CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

ANGELO SMILED at everyone inside the mansion. He just got discharged this afternoon, he wasn't even quite sure of the reason why he was hospitalized in the first place. Basta ang sabi lang sa kanya ay napagtripan siya ng mga lalakeng lasing kaya siya nabugbog.

"Welcome home, Hermano. How are you feeling?" his younger sister, Autumn, asked him before giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"Estoy muy bien, mi hermanita," Angelo cheerfully answered. "How about you?"

Autumn sat down on the sofa across from him and smiled. "I'm fine as well, Hermano."

Angelo smiled and looked around the mansion. "¿Dónde está Emerald, por cierto?" Where is Emerald, by the way?

"Ahh... Hermana's still busy with her work." Autumn gave him a soft smile. "Will you be okay if you stay here for a while? Dad said you don't have to work in the meantime for a faster recovery."

He nodded. "Dad told me about it this morning. He has been keeping an eye on me since I was in the hospital."

Angelo felt happiness towards his family. Matagal-tagal din siyang nasa hospital kaya naman na-miss niya ang pamilya niya, lalo naman ang mommy niya.

Sakto namang may narinig siyang yabag pababa ng hagdan. Agad umaliwalas ang mukha ni Angelo. "Mama!"

Bahagya pang natigilan si Summer bago ngumiti kay Angelo. "Hello, baby. Welcome home." She walked faster and gave him a hug. "Lo siento, I wasn't able to visit you—"

"It's fine, Mama." Angelo cutely clung to his mother's arm. "But I'm hungry, Mama. Could you cook me something?"

Summer smiled softly and caressed his head. "Of course, my baby. What do you want for snacks?"

Angelo grinned. "Anything, Mom."

"Bien. I'll go to the kitchen now," paalam nito sa kanya.

Nakatitig lang naman sa kanila si Autumn, at nang maramdaman niya iyon ay tumingin siya rito. "Where's Emy, again?"

CHARLES WAS silently staring at nowhere. He went back to Thailand the day after Angelo got hypnotized. He couldn't bear the pain inside him so he distanced himself.

"Make him forget me. Everything about me, Wyn," Charles begged her.

"Dom—"

He let out a small smile. "I'll be fine. It's for the betterment of his being."

Wynter stared at him before asking, "Are you sure?"

He nodded. I can do this. For him.

Naramdaman na lang ni Charles na basa ang pisngi niya kaya naman agad niya itong pinunasan. I'll get stronger, para kapag maayos na ang lahat at wala pa siyang ibang nagugustuhan, I'll pursue him.

Just the thought of Angelo liking someone else brings a lot of pain on him even more.

It been a week now, at kada araw na lumilipas, pasama nang pasama ang mood ni Charles. Kulang na lang ay pagpapapatayin niya lahat ng nahuhuli nilang kriminal. It was a good thing that Wynter came back to LUST DAWN this morning, at least may kokontrol sa kanya sa mga misyon niya.

"Hey, Dom." Wynter snapped, stealing Charles' attention.

"Wyn... Need anything?" he asked in a low voice.

His best friend stared at him for a second. "You look like sh*t."

Charles couldn't help but chuckle. Of course, he knows that. He didn't bother fixing his hair, at kada matatapos siya sa misyon nila ay magpapakalunod lang siya sa alak. He didn't even shave his growing beard. Ganoon siya kawalang pakealam sa itsura niya.

"By the way, decide well," biglang sabi ni Wynter na nagpabalik na naman sa wisyo niya.

Charles frowned. "Regarding what?"

"If you want to come down to the club or not."

Napatitig naman siya sa kaibigan. Naguguluhan siya sa pinagsasasabi nito.

Wynter walked towards the door of his bedroom, before pausing to speak, "He's here," sabi nito bago tuluyang lumabas.

Agad natigilan si Charles. He didn't wanna hope, pero wala naman sigurong plano ang kaibigan niya na paasahin siya sa wala dahil alam nito ang epekto sa kanya.

So, if she's not messing with me, then Gab must really be here? But why?

