KINABUKASAN, dumaan ulit si Rant sa bahay ng babae. Askal is still there. Garry has been advising him to just let Gayle adopt his dog. Only if that woman would like to. But Rant is more unprepared to let that woman fully have askal. He's already fond of askal lalo na't they both shared a near death experience. Mukhang mahihirapan na siyang i-hand over ito sa iba. Hay.

Rant was about to have his first try ringing the doorbell when it opens before he could even press the button. There comes out the weird lady. Nakasunglass na naman ito na parang nagpapaka-cool lang. May bluetooth eaphones again.

"Done scanning?" Bumalik sa mukha nito ang mga mata ni Rant from observing her whole look.

"Yes-I mean- Nasabi ko na bang mukha kang bodyguard na model? Uso ba ang sunglass ngayon? Sa bagay malapit naman na'ng magsummer." Nilagpasan na siya ni Gayle nang maisara ang gate.

"Si askal? Ayos lang ba siya dun?" That dog isn't even showing itself to him. Ha!

"Since we're talking about your dog." Gayle face Rant behind. "Hand him over to me. I can take care of him better." Rant was skeptic. Hindi niya alam pero she sounded bragging to him. Para bang nagmamalaki ito sa kaniya.

"Sorry pero itinigil ko muna ang pagpapaampon ko sa kaniya." Rant declines. Though, she's indeed a better choice kung ipapaampon niya na sa iba si askal. Just that, hindi pa siya ready.

"Do I have to pay?" Gayle negotiates.

"Ano? Hindi ko ibinebenta si askal, lady! Watch your words. Hindi naman ako mukhang pera. Yung tungkol sa deal ni Dalmatian, sorry na okay? Kailangan ko lang talaga ng pera." Napaiwas ng tingin si Gayle though hindi naman halata dahil sa sunglass niya. His face looks as if he got wrongly accussed.

Her heartbeat is suddenly beating fast again dahil sa pagkainis sa lalaki. It's.. faster than before. Maybe her anger to this Rat just evolved to another level.

"Anyway, mukhang papasok ka na. Did I changed your mind?" Gayle glanced back to him. Nakangiti ito na parang nagwagi and she's.. darn. Lalo siyang naiinis sa pagngiti nito. Her heartbeats are deafening!

"Don't be full of yourself. Your dog changed my mind. And.. I'm sorry about your parents. I'm sorry I judged you. Now leave me alone." Rant chuckles to her prideful apology.

"You know, there is someone else you need to apologize too since you're in the mood." Pinantayan niya ulit ang babae sa paglalakad.

"I-good morning mo na lang ako kay Gemini-pretty. That'll do, lady. See you around!" Rant winks at her before walking away to his way to work.

Gayle halt for a second. Nakapa niya ang dibdib. She must be really angry right now. Right, she's angry. That stupid call-boy is really getting on her nerve!

GAYLE just stood outside the publishing house contemplating to come in. Almost two weeks siyang hindi pumasok. Hindi niya alam kung valid pa ang ojt niya or dropped out na siya o kung matutuwa ba ang lahat na makita siyang pumasok ulit. She made a fuss before she cocoon on her home for weeks.

"So you're back?" Nilingon ni Gayle ang babaeng dumating sa likuran niya, the call-boy's sweetheart.

"Have you been repenting about what you said to me?" Gemini talks to her. Isn't she mad to her para kausapin siya ulit?

"Tara na. Everyone is worried about your absences." Nakangiting inaya na siya nito papasok. Gayle watched her back. She's not being pleasantly mad at her.

But Gayle felt somehow relieved. Hindi niya alam kung bakit, but she's been thinking about what she said to her. She realized to herself that she went overboard to how she acted kaya mula nang magmukmok, hindi niya na makalimutan ang pangalan ng babae.

"I-I'm sorry." Nilingon ulit siya nito nang hugutin ni Gayle ang salita sa dibdib. It somehow put out tons of her worries. She can't really handle her emotions kaya sinusuppress niya na lang most of the times. And their fight was a mess of her uncontrolled emotions.

"Sorry din, Gayle. I think about what you said too. I'm sorry I don't understand you. Let's not fight again. Basta 'pag kailangan mo ng kaibigan, kalabitin mo lang ako. I won't intrude your space again." Gemini smiles but not her usual bright smile. Hindi na lang siya nagtanong.

MAYA-MAYA siyang napapalingon sa babae. She looks sad rather than jolly. Nabobother siya dahil baka masama pa din ang loob nito sa kaniya.

Gayle often gets annoyed by people unintentionally but its just about her. So when she said something to people, hindi man siya magsorry, those words she said linger on her mind for a long time. She repents that way.

Gemini didn't bugged her like last time. Tahimik lang ito sa desk niya without chatting to her hanggang sa matapos ang maghapon.

"CAN we.. talk?" Gemini finally talks to her habang naghahanda na silang umuwi. She asked Gayle for a dinner together. She couldn't decline dahil lihim siyang natuwa sa pagkausap nito sa kaniya. Only that, Gemini brought her to where Rant is working.

"Oh what a lovely night and a lovely lady-ladies." Rant adjusted his compliment when he noticed Gayle with Gemini.

"I'm with Gayle. Nagkaayos na kami." Tiningnan ulit ni Rant ang babaeng umiwas lang ng tingin. He welcomed the two girls and guided to a table. He brought their order after and attend to other costumers.

