Kabanata 24

Hello, it's been a while! Hope everyone is well. I've been so busy with a lot of things, and I'm currently working on something that I can't wait to share with you all! Hopefully, soonest! And hoping for your support, too. Lovelots! ❤️

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ENEMY'S PROPERTY
Kabanata 24
''Clear''

Javier still drove me home even though I told him I could go home or just have someone pick me up. But he insisted and eventually dropped me off before leaving.

Bitbit ko pa ang ilang regalo. Mabuti na lamang ay nakita ako ni Ate Flor at tinulungan ako. I told her to just put it in my room.

Nasa sala si Tita Jean at Mama, tila ba naghihintay din nang pag-uwi ko. Saglit muna nila akong kinausap at kinumusta si Javier. And while I was talking to them, I saw Lolo coming from his study. Nagkatinginan kami, pero agad siyang umiling at umakyat na sa ikalawang palapag.

Napabuntonghininga na lamang ako.

Nang nasa kwarto na at papasok na sana ng banyo nang tumawag naman si Carlos. I was charging my phone, so I plugged it out first before answering his call.

''Were you already asleep? Sorry if I woke you up,'' malamyos niyang bungad.

Napatingin naman ako sa orasan at nakitang alas nuebe y media pa lang naman, at hindi pa talaga ako tulog ng ganitong oras

''Hindi pa. Kakauwi ko lang,'' sagot ko. ''Maliligo pa lang ako at magbibihis.''

"Kakauwi mo pa lang?" aniya, pag-uulit sa sinabi ko. Rinig na rinig ko ang pagtataka sa kanyang boses. ''Georgianna, I brought you home this afternoon.''

Ah, right, I forgot to tell him. I wasn't even able to reply to his messages due to the numerous events that occurred after I spent my morning with him.

''I was in a hotel—''

"Excuse me, you were in what?!" he asked, abruptly cutting me off mid-sentence. Why are you in a hotel? And with whom, Georgianna?" His questions came in rapid succession, his concern evident in his voice.

''Calm down . . .'' sabi ko habang napapahilot rin sa aking sentido. ''I was with Javier. Something happened here in the house when he came home. Sinamahan ko muna at ngayon palang nakauwi. Hinatid naman niya ako pauwi.''

There was a moment of silence. I even checked to see if the call had been disconnected, but he was still on the line.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his tone now laced with concern. "What happened?" he added, his voice softening. I could sense the worry in his voice, and it made me feel comforted.

Napalabi ako. Ang bilis mag-switch ng mood ng lalaking ito. Parang si Senyora rin noong kasama namin siya sa hapag. But it was a relief to hear him calm down from his initial reaction.

''I'll tell you later. Tatawagan na lang kita, Carlos. Maliligo muna ako at magbibihis.''

I heard him inhale deeply. ''Alright. Just text me when you are already free. I'll call you, hmm?''

"Yes, Daddy," I teased, and I abruptly ended the call before he could even react.

Hindi pa nakakalipas ang isang minuto ay may text na agad galing sa kanya.

Lorenzo:

Don't call me that, Georgianna Eleanor!

I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. He used my whole name! I just smiled and still chuckled a bit as I entered the bathroom.

Pero habang nasa banyo naman na ako at nagbababad, muli kong naalala ang mga napag-usapan namin ni Javier.

He somehow warned me too. He doesn't want me to be involved in any families . . . but that's just because he's concerned about me. He doesn't want me to experience the same thing that he is experiencing right now. Malayo sa gulo, iyon ang gusto niya. At iyon din naman ang gusto ko kahit noon pa.

But then, there's already Carlos Lorenzo Montecarlo. I honestly don't know what to do. But what I know is that Carlos will always be there.

When I was already settled in bed that night, Carlos called me. Eventually, I told him what happened.

He asked me if I wanted to go swimming at the falls the next day to relax my mind. Without any second thoughts, I agreed. Because I feel like the tension in the house won't just evaporate right away.

