!