C6 Chapter 6

Sweat dripped down my forehead as I sat on the bleachers. I took my towel from the bag I was carrying and wiped away the sweat.

"Nat, we'll leave you here first. We're just going to the library," Kylie said goodbye to me with Jen.

"Okay. I'll see you later in the room?" I asked.

"Yes, we're leaving," Jen said goodbye and picked up their bag.

I'm at the gym now. We just finished practicing volleyball.

I can't really lose my excitement every time Sebe kisses me. And every time I imagine that I feel butterflies in my stomach.

I bent both hands behind and looked up.

This feeling is so strange.

I didn't feel this way before. It's not me. Just a month after I met Sebe, I kissed him. I did not even object.

I firmly closed my eyes.

But I lost my mind when two women passed in front of me and sat not far away.

"Come on, Zands, I told you already that Damon is a playboy! Why are you even crying over him?" said a woman.

My forehead furrowed when I heard Damon's name. Well, as usual, I'm not surprised that so many girls are obsessed with them.

"What!? I just wanted to give him the cookies that I baked! Was there anything wrong with that?"

I looked at the woman who spoke.

She's pretty. The two of them were in PE uniforms. I immediately knew that they were just freshmen.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, I hurried to the cafeteria. I bought two sandwiches and juice in a can.

"Nat? Why are you still here?" Kylie suddenly asked me. I was surprised when she suddenly appeared next to me.

Fuck! I thought she was already home. I hid what I bought behind my back—the wrong move. The more Kylie noticed my actions, the more she would suspect. So I just took it out and sighed. Her eyes narrowed looking at me.

"Why two?" She grinned. "For Sebe?" She teased. I bit my lip and nodded.

"I'll just thank him," I said. That's the truth and Kaylie knew it.

She nodded. "Okay. Will you give that to him now?"

"Yes. Now."

"Maybe he's in the office."

We said goodbye to each other because she was in a hurry. I just noticed that these past few days, Kylie seemed a bit different. There is something about her I couldn't explain. I feel like she's hiding something.

I was in the hallway towards Sebe's office.

Only now that I have found out that Sebe was a student at his fucking own university. He's running this whole thing at the age of 23! I can't seem to find an answer to how and why? Doesn't he have parents or something? Geez, genius stuff.

'So, how am I gonna do this?' I uttered to myself because I couldn't think of a proper way to say thank you. Why am I putting too much effort anyway? These past few days, he is always on my mind. I'm always nervous every time I'm at school. And my eyes are always looking for him.

This wasn't me, was it? I've never done these things before.

I'll just give this and leave immediately. I'm just going to thank him, that should be it!

I blew air and went straight to his office. I feel like backing out. I could hardly breathe and I was so nervous! I guess I was just torturing myself. But here it is. I almost jumped when his office door opened and a woman came out from inside his room.

"Shit!" I gasped! I was stuck in my position.

"Thank you. I'm full," The girl said in a sweet tone.

My heart pounded with pain.

I have nothing else to go through.

It's really straightforward.

Tears welled up in my eyes when I saw Sebe come out as well. He's wearing a royal blue t-shirt and pants. He fucking kissed me! And now I saw him with another woman?

Damn Natalia! You're smart! Why are you acting so stupid now? Of course, Sebe is a playboy! What are you expecting?

"Okay," Sebe said softly to the woman. The woman is still wearing office clothes. She looks mature and sophisticated. In comparison, I was just a student.

Maybe Sebe prefers a woman like her? And why is it such a big deal to me? I think I have the wrong timing.

I tried to look at them again. I was almost scornful when Sebe looked in my direction. I immediately turned around and walked quickly.

I'm so stupid!

"Fuck!" I collided with a hard chest–again.

"You're not looking your way again," A baritone voice came from who's collided with me. It's Damon. He looked at me without any expression.

"Why are you crying?" I was shocked by what he said. I immediately wiped my cheek.

