Unromantic Romance

Chapter 13

I somehow managed to escape my parent's stares and questions. I don't know how but I did. God is truly amazing even to someone as unruly as me. 

The moment we entered the Gomez mansion, the people which my parents knew flock towards our direction. They were busy exchanging their greetings when my vision flew to the right side of the venue. I didn't bother to ask permission from my parents to separate from them and immediately made my way towards Ayii who is busy looking at the desserts. 

The mansion is swarmed with people. It's to be expected from a family of politicians. 

I snatched the wine glass she's holding and sip on it. Hindi naman mukhang nabawasan and knowing Ayii, she cannot withstand alcohol even if it's just one glass. 

She turned to me, surprised. "Why do you even bother holding a wine glass if you don't have any plan on drinking?" I asked and raised the wine glass a bit.

"I didn't know you'd come!" Gulat na sabi niya. 

"Owen expected me to come," I answered. I picked a grape and played it with my fingertips. "Besides... Lolo won't be here. He has other matters to attend to," dagdag ko bago nginuya ang grape na hawak. 

"It's good that you're here!" She then leaned closer to me. "I didn't want to come pero pinilit ako ni Mama. You know I cannot defy her," she whispered. 

I tapped her shoulders. "Your bestie is here na. No need to feel out of place."

"I am still not used to parties full of rich people!" 

I chuckled and shook my head. Ayii is well-off but she dislikes crowd lalo na kapag mayayamang tao. His father is a doctor dahil pamilya talaga ng mga doktor ang angkan ng ama niya and her mother is a doctor as well. She is so obedient when it comes to her mother. Most probably, she'll end up taking a pre-medicine course when we reach college even if it's not what she likes. Ayii loves painting and she indulges herself in art so maybe she wanted to become an artist. I think she will pursue it if only she has the guts to defy her mother, that is. 

I looked at Ayii when I remembered something. I wanted to ask her but what's preventing me is Ayii's quick senses. She can easily sense a thing which makes it hard for me to hide secrets from her. 

When she noticed me looking, she raised her brows. "Ano?"

I need to feed my curiosity so I'll ask her. "Won't your boyfriend come?" 

I threw her a question that's safest for me. I made sure not to drop a single hint out of my question. 

She pouted. "Hindi, eh. He is new here and his Tito is not around so..." She then shrugged. I nodded and her answer made me at ease. "Tsaka hindi pa alam nila Mama na may boyfriend ako. If he came, we won't be together. I cannot just hang out with him throughout the party without introducing him to my family first."

Kumunot naman ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. "So? Pwede mo namang ipakilala si Nashir ngayon." 

She rolled her eyes at me. "Of course, that won't happen! My family values formality, remember?" 

I nodded, totally forgetting that Ayii's family is like that. 

"What will happen if I were to introduce Nash here on? That will only ruin his image from my parents. I won't risk that." 

"Your parents are very formal. Buti na lamang hindi ganoon ang mga magulang ko," I said. 

"The situation's different if it's your Lolo!" She said and laughed like what she said is truly funny. It's not. Imagining Lolo barging in this party will glue me in my place. I will take a lot of recuperation as if I suffered from a 'still' illness before I decide to go and greet him. 

"Excuse me, Ayii. Hihiramin ko muna ang anak ko ah. Babatiin muna namin ang mga Gomez." Mama inserted from my back. Ayii kissed her cheek before letting me go. 

Tito Basti and Tita Nancy were busy entertaining the people in our front. When they finished talking, Mama and Dad greeted them. I just stood silently between them. I just planned to say my "Congratulations!" when Tita Lumina called Owen who's talking to someone near them. 

"Owen! Le' is here!" 

Agad naman na lumapit si Owen sa mga magulang niya and greeted my parents before turning his gaze to me. He kissed me on my cheek and whispered something. 

"I'm thinking about introducing you to my family as my girlfriend." 

Nang lumayo siya ay kaagad  ko siyang tiningnan sa nagtatanong na mukha. I saw Owen's dad smirk by the action of his son. 

I turned to my parents. "Excuse me. Owen and I have something to talk about." 

Mama held my shoulder and flashed me a questioning look.

 I smiled. "It will be quick." 

Tumango si Papa at siya na ang nagpaalam sa mga magulang ni Owen na kaagad namang pumayag. 

Nauna akong maglakad na sinundan naman ni Owen. I stopped where Ayii is who immediately raised her brows, intrigued.

