Kabanata 22

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ENEMY'S PROPERTY
Kabanata 22
''Gift''

I worried that someone might see Carlos around our land. But then most of my family members are still asleep, kahit si Lolo ay tulog pa. That's also one of the reasons why I was able to have a chance to sneak out. Kay Mama lamang ako nagpaalam at ayos na rin naman iyon. Jakob said he'd vouch for me too if someone looks for me.

When I was already outside of our gate. I instantly saw Carlos, dressed in his with his usual white crisp long sleeves and dark jeans. And handsomely leaning on his car while busy with his phone.

I took his appearance and his wholeness first while he wasn't looking. Grabe, he looks divine and out of this world. Sometimes there are days that I really can't deny that I'm also swayed by his look. Kaya minsan ay napagbibigyan ko lalo na sa mga halik niya dati. I mean, who am I not to accept such a kiss from an attractive and fine person like him?

Hindi pa man nakakaranas noon nang mga tulad nang ganito . . .  naisip ko rin naman o napapatanong rin ako kung ano kaya ang pakiramdam. Ano ang pakiramdam tuwing hinahalikan, tuwing hinahawakan ang kamay, tuwing yinayakap . . . ng taong gusto mo.

Is it really truly like a magical feeling or they're just overrated reactions and descriptions by people who claimed to be in love, and by the stories in the movies and the books. Pero tunay ngang masasabi mo lang rin kung totoo ang isang bagay, kapag mismong naranasan mo na rin ito.

The answer to my questions is already in front of me. Whenever Carlos would look at me, the way he is looking at me right now, I feel like everything just evaporates.

Ganito din kaya ang pakiramdam ni Javier tuwing nakikipagkita kay Vernaise? That no matter the difference in the surnames, one thing wouldn't change . . . But right . . . he wouldn't be fighting until now, if his love for her is just a shallow one.

A De Leon and a Sarmiento fighting to be together despite the family being opposed to it. What will happen then to another De Leon... but with a Montecarlo?

This is another question that seeks to be answered, I already had a glimpse of the possibilities, but only time can really tell. A little pain along the way is already expected. I just hope and pray that on the day we finally faced the end of this road, we won't be given an answer so painful that we won't be able to overcome it nor recover from it anymore. But I will trust the process and most especially Him.

Hindi ko na namalayan na nasa harap na ako ni Carlos. He gazed at me with softness and serene in his eyes.

I smiled. ''Hello.''

He pulled me closer and bent down for a kiss. Napapikit ako at naipulupot ang aking mga kamay sa kanyang leeg. I feel his arm wrapping around my waist firmly, pulling me higher to deepen the kiss . . . until we are both breathless and we need to pull away.

''Ah, I'm home.'' He smiled.

It's Christmas, and the gift I will give myself is to finally acknowledge what I feel about him. It may not yet be very deep, but it's already something I cannot turn a blind eye to anymore.

Gusto ko si Carlos. Hindi ko alam kung kailan o paano nagsimula. I subtly feel that one day, but I did not acknowledge nor dwell on it so much. I kept on setting it aside and fiercely denying everything, afraid of the fact that I won't be able to turn my back away from him when it deepens.

Pinipilit kong patatagin ang paninindigan ko na hindi makipagrelasyon sa isang Montecarlo dahil na rin sa aming mga pamilya. At tuwing naalala ko iyon . . . parang gusto ko pa ring tumakbo papalayo. That's what I have been doing, I have been pushing him away every time I am given a chance. Naisip kong maaga pa at kaya pang maagapan ang kung ano mang sumisibol sa pagitan naming dalawa. And I totally cut him off more than a month, but then . . . he's still here.

Despite his ruthlessness, I find him too warm, loving, and thoughtful. Most epecially on those days where he had misunderstandings about me before. He is already willing to take me no matter who I am, what I am, or what I have. Not because he lusts over me nor desire me . . . I don't know the exact reason either.

