Pursue Her Heart

CHAPTER 25

NASAPO ni Mia ang ulo nang magising siya kinabukasan. Sobrang sakit ng ulo niya. This is the consequence of getting drunk last night.

Mia groaned in annoyance because of her headache.

Bababa na sana siya ng kama nang maamoy niyang iba ang kwarto. Nagmulat siya ng mata at nakita niyang wala siya sa kwarto niya. She immediately panicked when she saw an unfamiliar room. Fear rose in her heart as she looked around the room in panic.

“Whose room is this?” she asked while searching for a clue to who owns the room.

Mabilis na tinignan ni Mia ang sarili at nakahinga siya ng maluwang nang makitang nakadamit siya. Wala rin siyang maramdamang kakaiba sa katawan niya. Nakahinga siya ng maluwang. Pero nagtaka siya kung kaninong kwarto ang kinaroroonan niya. She assumed that it was a man’s room because the room looked like a typical room for a man.

Ang tanging maalala niya lang kasi ay kasama niya si Audrey kagabi.

Biglang napatingin si Mia sa may pinto nang bumukas ito.

Literal na napahinga ng maluwang si Mia nang makita niya si Austin.

“Gising ka na pala.” Wika ni Austin. “Masakit ang ulo mo?” tanong niya.

Tumango si Mia. “How did I get here?”

“Audrey asked me to take care of you.”

Dahan-dahang napayakap si Mia sa sarili habang nakatingin kay Austin.

“Don’t worry, I won’t take advantage of you. If I want to do it, I will ask for your consent.” Sabi ni Austin habang nakangiti ng mapang-asar.

Nag-iwas lang naman ng tingin ni Mia. Kapagkuwan natigilan siya nang marealized niyang hindi siya umuwi. She suddenly felt panic and looked for her phone.

“Anong hinahanap mo?” tanong ni Austin.

“My phone.” Sagot ni Mia. “Hindi ako nakauwi kagabi. Papagalitan ako ni Nanay.” Aniya habang tinitignan ang ilalim ng mga unan at ang bedside table pati na ang nightstand pero hindi niya nakita ang hinahanap niya.

“I charged your phone.”

Mia looked at Austin.

“Don’t worry, I called your mother last night.”

Mia’s eyes widened. “You what?!” Tumaas ang boses niya.

“Sinabi kong lasing ka at nandito ka sa apartment ko.”

Nasapo ni Mia ang noo. Siguradong mahabang paliwanag ang mangyayari kapag nakauwi siya sa bahay nila. “A-anong sinabi ni mama?” tanong niya kay Austin.

“Wala naman. Ang sabi ni Tita alagaan kita.”

Kumunot ang noo ni Mia. “Iyon lang?”

Tumango si Austin. “Iyon lang naman ang sinabi ni Tita.”

Ngumiti ng peke si Mia. “I’m screwed. Siguradong pagsasabihan niya ako pag-uwi ko. You should have taken me home.”

“I didn’t do anything to you,” said Austin. “Don’t be scared.”

Napabuga ng hangin si Mia. “Kahit na. Staying in a man’s house is not good for an unmarried woman.”

“We will get married soon. Isa pa mag-fiancée naman tayo. Wala naman akong nakikitang mali doon.”

Napatitig na lamang si Mia kay Austin. Kapagkuwan napabuntong hininga siya. Tumango na lamang siya sa mga sinabi ni Austin. Wala na siyang masabi dahil tama naman ang sinabi ni Austin.

“May binili akong damit para sa ‘yo.” Inilapag ni Austin ang paper bag sa may kama. “Take a bath and come to the kitchen later. I've cooked porridge for you.”

Tumango si Mia. “Salamat.”

“I put a new towel in the bathroom. Take your time.”

Mia nodded again.

Ngumiti lang si Austin saka lumabas ng kwarto at isinara ang pinto.

Sapo-sapo ni Mia ang ulo nang bumaba siya sa kama ni Austin saka siya nagtungo sa banyo upang maligo. As her body touched the cold water, she instantly felt relaxed. Habang nasa ilalim siya ng shower, kusang gumuhit ang ngiti sa kaniyang labi. Now, she confirmed it. Austin could be a trustworthy man too. It proves that he is a trustworthy man because he didn’t take advantage of her weakness. She was drunk, and Austin could use it as a reason to take advantage of her, but he didn’t.

Pagkatapos maligo ni Mia, isinuot niya ang damit na binili ni Austin para sa kaniya. She looked at herself in the mirror. Austin bought a light brown dress for her. The length was just on the knee, and it suited her taste. Not too revealing and not too conservative.

Lumabas si Mia ng kwarto. Hindi naman siya naligaw sa loob ng apartment ni Austin dahil paglabas niya ng kwarto, nakita niya si Austin sa may kusina na naghahanda ng agahan nila.

“Sit here.” Tinapik ni Austin ang upuan.

