Love, Heila (Tagalog)

Chapter 14

Kinabukasan ay mas maganda ang panahon. Hindi umuulan at hindi rin gaanong mainit. Instead, a light, cool breeze swept through the provincial streets, carrying the crisp scent of damp earth and distant mountain air. Inside the flowershop, the atmosphere was relatively peaceful. The storefront bell gave a gentle, rhythmic ting every now and then as regular locals dropped by to purchase simple, single-stem carnations or small bundles of fresh eucalyptus to hang in their showers.

Hijomi was sitting on his usual plastic stool by the entrance, hummimg a popular local tune while using a pair of rusted pliers to fix the loose wiring on our outdoor hanging sign. "Alam mo, Heila, kung ganito kaganda ang panahon buong buwan, baka hindi na ako mag-reklamo sa pagpasok nang maaga. Ang sarap mag-kape habang nag-aayos ng mga bulaklak."

"Naku, huwag ka ngang pakasisiguro riyan, Hijomi," natawa ako habang pinupunasan ang sahig sa likod ng counter gamit ang basang basahan. "Kilala mo ang panahon dito sa probinsya natin. Ngayong umaga sikat ang araw, mamayang hapon baka biglang bumuhos na naman ang malakas na ulan. Mabuti pang ihanda mo na 'yung mga plastic sheets doon sa likod para hindi tayo magkaproblema mamaya."

"Opo, boss, susunod na po," sagot niya nang may kasamang pabirong saludo bago bumalik sa pagpupukpok ng bakal.

Habang abala si Hijomi sa labas, napansin ko si Rehan na nakatayo sa tapat ng malaking salamin sa may display window. He was completely silent, his tall frame cast in a long silhouette by the morning light. He had been standing there for the last ten minutes, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his dark gray hoodie, his eyes scanning the quiet street outside with an unusual, heavy intensity.

There was a strange tightness in his posture today. Normally, Rehan moved with a cold, slow grace, but right now, his shoulders were completely rigid, and his sharp jawline was clenched so tightly that I could see the distinct lines of his throat tensing.

"Hey, Rehan," tawag ko sa kaniya, setting my rag down onto the counter. "Ayos ka lang ba riyan? Kanina ka pa nakatitig sa labas, ah? May hinihintay ka ba o may nakikita kang kakaiba?"

Rehan didn't look back at me immediately. He stood perfectly still for a few seconds longer, his dark, deep-set eyes locked onto the far end of the intersection down the road. "It is nothing, Heila. Just checking the traffic for the afternoon deliveries."

"Traffic? Dito sa probinsya natin, tuwing hapon lang naman nagkakaroon ng kaunting siksikan kapag labasan na ng mga estudyante at mga nagtatrabaho," lumapit ako sa kaniya, wiping my hands on my denim apron as I looked through the glass window alongside him. "Wala naman akong nakikitang kakaiba... maliban doon sa itim na sasakyan na nakaparada malapit sa tapat ng botika."

The exact moment the words left my mouth, Rehan’s entire body tensed even further.

Down the street, directly across from the local pharmacy, a pristine, heavily tinted black luxury sedan was idling quietly. It was a vehicle that completely stood out in our modest provincial town—the kind of expensive, high-end foreign model you only ever saw corporate executives or wealthy politicians riding in back in Manila. The engine was running smoothly without making a sound, and the dark windows made it impossible to see who was sitting inside.

"Ang ganda ng sasakyan na 'yun, 'no?" puna ko, genuinely fascinated by how shiny the paint looked under the sun. "Mukhang may mayamang dayuhan na napadpad dito sa bayan natin ngayon. Baka may bibisitahing kamag-anak o baka may tinitingnang business expansion."

"It is an unnecessary display of wealth," Rehan muttered flatly, his words were sharp and completely devoid of emotion.

He suddenly stepped back from the window, grabbing a heavy wooden crate of empty ceramic pots from the floor and lifting it onto his shoulder with an aggressive, swift movement. Before I could even ask him why he was acting so defensive, he turned his back to the glass and marched straight into the dark sanctuary of the pantry, the slatted wooden curtains swinging violently behind him.

I blinked in confusion, staring at the closed curtain. Anong problema ng isang 'yun? tanong ko sa sarili ko, shaking my head. Rehan was always a mystery, but today, his mood felt heavier, like a dark cloud hovering directly over his head.

