Sinful Attachment

KABANATA 6

“Nandito ka nanaman.” Chase raised an eyebrow as she spoke nang makita niya si Chaos na naka-park na sa parking lot ng condo building niya. The moment na na-recognize niya yung car nito, medyo bumagal ang lakad niya, her eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity.

May halong gulat at pagkalito sa expression ni Chase, parang hindi niya talaga ine-expect na makikita niya si Chaos doon. She stayed where she was for a second, nakatingin lang sa kanya, trying to figure out kung bakit siya nandun without any warning.

Even before pa makapagsalita si Chaos, halata na sa reaction ni Chase na may mga tanong na agad sa isip niya. Nagtataka kung ano ang ginagawa ni Chaos doon at kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng biglaan nitong pagpunta.

“Baliw ka rin e ‘no? You called me last night and you're drunk.” Chaos spoke in a serious tone as he slowly pushed himself off the hood of his car. He straightened up carefully, then paused for a moment as if trying to calm his thoughts before moving. A few seconds passed before he finally took a step toward Chase, carrying a quiet but noticeable weight in his presence.

Agad na nakaramdam ng kaba sa dibdib si Chase sa hindi niya maipaliwanag na dahilan.

“May nasabi ba ako kagabi?” Tanong ni Chase, trying to hide her nervousness.

“Bukod sa nagpakasundo ka sa'kin, gusto mo akong makita, at namimiss mo ako. Wala na.” Nakangising sambit ni Chaos.

“Hoy, pampam ka nag dadagdag ka nanaman.” Chase complained as she shot a sharp glare at Chaos, clearly annoyed with him. In frustration, hinampas niya nang bahagya ang shoulder ni Chaos a few times at saka kinurot niya ang tagliran nito, parang doon niya nilalabas yung inis niya through small pero very pointed gestures.

Hindi naman talaga intended na saktan si Chaos, pero obvious naman na wala siya sa mood. Chase was just trying to express her annoyance in the only way she could at that moment, parang doon niya nilalabas yung lahat ng irritation niya kay Chaos.

“Seryoso nga kasi.” Reklamo ni Chase.

“You really want to know huh? Walang bawian yon.” Chaos laughed softly as he responded to Chase, still clearly confused about everything that was happening. She looked like she was trying to piece things together in her mind, as if searching through her memory for what had happened the night before.

Even as she tried to remember, nothing seemed clear, which only made her more unsure. Chase kept glancing at Chaos while thinking, still not fully understanding why he was acting like that or what exactly she had done.

“Sa susunod huwag kang iinom ng wala ako. Para hindi ka nag kakaganyan.” Tumatawang dagdag ni Chaos na mas lalong ikinagulo ni Chase.

“Do our friends know?” Chase asked in a low voice, just loud enough for Chaos to hear habang kakasakay niya lang sa sasakyan.

May slight hesitation sa tone ni Chase, parang hindi siya totally sure kung dapat ba niya talagang itanong iyon kay Chaos. She settled herself into the seat slowly, pero halata na distracted ang movements niya, as if her mind is somewhere else.

Her eyes didn’t immediately meet his, instead nakatingin lang siya forward, waiting for his answer while trying to act calm.

“Kasi naman, pinakakaba pa ako oh.” Naka ngusong sambit ni Chase, halatang hindi pakakawalan ang thoughts sa kaniyang iniisip.

“You should ask Charlotte.” Sambit ni Chapos at nag kibit balikat, halata sa kaniyang postura at tono na wala siyang balak sabihin kay Chase kung ano man ang sinabi nito sakanya kagabi.

“Ewan ko sayo Chaos, kasing gulo mo yang pangalan mo.” Reklamo ni Chase saka humalukipkip sa tabi ng bintana ng sasakyan ni Chaos. The way she sits there shows her frustration, like she is trying to distance herself a bit while still staying in the same space. Kahit wala na siyang masyadong sinasabi, her body language already makes it obvious na she is not in the mood to continue the conversation easily.

Chaos noticed it immediately, which made him subtly smirk to himself. He didn’t say anything right away, but his eyes lingered on Chase for a moment longer, clearly observing her mood.

After a few seconds, Chaos already starts thinking of a way to soften Chase up. It is not the first time she acts like this, and somehow, lagi pa rin siyang nauuwi sa point na he tries to fix it in his own quiet, teasing way.

This time too, may idea na agad si Chaos in his mind to get Chase attention again and ease the tension between them. Parang alam na niya kung anong gagawin, kahit hindi pa niya sinasabi out loud, and he slowly prepares himself to break her irritation little by little. Nang matanaw na ni Chaos ang logo ng Mcdonalds ay agad siyang lumiko agad siya sa drive thru para bumili.

“Two large Mcflopats, one large fries, and two burgers. Thank you po.” Chaos spoke, and whatever he said was enough to make Chase turn her head toward him right away. His words immediately caught her attention, pulling her focus back from the window to him.

Yung biglang pagbabago sa reaction ni Chase shows na kahit iritable siya, she still listens to him closely. For a brief moment, everything else faded, and it was just the two of them inside the car, with his voice breaking through her silence.

“Bakit tayo dumaan dito?” Mataray na tanong ni Chase.

“I got hungry,” Chaos said with a light grin, glancing at Chase as if it is the most normal excuse in the world, parang wala lang sa kanya kahit gaano kabigat yung earlier tension nila.

Chase immediately rolled her eyes at him, clearly unimpressed sa paraan ng pagsabi niya. She lets out a small sigh and looks away again, trying to act like she is still annoyed and unaffected, but there is a subtle change in her expression na hindi niya completely maitatago.

Kahit pilit niyang pinapairal yung pagjka inis niya, the mention of food slowly starts to soften her. Parang unti-unti, yung frustration na kanina pa niya dala-dala ay dahan-dahang nawawala. She still tries to hold her ground, still tries to look distant and cold, pero yung presence ni Chaos at yung pagiging casual niya makes it harder for her to stay mad.

And Chaos, as usual, seems to notice it too. Hindi niya pinipilit, hindi siya nagmamadali, but he knows her well enough to see that she is already starting to give in, even just a little. Palibhasa kasi ay alam talaga ni Chaos kung paano siya suyuin at kuhanin agad.