#NewClassicNRO

Chapter 27
Invitation

Just when I thought that we could rekindle our long extinguished relationship; when I thought that we could still find ourselves back in each other's arms; when I thought that we still had a chance; when I thought that we weren't really over―he took those chances away with him when he left and closed the door.

Jirro didn't come back anymore. Like what he said, someone did really come to assist me. He got me a private and personal nurse even though I was only staying for a night and I didn't really need any assistance.

Nonetheless, I couldn't stop myself from hoping that he'd return. I waited for him for as long as I could. I was wide awake, staring at the ceiling until my body―which was in need of rest―forced me to close my eyes and fall asleep with a heavy feeling in my chest.

The next day, I woke up half past nine. I wasn't used to waking up after eight in the morning. Ngunit kahit na bawing-bawi ko na ang tulog at nakapagpahinga na ako nang maayos, pakiramdam ko ay kulang na kulang pa rin. I was feeling a bit lethargic.

Looking back to the brief argument I had with Jirro, hindi ko maiwasan ang kuwestiyunin ang sarili. The look of despair I saw on Jirro made me feel guilty. I knew he had a point. But I also believed that I had mine as well. I just couldn't understand why we could never meet in the middle when it comes to things like these. Kahit noon pa man ay lagi na kaming mayroong hindi pagkakasunduan pagdating sa aming mga desisyon sa buhay.

What made our relationship last that long before?

Although we had disagreements and misunderstandings, we would still find a way to settle our disputes. No matter if we had differences, we still had our common ground where we could always meet. Despite being lost sometimes, we would always find a way to hold on to each other and continue our relationship.

Kung hindi ko ba kailangang umalis noon, kami pa rin ba hanggang ngayon? Kung hindi ko ba kailangang bigyan ng oras ang sarili at pamilya, mananatili pa rin ba siya sa tabi ko?

Those thoughts played in my head until it was time for me to leave the hospital. Even though they couldn't come by because of their rehearsals, Ike, Isaiah, and Sic sent me lots of fruits and foods. Hindi ko iyon naubos lahat kaya naisipan kong iuwi sa bed space. I would share it to the other bed spacers.

"Huwag ninyo na pong alalahanin ang bill, napaayos na po ni Sir Jirro," sabi ng staff na sumundo sa akin sa ospital. There was also a van waiting at the driveway.

"Ganoon ba? Uhm, salamat," tahimik kong sabi saka ngumiti.

If only I could say my thanks directly... Kaya nga lang ay wala akong numero niya. I still have his old number saved on my contacts, but I knew it was impossible for him to use that number when he's already a huge star. Hindi malabong kumalat iyon lalo na't madaming nakakaalam ng kanyang numero noon.

The van he prepared for me was big and comfortable. Kahit napakaluwang ay hindi tumabi sa akin ang staff. She sat beside the driver, leaving all the back space to me.

I felt uneasy. Hindi ako mapakali sa aking upuan. Binuksan ko ang isang bottled water para uminom ng tubig. Nang hindi pa rin ako mapakali ay inabala ko na lang ang aking sarili sa cellphone. As soon as I opened one of my social media accounts, agad bumungad sa aking feed ang news tungkol kay Jirro.

"New Classic's bassist, Jirro Salvare, received medical treatment."

The headline made me frown. Kahit na hindi ako nagbabasa masyado ng ganitong balita, nakuha nito ang interes ko. I quickly clicked on the link, and I was directed to the article.

New Classic just wrapped up their Asian and European tour for their second concert and first world tour, Utopian World, after four months of being on tour.

Once they were back at the country, the world-class band was greeted with left and right schedules for their endorsements, alongside with rehearsals and preparations for the Utopian World Encore Concert this coming Sunday. On top of the fans' excitement with the announcement of the encore concert here in Manila, they are worried and concerned for the members' physical and mental health.

Just this morning, around 8AM, Jirro Salvare was seen leaving one of the leading hospitals in Quezon City. It is reported that the star received IV treatment as he suffered from fatigue, before attending the band's concert rehearsal.