"About what you said, Gayle." Napahinto sa pagkain si Gayle.

"I didn't mean that. I was just.. out my mind that time. Please, forget it." Gayle explains to her. Her sad face really bothers her while staring at that Rat trying tricks with those plastic cups infront of a wandering kid from table to table.

"No. Mr. Florente explained it to me. Rant approached you because of their deal. I really got intimidated nung lapitan ka niya. Lalo na nung nakiseat in siya to watch you. Since then, I wasn't confident that he'll like me. I was afraid he already confessed to you that time and trying to court you. But you said you're not dating him kaya nilakasan ko ang loob ko na ayain siyang makipagdate sa'kin. We'll just try it out if this works." Gayle watches her watching that Rant.

She must be really into him. But why is there sadness in her eyes when Rant seems to.. like her too?

"He likes you too. Halata naman sa ngiti niya sa'yo." Gayle said to relieved her worries. Halatang-halata na down ito.

"I don't know. His stare to someone held more feelings than his sweet smile to me. I was thinking, maybe he's just really keeping up with me like you said. I want to ask about his feelings, Gayle. Bago mo pa sabihing iconfirm ko ang nararamdaman talaga ni Rant. But I'm afraid. I'm scared that when we cleared this relationship between us, he'll realize his feeling for someone and leave me." Gayle doesn't know what to say to comfort her. Wala siyang alam sa pagpapayo tungkol sa pagibig.

"He.. like someone else?" Hindi makapaniwalang sambit ni Gayle habang napatitig din sa lalaki. Gemini secretly stares at her.

"Yes. Maybe he's still unaware of it. They're both unaware about their feelings to each other." And Gayle is unaware to her stares.

"I'll just borrow Rant for a while. Then I'll wholeheartedly give him to whom his heart beats for." Nang ibalik ni Gayle ang paningin kay Gemini dahil sa pagsulyap ni Rant sa kanila ay saka niya napansin ang pagtitig ng babae. Then Gemini just looks back to Rant who waves at her. Shr waved back and smiles.

Hindi niya maintindihan if what Gemini is suspecting is real. Dahil sa mga mata niya, that Rant.. likes her too.

Pinakialaman na lang ulit ni Gayle ang pagkain. She shouldn't be minding other's business. Now it's affecting her too. Her heart aches for Gemini.

"I'm leaving first. You can just enjoy your dinner. Pasensya na. See you tomorrow na lang. Thank you for accepting my dinner treat." Natatarantang tumaas ang paningin ni Gayle sa papaalis nang babae. "H-ha? Sasabay--"

"Wag na. I order a slice of redvelvet. Please eat it for me. Just stay here for a while, okay?" Sa huling ngiti nito ay nilapitan na ng babae yung boyfriend niya bago umalis.

Gayle saw her talking to that Rant and they're glancing at her from time to time. Then that call-boy nodded over something that Gemini said and left. Maya-maya ay inihatid nito sa kaniya ang dessert na sinasabi ni Gemini.

"Well, you really need sweets for your bitterness, lady." Sinimangutan niya ito. Gayle likes sweet. But this Rant makes it looks bitter to her.

Hinintay niyang umalis ito pagkalapag ng dessert but Rant pulled a chair at umupo sa tapat niya. Wala nang gaanong costumer so he must be slacking off for a while.

Gayle felt the rapid thumps on her chest again. It gets even uncomfortable dahil sa pagtitig ng lalaki. "Can you--"

"Nope. I'll stay here for a while." Sagot agad ni Rant sa kaniya when she's not yet even finished talking. "Gemini asked me to accompany you. Isn't she really a good friend? You should keep her, lady." Magaang sabi nito sa kaniya and keeps watching her.

Gayle couldn't even keep her glares. Naiilang siya sa titig nito hindi tulad dati na nakakaya niyang tapunan ito ng matalim na tingin nang matagal.

"Mayaman ka diba? Can you get me a job? I mean, baka naman may alam kang pwede kong raketan na panggabi." He started babbling about things while Gayle just focused on finishing the cake.

"Uy, wala ka bang alam?" He even pouted to her that made her skips more beats.

Damn, what's happening to her? She badly needs to see a doctor right now. Naninikip ang dibdib niya lalo nang umisod pa palapit si Rant sa kaniya.

"I told you I'll pay for your dog just give him to me. That is money." Gayle tried to act her usual self.

"Ayoko nga. Hindi ako tumatanggap ng pera na hindi ko pinaghihirapan, okay? Stop treating me like a gold digger. Gwapo ako pero hindi ako mapagsamantala ng iba." Inirapan pa siya ng lalaki.

"Whatever. Kung ayaw mo then don't." Napairap na lang din si Gayle and Rant chuckles.

"Pero pwede ko naman sa'yong ibigay si askal nang libre. Tutal naman, you gave him-us our second life. You know at this rate lady, I could even give you my whole life." They both stared at each other dahil sa weird na sincerity ni Rant sa sinabi. Only that, Rant snapped out realizing what he said.

"Ibig kong sabihin- ano- Sorry. Hindi ko na alam ang sinasabi ko. Kalimutan mo na yun. Sige na. Baka hinahanap na ako sa kusina." Rant escapes from his own embarassment at nagtago sa kusina.

Heck, just what was he saying to her? Nilingon niya pa ang babaeng hindi naman nagreact. Good. Kinabahan siya dun. Darn it. His heart is in race.

Shelovesrain❤