Love me or Hate me

Chapter 26 Phoenix

Chapter 26

Nagbaba siya nang tingin she can't help but to think of her brother kung kumusta na ba ito now it's almost five days since, at gusto rin niyang makita at makumusta ang kalagayan nang kapatid niya.

She gazed at Austin na tila nagulat nang mahuli niyang nakatingin sakanya but he still managed to compose himself.

"So please Austin, let me just talk to Phoenix.. I-I have his phone number on my phone yun lang ang paraan para makausap ko ang kapatid ko, I was so worried in hell kung anong ginawa sakanya ni Juanito after that"

She can't help but grabbed his hands her phone is now in Austin's hands mula nang nangyari iyon and that's the only way she can contact Phoenix.

Austin stared at her intently but his expression is still blank.

"I-I know you wouldn't believe me, k-kung gusto mo I will call him besides --"

"Yeah, yeah I get it.."

Napahilamos ito sa mukha na tila wala naring magawa at hindi rin matiis ang pakiusap niya,and called for Lazarus, Lazarus glanced at her ngunit agad itong nangbawi nang tingin nang lingunin niya ito.

Lazarus left at naiwan ulit sila ni Austin Austin called for Ella to bring them coffee at agad namang tumalima si Ella.

Naunang makabalik si Lazarus dala ang cellphone niya at binigay kay Austin at nahuli nanaman niya ang pagsulyap ni Lazarus sakanya alam naman niya na hindi ito makapaniwala na siya at si Verna ay iisa.

Austin took the phone at inabot sakanya

.

"Call him and put it on the loudspeaker"

Utos ni Austin siguradong wala nanaman itong tiwala sa kanya but she just sighs at hinayaan nalang niya ito.

She took her phone and her hands started shivering habang hinahanap ang number ni Phoenix she felt excited and nervous sana ok lang ang kapatid niya.

Sakto dumating narin si Ella na may dalang kape at dessert para sa kanila ni Austin.

She put the phone on the table and put it on loudspeaker mode.

Dalawang ring bago may sumagot.

("Ate..?")

Biglang gumaralgal ang boses ni Phoenix pagka sagot nito.

"Phoenix! Oo si ate to!"

She can't help but to smile while hiding her emotion dahil nagbabara ang lalamunan niya

("Gosh! Ate salamat!, salamat ok ka lang ikaw nalang ang nasa isip ko, ilang araw na! H-hindi na ako makatulog iniisip ko kung anong nangyari sayo, nakauwi kaba? Safe kaba ngayon?")

Sunod-sunod na tanong nito na bakas ang kasiyahan sa tono.

Siya naman ang parang maiiyak.

"Oo, of course I'm fine, at hindi ako umuwi sa bahay I'm afraid masundan ako nang mga tauhan ni Juanito"

("So nasan ka ngayon? Kamusta ang mga sugat mo? Nabalian kaba?")

"No, I'm perfectly fine! ''

Pagsisinungaling niya dahilan para umarko ang kilay ni Austin sa pagsisinungaling niya but she has no choice ayaw niya nang mag alala pa ang kapatid nang sobra.

"Ikaw,. Juanito shoot you I saw it--"

("Do'n worry ate matatag ang kapatid mo, so saan ka tumutuloy ngayon?")

Napatingin siya kay Austin at nagbaba ulit nang tingin

"I'm, ahm I'm staying with a friend at tutulungan daw niya tayo"

Pagbabalita niyang pinasigla ang boses.

(" Gosh! Ate sa wakas wag mo nang solohin lahat ate, you've been suffering all of this alone mas magandang may kasama ka na kahit papano hindi ka pababayaan para mabawasan ang pag aalala ko, it's better kung boyfriend mo ang kasama mo because surely he will protect you")

Nanlalaki ang mata niya sa sinabi ni Phoenix.

" Phoenix! Stop talking nonsense --"

" Do'n worry Phoenix I will help you get out of that place at wag kang mag alala sa ate mo, she's safe with me "

(" Ate! You're with your male friend now? Haha thanks God dininig nang Diyos ang dasal ko na sana may kasama kana, Sir thank you don't worry makikipag cooperate---__'hoy!sino kausap mo!? '")

Nakaramdam siya nang kaba nang marinig ang isang boses.

(" W-wala nami-miss ko lang ang ate ko--___'anong sinungaling ka! --__hindi ako nagsisinungaling si Patito ang kausap ko ang ate ko, 'tug!'sige! Subukan mo isusumbong kita kay boss Juanito! __'abat matapang ka! __"tooot, tooot, tooot,")

At tuluyan nang nawala si Phoenix sa kabilang linya.

"Phoenix!"

