I kept on tossing and turning on the couch. Can't figure out a comfortable position! Kahit na alam kong nagising na ako ay nanatili pa ring nakapikit ang mga mata ko. I need to sleep! I WANT to sleep. Maya-maya pa ay may nalanghap akong mabango. Hmm... smells like coffee to me. Nakakatempt but nah. Wala naman akong gagawin kaya bakit— Napapigil ako ng paghinga nang naramdaman kong may nakalapit sa mukha ko ngayon. I'm trying my best not to open my eyes. I covered my fave with the blanket when he held my hand. Gosh. Wala na akong nagawa kundi imulat ang mga mata. What is his problem? I'm trying to sleep here! Pagkabukas ng mga mata ko ay sinalubong ako ng mga mata niya. He's too close to me! Ngayon ay narealize ko na ang position namin. Now that sounds weird. Nakatagilid ang higa ko. Nakaharap ako sa kaniya while his arms are enclosing me. Nakahawak yung isa sa sandalan and the other sa tabi ko. "Wake up, you said yes to me last night, right?" he said while eyeing me. I immediately covered my face with the blanket. Why is he here?! I mean it's his place but... "May pasok ba?" I asked while trying to sit up. Ganun din ang pagtayo niya ng maayos. Gosh. Naglakad siya malapit sa balcony to prepare something? "It's work." he said just before he do his stretching. Work? Ah, yung sa photoshop? "Why can't you just send it to me? Then ie-edit ko. Ang aga-aga pa," I answered. It's only 6 am! "Kung maaga pa sa'yo yan, hindi na ako magugulat sa grades mo," he spite back. Now he's doing push-ups. Grades ko? Napatingin ako sa coffee table kung saan nakapatong yung bag ko lagi. Agad kong tiningnan yung laman at mukhang okay naman... Saan niya nalaman? "Hey," I stood up to walk to him. "...how did you know about—Gosh!" Agad akong napatakip ng mga mata nang hubarin niya yung sando niya. "There's a girl in here, just in case you have forgotten already!" I shouted while covering my eyes with my palms. "Tsk, don't act all innocent. I know you are still peeking through that palm of yours," he said as he continued his exercise. Gosh! Ako pa ha! I rolled my eyes while marching back to the couch. "Eat, we're going to school." Ha? Akala ko ba work? "Hey, I thought it's work? No school. Saka, sabi ko nga isend niyo na lang. Or dalhin mo yung products here tapos pipicturan ko." "Just prepare whatever you need because you are coming with me. I need you— I mean, your presence there. You are going to meet with my team," he answered. I sighed heavily. Pumunta ako ng kitchen to prepare a sandwich since I don't know how to cook. After eating, nag-ayos na ako. Thank goodness, nablackmail ko pa si uncle noon. I don't have anything with me after akong mapalayas sa condo! Gosh, nagco-contribute naman ako dun, indirectly lang. For sure natigil din yung payment from dad. Atleast kay uncle... Speaking of uncle... so may mga watchers na ako, ganoon? That's creepy as hell! Sanay akong ako yung tumitingin-tingin for picture taking. I heard a knock from outside the door. Nasa cr ako ngayon. "What's taking you so long? Come on, double time!" he shouted from the outside. Daming alam, double time double time pa. Gosh. Ngayon ay naglalakad na kami papuntang school kung nasaan daw yung 'work' nila. What the hell is his business ba at ginagawa nila yun sa school? And how the heck is that even possible? Hindi naman yun yung nagtitinda ng mga graham balls like what I've watched in the television... so bakit sa school? Wait... so graham balls gusto nitong pictturan ko? Naglalakad lang kami dahil malapit lang naman daw. Naalala ko si uncle kaya napalingon-lingon ako sa paligid ko. Now I can feel like somebody is watching me. Gosh! Napatigil ako. Nilingon ko pa ulit ang paligid. Wala naman akong makita... my gosh, Daliah! Malamang nakatago yun. I don't like this, being watched by other people... This is getting creepier every sec na nagtatagal kami sa labas. Apparently, this guy likes to walk. Bahala na! I know dad won't get me hurt by anyone... he's just doing this to keep me from Ph. Ang tanong, bakit? Argh. "Daliah," ma-awtoridad na tawag ni Marcus. Napatingin ako sa kaniya na ngayon ay malayo na sa akin. Tumakbo ako para makalapit sa kaniya habang nililinga pa rin ang paligid. "What's happening to you? You are spacing out." he said. Nanatili akong sinasabayan ang bilis ng paglakad niya. "Hey don't get near me," tulak niya sa akin ng marahan. "No one's following us right?" I asked stupidly. Tumigil siya sa paglalakad at tiningnan ako. His ocean blue eyes are burning through mine... "Cut the crap and just walk." Gosh. Akala ko pa naman may sense sasabihin. Nang makarating na kami sa school ay nakasunod lang ako sa kaniya. Dumiretsyo kami sa isang club room daw nila kung saan sila nagmi-meet. