Kabanata 25

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ENEMY'S PROPERTY
Kabanata 25
''Interrogation''

Masama ang timpla ni Carlos. Kahit noong umuwi kami sa kanila ay mukha pa rin siyang iritado. Habang naglalakad kami papasok sa kanilang mansyon, hawak niya ang kamay ko. But when I noticed that we were heading towards their grand staircase, I abruptly pulled my hand away. He turned to me, looking livid.

I cleared my throat and asked, "Where are you taking me?"

''Sa kwarto!''

My eyes widened. "Why are you taking me to your room? I will just wait for you there!'' agap ko at tinungo ang sofa sa living room.

His sharp gaze was fixed on me, observing my every move. I sat down unsteadily. My heart was beating so loudly in my chest, and when he advanced towards me, it intensified even more.

He stood arrogantly in front of me. Although there was a smile plastered on his lips, it seemed a bit . . . mocking.

''You're suddenly so shy, Georgianna?'' he asked in a taunting voice. ''Sa kwarto kita dadalhin. What's wrong with that? Anong iniisip mong gagawin natin, huh? Tulad ng mga tanong mo kanina?''

He crouched down and looked intensely into my eyes. I couldn't bear the weight of his gaze, so I averted my eyes. However, his finger brushed against my chin, and he used it to lift my face so I could meet his eyes again.

He smirked. ''You think I will bed you?''

Napakurap ako, napalunok, at halos mahigit ang hinginga lalo na nang pasadahan ng kanyang darili ang aking labi. My lips parted slightly as his thumb pulled down my lower lip. Titig na titig siya doon.

"No matter how much I want you . . . My feelings for you are stronger than my desires, Georgianna," he whispered huskily. ''Oo na't minsan ay hindi ko napipigilan kaya madalas kitang halikan. Pero iyon lang. Kontento na ako doon. I won't do something beyond that. I respect you. Unless you tell me or ask me, we won't do anything.''

I closed my eyes immediately when he leaned closer. I thought he was going to kiss me on the lips, but his kiss landed on my cheek. Katulad lang naman iyon ng mga halik niya noon . . . pero ewan ko ba't hindi ako mapakali ngayon.

''I'm not a slave to my libido. I'm not a playboy,'' aniya. ''Kahit na abutin ka pa ng ilang taon bago mo ako sagutin, wala akong hahawakan at hahalikan na iba. Wala akong gugustuhin yakapin, kung hindi ikaw. At wala akong uuwian linggo-linggo, dito lang, sayo, naiintindihan mo?''

I swallowed hard. Mariin ang tingin niya at hinihintay ang sagot ko. My voice suddenly failed me, so I just nodded my head in response.

''Aside from family members, I don't even think of other women. Ikaw lang. Even at work you occupy my mind . . . especially when you don't reply to my messages.''

He's so talkative! Why is he telling me these things so openly? Maybe it's because I asked some questions earlier, but I was just curious.

''I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to . . .'' I paused, breathing heavily. ''I just asked . . . because it suddenly came into my mind.''

As he went down, I couldn't help but bite my lip. He was already squatting on the floor, as if he were talking to a child sitting on the sofa. With a gentle hand, he brushed aside some stray hair that was covering my cheek.

"It seems like you were doubting me, and that's what I didn't like," he pointed out. "But now, I appreciate you asking. This way, I can clear up anything on your mind. Not to be defensive, but to let you know and understand my side."

My lips pursed a little.

"I want us to be open like this so that we can communicate better and more deeply with each other. No secrets and lies. Are you okay with this?"

Tumango ako. Naalala ko rin iyong mga bagay-bagay na hindi ko nalinaw agad sa kanya noon.

''Sorry about the misunderstandings before . . .''

"It's already in the past and we have settled that. But let's avoid having any more misunderstandings like that in the future, okay? If you're confused, if something's bothering you, or if you have questions, always feel free to ask or tell me. Don't worry about annoying or offending me. I will try to understand and then we'll talk about those things," he said gently. "And I will do the same thing too."

I nodded slowly. ''Okay . . .''

I have never been in a relationship—not that we are in one right now—but generally, somehow, I already know these things too.
 
And Carlos is handling something like this maturely, so I will try to do the same thing as well. Although I'm sure petty fights will always be a part of our vocabulary every now and then. But I guess that's normal. As long as we talk everything out, we'll be fine.

Hinagkan niya ang aking noo bago tuluyang tumayo. His expression looked calm already.

"I'll take a quick shower," he informed me. "You can wait for me in my room. No one has ever been there aside from the housemaids who clean it. But if you're uncomfortable, you can wait here too."

