#NewClassicNRO

Chapter 39
Annnounce

My father was giving me a shot of his I-told-you-so glare when his doctor praised him for having a fast and steady recovery. I just exhaled a deep sigh and tried to ignore him. He just really wouldn't stop.

When I came back just two days after I went to Manila and unexpectedly filed my resignation, my parents didn't give me a warm welcome. Gusto nila akong ipatapon pabalik sa Maynila kahit na ilang beses kong ipinaliwanag sa kanila na napag-usapan namin ni Jirro ang aking desisyon at nagkaroon kami ng kasunduan. It seemed like they worried more about him instead of me.

However, I understood where they were coming from. They thought that it was something I abruptly decided on. Ang akala nila ay hindi ko 'to napag-isipan nang mabuti. They couldn't see that it was also hard for me to let go of what I had back in Manila. But if it was I should do in order to keep holding on to the person I want to keep by my side without creating any mess, I would not hesitate to do it.

The team that I spent my entire working period at Top Star Records was regretful to say goodbye. It was a bit cruel of me to inform them about my resignation during the dinner Flora hosted for us, but that was the only chance I got. Kaya naman pinilit ko si Flora na maghati kami sa bayad ng ginastos para sa team dinner.

"Sure ka bang hindi ka sasabay sa amin? Ihatid ka na namin!" Jett kept offering to drive me home with Flora, Gladys, and Manuel but I already promised myself to someone else.

Nakangiti akong umiling. "Huwag na. May susundo naman sa akin."

They all exchanged meaningful looks. Hindi ko na lang masyadong pinansin 'yon lalo na nang yumakap sa akin si Flora.

"Mamimiss kita, Cloe. Sayang at nagresign ka kaagad," malungkot niyang sabi bago lumayo at tiningnan ako nang maayos. "Kapag nakabalik ka ng Manila, don't hesitate to send me a message. Magkita tayo!"

I nodded and smiled. We really grew close to each other. Nakapalagayan ko rin ng loob ang ibang kateam namin kaya nalulungkot din ako na mawalay sa kanila pagkatapos ng ilang buwan na pagsasama sa trabaho.

"Mag-ingat kayo!" Masigla akong kumaway sa kanila nang umatras na ang sasakyan na minamaneho ni Jett. The car honked once at me before taking a turn on the road.

Unti-unting naglaho ang ngiti sa aking labi nang maglaho na sila sa aking paningin. Napabuntonghininga ako at ibinaba ang tingin sa lupa. Ngunit hindi rin nagtagal ay mayroong humintong sasakyan sa aking harapan. Just by seeing the wheels of the high end car, I knew exactly who it was.

The smile that faded became vivid once again. I didn't waste time and immediately went inside the car. Jirro's bright smile welcomed me, even though I could see in his eyes how tired he was from their hectic schedule. Sinabi ko sa kanyang hintayin niya na lang ako sa kanyang unit ngunit nagpumilit siyang sunduin ako sa restaurant kung saan kami kumain. He said he wanted to spend the remainder of my time in Manila before I went back to Talavera.

"Did you have fun with your officemates?" Jirro's voice was soft as he held my hand and placed it on his lap.

Nakangiti akong tumango sa kanya. "Ikaw? Kumusta ang work ninyo ngayon?"

"The same as usual..." he casually answered and started driving.

Itinagilid ko bahagya ang aking ulo upang mas matitigan siya nang maayos. "Nakakapagod ba?"

He pursed his lips. "It's tiring. I don't really like doing endorsements," he said honestly. "I just want to keep making music and performing. That's what we really want. Pero naiintindihan din namin kung bakit kailangan naming tanggapin ang ibang projects at endorsements na 'yon. It's also for the band."

Nakikita ko 'yon kay Jirro. Noong nagtour sila, kahit na pagod ay hindi iyon masyadong halata. Rather, they were glowing because of their passion for music. They love touring and performing for their fans. Siguro nga ay iba talaga kapag hindi mo gusto ang ginagawa mo. Mas nararamdaman mo ang pagod at mas nakikita iyon ng ibang tao.

