CHAPTER ELEVEN

"THANK YOU," Wynter said when Charles entered her office.

"You're my best friend, Wyn. Syempre p-protektahan ko ang pamilya mo hangga't kaya ko," he replied as he sat down on the visitor's chair.

Wynter just hummed and continued reading and analyzing the important documents piled on her desk. "But humor me, how did you know where he was?" Wynter's cold and strict voice sent shivers to his spine.

"As I told you yesterday, I had a meeting with the other reckless groups in that club. Then I saw your brother heading towards a VIP room guarded by heavily armed men. I was well aware of your brother's innocence towards that kind of life so I made sure to put a tiny microphone on a tray that was delivered to that room, and voila, I guessed right about those men," Charles lied flawlessly that even Wynter believed it.

Wynter sighed and settled the papers on her desk before looking at her best friend. "At least we now know that they won't hurt my brother anymore."

Yeah, now he'll be safe. "Anyways, hanggang kailan ka rito sa Pinas?" Charles changed the topic.

"For as long as I can settle all this." Wynter gestured to her stacks of folders that needed to be signed. "So more or less, a month."

"Well, those two have to come back to Thailand by the end of the week. May klase pa si Narae at may trabaho naman si Anurak."

"And you? Anong pagkakaabalahan mo?" Wynter went back to signing the documents.

Charles stood up. "Clean up, I guess. Dad left a list of criminals who committed unspeakable crimes."

Wynter smirked. "Let me guess, the government could no longer handle them."

Charles put his hands in his pockets before he walked towards the door. "What can I say? They need us so badly." He chuckled.

"Dom." Charles stopped walking but didn't turn. "I'm thankful that you saved him, but my decision stays the same. Coincidentally or not, stay away from my brother. I believe you respect our friendship."

"I do respect it, Wyn. And don't worry, I don't wanna be associated with him in any way," he assured her before leaving her office. I hope I wasn't lying.

WEEKS PASSED at ni isang text o paramdam mula kay Charles ay wala siyang nakuha. Angelo wanted to clarify what happened between them that night in Wynter's condo, pero mukhang walang planong makipagkita sa kanya ang binata and it's pissing him off.

Kahapon lang ay nakabalik na silang tatlo sa Thailand para makabalik sa LUST DAWN at sa mga trabaho nila. Unfortunately, Charles didn't join them, at wala silang balita kung nasaan ito.

Angelo's the type of person that will always smile at anyone. Halos pareho ang ugali niya at nila Narae at Anurak. And speaking of those two, kahit ang mga ito ay walang balita mula sa matalik nilang kaibigan, but unlike him, those weren't worried as hell.

Nangyari na rin ito noon kaya naman hindi na rin sila nag-aalala ng lubos. It's always the same thing, mawawala si Charles ng ilang linggo, max would be a month, at ang rason nito ay dahil sa business nila.

Angelo wanted to think it that way kaya lang hindi niya maiwasang mag-alala sa binata. Is it really business or he already has someone? Napailing na lang si Angelo. Ano naman kung meron na itong kasintahan, it's not like may namamagitan sa kanila.

He let out a deep sigh and stared at nothing. Ilang sandali lang ay naramdaman niyang niyuyugyog siya. He blinked multiple times before looking at the woman in front of him.

"—Earth to Oppa!" sigaw pa ng babae.

"Oh. Hey, Narae. You need anything?" He forced a smile.

Tinitigan ni Narae ang lalake. Is he okay? O baka naman miss na miss na niya si D? Narae let out a sigh before smiling at him. "I need nothing. How about you, Oppa?"

I need his presence. Angelo shook his head and smiled. "Nah, I'm fine. Sorry at natulala ako saglit."

"Don't sweat it. Anyways, if you don't feel like working, you can take a week off." Narae sat on a barstool across from him.

"I'm okay, really." Napatingin naman si Angelo sa may likuran ng babae. "Himala at walang Anurak na kasunod," natatawang puna niya sa kausap.

Narae put her elbows on the counter before resting her chin on her hands and pouted. "Walang pasok si An bukas, samantalang ako, meron. Kaya ayun! He's free to bed anyone he wants."

