LOVE-NAT, isang makulit na lovestory!

Beatrice Gong-gora Natividad could really be a very keen observant. She has a pair of trained eyes na laging perfect timing.... or maybe SIYA talaga yung laging perfect timing? Kasi lagi siyang nasa tamang lugar, sa tamang panahon. She sees the RIGHT things, and hears the RIGHT things. Kaya nga kadalasan, kahit may pagkaloka-loka siya, lahat ng sinasabi niya makes a lot of sense!!

Tumayo din si Borge right after Ellie did. She’s worried kasi nahalata nga niyang pa-sway sway ng maglakad si Ellie. Besides, she also needed to go to the comfort room herself. But she stopped almost a good distance away ng napansin nga niyang lumapit si Max sa kaibigan niya. She was smiling habang pinagmamasdan lang ang exchange gift ng dalawa. Although she found herself a bit surprised kasi kahit yung regalo ni Ellie for Sef ee binigay niya kay Max. ‘Loka-loka talaga ang babaing ito!!’ Borge was thinking.

Just by watching these two, madami ng na-conclude si Borge... yeah, puro conclusion... puro haka-haka that needs more proof. But then again, Borge has a pair of trained eyes... pag-lingon niya sa kanan... na-realize niyang hindi lang pala siya yung naapektuhan sa pagbigay ni Ellie nung regalo kay Max... because standing somewhere in the crowd was Sef.

It was difficult to decipher the look on Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde. His face was blank, emotionless... mahirap tuloy basahin kung anong tumatakbo sa isip niya habang patuloy na nakatingin -- no, hindi kay Ellie, hindi din lalo kay Max... -- but at the bag of cupcakes na akala niyang para sakanya.

Right after the incident with Bea kanina, he went after Ellie as fast as he could. Kaso biglang nawala ang dalaga, and Sef has been looking for her ever since. Hindi niya alam kung bakit niya kailangang makita si Ellie... bakit niya kailangang sabihin yung mga salitang kanina pa niya nire-rehearse sa isip niya, “I swear, I didn’t kiss her back.” Alam mo yung, gusto niyang mag-explain?? Hindi niya alam kung bakit... basta ang alam lang niya HE NEEDED TO.

Pero... hindi nga lang niya ineexpect na makikita niya si Ellie in the middle of the dance floor, looking flushed as she was handing Max the bag of cupcakes... yung regalo na kanina pa niya inaanticipate!!

He can’t believe this... siya?? As in SIYA?? Isang Monteverde?? PINA-ASA lang ng babaeng ito?? Parang naramdaman ni Sef yung naramdaman ni Ellie nun sa EK... nung binigay niya si Patrick the Star kay Bea when in fact para naman talaga kay Ellie yun. He wanted to say the exact same words na gusto sanang sabihin ni Ellie noon, “Aken yan ee.”

Pero may pinag-kaiba sila ni Ellie nun... kasi ngayon... He wasn’t even sure kung para ba talaga sakanya ang cupcakes na yun.

And so, Miguel Josef Uy Monteverde simply decided to walk away.

---

Kakalabas lang ni Ellie sa CR... andun pa din si Max sa labas nito, hinihintay siya. “Ano? Uwi na tayo?” Tanong ni Max, his voice was gentle. Pansin niyang sobrang sabog na ni Ellie.

Mejo mamula-mula ang muka ng dalaga sa sobrang nainom. Parang lutang na ang isip nito at hindi na naiintindihan ang sinasabi ni Max. “Gusto ko ng tubig.” She muttered weakly. Daig pa niya ang may lagnat sa sobrang init ng buong katawan niya.

“Tubig?” Ulit ni Max. “Oh, sige. Dito ka lang. Ikukuha kita.” He helped her sit on the sofa and quickly descended down the marble staircase.

Naiwan si Ellie dun, nakaupo. Ang bigat-bigat na ng mga mata niya pero bago tuluyang pumikit ito napansin niya ang isang saradong pintuan sa harap niya. She was no longer thinking, basta ang alam niya gusto na niyang matulog and she was sure that behind that door is a bed.

Pinatong muna ni Max yung binigay sakanyang regalo ni Ellie sa may lamesa while he was waiting for the waiter na hiningan niya ng baso ng tubig. Tinignan niya ulit yung bag and he couldn’t help but smile. Kaso lang, hindi siya tanga... he knew it wasn’t really meant for him... and as if it couldn’t be more obvious... merong nakalimutan si Ellie... There was a gift tag attached to it.

Pagbalik ni Max sa second floor, Ellie was no longer on the sofa. Ibang tao na nasa loob nung CR, at meron ng ibang nakaupo dun sa sofa. Max looked around, a bit alarmed. “Nasan na yun?” Naitanong niya, hawak-hawak pa din yung baso ng malamig na tubig. At parang may kung anong bumulong sa kanya when he noticed a slightly opened door on his left. He slowly crept in, poked his head inside...but the room was dark and the moonlight penetrating through the large window panes ang siyang nagsisilbing ilaw. Kahit na parang walang tao, instincts told Max to enter anyway.

By the look of the room, masasabi ni Max na lalaki ang may-ari nito. And soon enough, he noticed a familiar figure lying motionless on the king-sized bed. It was Ellie. He sneaked quietly as ever on the side of the bed and observed her sleeping form. Hawak-hawak pa din ni Ellie sa kanang kamay nito ang regalo na binigay sakanya ni Max. Gusto sanang gisingin ni Max ito at ihatid na agad pauwi para dire-diretso na ang pagpapahinga nito. Pero parang hindi niya maatim na gisingin ang dalaga, especially when she was sound asleep. Hahayaan na lang niya muna itong makatulog, gigisingin na lang niya kapag nagyaya ng umuwi sila Borge.

Hindi ito ang unang beses na nakita niyang tulog ang dalaga. But before he left the room, he planted a kiss on her forehead ever so slightly as he placed the bag of cupcakes beside her. It wasn’t for him anyway.

TO BE CONTINUED.