Natatarantang kinuha niya ang cellphone para tawagan ulit ito ngunit hindi na nakokontak si Phoenix.

Her hands shakes at hindi na niya mapigilan ang luha niya sobrang galit ang nararamdaman niya ngayon.

"I.. I will kill you Juanito sa susunod na pagkikita natin.."

Nakuyom niya ang kamao but Austin grabbed her hands and opened it forcedly.

At dahil malakas ito ay napagtagumpayan nitong buksan ang kamay niya but to her surprised Austin filled the spaces between her fingers with his.

And seriously stared at her.

"I wanted you to just calm yourself Cassidy, I'm already working on it, just trust me"

Napatitig siya sa kamay nilang magkadaop his hands was warm at nakaramdam siya nang kapanatagan doon, her heart beat rapidly dahilan para matalo nito ang galit na nararamdaman niya ngayon.

"T-thank you.."

"Thank you words isn't enough Cassidy, you have to be strong at wag kang magpapatalo sa emosyon mo, We will going to save your brother,"

Austin pushed the plate of food in front of her at doon siya napatitig.

"So eat, at magpalakas ka"

Austin let go of her hands, na gusto pa sana niyang hawakan and he took the phone at siniksik sa bulsa nito sa dibdib ang cellphone.

She stared at him but his expression is still blank but he soon took his coffee and sip from it at nagsimula narin siyang kumain.

Austin is right she needs to be strong, strong enough to fight at i kondisyon ang katawan para sa susunod na magkita sila ni Juanito she will definitely going to break his bone into pieces.

She took the dessert she lick her lips nang mapansin kung anong desserts iyon it was macaroons at strawberry flavored pa ito na paborito niya,kaya naman di niya mapigilang matakam, she took one at sinubo agad iyon nang buo like the Cassidy before napapikit siya sa sarap dahil ninanam-nam niya ang lasa she missed this taste.

Kaya hindi niya mapigilang kumuha pa ulit nang isa.

"Hm, I missed this tapos partner black coffee"

Sabay silip sa kape niya it was really a black coffee at nang lingunin niya si Austin he was staring at her amusingly and took his coffee and sip again.

"Then eat more it's free"

He responded casually ngunit nakaramdam siya nang hiya dito.

She took some tissue at nagpunas nang bibig .

"Ahm, Austin ah, about my accommodation here, I will payback by,. doing house chores kung ok lang sayo,"

Austin stared at her intently ngunit hindi ito nagsalita bagkus ay kumuha ito nang macaroons and eat it.

Akala mo hindi siya narinig kaya naman inulit uli niya ang tanong.

Alam niyang nag iisip nanaman ito na baka pagnakawan nanaman niya so she raised her hands at nangunot amg noo nito.

"I swear! Papaputol ko ang mga kamay ko oras na mawala ang crest sa bahay mo, I'm not going to break your trust again Austin I promise I will follow everything that you said, from now on so please let me--"

"Saka mo na isipin ang mga yan Cassidy you have to be healthy, and you can't stay being Cassidy for a long time you have to go back being Verna again"

" W-what?! "

" Yeah, because in two weeks time Jenna will be here at hindi ka niya pwedeng makilala, you are going to disguise again as Verna"

Kaswal na deklarasyon nito at napalunok siya hindi niya maunawaan ang nararamdaman niya, she shouldn't expect anything from Austin, ngunit bakit apektado siya?

Ano naman kung pupunta si Jenna dito? That was his right she was his girlfriend by the way labas na rin siya doon.

'yeah, right.. but.. why my heart tightened..? Why..? '

Napatitig siya kay Austin while he was sipping his coffee so casually.

Samantalang nagririgudon ang puso niya bumaba ang tingin niya sa macaroons at doon nalang binuhos ang atensyon niya.

While Austin does the same at hindi ma siya nakapag salita pa.

Ngunit tila hindi nakatiis si Austin.

"Are you feel uncomfortable?"

Bigla siyang nag taas nang tingin dito.

"Uncomfortable? Of what?"

Nangunot ang noo niya sa sinabi nito.

"Of being with your ex best friend again.."

"O-of course not, hindi niya naman ako makikilala"

"Yeah, you're right Verna is patito right?"

"Yeah, and.."

Hindi niya kayang magpaliwanag pa dito ayaw na niyang alalahanin ang nakaraan nila ulit.

"And..?"

"Nothing.."

"By the way, did you have any boyfriend after we broke up?"

Napatitig ulit siya dito at hindi makapaniwala sa tanong ni Austin pero tama lang at samantalahin na ipakita dito na wala na ang lahat sakanya.

"Oh, that's after we broke up ,?I already had five boyfriends after you"

Pagsisinungaling niya dahilan para mag salubong ang kilay ni Austin.

***End of chapter***