Sa pagkakaalam niya ay ikinulong ng ama nila Wynter si Gab. To keep him safe. So why let him travel back to the country where he got in danger?

Charles was busy thinking about a lot of stuff when suddenly his bedroom door opened forcefully. Agad siyang napatingin sa may pinto.

A sad Narae was staring at him. "H-Hey, Dom. Are you coming down?"

Kinailangan nilang dalawa ni Wynter na ipaliwanag kela Narae at Anurak ang sitwasyon pero hindi lahat. Hindi pa rin nila sinabi ang tungkol sa mafia nila, ang alam lang ng mga ito ay nadamay sa isang aksidente si Angelo at nakalimutan nito ang ilang bagay, kasama na rito ang tungkol sa kanya at sa totoo nitong ina.

Lumapit sa kanya si Narae saka siya niyakap. "It's okay, Dom. He will remember you soon. Sabi nga nila, what the mind forgets, the heart remembers. Alam ko namang may feelings kayong dalawa sa isa't isa, kaya tiwala lang. Maaalala ka niya."

Charles let out a sigh. But that's the problem, I wanted him to forget me. Kaya hindi pwedeng maalala niya ako. At least not now. He patted his friend's back. "I'll be fine, Nar. Thank you for that."

They let each other go and stood up at the same time. Narae held his hand as they left his room. It was funny for Charles. He wanted to protect Angelo from afar but here he goes again. He couldn't stop himself from at least looking at him.

Charles took a deep breath before letting go of Narae's hand. The lady gave him an encouraging smile before she went downstairs.

Nang maayos na ang paghinga niya ay tumingin muna siya sa salaming malapit sa pwesto niya at saka nagpanic. He definitely looks like sh*t.

Nagmamadaling nag-toothbrush siya, mouthwash, at nagpalit ng pang-itaas na damit. He doesn't smell like alcohol so he felt relieved.

Nang masiguradong kaaya-aya na ang itsura niya ay bumaba na siya. Anurak greeted him with a smile. "He's back to mixing drinks. He asked us a favor so yeah."

Napatango na lang siya saka tumingin sa bar sa baba. From the second floor of the club, he's back at looking at Angelo from afar.

Kaya lang agad ding nagdilim ang paningin niya nang may makita siyang lalakeng papalapit sa bar at doon nakatitig si Angelo.

Without thinking, Charles rushed down to Angelo's place. Sakto namang nahuli niya itong nilalandi ang customer.

"One J&C coming right up," Angelo said as he mixed drinks and finished the customer's order. "Here you go, Hermoso." Angelo even winked at that guy.

"I'm sorry but, what does hermoso mean?" rinig ni Charles na tanong ng lalakeng hinaharot ni Angelo.

Instead of Angelo, Charles heard Anurak's voice. "It means handsome."

Laking pasasalamat ni Charles na nandoon si Anurak at hindi madadamay ang customer sa ka-bad mood-an niya. "An, take that guy away from here. I'll talk to this flirt."

"Come on. You wouldn't like Dom being jealous," pang-aasar ni Anurak bago niyayang umalis ang customer.

Nakangiting tumingin naman sa kanya si Angelo. He was about to lash out his jealousy at the bartender when the latter spoke, "Do I know you?"

Charles felt a numbing pain inside him. So this is what it feels like. I feel like crying.

Mas lumapad ang ngiti ni Angelo. "Wait! You know Anurak so does that mean that you're friends with my Emy too?"

Charles calmed himself. "Yeah."

Napatango naman ang kausap. "I see. Are you a customer or one of the owners?"

"Owner."

Nahihiyang napakamot si Angelo ng batok. "Well then, about a while ago. Is it against the bartender's rules to flirt with the customers?"

Charles couldn't find the right words to answer the guy's question. "Ahm... No. I just thought you were someone I know. I never liked him flirting with anyone else. My bad." Agad siyang tumalikod dahil sa kahihiyan.

Can my life get any worse than this? Napailing na lang siya saka bumalik sa pwesto nilang apat.