The management immediately released a statement and confirmed that their artist did receive IV treatment and assured fans that he is already doing well. Subsequent to the release of statement by Top Star Records, Jirro Salvare posted a photo on his social media accounts, telling fans not to worry and that he is excited to meet them on Sunday.

My brows furrowed after reading the whole article, knowing that the report was different to what truly happened. Jirro didn't receive an IV treatment. I was the one who did. But I guessed they were trying to conceal the fact that he was at the hospital for me.

For a moment, when I read the headline, I admit that my heart skipped a beat. Kinabahan ako at naisip na baka may nangyari kay Jirro.

But what caught my attention the most was the time stated at the article. Ang sabi ay namataan si Jirro na umalis ng ospital kaninang alas-otso. I was puzzled and confused. He left last night. He didn't come back. Halos madaling araw na rin ako nakatulog at hindi ko siya ulit nakita.

Did he come back to the hospital to check on me while I was still asleep this morning?

Madaming katanungan ang naglaro sa aking isipan. Isinantabi ko na nga lang 'yon nang mapansin kong iba ang tinatahak namin na daan. We were nearing Top Star Records. Kaya nga lang ay biglang lumiko ang sasakyan papasok sa isang sikat na condominium tower malapit sa kompanya. Huminto sa harap ng isang tower ang sasakyan at agad na bumaba ang staff para pagbuksan ako ng pintuan.

I was confused. I didn't want to go down.

"Uhm, bakit tayo nandito?" naguguluhan kong tanong.

"May hinanda pong unit ni Sir Jirro. Ang sabi niya ay para mas makapagpahinga raw kayo nang maayos," tipid niyang sagot sa akin.

I wanted to decline, but I was also curious of what Jirro prepared for me so I followed the staff. We went up to the seventeenth floor and entered a condo unit with one bedroom.

"Ang password po ng unit ay 1215, pero puwede ninyo raw pong palitan kung gusto ninyo," sabi sa akin ng staff habang nililibot ko ng tingin ang living area ng unit.

If he wanted me to just rest here, why would he get a condo unit? The unit's passcode was also my birthday. Pagkatapos ay puwede ko pa itong palitan.

Nang makaalis na ang staff ay nilibot ko ang buong unit. The bedroom was bigger than the bed space I was renting. The overall interior of the unit played around minimalistic designs. It was simple. The furniture and appliances all looked new. I couldn't help but admire it as everything was up to my liking. Wala akong maipintas.

I knew Jirro wanted me to rest there, but I couldn't possibly let myself stay when I had hundred of questions running around my head. Gusto kong itanong sa kanya ang lahat nang iyon, kaya nga lang ay alam kong busy pa siya sa rehearsal.

Naisipan kong pumunta na lamang sa café upang kausapin si Nico. I wanted to personally apologize to him about what happened last night. And of course, I also had to talk to him about my plans.

Wala na si Beatrice nang dumating ako café. Sinalubong naman ako ng mga staff na naging malapit na rin sa akin. Nico was surprised to see me when he walked out of the office.

"Cloe!" He sounded so shocked. "Nakalabas ka na ng ospital?"

While nodding, I shyly smiled. "Puwede ba kitang makausap, Nico?"

Agad nawala ang bakas ng gulat sa mukha ni Nico. He smiled timidly and nodded his head. Pinapasok niya ako sa opisina at saglit akong iniwan doon. Nang makabalik ay may dala-dala siyang pastries at inumin.

There was an awkward moment of silence in between us, the moment he sat down in front of me. It was like we were both weighing the situation and atmosphere. But being the man that he is, Nico started the conversation to make things easier for me to speak up.

"I saw the news about Jirro earlier this morning..." He was a bit hesitant. "You're the reason why he was there, right?"