I couldn't help but pity him. He must be feeling drained from trying to finish all the projects and endorsements left from the brands they signed with, especially because they weren't performing and preparing a single or an album in between those schedules.

Pagkauwi namin ni Jirro sa kanyang unit ay gumapang ako sa kama upang tumabi sa kanya. I asked him to shower ahead of me. Kaya naman habang hinihintay ako na matapos sa paglilinis ng katawan ay nakaidlip na siya.

I slipped inside the comforter and wrapped my arm on Jirro. His warmth immediately spread on me once our bodies touched, even with our clothes on.

"Hmm..." Still half-asleep, Jirro let out a soft moan as he turned his body to my side. Just like what I did, he also locked me in his embrace and cuddled me in a more comfortable position. "Good night..." he whispered huskily.

"Good night..." I replied and buried my face on his chest, taking advantage of the opportunity to inhale his scent that I would surely miss.

Hindi na siya nagsalita pang muli. Ngunit gumalaw si Jirro upang halikan ang aking noo bago umayos sa posisyon namin kanina na mas kumportable.

We slept peacefully that night in each other's arms. Maaga ring nagising at umalis si Jirro para sa kanilang schedule, but he prepared a van for me to ride back to Talavera since he couldn't take me there himself. At pagkadating ko sa aming bahay ay agad bumungad sa akin ang pagalit ng aking mga magulang.

Sa loob ng halos dalawang linggo ay araw-araw nila akong pinaparinggan na bumalik sa Maynila. Inaamin kong medyo nasaktan ako sa kanilang pagtataboy sa akin, ngunit alam kong ako lang din naman ang inaalala nila. They didn't want me to sacrifice again for their sake.

"Oh, 'di ba?! Sabi ko naman sa 'yo at ayos na ako kaya hindi ka na dapat umuwi pa rito..."

Hindi ko alam kung ilang beses na akong napagsabihan ni daddy simula nang lumabas kami ng clinic ng kanyang doktor dito sa Premiere. I just couldn't tell them the real reason why I went home. Natatakot ako na baka sabihin 'yon ni daddy kay Jirro lalo na't minsan kong nahuli na magkatext silang dalawa.

Jirro didn't have to text or call me to ask about my day because my father kept him updated all the time. Kaya naman kung hindi tungkol sa kanyang trabaho ay kung ano-ano na lang ang pinag-uusapan namin kapag tumatawag siya tuwing gabi.

"Mabuti na lang at nandyan na si Jirro."

Sa sinabing 'yon ni daddy ay hindi ko na nagawang magbingi-bingihan. I turned to my father and followed his line of vision. Sa driveway ng Premiere ay kita ko ang sasakyan ni Jirro na naghihintay.

I thought I was just hallucinating, but when I saw my father approached the car and Jirro went out wearing only a ballcap to disguise himself, it finally dawned to me that it wasn't just an illusion. He's really here!

"Hay, Jirro! Sa wakas at nandito ka na!" My father was obviously overreacting. "Iuwi mo na nga itong si Cloe sa Manila at ayaw makinig sa amin ng mommy niya."

Sulking a bit, I pursed my lips while watching the two men I love the most conspired against me.

Bahagya siyang natawa habang nagmamano kay daddy, ngunit nang nilingon ako ay nawala ang ngiti sa kanyang mga labi. Napatayo ako nang maayos. Agad akong napaisip kung mayroon ba akong ginawang kasalanan. I should be the one making that face because he didn't tell me he was coming. Hindi rin siya tumawag sa akin kagabi.

"Tito, puwede ko po bang mahiram ngayon si Cloe? May pag-uusapan lang po kami," maingat na pagpapaalam ni Jirro kay daddy. "Pero ihahatid po namin kayo sa Talavera."

"Hindi na kailangan, hijo," walang pag-aalinlangang sabi ni daddy. "Dadaanan ko ang Tita Kathy mo sa mall. Magkikita kami roon kaya huwag na."

