CASTIEL SMILED when Devi did not answer and just looked at him, surprised. He blurted out those words all of a sudden, he understands if she's in shock right now. Everyone knows about his bad deeds. He's not even surprised when she mentioned his deeds earlier.

"Don't mind me," he said and stood up. Siya na ang nagligpit ng pinagkainan nito at maayos na ibinalik sa paper bag. He need to bring this back to Yves. "Tapos ka na din kumain. Babalik na ako sa site." Paalam niya.

He did what he usually do. Castiel kissed the top of her head and caressed her soft hair after. Hindi pa rin kumikibo si Devi, kaya mabigat ang loob niya na lumabas sa opisina nila.

He saw her friends camping outside the office holding their Ipad, tsaka lang ang mga ito tumayo nang makita na siyang lumabas. Imara asked her friends to wait outside, habang siya naman ay tinawagan nito para lang mapakain si Devi.

"Kumain na ba?" Nag-aalalang tanong nito sa kanya.

Castiel nod his head and raised the paper bag he's holding, "simot nga e." Tipid niyang sagot at pinilit ang sarili na ngumisi.

He can only pretend in front of Devi. Castiel knows that he has an effect on her, pero hindi niya alam at wala siyang ideya kung gaano kalalim ang epekto niya rito. But the fact that it was just his assumptions made his heart sank. 6 feet under the ground. Baka nga hindi lang 6 feet!

"Thanks God! Nag-aalala na ako sa kanya e, ginagawa ng tubig ang kape. Nagluluha na din ang mga mata niya pero hindi niya magawang makapag pahinga. Letse naman kasi ang babae na 'yon! Hindi mawari kung ano ang gusto!" Pagrereklamo ni Imara, pati ang ilang mga engineer na pakalat kalat sa floor ay napapatingin sa gawi nila.

Kumunot ang noo ni Castiel. "Si Xyria ba?" He asked.

Agad na umiling si Imara sa kanya kasama na ang tatlo pang kasama nila. "No, not boss! There's this one girl na nagpunta rito, she said you recommended Devi to her. So, she accepted it kahit na hindi naman galing sa boss ang trabaho. That's why I called you, gusto ko rin sana na kausapin mo ang babae na 'yon. 'Yung huling punta niya rito binalaan niya si Devi na isang palpak pa nito sa design matatanggalan na ito ng trabaho." Imara sighed heavily.

"Devi can't loose her job, may dalawa pa siyang kapatid na pinapaaral." Xyrish worriedly said and looked at him.

"Kung bakit mo naman kasi ni recommend, Engineer!" Paninisi sa kanya ng isang lalaki na palaging bumibili sa kape ni Devi.

His forehead crease and looked at them one by one. "I didn't recommended her to anyone. Xyria hired all of you to work under the company, bawal kayong tumanggap ng trabaho sa labas, kahit personal pa 'yan. Ayaw ko din naman na gilitan ako ng buhay ni Xyria kaya bakit ko siya ire-recommend?"

He was too busy with his work that he doesn't have time to visit Lust community and even attend their night outs, palagi siyang bagsak at ganoon din madalas si Light.

"Ang sabi kasi ikaw e..." Imara pouted her lips like a kid.

His phone beeped. Sa pag-aakala na emergency 'yon agad niya 'yon binuksan only to read Light's message.

"I'll fix this as soon as possible. Ahm, please take care of her for me. May gagawin kasi ako, baka hindi ko siya masundo." Paki suyo niya sa mga ito at nagmamadaling umalis.

Caleb's woman was back and now they're all inside the Lust community. Light's wanted him to go as fast as he can. He missed their small village and he needs to clear his mind and mend his broken heart too, and being with his friends, kahit pa nga napaka tarantado ng mga ito, they always calm his mind.

He didn't even bother to swipe his own card dahil may tarantado nang nagbukas ng gate para sa kanya. The wall has a small CCTV and someone from the inside can control the gate. Kaya minsan kahit anong swipe nito sa card niya, kapag may ayaw magpapasok sa kanya mula sa loob, bina-block siya ng mga ito sa system.

"Yow what's up!" Salubong niya sa mga ito, he even spread his arms and was about to hug them one by one, pero agad umiwas ang mga ito sa kanya. "Aarte niyo tangina kayo!" Singhal niya.

Instead of bothering his friends, agad siyang nagpunta kay Isabella para magpaalam. He's here to mend his broken heart after all. He's going to drink until his heart content.

"Please? Mini celebration na rin para kay Caleb oh!" Dinamay pa niya si Caleb para payagan sila ng mga ito.