Ngumuso ako at muling tumango. "Tungkol nga pala roon..." nahihiya kong simula. "Pasensya ka na sa mga sinabi ni Jirro, ah? Sana ay hindi mo sineryoso 'yon. I never blamed you for anything. Sobrang nagpapasalamat nga ako sa 'yo."

Smiling, Nico shook his head. "It's alright," he assured me. "I'm sure Jirro's just worried about you. Naiintindihan ko kung bakit siya umakto nang ganoon. If I were in his position, I might have done the same thing."

As expected, Nico was kind just to let it go. He didn't build up a grudge against Jirro. He was mature enough to understand where Jirro was coming from.

"Though I had to admit that I was surprised when I knew that Jirro was with you," pag-amin niya. "Akala ko ay hindi na kayo masyadong nagkikita at nagkakausap?"

"Hindi nga pero..." I bit my lower lip, while remembering all those times when Jirro couldn't stop himself from getting involved in my life and worrying about me. "Hindi ko rin alam talaga. He's just... He's just always there for me. He―"

"He still cares for you," Nico cut me off to sum up everything that I was going to say. "It's obvious that he still does, Cloe. And if my intuition is right, he might still be in love with you."

Nico's gut feeling left me speechless. I didn't know how he came up with that but it caused my heart to go wild. It stirred me up. Hearing the thought that I had been hiding at the back of my mind from another person triggered me to release my heart from its cage and start hoping for more.

"And based on your reaction and how you talked about him, it looks like you still feel the same way, too..." he said, and I could confidently confirm that he wasn't wrong about that. "Even though you two already broke up, you still love him, right?"

My heart increased its pace―beating louder, stronger, and faster. I guessed it was because of embarrassment that I could be seen through clearly. I never thought that my feelings were so transparent.

"I'm right..." Nico chuckled and his eyes wandered elsewhere, away from me.

The sadness I saw inside his eyes gripped my heart tight. I had no idea why he suddenly had that look, but it made me feel bad and guilty.

"I'm not sure if you're not really aware, or if you just don't want to acknowledge it but..." Nico blinked up at me, his gaze setting deeper. "I like you, Cloe."

There was a loud bang inside my chest. My eyes widened. I opened my mouth to speak, but I was struggling to find words. In the end, I didn't say a thing, especially when Nico continued to speak.

"When we were in high school, I also liked you that time but I had no courage to confess my feelings. All I could do was to stay by your side," he confessed. "But then, Jirro came and you two became a thing. I decided to yield, forget my feelings, and move on because I can see that you're happy with him."

I shifted uncomfortably while listening and taking in his words. I was slowly getting eaten up by guilt as I recalled how happy I was whenever I shared things to him about Jirro before he graduated. Little did I know that I was capable of hurting him that time.

"I did get over you. I fell in love again and got a girlfriend. We broke up a month before college graduation. And then, when I thought of wanting to find a partner and settle down, I suddenly met you again..." he shared his story. "I believed that I moved on. But it was so easy for my feelings for you to light up again. I came to like you once more. I was happy spending time with you for four months."

It was getting hard for me to breathe as my chest tightened up.

"I thought that maybe it was really you after all..." he said and chuckled. "But I made a fool out of me. I was wrong. Jirro is still the one who owns your heart, and I know that no matter what I do, I won't be able to steal it from him."

Tears began pooling inside my eyes. Seeing him in pain hurt me. Nico is very special to me. Hindi ko maiwasan ang hindi masaktan para sa kanya kahit na ako ang may dahilan kung bakit siya nasasaktan.

"But last night I made a deal with myself," he told me. "Sabi ko sa sarili ko na ngayon ay aaminin ko sa 'yo ang tunay kong nararamdaman. That even though you don't feel the same way; even though you love someone else, I would still confess."

Nico held my gaze, while he became blurry as tears clouded my vision.

"So, Cloe, I like you," he told me without inhibitions. "And although I know it will hurt, it's alright with me if you will turn me down. But please give me a clear rejection, so that I can move on like before."

