twenty-three

The Numb by JeAnnPulido

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Anyways, enjoy the story guys!

It's time for the ships to sail!

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Chapter 23

Ian's POV

It's been a month already but I can't seem to find a chance to be with Alice.

Lagi niyang kasama 'yung tatlo niyang girl friends eh.

Tsk. I never knew liking a girl and never able to tell her how I feel would be this difficult. Every time na nagpa-party sila't sinusundan ng mga tingin ng mga lalaki, para akong masisiraan ng bait.

What am I supposed to do to make her notice me?

"Bro, how long will you be standing there?" tanong ni kuya pero hindi ko siya pinansin

"Get a grip, bro. Pumasok ka na. Hindi mo naman alam kung sino sa atin ang pipiliin eh" dagdag niya

"That's why I won't go in. Para ikaw nalang ang matira sa choice nung heiress" sagot ko pero hinila niya lang ako

"Bro, may nagandahan ako dun at sa tingin ko, you'll make a perfect match because you both are at the same age. If you only saw that girl's picture, she's an angel and I think you wouldn't even hesitate to take her hand in marriage!"

Nagpahila nalang ako. Angel my ass. Nabibilang nalang ang mga babaeng ganun ngayon sa mundo.

For example, si Alice. Haha

Why do I like Alice, you ask? Well, I don't know either. It's just that after our first meeting, I can't seem to help but think about her. What she's doing, who was she with and many many more. It's ridiculous really that after all this time of not being able to be interested in girls, she was the one who was able to capture my heart.

Napangiti nalang ako sa kakornihan ko't napailing na. Kailangan kong mag-focus sa mangyayari ngayon.

May marriage meeting nga pala kami ngayon. Ang pamilya ko kasi at ang kabilang pamilya ng ia-arrange marriage sa amin ay gustong mag-merge for the sake of beating the other companies.

And guess what? Tatlo sila doon, yung dalawa ay pamangkin at yung isa naman ay yung anak ng mga legal na may ari ng company. So obviously, 'yung original heiress ang ipapa-arrange marriage at base sa hierarchy ng family namin, dahil ako ang pinakamatandang lalaki. It's most likely na ako ang magiging partner nung heiress na 'yon.

"Hey, stop spacing out" napatingin naman ako kay Kean nang gisingin niya nanaman ako sa pagde-daydream

Kean's my little brother. 2 years ang agwat namin. 11th grade na siya habang ako naman 1st year college na. 18 na siya't 20 na ako.

"What?" tanong ko

"Kean, Ian, meet the heiress of Song Company, Alice together with her cousins Loura and Sophie" agad namang nanlaki ang mata ko saka napatingin dun sa mga nakaupo ng marinig ko 'yung sinabi ni mama

Wala 'yung eyeglasses niya at naka-peach dress siya ngayon at naka-curl pa ang buhok niya. Blue contact lenses at konti lang ang eyeliner niya. She's.. she's so beautiful. It's a different get-up than usual. She's all innocent and pure now, compared to her wild and carefree Public College's look. She really is a heiress.

Sh*t. She's even looking straight at me like she's charmed or something. I can't take away my eyes from her's. It's like my eyes are locked to her eyes. I've never seen her like this before!

Nagpigil na ako ng ngiti ko nang bigla siyang natauhan na kanina pa pala kami nagtititigan. Di ko na napigilan at agad nang natawa nang bigla siyang nag-blush at talagang umiwas pa ng tingin. It's really her. It's Alice! What luck! The gods have given me the best chance ever!

"Mukhang okay ang desisyon na 'to sa kanilang dalawa. Mga kabataan talaga mare, ano? Edi sila na ang babata't ang gaganda ng mga lahi" napatingin naman ako dun sa nagsalita, it's mom

Ngayon na nga lang siya uuwi, ginulo niya pa ako sa condominium namin. She was so scandalous to the point na nagdala siya ng napakadaming guards dahilan kung bakit pinaguusapan ako ng mga kapitbahay ko. Tss

Pero whatever she's done. I forgive her because she was friends with the Song family. Sinilip ko ulit si Alice, tahimik lang siya habang kumukulikot sa phone niya. If only she would act and be more feminine like this in school.

Paniguradong magugustuhan siya lalo ng mga taga-dati niyang ka-schoolmate at panigurado ring may mahuhulog ang loob sakanya sa mga taga Gaein Academy.

Napakunot ang noo ko sa naisip ko. Fck! Hell no! Dadami lang ang karibal ko pagnagkataon eh!