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko pagkapasok namin. They are so... formal? I mean casual suot nila pero they all fell in line the moment we walked inside... there's only five of them. Tiningnan ko si Marcus at parang normal na ito sa kaniya. He ordered them something at naupo sila sa kaniya-kaniya nilang upuan na nakapalibot sa isang malaking, rounded na lamesa. Now Marcus is looking at me. Ganoon din sila. Oh, should I introduce myself? "Umm, Hi?" I started. They are all serious. What is this? Nahihiya na ako sa harapan ah. Napansin kung brunette yung hair ng apat na kateam ko na raw. Including Marcus. Then two of them have blonde hairs. Mas dark lang yung sa isa. He's staring at me, gosh. I chuckled, "I'm Daliah Ty. Your new photographer and... editor? I'm glad to be a part of the team," I continued. Startup 'to so I kinda expected na loose mga tao. We're only seven here! "No need to be so stiff, haha." the other guy said. Okay? Gosh. Medyo kainis ah. That dark blonde hair of his, sarap hilahin. It stands out din kasi. Ooops. Ngumiti na lang ako at naupo sa tabi ni Marcus. "Okay guys, so you've met Ms. Daliah now. She'll be around for a month to help us in presenting our product prototypes to the venture capitalists. Hopefully, we can grow this startup with her and the capitalists' help," panimula ni Marcus. He discussed what their startup business is really about. So kumikita na sila kahit papaano pero mas malaki pa rin ang nailalabas na money since magastos talaga sa first years. Mag to-two years pa lang daw sila. Oh, and they are creating unique tools na makakatulong daw sa health care facilities. Then kailangan daw kasi ng mas malaking money that's why they are doing their best to pitch their new product. Mahal kasi ang kailangan para rito. Nakapangalumbaba lang ako sa table the whole discussion dahil taga-picture and edit lang naman ako at walang ganap. Gosh. This whole meeting should've been an email na lang... or he could just tell me at home. "Excuse me," I said while raising my hand. "...no offense but why are we holding this meeting inside the clubroom of your school? I mean, since you are a startup company, may place na dapat kayo right?" I inquired. I'm curious, nasaan ang office? Or yung ibang products nila? Two years na silang active din. Sorry, daughter of a business man. Marcus faced me. "Office rentals are expensive. Especially here in New York. The products are in my place as what you've seen, and the others are in my co-workers' places. We are still deciding which place is a suitable one," he answered. Okay... sorry ha. He continued to discuss things with them nang inannounce niyang may pupuntahan muna siya. So break muna? I stood up and nagpaalam sa mga natira sa loob na lalabas muna ako. Puro lalaki sila so it's kind of awkward to stay inside... Lumabas ako ng main building at niyakap ang hangin. "Ah! It feels so freeeesh!" Sigaw ko. Wala namang gaanong tao since it's Saturday. Kaunti lang siguro classes na nakaschedule... Naglakad pa ako at nadatnan ko yung bench na talagang hindi ko makakalimutan. The memory of that morning washed over me in an instant. Kasabay nun ay ang kahihiyan... Gosh! Para lang naman makaligtas ako noon! Yun lang! Bigla pa naman akong habulin ng mga lalaking nakasuit... iba rin yung landlord ko before eh. Come to think of it, those guys na nanghabol sa akin before... They look too formal... out of place even. Pero parang nakita ko na sila. Hindi ba sila from him? Omg. Napalinga kaagad ako sa paligid. My heart... it's beating too fast. I don't know pero may feeling akong kay uncle 'din galing yung men na yun. Parang parehas