"Why is Owen with you? Kayo na ba ulit?" She asked with malice.

"No, that won't happen. I have to clear something." 

I leaned to her. Her mouth gaped before nodding. She gestured me to go so I went. 

While on our way to the veranda, I glanced at Owen if he's still with me when I saw someone. Nang ibinalik ko ang tingin ay nawala naman agad. No clues of Regis being there. I shook my head. I am seeing things. He can't possibly be here. Dad said that Tito Ramil is out of Ayazo and besides there's no chance that Regis will attend this party even if invited. 

"What are you thinking, Owen? Tell me you don't mean it," I said with gritted teeth as soon as we reached the veranda.

"Unfortunately, I mean it Le'." 

Confusion filled me along with annoyance. Why is he so brazen?!

"We are not in a relationship anymore, Owen. I cleared that up. And I cleared that once again when you suddenly kissed me the other day in the field!"

He shot his brows up. "And I clearly said that day that a break-up is invalid if only one of us decided that it is." 

My attention is all into him now. "That's how I do break-ups. What's with you?" Naiinis na tanong ko. I don't really get him. 

He sighed and looked down at the garden from where we at. 

"Dad..." I looked at him, urging him to continue. He sighed once again. "My dad was happy when he heard that we're together. He thinks that he can use this as an opportunity to sway the Montemayors to our side. I didn't want to disappoint him." 

I looked at him unbelievably. "W-what?"

He turned to me once again. "When he knew that you broke up with me, he threw things inside his office. He told me to pursue you once again. Having you here because I expected you to come raised my father's hopes." 

"Do you really think the Montemayors will be on your side if we continued dating?" I shook my head. "Montemayors are really hard to get-"

"Except for you," he interrupted. "You are the uncontrollable Montemayor. Dad really thinks that I can get you." 

I scoffed. "But I didn't say yes because I felt something for you, Owen. Yes, I am uncontrollable but I won't give in easily. I bet you know that." 

He nodded and sighed deeply. "I know that," he whispered. "But I liked you. I didn't court you solely because of my father's desires." 

I ignored his confession. "What are you going to do now? I won't allow you to use me. It should be the other way around," I said and looked at the Gomez's garden below.

He chuckled lowly. "Dad will be disappointed but I cannot lie to him either. Let alone use you, that's impossible. I realized that too late." 

"You should head back and condition your dad at best. I bet it will be a long night for you."

 Owen nodded and head inside. 

I was looking at the night sky above. Stars are absent tonight and the sky is pitch black. I wonder why is it like that tonight. There's no typhoon predicted to come according to the news, so why?

I was lost wondering that I didn't even notice that a guy was standing on the other end of the veranda. 

"It's cold out here."

I immediately turned to the guy not far from where I am standing and found out that the owner of the voice is Regis. Hindi nga ako nagkamali kanina. Siya nga ang nakita ko. But he immediately escaped my vision earlier, maybe he joined the crowd?

I looked at the night sky above once again and rubbed my shoulders back and forth, feeling the coldness. 

"I didn't feel it earlier but when you said so, I am feeling it now." Sabi ko sa mababang tono. 

In my peripheral vision, I saw him lean to the fascia board while holding a wine glass. May wine pa na mukhang hindi nababawasan. 

Ayii ka, boi?

"I won't lend my coat, sorry." 

I turned to him with wide eyes. He is unbelievable!

"I don't need it, stupid." I shot back and glared at him. The corner of my eyes heated for an unknown reason at the sight of him so I immediately look back up at the dark sky, silently asking for an intact of my cool.

I heard him chuckle pero hindi ko na siya tinapunan ng tingin. There was a long, deafening silence between us. I felt the coldness of the breeze that made me shiver a bit so I turned around and was about to go back inside. 

"Are you and Owen back together?" Regis suddenly asked. I froze at my place. Why is he asking me that?

Nevertheless, I answered him. "No. Why?" I asked as I turned back to him. He turned to me too and our eyes meet. 

"Is it alright if I give you an order?" 

Kumunot kaagad ang noo ko sa kanyang tanong. His questions are unpredictable!

Naguguluhan man ay sinagot ko pa rin. "You always do. Do you even need my permission? Come on." 

His dark, hooded eyes pierced through mine. His stare made me shiver, beating the cold wind of the solemn night. 

"Don't go back to someone you already broke up with."

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