Love Beyond The Spotlight

Chapter 05

As I sipped my morning coffee, I took a moment to check the gift Jerald gave me yesterday. To my surprise, it was a sleek black Parker pen with my initials, C.A. Cervantes, elegantly engraved on it. Ang yaman ata ni Jerald. Tangina, ang mahal nito! I made a mental note to thank him again later.

With a full day of classes ahead and a night shift waiting after that, I braced myself for the long haul. Birthdays were great and all, but the day after? Brutal. Hay, tuloy ang buhay.

Walang pasok si Ley ngayon kaya mag-isa akong papasok. My only motivation? The thought that tomorrow was Saturday.

I work four days a week, Tuesday to Friday. My days off are Monday, Saturday, and Sunday, which makes Friday my favorite day of all. My class schedule, on the other hand, runs from Monday to Friday. Sometimes it’s just half a day, but there are days when I’m stuck in school from morning until evening.

Mabuti na lang at hindi pa gano’n karami ang sumasakay kanina kaya mabilis akong nakapwesto at agad nakasakay ng jeep.

After arriving at the university, I had a packed schedule with multiple activities due within the day. After surviving three subjects, I headed straight to the library to finish everything. I was determined to get it all done. May 8-hour shift pa ako mamayang gabi kaya kailangan matapos ko lahat bago pumasok. Hindi nga ako nakakain ng tanghalian.

By 4 p.m., I finally wrapped up. I leaned back, massaged my head, and began organizing my papers for submission. On my way to the faculty room, I spotted Jerald sitting under a tree. Naisipan kong lumapit para magpasalamat ulit.

I stood in front of him, and he looked slightly surprised.

"Salamat ulit sa regalo," I said. "Nakakahiya naman, ang mahal nun."

"No problem," he said casually. "Gusto talaga kitang regaluhan." He moved aside, offering me space to sit.

I sat next to him and caught a whiff of his cologne. Fresh and masculine. "Tapos ka na ba sa activities? Sabay na tayong magpasa kay Sir."

He looked at me and, out of nowhere, said, "Ang ganda mo."

"Alam ko," I replied dryly. "Pero bilisan mo na diyan. 4:30 na at 5 p.m. ang deadline. Huwag kang malandi."

He just laughed, shook his head, and started packing up.

"Kanina pa ako tapos. Tara na." Then he casually walked off, leaving me there.

"Kanina pa pala tapos, ngayon lang naisipang magpasa? Hanep talaga," I muttered, rushing after him.

After we submitted our activities, I realized I needed to eat something before my shift. Gutom na ang mga alaga ko.

"Uuwi ka na ba? Sabay na tayo," he asked.

"Sa cafeteria muna ako," I said, already walking. "I'll grab some snacks bago ako pumasok sa trabaho." Tahimik siyang sumunod sa akin.

"Aren’t you tired?" Jerald asked, his voice carrying a hint of worry. "Pagkatapos ng duty mo, matulog ka agad. Mukha kang panda, Claire."

"Wag kang masyadong mag-alala sa’kin," I replied with a playful grin. He shook his head, smiling at my sarcasm.

I only bought bread and bottled water. Gusto pa sana ni Jerald bayaran pero tumanggi ako. Sobra na siya sa kabaitan.

Pagdating ko sa Carnation’s Café, sinalubong ako ng sangkatutak na customer. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit ayoko ng night shift. Mukhang mahaba-habang gabi 'to. I ate my simple dinner before throwing myself into the battlefield.

Around 10 p.m., I noticed someone familiar outside. Si Asher. He was walking slowly toward the café, head slightly bowed. He looked effortlessly good in a white knit polo and black slacks. The shirt fit him perfectly, showing off his broad shoulders and arms, while the slacks made him look even taller. And of course, his black cap.

I hate to admit it, pero ang gwapo niya.

Nagulat yata siya nang makita akong naglilinis ng mesa.