ng vibes eh. Gosh, this makes my head hurt. They won't even tell me why I need to stay here. Whose out there to kill me anyways? Bashers sa insta? Naglakad na ako pabalik sa main building habang nililinga pa rin ang paligid. I can't feel safe with all these people watching me! Paano kung hindi sinabi ni uncle? Creepy! Gosh! Atleast I'm aware now... Naglakad pa ako nang makabunggo ako. "Gosh! Can you just—" omg! Muntik na akong madulas nang may naramdaman akong braso na nakasalo sa akin. My eyes are closed. Thank goodness kung sino 'to! I opened my eyes and now, for the nth time, I'm feeling small because of his intimidating ocean blue eyes... I stood up properly without looking at him. "Mag-ingat ka nga!" his foreign accent coated words echoed outside. A few students looked at us. I looked at him, "Sorry okay! No need to shout," I answered back. "Sorry. You go first." he said. I rolled my eyes and walked to the building. He's following me while looking around. Is he feeling it as well? Sabi ko sa kaniya eh. Nang makarating ako sa door ng club room nila, narinig kong may nag-uusap kaya 'di muna ako pumasok. Here we go again, Daliah... "What? He is not joining us? Then why are we wasting our time here?!" a guy shouted. Kavoice nung dark yung pagka blonde ng hair. "Shh! Someone might hear you!" pabulong na sigaw ng isa. What's happening? "I need justice! We were all in the same troops, right? I'm sure Marcus needs it as well... but why is he making this business his main priority? We need to attack—" "I said tone it down! Let's just talk to him..." Okay, now I'm really confused. "What are you still doing out here?" Marcus asked while approaching me. Should I tell him? Gosh, Daliah. Let him deal with his own problems! I don't even know what 'attack' they were talking about! I'm the only girl here so I'm screwed if I interfere for sure. "Come on," he commanded as he opened the door. Pagpasok namin ay biglang tumahimik ang paligid. Gosh, the air is getting thick in here. Nasa isang place lang sila, crowded together. Nakaupo yung iba sa table, then may nakatayo rin tapos mukhang naghila ng chair yung isa para makaupo. As usual, that guy with a darker blonde hair stands out. Nakatayo siya at ngayon ay humarap na sa amin. I looked at Marcus. His eyes are dead dark. "What's the matter, pal?" he asked. Lumapit naman silang lima. The guy who teased me a while ago stepped up. Now magkalapit na sila ni Marcus. Thing dark blonde-haired na 'to... "I think there are matters that we need to be clear upon... captain." he answered while his hands hides on his back. Captain? What the hell is this? Tumingin ako sa likod nung guy at nakita ko yung apat pa na mga lalaki. Nakatayo sila ng maaayos... I walked to Marcus, "Wait, what's happening right now?" I asked. Fill me in! Gosh. Napalingon ako sa mga nasa likod at may inilabas sila mula sa loob ng mga t-shirts nila. "I hope this somehow answers you, Ms. Ty," one of them said while raising their dogtags. Dogtags? Ano naman? "The girl needs to be out, captain. No civilian should hear about this." the guy in front of Marcus states. Me? Out? Tiningnan ko ulit yung mga naglabas ng dogtag kanina. What the hell is this really? "Marcus? Ano raw? Anong mayroon—" "Just tell me what it is. She won't understand us anyways," Marcus answered. Ouch. Ang kapal! Lumapit pa lalo yung guy kay Marcus, "Really? Then I think you need to make your decision now, captain." Gusto kong magsalita at magtanong kung ano ba ito ngunit iniharang ni Marcus yung braso niya sa akin. "The answer's still no. Now let's not waste our time and go—" "Omg!" I screamed when a fist landed on Marcus' face. Hindi naman siya napaupo. Pero kita ko sa mga mata niya na mas madilim pa ito kaysa noon nang sinilip ko siya. I immediately stepped back. The other guys came to stop the guy who punched Marcus. "People died! There are many more that will die if this thing will not be taken care of! We need to do this ourselves! But look at what you are doing, huh? Increasing your wealth? What will your father say if he knows about his son doing—" Isang malakas na sigaw ulit ang inilabas ko nang gumanti si Marcus ng suntok sa guy. Gosh! Ano