Napakunot ang noo ko. Wala man lang akong kaalam-alam na mayroong usapan ang mga magulang ko. I volunteered to come with him to the hospital for his regular check-up because I had nothing to do at home and I really wanted to know his current condition. Naisip ko tuloy na mukhang napagplanuhan talaga ito ng aking mga magulang. Ni hindi ko rin alam na pumunta sa mall si mommy.

"Malapit lang po doon ang pupuntahan namin ni Cloe kaya mas mabuting ihatid ko na po kayo. Para hindi na rin po kayo mahirapang magcommute," paliwanag ni Jirro.

"Hmm..." Medyo napaisip pa si daddy bago tumango. "Oh, sige at hindi na ako tatanggi."

Instead of sitting in front beside Jirro, my father sat on the backseat. Napaangat ako ng tingin kay Jirro nang kami na lang ang nasa labas ng saskayan. His eyes were cold as he opened the door of the passenger seat for me before entering the car.

I was bewildered because of his indifferent attitude. I wanted to ask him why he seemed mad at me, but I didn't want to do it in the presence of my father. Baka isipin pa niya na magkagalit kami ni Jirro at hindi talaga nagkasundo sa pag-uwi ko rito. I didn't want to go through another round of scoldings. Pinili kong kimkimin na muna ang tanong sa aking sarili.

"Dito na lang ako. Salamat sa paghatid, ha?" Daddy's eyes lit up when he thanked Jirro.

"Sige po, tito. Ingat po kayo ni tita pag-uwi mamaya," magalang na sabi ni Jirro.

Muling natawa si daddy kahit wala namang nakakatawa. Tinapik niya ang balikat ni Jirro bago lumabas ng sasakyan. My own father just gave me a glance and didn't bother speaking with me.

Nilingon kong muli si Jirro nang umarangkada ang sasakyan paalis. He was showing no emotion while his eyes were darted on the road.

"Galit ka ba sa akin?" naglakas-loob na akong magtanong sa kanya dahil wala na si daddy.

Jirro didn't give me a reply. He just clenched his jaw as his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Napakagat na lang ako sa aking ibabang labi. I lost the courage to approach him again. Natakot akong kapag nagsalita ulit ako ay baka mas lalo siyang magalit sa akin. I didn't want that so I chose to remain silent until we arrived at Harvest Hotel.

Mukhang nakapagcheck-in na si Jirro dahil dire-diretso ang lakad namin papunta sa suite. I wanted to ask him why he bothered booking a hotel room when he could just stay at our house but I kept my lips sealed. Tahimik lamang akong nakasunod sa kanya sa loob ng suite.

The cozy and modern-style suite was painted in white with wood accents. There was a separated living area and pantry from the open bedroom with a king size bed. Natural light was coming in from the window but when Jirro closed the curtains, the warm white light lit up the whole suite, making it look cozier.

Pinanood ko siyang hubarin ang ballcap dahil kaming dalawa na lamang ang nasa loob ng suite at hindi niya na kailangan pang itago ang sarili. I remained standing near the doorway while he sat on the sofa.

Jirro was moving casually and comfortable, while I felt like walking on broken glass. I was anxious that I might offend him more since I didn't know the reason why he was acting indifferent.

Matapos ang ilang sandali ng katahimikan ay nag-angat ng tingin sa akin si Jirro. His eyes pierced through me, but I saw a flicker of warmth inside. Para bang pinipilit niya ang sariling magalit sa akin. O kaya naman ay puwede ring galit talaga siya sa akin ngunit hindi niya kayang panindigan 'yon. But even though I knew his anger wasn't solid, tears just streamed down on my face.

My tears completely broke down Jirro's façade. His lips parted. He immediately stood up and approached me. I looked into his gentle and warm eyes even when my vision was already getting blurry.

I didn't know exactly why I was crying. Maybe it was because of the pressure that my parents had been giving me since I came back. Getting frustrated of not knowing the reason why Jirro's mad at me could also be the cause. But I shouldn't ignore the possibility that I just really missed him and I was just super happy to see him that I shed tears.