Lumapit ako. "Hello, yung hoodie mo baka tuyo na. Ibibigay ko na lang kay Ley para ipaabot kay Ysmael."

He slipped his hands into his pockets. "When can I get it?" Was he upset? He looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept at all.

"Gagamitin mo na ba? Kukunin ko na ngayon, malapit lang naman yung apartment. Saglit, kakausapin ko lang muna boss ko." I turned to leave, but he suddenly held my wrist. Napatingin ako sa kamay niya, then to his face. Nagulat din siya, agad niyang binawi ang hawak.

He turned his gaze away. "Mamaya na lang pagkatapos ng trabaho mo. I’ll have a late dinner here, so... yeah. Take your time."

"Hanggang ala-una ako," I said simply.

He nodded once. "Okay. I’ll wait here. Go back to your work." Without waiting for my reply, he walked to the counter to order.

I let him go and went back to work. Umupo siya sa dulo, nakaharap sa kalsada habang pinapanood ang mga dumadaang sasakyan. He looked different. Wala yung usual aura niya. Tahimik. Drained.

I tried to push the thought away and focused on cleaning. I started wiping tables, aligning chairs, and eventually mopping the floor.

"Claire, ako na diyan. Wala na ring gaanong customer, magpahinga ka na," Raven offered as he took the mop from my hands. One of my teammates at work.

I gave him a tired but grateful smile. "Thank you, ha."

"Sige na, malapit na rin ang out mo. Kaya ko na 'to." Raven gave me a gentle push on the back, urging me to take my break.

I quickly changed and grabbed my things before heading out to meet Asher. Ang tagal niyang naghintay, nakakahiya tuloy. Ganoon ba kahalaga sa kanya ang hoodie?

I tapped his shoulder with my index finger. "Tara na." He gave a small nod and stood up.

I waved goodbye to my coworkers. Raven glanced at Asher, and when he caught me looking, he just smiled and waved back.

"We need to walk for about 10 minutes. Okay lang ba? Mahirap na mag-jeep pag ganitong oras."

"Okay lang," he replied simply. "Si Raven ba 'yon?" he asked, eyes still watching the café door behind us. "Boyfriend mo?"

Napasimangot ako. "Si Raven? Hindi ah," sagot ko agad.

Why would he even ask that? Ako naman, si tanga, sagot agad, halatang defensive.

Asher looked at me for a second, then turned away.

"Let’s go." He started walking ahead, leaving me slightly thrown off. Tarantado talaga 'to. Daig pa ang babae kung mag mood swing.

I shook my head and caught up to him. "Yung hoodie, gagamitin mo na ngayon?"

"Ah, oo. Gagamitin ko para sa shoot namin," he answered, his eyes locked on the road ahead.

I nodded slowly. "Kaya ka pala naghintay nang ganito katagal. Sana sinabi mo kay Ley kanina para naipasa ko na lang kay Ysmael."

He didn’t say anything. The silence stretched between us as we walked. His hands stayed tucked in his pockets, and he never looked away from the road.

I was about to say something else when he turned to me suddenly. "You look tired," he said, eyes meeting mine.

"Huh?" I blinked and looked away, focusing on the ground.

"Sabi ko, mukha kang pagod. Bingi ka ba?" he repeated, the concern was there, hidden under all that sarcasm.

Mabilis kong inangat ang ulo ko at tiningnan siya nang masama. Buti na lang pagod ako, kung hindi, baka nasapak ko na siya.

After a few minutes, we reached the apartment. "Gusto mo bang pumasok? Medyo marami nang lamok dito," I said.

"Sure," he replied, following me inside.

I motioned for him to sit. "Wait lang, kukuha lang ako ng tubig... pati na rin yung hoodie mo." He nodded, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

When I got back, I found him staring blankly into the distance. I placed the water on the table, and just then, he took off his black cap. Did he get a new haircut? The sides and back were short and clean, while the top was a bit longer and slightly messy. A few strands fell over his forehead, making him look effortlessly cool. It didn’t seem like he tried too hard. It's just the right mix of neat and natural. The kind of hair that still looks good even when the wind messes it up.