Tuluyan nang bumagsak ang aking luha. I drew in a tight breath as I said, "I'm sorry, Nico..." I apologized for hurting him. "You're important and special to me, but... I want you to just be my friend."

In his eyes, I could clearly see that he was hurting. But then Nico smiled at me. Maybe he didn't want to make me feel guiltier than I already was.

Nico's confession weighed on my mind. He did all his best to assure me that he already expected it. He told me he was alright. But the thought of hurting someone special to me was excruciating. I still felt like a bad person, even though I knew it wasn't something I could control. And I would be hurting him more if I gave him a chance, when I knew that my feelings for Jirro would never falter.

"Cloétte?"

My line of thought was interrupted when I heard someone pronounced my name the wrong way. I immediately looked back and stopped going out of the café. I was surprised to see Ivory approaching me and behind her was... Brad!

"Oh my! Ikaw nga!" She looked so thrilled to see me.

Hilaw naman akong ngumiti sa kanya. "Ivory..."

Ivory is still looking beautiful. Mas gumanda pa nga lalo na dahil nagmature ang kanyang itsura at katawan. Mas umikli rin ang kanyang buhok kaysa sa usual hairstyle niya noong high school na 'di ko aakalaing mas bagay sa kanya.

"Ang tagal nating 'di nagkita! Hindi man lang sinabi ni Jirro na nakabalik ka na," sabi niya.

I wasn't sure why she was so happy. As far as I could remember, we weren't close during high school. Medyo nagalit pa nga siya sa akin lalo na noong naging kami na ni Jirro.

"Nasabi ba sa 'yo ni Jirro, love?" She, then, looked up to Brad.

My lips parted when I heard the endearment she used to address Brad.

"Hindi niya rin nasabi sa akin," sabi lang nito at saka ngumiti sa akin. "Nice meeting you again, Cloe."

Ngumiti ako pabalik kay Brad, medyo nagugulantang pa rin sa nalaman. I didn't expect that they would actually be a couple.

"Sa kanya na lang kaya natin ibigay ang invitation?"

Kahit hindi pa nakakasagot si Brad ay inilabas na ni Ivory ang invitation na nasa loob ng kanyang bag. Inabot niya iyon sa akin. Mas lalo akong nawindang nang nakitang kong wedding invitation iyon.

"Sa iyo ko na lang ibibigay, Cloe. Alam mo naman ang boyfriend mo, ang hirap hagilapin dahil busy. Iiwan ko na lang sana sa kanila pero since nakita kita, sa 'yo na lang," tuloy-tuloy niyang sabi.

"Boyfriend?" I tilted my head on one side as I tried to process what she just said.

Kita kong tinakpan ni Ivory ang kanyang bibig. Tumingin siya sa paligid bago lumapit sa akin.

"Sorry... Ang ingay ko ba? Nakalimutan kong sikat na nga pala ang si Jirro at hindi ko puwede basta sabihin 'yon," bulong niya at saka nahihiyang ngumiti. "Pero wala naman atang nakarinig..."

"W-wala naman akong boyfriend," sabi ko, nauutal at tila ba hindi nagsasabi ng totoo. "Hindi ko boyfriend si Jirro. Nagbreak―"

"Cloe, 'di mo na kailangan itago sa akin 'yan. Nasabi na sa akin ni Jirro. Alam kong kayo pa rin at kunwaring hindi lang kayo dahil alam mo na..." She shrugged her shoulders. "Baka magalit mga fans niya."

"Pero―"

"Ah, basta! Ikaw na bahala magbigay sa kanya ah!" maligalig na sabi ni Ivory sa akin. "Balik na kami roon sa table. Kameeting kasi namin iyong interior designer ng condo namin. Nice meeting you ulit! See you sa wedding ko!"

Hinila na paalis ni Ivory si Brad na ngiti na lamang ang ginawang paalam sa akin. Bumalik na sila sa lamesa kung nasaan ang kausap, habang bumagsak naman ang aking mga mata sa imbitasyon na hawak.