Marahan akong hinila ni Jirro papunta sa sofa. Pinaupo niya ako sa kanyang tabi habang ang aking ulo ay iginaya niya sa kanyang balikat. Sa inis sa kanya ay mahina kong sinuntok ang kanyang dibdib. Sinubukan ko ring kumawala sa kanyang pagkakahawak sa akin ngunit agad niya rin akong naibabalik. At dahil ayaw ko naman talagang malayo sa kanya, nanatili na lang din ako sa kanyang tabi.

"I should be the one who's mad, but why am I the one coaxing you now?" he whispered softly. "You really know how to get me down on my knees, huh?"

Iritado akong nag-angat ng tingin sa kanya. "E, bakit ka ba kasi bigla-bigla na lang nagagalit sa akin?"

Agad niya ring ibinaba ang kanyang mga mata upang tumingin pabalik. "It's because you lied to me," he said and pinched my nose gently, like he wasn't really angry about me lying. "It's because I told you to let me do my part. I asked you to stop sacrificing for my sake."

Tuluyan akong lumayo kay Jirro upang matingnan siya nang diretso. Hinayaan niya na ako upang siguro ay makapag-usap kami nang maayos.

Putting his arm on top of the sofa's backrest and resting his head against his fist, he exhaled deeply and stared languidly at me. "You think I wouldn't know the true reason why you suddenly resigned and went back to Talavera?" he asked, raising his brows. "Mr. Joel told me that he spoke to you about the pictures he showed me last time. Ang sabi niya ay iyon daw ang naisip mong paraan para malayo sa ating dalawa ang atensyon ng media."

"Ginawa ko 'yon dahil naisip kong wala kang pakialam kung magkaisyu ka man!"

"Well, you're right..." he smirked playfully. "I don't really care about it, babe."

Napaawang ang aking mga labi dahil talagang hindi niya itinanggi. "See!" I tried to make a point. "Iyan ang dahilan kung bakit naisip kong lumayo na muna."

"And I will still stand to what I said, Cloe..." he lazily drawled. "I told you I don't care. I'm sorry if I'd be wasting your effort, but I can really go out there with you in public without any disguise. If only I'm not concerned and worried about your safety, I could certainly do it because I really don't care being seen with you. They can take thousand pictures of us together, and you'll just find me saving them on my gallery without worries."

"Jirro..." I frustratingly said his name, not happy that he still had the guts to joke about it.

He just chuckled while I was suffering from frustration. "But I'm lucky that I don't have to be the one to waste your effort. I can't afford to spoil your sacrifices for me," he said and turned front, averting his gaze away from me.

Mas lalong napakunot ang aking noo. It was like he was giving me a riddle to solve. I had a feeling that he was trying to get my interest, so he played with his words instead of being direct.

"Ano ang ibig mong sabihin?"

Jirro turned to me, his grin was up to his eyes. "Isaiah will be holding a live press conference tomorrow."

"And?"

"He's going to formally announce his relationship with Zendaya to everyone."

My lips parted as my jaw dropped. It didn't sink in right away.

Marahang hinawakan ni Jirro ang aking kamay. Napatingin doon ang aking mga mata bago muling nag-angat ng tingin sa kanya. He was wearing a tender smile, glowing with warm happiness.

"That's why you don't have to worry about it anymore, Cloe..." he reassured me and pressed my hand softly. "After Isaiah's press conference, I will also announce our relationship."

Dinala niya ang aking kamay patungo sa kanyang labi upang halikan. But it seemed like he wasn't contented with just kissing the back of my hand, so he leaned forward and gave me a heart fluttering kiss on my lips.

It wasn't just a peck. His kisses grew deeper when I kissed back. I felt his body moved closer to mine. My thighs were already on top of his. But before we took our intimate moment to the next level, he pulled himself away and pressed his forehead against mine.

"I can't wait to tell the whole world how much I love you," he said while catching his breath. "I love you, Cloe... Please stop leaving me, okay?"

Agad akong tumango sa kanya at ngumiti. Wala na ring dahilan para lumayo ako sa kanya kaya hinding-hindi na ulit ako tatakbo pa.

He seemed satisfied with my answer. I saw him smile before closing the distance between our lips and picked up where we left off.