"Ashley, yung laway mo," he said with a teasing grin.

"Ha?! Anong laway?!" I snapped, a little too quickly. "At saan mo naman nakuha yung second name ko? Huwag mo nga akong tatawagin ng ganyan!" Sunod-sunod kong sabi habang iniiwas ang tingin. Grabe, halatang-halata na yata ako. Nakakahiya. Pero tangina! Ang gwapo niya.

With a smirk, he leaned back and rested his thumb on his chin. "I'll pretend I didn’t see that reaction," he said, clearly enjoying himself.

"Ang kapal ng mukha mo!" I huffed, tossing the hoodie over his face before dropping onto the seat beside him.

Tumawa lang yung loko, yung tawa na parang alam niyang naaapektuhan na ako. Kung hindi lang talaga siya nakakainis... Baka nagustuhan ko na siya. Baka nga kasal na kami ngayon kung hindi lang siya nakakairita.

Umayos siya ng upo at nangalumbaba. "Can I stay here for a few minutes?" seryoso niyang tanong.

I looked at him. There was a certain heaviness in his eyes. An unspoken sadness, and clear signs of exhaustion. His eyes were puffy, with dark circles that hinted at several sleepless nights.

"Are you okay?" I asked, softer this time. "Tsaka... seryoso ka ba? Ganong oras ka kumakain ng hapunan?"

He nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm okay. We had a practice session earlier, then dumiretso na ako sa café for dinner." He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to fix it, but it just ended up messier—though somehow, it still suited him.

I nodded slowly. "Maayos ka naman palang kausap. Sana ganyan ka na lang palagi."

He chuckled weakly. "I’m just too tired to tease you right now. Hayaan mo na, babawi ako next time." He crossed his arms and gave me that familiar teasing smile. I let it slide. I was too worn out to tease him back.

His eyes wandered around the room and landed on the Cup of Joe poster. "You like Cup of Joe?" he asked, gaze still fixed on it.

"Yeah," I smiled softly. "Their music saved me." I kept my eyes on the poster, but I could feel his gaze shift to me. I didn’t look back.

He shifted his weight, stood up, and casually draped his hoodie sleeves around his neck. "I should probably get going, it’s already 2:30 a.m."

Tumayo na rin ako para ihatid siya. "Malapit ka lang ba dito? Delekado na pag ganitong oras."

"Sanay na," he said with a small laugh. "Midnight’s my only free time. No fans, no cameras, no paparazzi."

Napangiti ako. Muntik ko nang makalimutang sikat nga pala talaga siya.

"Nakakapagod siguro ang buhay mo, no?" I started walking toward the door, and he followed quietly.

"To be honest, oo." He moved beside me and opened the door, gently motioning for me to step out first. "Ikaw? Wala ka bang kasama dito? Kababaeng tao, mag-isa ka lang?"

"Ako lang. Rental house lang naman, kaya tinitiis ko na," I replied with a small smile.

Pagdating namin sa maliit na gate, he turned to face me and held out his phone. "Ilagay mo number mo. I’ll text you and save mine, too," he said, firm and direct.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why would I?"

He let out a deep sigh before locking eyes with me again, like he was already running out of patience. "So you can call me if anything happens here. Mag-isa ka, babae ka. Just put it, okay?"

Hindi na ako nagreklamo. Baka sumabog pa siya sa inis. Daig pa ang babae kung mag-mood swing. I typed my number into his phone and handed it back.

"Salamat. Ingat ka sa pag-uwi," I said, giving a small nod as I gestured toward the street.

He nodded and put on his cap. "Okay, see you around."

Before turning away, he gestured for me to go back inside. I locked the gate and gave a quick wave before heading in.