At iyon nga ang naabutan ko pagbaba ko pa lamang ng kwarto para sa agahan. Tahimik. Sa sobrang tahimik ay mga kubyertos lamang ang tanging naririnig sa buong paligid. At ganoon din noong tanghalian.

I asked permission from Mama to leave in the afternoon, and she allowed me. Carlos picked me up in front of our gate, and we drove away.

Nadala ko ata ang katahimikan sa bahay dahil sobrang tahimik ko rin. Carlos would try to open up a topic every now and then, but my replies are short and end the conversation. He didn't try to talk to me after that. Ramdam ko na lamang ang minsan-minsan niyang paglingon sa gawi ko.

Ang alam ko ay maliligo kami, but when we got there I suddenly felt tired and sleepy.

There is a hammock just below the big tree house, and that's where I headed. I settled myself there while Carlos stood beside it. The good weather and the whole place did not help keep me awake, especially since Carlos was gently swaying the hammock.

My eyelids grew heavy, and before I knew it, I had already dozed off.

I was still feeling a bit drowsy when I slowly woke up to the sensation of a gentle touch on my arm. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Carlos, who was beside me.

Nangunot ang noo ko. I remember sleeping alone here in the hammock. But now he's already here. Nakaunan pa ako sa braso niya at ang kamay niya ring iyong ang humahaplos at tumatapik sa'kin tila ba mas pinapatulog pa ako.

I could intensely smell him since I was almost lying on his chest. He smelled so good, it was unbelievable. It wasn't a strong cologne but rather a more natural scent with a hint of aftershave. It was both soothing and intoxicating, like a fresh morning breeze that you always wanted to inhale after waking up from a deep sleep.

Naamoy ko naman siya tuwing yumayakap sa'kin at mabango siya lagi. It seemed like he only used one mist or cologne, which had a manly and erotic scent. He smelled expensive. However, it was only now that I noticed this different scent from him, without that kind of fragrance. Parehong mabango siya.
 
Grabe, parang wala siyang kapintasan at lubos talagang pinagpala.

Muli akong napapikit at mas nagsumiksik pa sa kanyang tabi niya. I'm weak toward people who smell so good. Ibang-iba ang dating kapag mabango ang isang tao.

"You're so quiet," I heard him whisper, and he seemed to know that I was already awake. "It's killing me when you're this silent. I don't know what's running in your head."

His hold on me tightened, and I could feel his eyes on me even though mine were closed. He cupped my face and caressed my cheek softly.

I inhaled deeply as I realized how I felt safe and protected in his arms and that I knew I could trust him with my whole being.

"I know you're worried about your cousin,'' he trailed off, ''and it seems like whenever you see him, you want to run away from me. You've been doing that even before," he added, noticing my behavior.

Sumikip ang dibdib ko. I feel guilty because it was the truth.

''I won't let you do that anymore,'' mariin niyang sabi. ''If I needed to go to your house and court you there, I would. Ayoko rin namang patago kang nililigawan nang ganito. I want to present myself to your whole family. I don't care if they won't accept me right now, but I want them to know that I am serious about you and about us. And as long as you accept me, I'm fine, Georgianna.''

Despite my efforts to resist, I found myself slowly opening my eyes to meet his tantalizing, stormy gaze. He was giving me a different kind of look that I couldn't quite decipher. But it made my heart throb.

''Pero ayaw rin kitang pangunahan. I don't want to pressure you too. So I won't ask you anything right now, Georgianna. Kontento na ako sa kung anong kaya mong ibigay sa ngayon,'' banayad niyang sabi. ''Just don't push me or run away, hmm?''

Umawang ang labi ko at namungay ang aking mga mata. Ang puso ko ay halos hindi matahimik.

''I know that our family names are the only thing that's stopping you from everything. But we already talked, didn't we? We will just wait for the right time when we can already tell them about our relationship.''

I feel his fingers tracing every part of my face, distracting me from my thoughts. From my eyebrows to my eyes, down to my nose and my lips. His touch sent tingles all over my body, making me shiver.

"What if it takes time?" I asked, knowing that he knew exactly what I meant.