Sa loob ng pantry, Rehan set the heavy wooden crate down onto the metal table with a dull, muffled thud. He didn't turn on the overhead light, choosing to stand in the dim, cool shadows of the back room where the smell of damp soil and cut stems was strongest.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The screen was completely blank, but the moment he pressed the side button, a string of missed calls and unread international messages from unknown numbers lit up the display. He didn't need to read them to know who they were from. The black luxury sedan parked down the street wasn't a coincidence. It was a scout—a silent, creeping shadow sent by his father’s corporate associates to track his location.

He looked through the small, slatted blinds of the pantry door, his eyes automatically finding my figure as I stood behind the counter, carefully writing down prices in the logbook.

He closed his eyes, inhaling a long, steady breath to pull his hard, expressionless mask back over his features.

"Rehan! Kung tapos ka na diyan sa pag-aayos ng pots, paki-baba naman 'tong kahon ng ribbons! Gagamitin ko para sa mga order bukas!" sigaw ko mula sa harap ng shop, completely oblivious to the silent emotional storm raging just a few feet away from me.

The curtain shifted open, and Rehan walked out into the main aisle. His face was a perfect mask of cold indifference once more, his posture tall and completely controlled as if nothing had happened. He walked over to the shelves near the counter where I was standing, reaching up with his long arms to grab the plastic box of colorful ribbons from the top rack.

"Here," he said flatly, handing me the box.

"Salamat," nakangiti kong sabi, taking the container from his hands. As our fingers brushed lightly against each other, I noticed that his skin felt unusually cold, and his hand was trembling ever so slightly. I looked up at his face, my eyes narrowing with concern. "Hey... sigurado ka bang okay ka lang talaga ngayon, Rehan? Ang putla mo tapos ang lamig ng kamay mo. Baka naman nagkakasakit ka na dahil sa pabago-bagong panahon, ha?"

Rehan froze for a fraction of a second, his dark eyes locking onto mine with a sudden, vulnerable intensity that made my heart do a strange, unexpected skip. He slowly pulled his hand back, shoving it deep into his hoodie pocket to hide the faint tremor.

"I am fine, Heila. I am just... adjusted to the air conditioning," he lied smoothly, his low baritone voice carrying a soft, deliberate cadence that sounded incredibly intimate in the quiet shop.

"Sigurado ka, ha? Kung napapagod ka o kung masama ang pakiramdam mo, sabihin mo lang sa akin. Hindi naman ako malupit na boss," asar ko sa kaniya, turning around to open the ribbon box and completely missing the way his gaze softened as he looked down at the back of my head.

"You are a good boss, Heila," Rehan whispered softly, his voice so quiet it was barely audible over the hum of the old air conditioner.

"Ano 'yun? May sinasabi ka na naman na hindi ko naintindihan?" hinarap ko siya uli, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Hulaan ko, tinatawag mo na naman akong clumsy o matigas ang ulo sa isip mo, 'no?"

A tiny, genuine trace of a smile flickered at the absolute corner of Rehan's lips—a rare, beautiful sight that instantly made him look less like an intimidating stranger and more like someone who desperately wanted to belong. He adjusted his stance, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at me. "I did not say that. But if you think you are clumsy, then maybe you are."

"Aba, sumasagot ka na talaga uli, ha!" pinalo ko nang madrama ang braso niya gamit ang isang rolyo ng berdeng ribbon, laughing loudly at his rare tease. "Mag-ayos ka na nga lang doon sa gilid, Rehan. Mas marami ka pang sinasabi ngayon kesa kay Hijomi."

Rehan didn't reply, but the tight, suffocating tension that had gripped his shoulders since early this morning finally began to melt away, washed away entirely by the simple, pure sound of my laughter. He turned around and walked back toward the display shelves to finish his chores, his eyes quietly shifting one last time toward the front glass window.

The black luxury sedan down the street was still idling in the distance, its dark windows keeping its secrets hidden from the world. The storm from his past was slowly, steadily closing in on his peaceful sanctuary, but as Rehan reached down to pick up a fresh vase of tulips, his heart felt completely resolute. He would face whatever shadow his real life sent, but for now, under the warm, comforting light of the small provincial flower shop, he was exactly where he wanted to be.