''Dito na lang ako,'' sagot ko. ''Papagalitan ako ni Senyora kapag nalaman niyang pumasok ako sa mga kwarto habang wala siya.''

He chuckled and muttered something incoherent under his breath before flashing me a smile.

"I'll be fast. I'll feed you first before bringing you home. Feel at home.''

I nodded and waved my hand to shoo him away. His forehead creased when I did that, but he didn't say anything anymore and just silently went away.

Mabilis nga lang si Carlos tulad ng sinabi niya. Ilang sandali pa lang ata akong nagpapahinga doon sa kanilang sala, nakita ko na ang pagbaba niya.

When he reached the last step of the stairs, he extended his arm towards me. I wasn't sure if he was signaling me to come to him, but I approached him nonetheless. He immediately wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed the top of my head.

Sa kusina niya ulit ako dinala. Muli akong naupo at pinagmasdan siya habang nagluluto. He was constantly conversing with me. He would describe to me what he was cooking. I appreciate it when he takes the time to engage with me, even if he's preoccupied.

When he was done, he put the plate in front of me. It was impressive how quickly he was able to prepare something in such a short period of time. He told me that it was linguine with clams in a garlicky white wine sauce, and he cooked it like a real chef. I only knew how to cook Filipino dishes, so it was something new to me.

He gave me utensils when he sat down beside me, but I noticed he didn't have any for himself—not even a plate of what he made. I looked around but couldn't find anything. Was he not going to eat?

''You won't eat?''

''Hmm, later.''

Muli kong binalik ang tingin sa plato ko. The serving was quite big, and I didn't think I would be able to finish it. I wondered why he didn't divide it into two portions for us to share . . . oh.

My eyes lifted up to Carlos, who was drinking water. He raised an eyebrow at me when he noticed my gaze lingering on him.

''We can share,'' sabi ko na lamang kahit iyon naman talaga ang gusto niyang palabasin ayaw lang aminin. I wanted to tease him about it pero dahil pinagluto niya naman ako, hindi ko na bibiruin pa.

The side of his lips rose. ''Alright.''

Na saan na kaya iyong sinabi niya na maging open? I guess, hindi kasama itong mga pagpapa-cute niya. I mentally chuckled.

We were in the middle of eating when he suddenly stood up to get something. I followed him with my eyes as he walked away, but he quickly came back and sat beside me again. He started writing something on a piece of paper, I just let him be.

Ilang subo na ang ginagawa ko nang mapansing hindi na kumakain si Carlos. I used my fork to twirl some pasta. Inalalayan ko pa iyon ng isang kamay nang ilapit ko sa kanya.

''Lorenzo.''

He glanced at me and smiled before he took the pasta into his mouth. Napailing na lamang ako.

"Here's my address in Manila, the exact location of the tower where I live," he said as he laid a piece of paper beside me. He pointed to his writings. "That's the passcode to my penthouse. I also have a spare key, which I will give you. The addresses below are my offices."

My forehead automatically creased.

Addresses. Penthouse. Passcode. Key. Offices.

"Huh? Why are you telling me all of this? And why would you even give me a key to your place?" I asked, confused.

"So you know where I live and where I am most of the time. You can easily find me," he explained, shrugging like it was nothing. "Other than those places, wala naman akong masyadong pinupuntahan. Only if I visit my parents or other family members, but I will always update you anyway. It's not like I haven't done that before," he added.

Naningkit ang mga mata ko. Mukhang may gusto pa siyang ipahiwatig doon sa huli niyang sinabi. Yes, it's true that he always updates me. Hindi ko lang pinapansin noon kasi wala naman akong pakialam kung na saan siya o anong ginagawa niya sa buhay niya.

But now, he is doing more than just updating me. At talagang binigay ang lahat! Anong gagawin ko sa passcode niya sa penthouse? It's not like I'll go there!

''Carlos, nanliligaw ka pa lang. Hindi pa kita asawa.''

He snorted arrogantly and muttered under his breath, "Doon din naman papunta iyon."

I tilted my head to the side. Narinig ko iyon! Ang yabang at ang kapal talaga ng mukha nito. Kailangan ko pa ata ng mas maraming pasensya tuwing kausap at kasama siya.

"Have you ever courted someone before, Carlos?" I asked, genuinely curious. Gusto kong malaman kung ganito rin siya sa mga niligawan niya noon.

"Hmm, no," he replied instantly. "You are the first and the only one since I plan to court you as long as I breathe," he added.

Napakurap ako.