''As long as I have you, it doesn't matter to me,'' he whispered as he leaned closer, his lips almost touching mine, but he didn't kiss me. ''Pero kapag tumakbo ka, hindi ko maipapangako na magiging pasensyoso pa ako, Georgianna.''

I pursed my lips at that. He's warning me on that, huh?

''Marami pang iba, Carlos. Women who—''

''Baby, let's not talk about other women,'' he said, cutting me off. ''I don't really like talking about nameless and unimportant people. It just doesn't interest me at all,'' he added. ''And those women are not you. So I don't care about them. Georgianna Eleanor is the name of the woman I . . . like.''

I don't really know how to react, but my eyes twitched. Lalo na dahil mukhang alanganin pang sabihin iyon sa dulo. Medyo napaiwas tuloy ako ng tingin.

"Let me rephrase that," he said, his voice turning more serious. "Georgianna Eleanor is the only woman I badly wanted to death.''

I returned my gaze to him, feeling a bit dazed. He smiled at me and planted a soft kiss on the side of my lips.

''Are you finally taking me as a boyfriend, Georgianna?'' he asked, his voice sounding hopeful.

"Hindi noh!" I quickly replied. I saw how his expression changed, looking a bit disheartened. I mentally cursed and cleared my throat. "P-pero pag-iisipan ko. Kapag . . . uh . . . pursigido ka sa panliligaw mo," I added, trying to sound more encouraging.

''Tss. It's not like I will stop courting you once I become your boyfriend anyway.''

''H-huh?''

''Hindi dapat magtapos ang panliligaw sa oras na sinagot na, Georgianna. Liligawan pa rin kahit nobya na, liligawan pa rin kahit asawa na, at kahit hanggang sa pagtanda walang dapat na magbago o matapos.''

He looked at me with a mix of tenderness and determination, making my heart flutter.

''So you don't have to worry, because I plan to court and woo you for the rest of our lives.''

I remained silent as he said all sorts of things. However, since our mouths were both shut, he took advantage of the opportunity to kiss me. At halos dumantay na siya sa'kin para lang maabot ang labi ko nang mabuti.

''Baby, part your lips properly.'' he whispered in between our lips.

And I felt my lips parting, with only a few grazes of his tongue on my bottom lip. I let out a soft moan as I completely tasted him immediately after he inserted his velvety tongue into my mouth.

Minutes later, I started to feel dizzy with the sensation he was giving me. His hand on my neck, almost caressing it, wasn't helping. He wasn't holding me tight, but something about the way he held me caught my attention, as if it were telling me something.

I pulled away abruptly from the kiss to look at his reaction. His eyes were shut, but when they opened, they electrified me to the core. Namumungay at madilim ang kanyang mga mata. The emotion that he was trying to hide while looking at me escaped a bit.

Tumikhim siya at agad na umiwas ng tingin. He gently moved his body away from me too. Pati ang kamay kong nakahawak sa kanya ay tinanggal niya tila ba napaso. Agad siyang tumayo at naglakad ng ilang hakbang papalayo, na siya lamang sinundan ng aking mga mata.

''Magpapalamig lang ako sa tubig.'' namamaos niyang bulong.

I kept my mouth shut because I was a bit speechless. He only glanced at me once before he turned away. Nakita ko kung paano niya hinubad ang pang-itaas na damit at ang swabe niyang paglusong sa tubig.

I squinted my eyes as I watched him swim vigorously, like he was tiring himself out. Carlos has rough movements, but whenever he kisses me, he tries so hard to make it soft and mellow. But the look in his eyes I noticed a while ago wasn't the first time I saw it.

His eyes revealed his hidden passion and desire. He would look at me like that before—the kind of look that showed how much he wanted me in terms of physical intimacy.

That's why I thought that maybe that's all he wanted from me. He just fancy me and those sorts of things. However, when he started to court me, as he claimed, I didn't see that look anymore. He would just check me out from time to time, but that's it.

Aside from hugs and sometimes kissing, he didn't do anything. But the way he held my neck, he told me briefly about his other side.