"So, are your gentlemen single? It'll be a problem if they have girlfriends" napatingin naman ako dun sa nagsalita, is she Alice's mom?

Wow. She's also very pretty. It's like she's an older version of Alice, like an older sister. Will Alice look this gorgeous when she grows up?

Wait- sh*t, I actually imagined seeing her growing up. A man in love really is crazy.

"Oh, how rude of me. Hello there, Ian and Kean. I'm Alice's mom, Lucinda. Just call me tita Luci"

"Yes, I am taken, Tita Luci" sagot ni Kean kaya naman sinamaan ko siya ng tingin

"Are you really my brother? You don't have to tell them that. I won't even blink and hesitate to accept the proposal" bulong ko sakanya kaya naman tinawanan niya ako

"My brother's single, though and besides, they're at the same and they look so good together. So, if you would excuse m-"

"Who're you dating, Kean? Ngayon lang 'to nalaman ni ate ah?" napatingin naman ako sa babaeng nagsalita saka nanghalumbaba at umupo nalang sa kaharap na upuan ni Alice

"Ate Loriann naman. I'm just joking" sagot ni Kean at agad na tumabi sa akin

Loriann. Anak siya ni dad, step dad to be exact. Anak ako ni mom habang si Kean naman anak na ng step dad ko at ng mom ko.

Kumbaga, siya 'yung walang step sa aming magkakapatid. Nakuha niyo ba?

"Hi, tita Luci. I'm Loriann, panganay po ako. I'm here to help you plan for the engagement party"

And so on, so forth. We just ate there and didn't get the chance to be involved in the meeting.

Basta ang naintindihan ko lang, Alice is now.. my fiance. I'm still in a daze. My hearts even beating so fast it could probably get off of my chest soon.

At ngayon, kasalukuyang nandito kami sa parking lot ni Alice dahil sabi nila Mom at Tita Luci na kailangan daw naming mag-usap para daw sa next meeting hindi na raw kami mag-iilangan. Kung alam lang nila yung situation ng mga schools namin, hindi ko alam kung anong irereak nila.

"Kung sakaling mahanapan na natin ang taong para sa atin at hindi pa natataguyod ang kasal, we should declare that the fiance fiance thing is going to stop. Is that clear?" tanong niya

"Paano kung ikaw na ang napili ko?" tanong ko pabalik kaya naman natigilan siya saka ako kinunutan ng noo

"That's not possible. Taga Gaein Academy ka at taga Public Colleges ako. You should think first before you speak" sagot niya dahilan kung bakit ako natawa

"Of coure. But you should know that aside from being a student from Public Colleges and Gaein Academy, we're both the heir and heiress of our companies. We have great deal of responsibilities riding on our backs," sagot ko dahil kaya naman napatango siya

"Fine," sagot niya kaya naman napangiti nalang ako

"By the way, you look beautiful tonight" singit ko at hindi parin tinigilan ang pagtitig sa maganda niyang mata

"I always look beautiful" sagot niya kaya naman natawa na ako

Conceited pala 'tong babaeng 'to.

"Fine fine. Kapag meron na 'yung taong feeling mo na para sayo, sabihan mo siya na itakas ka sa kasal natin. Para naman mas may effect" sagot ko saka ako nagpamulsa

Hindi naman siya nagsalita ng ilang minuto't tumingin lang sa kalangitan kaya naman pumikit nalang ako't in-enjoy ang solo time namin.

It's the very first time. First time na kaming dalawa lang ang magkasama.

"I really don't like the idea of arrange marriage but they won't give me any other choice" napatingin naman ako sakanya dahil bigla nalang siyang nagsalita

Nakatingin lang siya ng diretso at para bang naguguLUHAN ang mga mata niya.

(A/J: Lol! Luhan biased here! ^_^)

"Have you told them what you feel about this arrangement?" tanong ko at umiling naman siya

"If you won't try to, no one will appreciate what your thoughts may be" sagot ko

"You're creeping me out. Kanino mo ba nakukuha yang mga pinagsasabi mo?" nginitian ko lang siya saka ko ni-reach yung kamay ko sakanya

"Maayos na introduction na 'to ha? Inirapan mo lang ako pagkatapos kong magpakilala at ipakilala ang mga barkada ko sayo dati doon sa bar eh" tinaasan niya naman ako ng kilay which made me chuckle a bit

Damn. She's so darn cute.

"I am Ian. Ian Fredrick Lopez"

"Alice. Alice Song" sagot niya saka ako nginitian kaya naman napatitig ako ulit sakanya

If a simple smile is a murderer, I'd probably be dead by now. It just stabbed my heart.