Isabella got tired of handling them all when they're all drunk and can't even lift a finger, kaya binawalan sila nito na uminom, they're only allowed to get drunk once a month or kung iinom man kailangan muna nila magpaalam. She's like their mother for goodness sake!

"Castiel, maaga pa! Kaunti lang ha?! Lagot kayo sa akin kapag hindi na naman kayo makatayo lahat!" Singhal nito sa kanya. Ngumisi lang si Castiel kahit na masama na ang tingin sa kanya ni Isabella.

"Isabella allowed us to drink a few bottles only. Magsikain na kayo kung gusto niyong madiligan ang mga atay natin!" Castiel happily shouted.

Kanya kanya silang kuha ng pinggan at sandok sa pagkain na nakahapag, kung hindi pa niya sasabihin na iinom sila nunkang papansinin nila ang pagkain na hinapag ni Yves kanina.

Castiel preoccupied his mind, he teased and laugh his friends, played with their babies and when they started drinking, pasimple niyang kinuha ang isang alak ni Alistair at 'yon ang ininom niya.

He have a lot of questions in his mind. Bakit ang mga kaibigan niya, nagustuhan din ito ng mga naging asawa nila ngayon? Their relationship didn't last that very long but still they ended up together. Siya itong nanliligaw pero mukhang siya pa ang masasawi. Was this his 'karma'?

Castiel didn't eat that much that night, kaya siguro napakadali niyang nalasing. Nagising nalang siya na nasa sarili niyang bahay sa loob ng mini village nila. Sapo sapo ang ulo at walang maalala sa nangyari kagabi. Did Isabella allowed them to drink ti'll they dropped? He thinks not.

Lalo na nang pumasok si Isabella sa bahay niya kasama ang asawa nito na si Jyrelle.

"Mia bella, malaki na si Castiel. Kaya na niyang ang sarili niya!" Narinig niyang pagrereklamo ni Jyrelle.

"Tumahimik ka, Jyrelle Vraxx Clemente." Isabella hissed that made Jyrelle silent.

Kahit masakit ang ulo niya, pinilit niya ang sarili na bumangon at bumaba. Castiel saw Isabella placed a bowl of porridge and an advil beside it.

"Good morning!" He groaned. "Thanks for the porridge, Mother." Castiel grinned and wink at Isabella.

Nanliit ang mga mata ni Isabella sa kanya at bumuntong hininga. "Here, eat this and drink that advil. I don't know what happened last night to you kaya ligtas ka sa akin ngayon." Mahinahon na sabi nito sa kanya.

Castiel just smiled innocently and nod his head. At least, hindi siya makakarinig ng sermon mula sa pinaka unang babae na iningatan nila. His brow arched when Jyrelle stayed and looked at him, may ngisi ito sa labi na hindi niya nagustuhan. A kind of smirk that Castiel always wear whenever he's pissing some of his friends off.

"What?" Nagtatakang tanong niya pagtapos ay sumubo sa porridge na dala ni Isabella.

Jyrelle smiled cheekily at him and tapped his shoulder. "Tapusin mo muna 'yan tapos puntahan mo kami sa arcade room ni Light, naglilinis pa si Laur e." He said and left.

Because of curiosity, at dahil na rin masama ang kutob niya sa mga kaibigan. Minadali niya ang pagkain, he was tempted not to wash the bowl he used pero hinugasan pa rin naman niya. Kung sa trabaho si Xyria ang mananakal sa kanya, sa loob ng Lust community naman ay si Isabella at Yves! 

He didn't bother to change his clothes first. He stinks. Kaibigan lang naman niya ang makiki amoy sa kanya, choosy pa ba ang mga ito?

"He's here! Wow, so fast!" Mikael commented. He fake a shocked face. Umismid lang si Castiel at binelatan ito.

"Tangina, hindi man lang nagpalit." Ryker hissed and pinch his nose.

"Arte mo gago! Parang hindi mo sinukahan ang sarili mo ah?" Maangas na sabi niya kay Ryker. Ryker didn't know that because Yves took care of him. "Anong meron?" He asked.

"Upo ka dali," inakbayan siya ni Light at pilit na pinaupo sa isang mono block chair. Nakapalibot sa kanya ang mga tarantado niyang kaibigan at nakangisi sa kanya. "Buddy's! Move, hindi nakikita ni Castiel ang TV natin."

Kumunot ang noo ni Castiel nang binuksan nila ang TV. It was from the footage last night, yes, Light and him installed a CCTV cameras all over the Lust community. Pati sa labas ay meron naka install na CCTV's incase na may makakita sa kanila na hindi member sa loob, malalaman agad nilang dalawa ni Light.