I chewed on my bottom lip as I watched his eyes avoid looking at my way.

My first impression of Carlos Lorenzo, the first time I met him on the day I arrived here, is still there. He looks very active in the worldly sense and that he isn't the gentle kind.

He's already twenty-six . . . and he probably already had a lot of experience. Hindi naman na ako bata para hindi alam ang mga bagay na ito. I may be shy and all, but I know these things too. At kapag kay Carlos naman ay wala naman akong masyadong hiya. Dahil medyo mas makapal ang mukha niya.

I stood up and walked closer to where he was. I crossed my arms under my chest, still watching him. He was sitting on one of the rocks near the falls, not too far from the ground, so I was sure he could hear me later on.

Napansin niya siguro ang paglapit ko, kaya napalingon siya at medyo nanatili ang kanyang tingin sa'kin.
 
Nanuyo ang lalamunan ko nang medyo saglit na bumaba ang kanyang mata sa aking katawan. I got a glimpse of those eyes of his again, which are now darkening. His eyes lifted to my face again before he abruptly averted his eyes away.

''I want to ask you something . . .''

"What is it?" he asked, no longer looking at me and busying himself with running his hand through his hair.

I somehow hesitated to continue what I wanted to ask. I didn't want to offend him or anything, but I just needed to clear my mind. Ayoko rin naman siyang pag-isipan ng kung ano-ano.

"Please don't take offense. I'm just curious, and I need to clear my head of this thought," I explained, trying to be as honest and straightforward as possible.

His forehead creased. ''Okay. I will answer honestly, whatever it is.''

I sighed and nodded.

''Georgianna, what is it?'' he asked, when it took me a while to say something.

I bit my lip. ''When was the last time you bedded someone?''

Agad siyang napalingon sa'kin. Mas lumalim ang gitla sa kanyang noo. His whole expression was dark and hard, and I could see how his chest was heaving.

''I feel like I didn't hear you properly.'' His voice was deep, almost like a growl of warning.

''When was the last time you had sex?'' I asked him directly this time.

Nanlaki ang mga mata niya. ''What the fuck?!''

I raised my eyebrow at him. He probably did not expect that I would ask such a direct question. Well, kahit naman ako . . . medyo hindi inaasahan ang sarili. But I just wanted to be clear about this.

''I'm just asking,'' kalmado kong sabi kahit na mukhang napigtas na ata ang pasensya niya. ''You look very active. And it's been eight months since we met. I just want to know if you ever had someone—''

''Wala, Georgianna!'' he snapped, looking livid. ''What the fuck is this about? And what do you think of me, huh?!''

Napaatras ako nang lumusong siya sa tubig. Ilang sandali lamang ay nakaahon siya. I took another step back when his sharp eyes darted at me. He looked so mad and offended.

"I'm sorry—" Nahinto ako at napanguso na lamang nang agad niyang hinablot ang braso ko. Hindi naman ako nasaktan pero ramdam ko ang gigil niya.

''I'm serious and sincere about you, Georgianna!''

I tried to touch his chest to calm him down, pero mas mariing tingin ang ipinukol niya sa'kin tila pinahihinto ako sa gagawin. It was as if he knew that if I touched him, he'd immediately yield and wouldn't be able to let out his frustration about this matter.

''If I could just bring you with me to Manila, I would've done so already! Sa lahat ng lakad ko at pati sa trabaho ay isasama kita!'' he exclaimed through ragged breathing. ''Baby, you have no idea how much I wanted you to always be with me. At ngayon ay tila mas gusto ko pa iyon para wala ka na ring isipin na kahit ano.''

I blinked my eyes a bit, taken aback. He looked at me weakly. He licked his lip before he inhaled sharply.
 
''If only I could bring you . . . to live with . . . '' he murmured in a low voice that made the other words incoherent. ''But goddamnit, you're here and you're still studying!''

Oh, wow. He already has plans like that? At hindi pa kami sa lagay na ito, ah?

                
#ENEMYSPROPERTY