Baliw ito. Hindi ko naman ginayuma para mabaliw siya kaya hindi ko alam kung bakit nasiraan siya ng ulo. Sa lahat pa kasi, sa dami ng babaeng nagkagusto at humahabol sa kanya, sa isang De Leon pa ibinigay ang atensyon.

''L-lorenzo!'' mahinang saway ko nang muli siyang humalik sa aking labi.

He eventually stopped at my call. He didn't pull away though without licking my lower lip. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin nang gawin iyon. He licked his own lip too before he smirked at me.

''I just miss my baby so bad,'' he whispered softly, handing me flowers I only seen now. ''Merry Christmas, Georgianna.''

Napanguso ako habang pinagmamasdan ang hawak niyang bulaklak. It's a pink and white rose with greens arranged beautifully in white and cream paper, with pink ribbon holding it too. Tinanggap ko iyon at napangiti na rin. Bawat uwi niya talaga ay may pasalubong siya.

He kissed me on the forehead when I took it from his hand.

''Hindi ka na sana nag-abala pa . . .''

''I want to give you everything, Georgianna.''

I playfully rolled my eyes. Hinaplos niya ang pisngi ko kaya muling umangat ang tingin ko sa kanya. Mataman niya akong tinitigan. At pakiramdam ko ay halos matunaw ako.

''I thought you were still asleep. But seeing you already dressed up. You already know I'll go to you first, huh?''

Umiwas ako ng tingin. ''Nagkataon lang! Nagising ako nang maaga. And it's Christmas! But I didn't know you were coming here this early . . .''

I heard his chuckle. Sumimangot ako at humigpit ang hawak sa bulaklak dahil sa hiyang naramdaman.

''You aren't a good liar, baby.''

Mas lalo akong napasimangot sa sinabi niya. His two hands rested on the side of my waist, he pulled me closer just enough not to crush the flowers that are now in between us.

''Hmm, did you already have your breakfast?''

''No . . .''

''You didn't eat because you know I'll ask you to have breakfast with me, correct?'' he chuckled languidly again.

Natahimik ako dahil tama siya. Was I that too obvious? I can't let this man win. Not today!

''Of course, iyon ang inisip ko. What are we going to do at this hour anyway?'' I tilted my head to the side. ''Hotel? Do you want to go to a hotel with me, Lorenzo?''

I smiled triumphantly when his eyes sharpened. Umiling siya at tahimik na lamang niya akong pinagbuksan ng pinto. Nakangisi tuloy akong pumasok sa kanyang sasakyan dahil wala siyang naisagot doon.

''Sa bahay na tayo. I'll cook for you,'' aniya nang umaandar na ang sasakyan.

''Wala si Senyora doon?''

''The whole family is in Manila.''

My forehead knotted a bit. ''Then why are you here?

''You asked that to yourself! You hung up on me yesterday!''

Natawa na lamang ulit ako. Hindi naman talaga siya galit dahil nakangisi naman pero tunog naggagalit-galitan. Nasabi ko na rin naman kasi sa kanya kung ano iyong nangyari kagabi.

Nakarating kami sa kanilang bahay. Carlos held my hand when I stepped out of his car. My eyes dropped on it when he intertwined our fingers.

''Let's go.''

Ngumiti ako at sumunod na lamang. Hindi naman ito ang una ko dito pero napapalibot pa rin talaga ako ng tingin. Their mansion is just too surreal. Wala nga ring masyadong tao bukod sa iilang kasamabahay.

Sa kusina kami dumiretso at hindi sa dining area. There is a kitchen island. Carlos pulled a chair for me and made me sit there.

''What do you like to have for breakfast?'' tanong niya habang inaayos ang sleeves ng kanyang polo.

Mabayang ang tunog ng tanong niya, tila ba kahit anong sabihin ko ay maluluto niya. He isn't just good looking but he knows how to cook too, huh? These people here, sobrang rangya ng kanilang buhay pero mukhang marunong pa rin sa lahat ng gawain bahay.