"Nothing."

He smirked. "You're not good at lying."

How does he know? I distanced myself from him when I felt his hand on my elbow. He looked at what I was carrying.

"Did you eat already?" He suddenly asked. If Sebe has earrings, Damon has a shaved eyebrow on the other hand. His hair was turned mohawk and shaved on its side. It looked more like a bad boy now, add the small earring on his nose and the tribal tattoo on the side of his neck.

"Not yet," I replied.

"Follow me," he said to me.

I was surprised. "Huh? Why?"

"Let’s eat," He mocked.

I saw Sebe in his face. Almost identical. It's just different in style.

"No thanks but-" He cut me off. "I don't bite," He chuckled.

Really? But playboys do bite, right? Kidding. I don’t know what got into me, but I agreed with his offer; maybe my hungry stomach.

***

"You don't even have to be-" Damon cut me off immediately.

"Just eat," he pointed to his ordered food at the restaurant. I thought we would just eat inside the school premises, but I was surprised when he prepared his car earlier.

"Okay," I said softly and started to eat.

He drank his water before speaking. "I've seen that you've been out with Sebe often. Is there something –like, between you?" He wasn't looking when he asked me that. His gaze was focused on the food.

I raised my brows because of what he said. "Nothing. Just friends." He nodded and looked at me suspiciously. I really can see Sebe in his face.

"Are you the owner of HMU?" What a lame question, Natalia.

"Sebastian owns it. You do not know?"

"I do. It was just hard to believe. Why him? How?"

"Dad gave that to Sebe." Damon chuckled. He even cursed and looked at me, smiling. I looked at him. This was the first time that I'd seen him smile. "We're brothers. Half-brothers." He continued. He seemed to have no interest in what he said.

After that, Damon took me to SouthVille Village. I would admit that he's a good companion, effortless to talk to, and he's always making sense.

"Thanks for the ride," I said as he dropped me off in front of our house. He didn't say a word, his eyes looking straight outside the car.

My forehead furrowed. "Damon?" I call him.

"My damn brother is here," He chuckled a bit. My heart pounded. Fuck!?

I looked at where he was staring and there was a familiar car right in front of our gate. Damon was about to come out of his car, but I stopped him. "Wait!" I said and thanked god he stopped. "Please, don't come down," I continued.

I got off and waited for his car to leave. What is Sebe doing here? I just won't pay attention. I was about to open the gate when I heard the car door slam shut.

Fuck... Did he come out?

I heard footsteps approaching behind me. He really did come out.

"Natalia," he said softly behind me.

The light on the pole on the side of the road was the only light and the silence of the whole village enveloped us. All I could hear was my own heartbeat? I was stuck in my position when he called my name. I sighed and faced him. His dark and mysterious pair of eyes looked at me coldly. I don't know what's on his mind. But I knew he was serious.

"Can we talk?"

I was skeptical. "It's late."

He put his hand in the pocket of his jeans. I look up to him.

"Why are you with Damon?" My forehead furrowed at the kind of question he asked.

"Because we ate earlier-" He cut me off as if he didn't want me to finish. "Right," he mocked as he nodded and licked his lower lip.

"I don't understand you," I said softly and narrowed my eyes. "You-you kissed me and earlier I saw you with a woman. Then now you're here in front of our house asking why I'm with Damon as if you were jealous or something? What-"

"Let's talk somewhere else. Please."

I nodded slowly. I want to hear whatever he has to say –even though it might make no sense. Sebe took me to a cliff overlooking the whole view of Manila. Each tree in a row has lights. There were benches under it glued together. The cold wind blew, so I hugged myself.

Sebe pressed something on his car so the car cover opened. I could see the stars and the moon. I was amazed at the perfect star twinkling in the sky. I feel like it's like Sebe, lovely to look at even from a distance, but no matter how beautiful it is, I will never reach it.

"You like it in here?" He took a beer in a can.