Mia walked towards Austin and sat in the seat. Napatigin siya sa mga pagkaing nakahanda sa lamesa. “Take out?”

“Yeah. Sorry about that. Hindi talaga ako marunong magluto. Except for porridge.” Inilapag ni Austin ang mangkok na may lamang porridge sa harapan ni Mia. “But I can learn if you want me to learn it.”

Natigilan si Mia saka napatingin kay Austin. “Bakit?”

Napakamot ng batok si Austin. “Sabi kasi ni Daddy. If you want a woman you like to like you, you should pursue her and do what she wants.”

Mia stared at Austin. Anong pinagsasabi nito?

“I mean, we will get married in the future. What if you can’t cook in the future because you’re tired of work, so I will learn for you.” Sabi ni Austin habang hindi makatingin ng deretso kay Mia. This was the first time he would use words like this.

“You like me?” Mia asked.

Austin nodded. Hindi na siya makatingin kay Mia at ramdam niyang nag-iinit ang tainga niya. “I…”

“Why do you like me?” tanong ni Mia. Nagulat siya sa nalaman. There’s nothing likable about her. She’s just a plain woman who doesn’t mind her world sometimes.

“Do I need a reason to like you?” Austin asked.

Hindi naman nakasagot si Mia.

“From the day of our blind date, I have already decided to pursue you until you like me too. Now that we are engaged, I would like you to know I liked you, so you won’t overthink or assume something that you should assume,” sabi ni Austin. Hinawakan niya ang kamay ni Mia. “Camille, I like you. This was my first time liking a woman, so I hadn’t confessed before. Kailangan mong timbangin ang nararamdaman ko kung gusto ba talaga kita o hindi.”

“And?”

“And I found out that I really like you.”

Gumuhit ang ngiti sa labi ni Mia. Kapagkuwan natawa siya. Austin was her crush. At si Austin rin ang dahilan kung bakit mabilis siyang naka-move on noon mula sa first heart break niya. Maybe she was too young and dreamed of Austin becoming her husband, even though she was afraid of marriage. But as time went by, Austin became her inspiration to become the woman she wanted to be.

Sinong mag-aakala na darating sila sa puntong ‘to ng buhay nila?

She wouldn’t have thought that Austin would confess one day that he liked her. Austin even became her fiancée. There was a fear in her heart, but she decided to face it bravely and overcome it. Only when she faces it will she become what she wants to be. Or maybe she will find the happiness she wanted to have in her life.

“So, Camille, let me pursue you until you like me too.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement of Austin’s sincerity.

“We were already engaged. I have already agreed to marry you. Why do you still want to pursue me?” Mia asked.

Ngumiti si Austin. “Because I wanted to. I want to pursue you.”

Ngumiti si Mia saka tumingin sa mga pagkain sa lamesa. “Let’s eat.” Aniya.

“Camille, will you let me?” tanong ni Austin.

Mia sighed in bliss while smiling. She looked at Austin. “Then make me like you.” Aniya.

Gumuhit ang masayang ngiti sa labi ni Austin. “Don’t worry, you will like me.”

Yeah, I indeed like you. Mia said in her mind.

Kumain siya ng agahan at pagkatapos nilang kumain. Pinainom ni Austin ng gamot si Mia para mawala ang sakit ng kaniyang ulo.

“Let me wash the dishes.”

“Ako na.” Sabi ni Austin.

“Marunong ka?” nakangiting tanong ni Mia. After all, mayaman si Austin. Siguradong maraming katulong ang mga ito.

“I don’t know how to cook, but I know how to wash dishes. Mom would punish me with it if I did something wrong. Magpahinga ka na lang.”

Tumango si Mia at hindi nakipagpilitan kay Austin. Ramdam niya pa rin kasi ang hilo niya dahil sa hang-over. Pumunta na lang siya sa living at naupo sa may sofa. Hindi namalayan ni Mia na nakatulog siya.

When Austin finished washing the dishes, he went to the living room. He was stunned after seeing Mia sleeping on the sofa. Namalayan niya na lamang na naglalakad siya patungo sa dalaga. Sandaling napatitig siya rito.

Later, he slowly lay Mia down on the sofa and made his lap her pillow. And then he massaged Mia’s head.

Napailing na lamang si Austin sa sarili. Everything he was doing right now was the first time. He brought a girl into his apartment, preparing breakfast and massaging someone’s head so she would feel comfortable.

Pursuing a girl was also his first time. Maraming mga babae ang nagkakagusto sa kaniya at wala siyang pinansin sa mga ‘yon dahil alam niya kung ano ang gusto ng mga ito sa kaniya. Ito ang unang beses na nakaramdam siya ng ganitong pagkagusto. And he was willing to do anything just to make the girl he liked to like her too.

I really like her so much.

Austin felt that this wasn’t just a simple like. It’s more than that.