''You know how to cook?'' I still asked to confirm.

''Yeah,'' he answered while looking at their fridge. ''What do you want? I can cook anything.''

''Ang yabang!''

He glanced at me and smirked arrogantly. Nairap ako ngunit ibinalik rin ang tingin, hindi rin mapigilang hindi napangisi.

''I'm not. I'm just honest. I know how to cook, Georgianna,'' he explained. ''I can cook for us everyday, too. You can just sit and wait for me to provide everything for you.''

I tsked. ''Marunong din naman akong magluto.''

''I still want to cook for you everyday,'' aniya at nagsimula nang maging abala.

I know how to cook. Natutunan ko rin iyon nang tumuntong ng high school. Sa araw-araw na may pasok si Papa at Mama, madalas silang ginagabi ng uwi. Alam kong pagod sila sa maghapon na trabaho kaya madalas ako rin ang nagluluto ng hapunan namin para wala na silang iintindihin at kahit papano ay makapagpapahinga din sila ng maaga. Para sa'kin ay hindi naman iyon sobrang bigat at sobrang hirap na gawain. Hindi man eksperto at nagkakamali rin minsan, pero lagi pa ring nagpapasalamat si Mama at Papa.

''Let's just have an American breakfast. It won't take too much time.''

''Okay. I'm fine with anything.''

I was playing with one of the flowers in the bouquet as I watched him cook. Nakatalikod siya sa'kin pero madalas siyang sumulyap sa gawi ko. Bawat galaw niya ay dinadaanan niya rin ako ng tingin tila ba sinisigurado kung nandito pa ako. Nakapalumbaba lamang ako at minsan ay nginingitian siya tuwing nagtatama ang aming mga mata.

He's so cute.

I can't believe I can identify someone like him as cute, too. Carlos is very manly. He could pass as an actor or a model. Para rin siyang iyon mga nasa nobela. Ganitong-ganito ang mga detalye ng mga male lead doon e.

Hindi ko alam na nasa Santa Monica pala matatagpuan ang mga ganitong tipo ng lalaki. Not all, but most men in my previous school are like regular teen city boys. Sa mga pinsang lalaki lang rin ako manghanag-mangha. But I didn't know Carlos would surpass that. And their family too! Not only the men but the women as well, are all good looking people.

It didn't take a while but I really enjoyed watching Carlos being busy with the kitchen. Parang hindi ako makapaniwala. He's an engineer, a businessman, and a private pilot, too. He has lots of credentials in his name. And knowing his family background too, but here he is, cooking breakfast for me . . . for us.

Carlos placed a full plate in front of me. Ganon din ang kanya. There are pancakes, bacon, a sunny side up egg, sausages, and cherry tomatoes. The plate was big and it accommodated everything. It looks like it is a lot for someone like me who usually gets full easily, but I wanted to show my appreciation so I'm gonna eat them all. It's the first time someone, outside of the family, cooked for me.

My lips stretched for a smile. ''Thank you.''

''You're welcome.''

Hinagkan niya ang gilid ng aking ulo bago siya naupo sa aking tabi. When he saw me smiling, he kissed my cheek too.

Napalabi ako nang panay ang titig niya sa'kin habang kumakain. Alam ko dahil panay rin ang sulyap ko sa kanya. Masyado kasing mabigat at kakaiba ang titig niya kaya lagi kong ramdam tuwing nakatingin siya. Hinayaan ko na lamang.

I'm not really fond of sausages but I still took a bite of it since I really appreciate him cooking for me. Kaso bawat nguya ko ay hirap lunukin. Agad akong napapainom ng pineapple juice.

''I'll have it if you don't like it,'' rinig kong sabi niya.