bang mayroon kasi... "There's a girl! Stop it both of you!" sigaw nung isa. "Then she should get out!" sigaw nung guy na sinuntok ni Marcus. What? He's ordering me to what? Kanina pa to ah. Lumapit ako sa kaniya na siya namang pinigilan ulit ni Marcus gamit ang braso niya. I glared at him and back to the guy. "You called me in here to join you people and now you want me out? Why can't you fill me in then!" I shouted to his face. There! Take that. Gosh! He stared at me and may kinuha siya from his pocket. Wallet yun at iniharap niya sa akin yung loob. There it is... that confirms it. So are they all... in military? Pati si Marcus? Kaya ba captain tawag? "Okay miss? Now, I'm asking you to get out of the area since you are not included in this matter," he stated. I looked at Marcus. He just stared at me. "This is done! Sorry Marcus, not joining you anymore. I can't bear the weight of the lives of other people... doing this will only--" Bigla na lang kinuwelyuhan ni Marcs yung guy. Omg... what should I do?! Nakatitig lang si Marcus sa guy... not saying anything. I can only see his back. After niyang pakawalan yung guy sa pagkakahawak ay nagmartsa siya out of the room. What the hell was that? Tiningnan ko pa ulit ang mga kasama niya. They are muttering things to each other. I ran out of the room hoping I can catch him. Paglabas ko ng main building ay nakita ko siya. "Marcus! Hey!" I shouted. He stopped walking. I caught up to him. He's back is turned on me. "Hey..." "Just... stop. For now... I don't know if I can do this," he whispered and walked away. What...? What happened to his emotional capacity? Parang iba siya ngayon. Atleast... atleast explain to me what the hell happened. Lumabas na ako ng campus. I grabbed my wallet. I sighed. There is not much here... yung allowance na binigay ni uncle... tapos hindi pa effective yung blackmail ko sa kaniya. I can't understand a thing! While walking, the familiar feeling creeps up to me. The feeling of being watched by a lot of eyes. I looked around... there are none. Argh! I ran as fast as I could. After being thrown out of my condo, all I did was to run! "G...osh," I panted. That was creepy as hell! People are scarier nowadays... I need to talk to him about this. Uncle... I passed by the building where he lives. Where I am currently staying. Nah. Later na lang, bahala siya. One is good... no two na lang. Pagpasok ko ng resto bar ay umupo kaagad ako near the bartender. "The usual, please," I requested. Habang nakapangalumbaba ako sa counter ay napatingin ako sa tabi ko. Two seats away from me... WHY THE HELL? I grabbed my seat. Inikot ko ito paharap ulit sa counter. His eyes... it should be a sin having those! Iba... iba lagi ang nakikita ko! His ocean blue eyes... and a familiar longing in his eyes... Suddenly, the moments from that day... the day I kissed him flashed in front of me. He's different back then. His smile doesn't reach his eyes though... Pero mukhang mas okay siya nung time na yun. Is it my fault? I was just scared that day I didn't think of anything... "Gosh--mm!" I nearly shouted. Thank goodness I covered my mouth! Ngayon ay nakatabi na siya sa akin, his arms on the either side of me. Yung isa ay nakapatong sa counter, while the other one is holding... yung sandalan ng stool ko. What the hell? Give me some space! His eyes are tearing through mine. Dark, cold and longing one... "Why are you here?" his voice is husky. What the? Probably because I'm in a bar? "W-wait ha, I came here to drink don't misunderstand things," I said in defense. I grabbed my freshly served drink. "Sorry for what happened." He muttered. I looked at him, again. Stop it Daliah. He backs away, reaching for his drink. An awfully awkward few minutes passed by. We're here, just drinking, not making any noise. No words whatsoever. I coughed. I looked at him. I sighed. He is just sitting there, drinking. Napansin ko yung glass niya. Isa pa lang? 'Di niya pa naubos yun? Gosh. Tumayo na ako at nagbayad nang marinig ko ang boses niya. Sa ingay ng bar, hindi ko maintindihan bakit yung voice niya lang naririnig ko. Most importantly, the words he just let out. "My father... he was killed, murdered."