"It's nice here," I looked up at the sky when I said that. Sebe was staring straight at me when I shifted my gaze at him.

"Yeah," he said, looking at me. I blinked suddenly.

I adjusted my seat and hugged myself. I'm still wearing my uniform.

Sebe sighed heavily. "You saw us?" He suddenly asked.

"It's okay. I don't have the right to be-" I startled.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked again. Damn it! I looked up at the sky and closed my eyes. Yes, I was in pain. But my lips felt pity when I felt Sebe hug me from the side.

He cupped my face.

"I'm damn fuck up," He cussed. "There are things you don't need to know right now. You won't understand."

Am I in love?

He lightly kissed my left cheek where he was leaning.

"Please, tell me. Are you mad?" I immediately shook my head.

"N-no."

"You're still young. You won't understand."

"I'm not a child anymore."

"You're just nineteen," so I took his hand away and looked at him.

"Age is just a number. The basis is in mind. And I know what's right and wrong."

"You think so? Is this alright?" I sighed at his question. What did he mean? About us? About this?

"What do you mean?" I asked. He cupped my face again. "You're smart, Natalia." he sighed. "Please, don't doubt your feelings. I will fix everything in no time."

So that's it. My day became natural again, just school and home. I'm happy. Yes, I'm happy. Sometimes he was with someone and yes, it hurts, but that's just how it was. Like what he said before when we were on the cliff, I should just go with the flow. I'll enjoy my life. I just seem to trust how I feel. Maybe I don't know much yet. Is nineteen still young?

I think he's avoiding me. I know I don't think of him as a friend. He's more than that.

"You're so stupid, Nat!" Kylie commented to me.

I folded my book and picked up the reading glass I was wearing.

"I'm so stressed," I rubbed my forehead. She laid the sandwich and juice on the table in front of me. She smiled. Kylie is sweet and feisty. "I bought that."

I studied just to subside my attention. I was just forcing myself to have fun. I don't know, but I miss Sebe's presence. I can't do anything to alleviate this. I don't know why. What he said when we were on the cliff still runs on my mind. His words made a mystery in me. He said he had to fix something to choose what he really feels and what he wants.

What's that? Fix what?

"Fuck! Fuck!" Panting, Jen suddenly sat down in front of us. Kylie coughed because she was drinking her juice.

"Fuck fuckin your ass, Jen! Why are you shouting ?!" Kylie shouted and wiped her skirt.

Jen looked dismayed when she looked at me. I don't know, but I was nervous, yet I managed to act like nothing.

"You like Sebe, right?" I was surprised by Jen's question.

"Why are you asking-"

She cut me off. "Damn! Tell me! I know. I just want to hear it from you-"

"Go straight to the fucking point, Jen!" Kylie snapped at her.

Jen put her cellphone on the table.

"See it for yourself," she said to me.

My heart pounded at what I could read on her cellphone. My hand was shaking when I took it and I could hardly breathe.

My eyes narrowed as I read it carefully. It is a website where the lives of the high ones are legitly updated, Elites family where Montemayor Empire belongs.

My chest throbbed at what I read—the Merging of HMC Company of Montemayor and Lee Empire Group. The two most powerful names in the Industries are now one.

Sebastian Montemayor and Elizabeth Lee confirmed engagement two days ago!

Is this what he said he's going to fix?

My chest is too tight. I want to cry but not in front of them.

I immediately stood up.

"I-I will just go to the bathroom," I stuttered as the pain struck me. My books are about to fall apart.

Jen looked at me worriedly. "Nat, are you okay?"

I nodded. "I'm leaving," but they saw my tears flow before I could leave. Shit!

"Nat," Kylie called again, but I did not look back. I don't want them to see me like this. I don't want them to see how I really feel. I'm hurt because I love him. I cry because I love him. Shit!

He's engaged. My pace slowed. I feel like I'm going to fall.