Sa titig niya, pati iyon ay napansin na niya. I smiled at him sheepishly as I handed him the other one, iyong wala pang kagat. The one on my fork right now, I don't know where to put it so I stretched my hand, nilapit ko iyon sa kanyang mukha. Huli na nang napagtanto ko ang ginawa pero hindi ko na rin nabalik dahil agad na niya iyong kinain.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko.

''What are the other things you don't like? You can feed it to me.''

Natulala ako pero natawa rin. ''Gusto mo lang sinusubuan ka e!''

Inirapan niya ako. Feeling suplado pero nakangiti naman patago.

I cut a portion of the pancake. Tulad ng gusto niya ay nilapit ko iyon sa bibig niya. I saw how his lips protruded a bit before he took it into his mouth. I can't help not to chuckle when I realize he has a side like this.

Madalas ang pagsubo ko sa kanya ng pagkain at lahat ng iyon ay tinatanggap niya nang walang reklamo, mukhang sobrang saya pa nga. If only he knew . . . I honestly couldn't finish the whole meal, dahil medyo marami nga iyon, so I kept on giving it to him. I'd use this technique more in the future.

Pagkatapos nang agahan ay doon kami sa teresa sa itaas nagpalipas ng oras. Mataas ang sikat ng araw pero hindi mainit sa gawing ito. Malakas at presko ang hangin kaya maginhawa sa pakiramdam. And up here, I could see the vast land of their property.

May table dito at dalawang malaking single outdoor couch. Malaki naman iyon para sa isang tao pero hindi ko sigurado kung para sa dalawa.

But Carlos Lorenzo, being just him, will not probably let any opportunity of skinship slip from his hand. Kaya ito ay sobrang siksik na kami dito sa isang upuan! He's bigger than me. Ilang beses kong sinabi sa kanya na nasisikipan ako, aba't kinalong na lamang ako!

I rolled my eyes at this man. He's not yet my boyfriend but he sure has a lot of perks, huh?

I find this position too intimate but eventually I found it comforting too. I'm sitting sideways, my whole body weight is resting on him. Ang isa niyang kamay ay nakapulupot sa may aking likod patungo sa gilid ng aking balakang at ang isa naman niyang braso ay nakapatong sa saya ng aking damit para hindi liparin ng hangin.

''Your dress is short.'' he said as he fixed the skirt of my dress when the rough wind blew again.

Napansin ko ngang maikli ito. Whenever he would pull me for a kiss, mas lalong umiikli dahil napapataas. Kapag nakaupo naman ay ganon rin. I want to say that Carlos is probably the conservative type but I knew better than that. But my dress isn't that much, it's mini but it isn't the very daring type too.

I pursed my lips. ''You don't like it?''

Wala siyang naging tugon. Nakita ko ang pagtitig niya sa binti ko bago inangat ang tingin sa'king mga mata.

''I like it. You dressed up for today so I don't mind. I'm even lost for words on how to praise you properly because the word beautiful seems not to be fitting on how you look today.'' He pressed his lips on my shoulder. ''Lagi kang maganda at gumaganda pa lalo sa bawat araw na nagdaraan, Georgianna.''

Ramdam ko ang matinding pamumula ng pisngi sa kanyang naging tugon. Mukhang hindi siya iyong tipo ng tao na tipid sa pagbibigay ng papuri.

''Are you comfortable with it though?'' pahabol niya.

''Uh, y-yes...'' I stuttered, still a bit embarrassed from getting too much praise.

''Okay. As long as you're comfortable. That's what matters the most,'' he said calmly.

Napakagat ako sa aking labi. I almost melted when that gray eyes of him did not leave me, he stared at me intently.

''Pero mapag-angkin ako, Georgianna. I don't mind the clothes you wear. Wear anything you want, be comfortable about yourself and your body, I will not stop you. But expect my hand . . .'' he tailed off. I can feel his finger touching my skin, tracing from my knees up to my upper thigh which sent shivers all over my body. ''. . . all over you, and all the time, most especially in front of other people.''