Ryker fast forward it. They're now inside the Mini bar of Alistair, kitang kita din kung paano niya pasimpleng kinuha ang pinakamamahal na alak ni Alistair sa shelf nito. They're laughing and teasing Caleb, that's what he remembered. The next scene shocked him, naka dukmo na siya at umiiyak. What the fucking fuck?!

His friends gathered around him and asking him what happened. But all he did was to cry and laugh at the same time!

"That's not m-me... Am I dreaming?!" He whispered, horrified.

"That's you, moron! Now tell us, why are you crying and laughing at the same time? Lumuwag na ba ng tuluyan ang tornilyo sa utak mo? Or we need to know something?" Tanong sa kanya ni Esel.

"Yes, speak now Gonzales." Mikael seriously said but he looks like shit while keeping his 'serious' facade.

"We need to know, bud. Para alam naman namin ang gagawin namin." Hindi niya alam kung nag-aalala ba si Killian sa kanya o kung ano.

Tumaas ang kilay niya nang lumapit si Kade sa kanya at mangiyak iyak pa ito. "Hindi na ikaw ang Castiel na kakilala namin! Sino ka?! Ibalik mo si Castiel!" He dramatically yelled and shaked his body.

Agad niyang siniko ang tiyan nito at pabiro itong itinulak palayo. Nakatingin lang sa kanya ang mga kaibigan at tila naghihintay ng sasabihin niya.

"Kulang ba ang ipinapakain sayo ni Yves?" Nakataas ang kilay na tanong sa kanya ni Caleb.

He shake his head.

"Hindi niya kinakain ang binibigay ko sa kanya." Yves said. Parang masama pa ang loob nito sa kanya dahil sa tono ng boses nito, he wasn't even looking at him.

"Lah gago! Nagtatampo!" Laur laughed.

Castiel sighed and messed his hair. Hindi niya alam kung saan siya mag-uumpisa. Should he asks an advice from them or not? Paano kung walang kwenta ang mga suggestions ng mga ito? Paano naman kung meron? He started to eyed them one by one. Bahala na.

"I got rejected. Well, she was silent when I confessed, but I feel that she was rejecting me. She brought up my past, after all. Baka na turn off siya sa akin." He problematically said.

Unang lumapit sa kanya si Jyrelle. "She went silent? Hindi nagsalita?" He asked at tumango naman siya.

"And you jumped into a conclusion that she's rejecting you?" Kyst asked and he nodded once again.

"You didn't wait for her to react?" Esel asked.

Mikael chuckled and looked at him. "I'll bet my ass he left after he confess!"

"Same goes for me, I'll bet my liqour." Alistair added looking boredly at him.

"Kaya ba sa amin ka kumakain? Tangina mo, ikaw bibili sa grocery namin this month!" Reklamo naman ni Ranger sa kanya. He was expecting him to give a wise advice.

"I'll say, don't stop pursuing her just because you felt like she's rejecting you. Wala pa naman sinabi, ngumangawa ka na." Sarkastikong sabi naman ni Killian. Castiel smirked when he remembered how many times he got rejected by his own friend and now his wife. Krizzia.

"Balikan mo." Caleb simply said.

"For a person who have a double degree and passed, no, kasali ka sa top sa Civil engineering board exam. You're quite dumb, stupid, idiot, simpleton, at higit sa lahat pala desisyon ka." Dylan said that shocked them all.

Nasapo ni Castiel ang dibdib at ma dramang humarap kay Dylan. His lips were parted as he faked a gasp.

"May points siya!" Laur said and laughed.

"Move your ass, Castiel! Freshen up and go woo that woman who made you cry like a baby for the first time." Ryker said between his laughs.

"Balitaan ko nalang kayo kapag may progress na!" Light yelled and raised his phone.

That means he'll going to chat on their Telegram group chat to update their friends. Pambihira tsismoso!

"'Wag ka na umiyak, Castiel malay mo mahal ka pala non!" Kade said and tapped his shoulder.

"You think so?" He asked hopeful.

Kade grinned and shake his head. "Hindi."

"Tangina mo!" Banas na mura niya rito.

Castiel shake his head walk towards his house to freshen up. They still have a lot of works to do, and they're right. Devi didn't say a thing when he confessed. She just remain silent and immobile yet he concluded. Pala desisyon nga siya.

"I'm going to pray harder starting today, gagambalain ko na din si Lord na sana may gusto din siya sa akin. Hindi pwedeng wala. Sa gwapo ko ba naman na 'to."

—•—

Happy hearts day!!
☕