Natawa naman si Angelo sa inasal ng babae. "You know you can still flirt around, kaya lang 'yun nga. You're not allowed to reach the third base or home run." Mas natawa pa siya dahil mas humaba ang nguso ni Narae.

"Ang tagal naman ng oras eh. Kung hindi rin itinuloy ni Unnie ang pag-aaral niya edi ako na lang ang nag-aaral sa aming apat. Hay! I feel like my life is so boring," pagrereklamo ng dalaga.

Angelo mixed a drink for her while talking. "You should enjoy being a student. Kasi kapag nagtrabaho ka na, mas marami ka ng responsibilidad."

Narae rolled her eyes. "That's what Dad used to say." She sighed. "HIndi ko lang talaga maiwasan na mainggit. Lalo na kapag busy silang tatlo sa trabaho nila at saktong wala akong pasok. Madalas na tuloy akong tumatambay na lang sa bahay."

"Well, you can try something else." Iniabot na niya ang baso sa dalaga. "How about new friends?"

The lady took a sip before she tsked. "As if that's easy. Ang DAWN lang ang kilala kong tinanggap ako nang buo at inintindi ako nang lubos mula noon. As for the other people, they only befriend me because they need something. Money, fame, s*x, especially men. All they want is s*x."

Angelo couldn't say that he felt the same because he didn't. Besides, he never got any friends after Charles, he was scared that he might end up loving that person too much again. Kaya ang ending, hindi siya naka-move on kay Charles.

He would always ask his sister about him ever since he learned that those two were best friends. Pero syempre hindi niya muna ipinaalam sa kapatid at baka biglang magsabi sa kaibigan nito edi nabuko siya.

Umabot pa nga siya sa mga panahong sinusundan niya ito sa mga bansang pupuntahan nito at pasimpleng titingnan mula sa malayo. He became a stalker because of him. Though according to his sister, it's not considered as an obsession pa naman.

Buti na lang at may matino pang parte ng isip niya.

"Eh ikaw, Oppa? Other than working here, may pinagkakaabalahan ka pa ba?"

Napabalik siya sa wisyo dahil sa narinig. And of course, nag-flashback na naman ang utak niya. Napailing na lang siya.

"So other than bartending, wala ka nang ginagawa?" tanong ulit ni Narae.

Angelo smiled at her. "Minsan naggagala, pero madalas natutulog na lang para mas gising kapag nagtatrabaho na rito."

Narae nodded her head as she hummed and finished her drink. "Anyways, malapit nang magpasko, do you celebrate it with the Vazquez's?"

Angelo showed a small smile. "Autumn and Wynter, even Tita Summer wants me to celebrate all the occasions with them, unfortunately, there's Dad... And I know for sure that he doesn't like me." That's why I'm trying my hardest. To be worth it. For him to see me as his, not just his mistaken firstborn.

"Well, that's basically three versus one," natatawang sabi ni Narae. "Anyways, ang usapan sa DAWN kapag December twenty-four, sa sari-sarili naming bahay ang selebrasyon, in short, family time. But the next day, it's DAWN time, wanna come?"

"I'm not part of DAWN." Angelo laughed which caused Narae to roll her eyes. "Kidding, sure sure. Kung pasok sa schedule."

"Schedule, my ass. You don't have one, Oppa," pananaray ng dalaga na ikinatawa niya.

Ilang saglit pa silang nagkwentuhan hanggang sa matapos ang shift niya. Nakasama pa nila si Anurak sa kwentuhan bago sila naghiwalay ng landas.

As he leaves the club, sunrise greeted him, at sa pangalawang pagkakataon, nakaramdam na naman siya na para bang may nakatitig sa kanya. He turned his head to search for it until it settled on a man entering its car.

Angelo shook his head, it couldn't be his Nick. Edi sana pumasok ito sa club nila. He must be seeing things. Sa sobrang pagka-miss niya sa binata ay pati ang realidad niya ay nadadamay.

Hindi niya naman siguro ako iniiwasan, diba? Angelo couldn't help but ask himself. He thinks that it has something to do with what he did that night. Is he purposely avoiding me? I hope not.

Angelo sighed before hailing a taxi and went to his place to rest his mind and body.