I swallowed hard, understanding those words very well. But what made my heart thumped loudly is his eyes. It's daring and clearly asserting dominance. He really did not hide nor hesitate to show me the possessiveness that's lingering not only on his eyes, but on his actions and tone as well.

He didn't add anymore on that and I did not say anything, too. He rendered me speechless.

Carlos just pulled me closer to his body. Naidantay ko ang aking ulo sa kanyang balikat. We were silent, but it isn't the awkward silence but a tranquil one. Dala na rin ng hangin at siguro dahil ilang oras lamang akong natulog kagabi, inantok ako at halos makatulog na sa kanyang bisig.

''Dumiretso ka pala dito . . .'' sambit ko nang maalala iyon. ''Ibig sabihin wala ka pang tulog o pahinga, Carlos?''

''Ang makasama ka ay pahinga na rin para sa'kin,'' he said.

Napaahon ako sa kanyang dibdib. Agad na nagtama ang aming mga mata. I feel bad. Here I am on the verge of falling asleep yet here he is, he travelled right away from Manila to here, just because he wants to see me.

Ngayon ko lang napansin ang kanyang itsura. Hindi naman siya mukhang pagod na pagod pero halata ring wala pang pahinga. And he is even the one who cooked breakfast! Dapat pala ay ako na ang gumawa.

''Don't worry about me, Georgianna. I am not that exhausted. Our family just spent Christmas eve in an intimate dinner. There wasn't anything extra so I was able tor rest before coming here,'' paliwanag niya. Nakita niya siguro ang ekspresyon ko.

''But still, it's dangerous. Pwede naman tayong magkita sa susunod na araw.''

''I am careful, Georgianna. But for your peace of mind, I promise to be more extra careful next time, hmm?''

I nodded slowly. Nakita ko sa kanyang mga mata na tila may gusto siyang sabihin sa'kin. Ngunit walang lumabas na kahit anong salita sa kanyang bibig. Huminga lamang siya ng malalim kasabay nang paghigpit ng yakap sa'kin. After that, he planted a peck on the side of lips, inhaling another deep breath.

''I brought a gift for Elias,'' he said instead

''Talaga? You didn't have too, but he likes presents so he'd love it.'' I smiled. ''Thank you.''

''I have one for you, too.''

''Huh?''

Gumalaw siya nang kaunti. I watched him get something from his pocket. Walang box, walang paperbag, o kahit ano. I saw how he just casually pulled out a . . . diamond bracelet.

He took my left arm, wrapping the bracelet on my wrist. Nanatili ang tingin ko doon, gulat pa rin. Nang mailagay na niya iyon ay dinala niya ang aking palapulsuhan sa kanyang labi.

''Do you like it?'' he asked softly.

Isang beses ko lamang siyang sinulyapan bago binalik ang tingin sa sinasabi niyang regalo. It looks simple, one line, but it's filled with diamonds. I may not be familiar with jewelry but I feel like this isn't something you regularly buy over the counter in some malls. May nakita na rin siguro ako, but this one shouts luxuriousness despite its simplicity . . . like they are indeed real diamonds.

''This looks expensive.''

''Not really.''

Naningkit ang mata ako sa sagot niya. He said those words yet his eyes told me otherwise. Hindi niya sinabi iyon na para bang iyon ang totoo. He said it in a way that anything expensive is just a penny to him. Ni hindi na nga niya dinala ang box o pouch man lang na para bang tinatago ang presyo, siguro dahil may idea siya na maaring hindi ko tanggapin kapag nalaman ko.

''What is it? And how much is this?''

He groaned. ''I'm not selling it! I'm giving it to you.''

''This is too much. Why would you buy me something like this-''

''Because I want to,'' he simply said. ''Georgianna, let it pass. You don't have to worry, I did not steal it. I bought it with the money I earned. And I want to share it with you . . . through these things for the meantime.''

            
#ENEMYSPROPERTY