Carlos may not have courted someone before, but he probably had flings. He's the type of person who can get any woman with just a lift of his finger. However, if he did have flings in the past, it didn't bother me. After all, I didn't know him back then. And it's already in the past. As long as he doesn't have any now, especially since the moment he met me and started courting me, I'm fine with it. And we already clarified that.

"I don't play around and never was a fan of it. But I had my fair share of relationships before, Georgianna,'' he said seriously. "I will admit it to you, so you won't think of anything.''

Tahimik lamang akong tumitig sa kanya.

"But that was already a long time ago. When I entered college, I focused more on my studies, and after that, I devoted my time to family and work," he explained. "If you think I'm fit and active, it's because I go to the gym and do a lot of active sports. Those are what I do in my leisure time, and not what you're thinking of, hmm?" he added, with a smile.

I pursed my lips when he admitted this truthfully. Lahat ng akala ko noon sa kanya ay biglang naglaho. Eventually, I found myself smiling.

''I hope we are clear on that now.''

Tumango ako.

After that, we resumed eating. I twirled some pasta and gave it to him, and he gladly accepted every bite. We continued taking turns, sharing the pasta until we finished it.

"It tastes good, huh?" I teased a bit when he was the one who took the last bite.

Umirap siya. ''I cooked it.''

I chuckled. Mukha kasing ako ang nagluto dahil siya ang ganadong-ganado kumain. Bawat subo sa kanya ay napapangiti siya.

"Did you like it?" he asked this time.
 
I nodded, grinning. "Yup! It's good. Thank you for the food."
 
"You're welcome," he replied, planting a kiss on my cheek. "I'll cook more for you next time."

Carlos washed the dishes, and even though I offered to help, he insisted on doing it himself.

As I was drinking water, a lot of thoughts suddenly came into my mind. And since he told me that I could ask him anything, I decided to do so. I put down my glass and prepared to ask him.

''Have you cooked for someone before?'' I started.

He briefly glanced at me before answering. "No, but I don't mind cooking for you. I can even do this every day," he said.

Hmm. Really, huh?

''Have you gifted someone—''

''Excluding my family, no one. Only you.''

"Are you . . . really fond of texting and calling even before, outside of business and important matters?"

Napalingon na siya sa'kin ngayon, medyo kunot ang noo. Nagtataka siguro kung bakit marami akong taong. Marahan siyang umiling bago nagpatuloy sa ginagawa.

''Not really,'' he answered.

Ha! I knew it! He isn't the type who likes those things.

''Oh, eh, bakit palagi kang tumatawag sa'kin?''

''Because it's you, you are an important matter. And I like talking to you, so . . .'' he added with a casual shrug.

I bit my lip, feeling the rapid thumping of my heart.

''Mayroon rin bang nakakaalam ng passcode ng penthouse mo?''

"There's no one else, Georgianna. Even my parents don't know. You're the only one who is entitled to know that. You also have the privilege to go to my place even when I'm not around, hmm?"

Privileges he says . . . a privilege for being liked by a Montecarlo, huh?

Nakapalumbaba ako habang pinagmamasdan ang kanyang likod. Mabilis din naman siyang natapos sa ginagawa. He wiped his hands on a cloth and walked towards me. I turned around in my seat to face him.

''Are you done with your interrogation or do you have more?'' aniya sa nanunuksong tinig.

''I'm just curious about random things.''

"Well, I like that you're curious about me. It means you're interested in me, Georgianna."

I huffed a breath, pretending to be annoyed. Rinig ko ang mahina niyang tawa kasabay nang muli niyang pagyakap sa'kin. Hindi niya rin pinaligtas na hindi dampian ng halik ang aking leeg at lalamunan . . . hanggang sa unti-unti ay umangat iyon sa aking labi.

He gently spread my thighs apart and nestled himself between them, leaning closer to me to claim my lips completely.

I noticed that despite sitting on a high chair, he still towered over me. I was almost looking up, with his one hand on my neck, while our lips were passionately dancing with each other.

Ilang minuto na kaming naghahalikan nang maalala kong nasa mansyon nga pala kami ng mga Montecarlo. Kahit na wala dito si Senyora at ang iilang kamag-anak niya, nagkalat naman ang mga kasamabahay nila. At ngayon ko lamang napagtanto na maaring magsabi o magkwento sila kay Senyora ng kanilang mga nakikita.

I panicked a bit and abruptly pulled away from the kiss. I thought Carlos would get annoyed, as he usually does when our kisses are cut short. But this time, he only watched me with tender eyes. He was about to kiss me again, but I stopped him.

His eyebrows furrowed. ''What's wrong?''

Umiling ako. ''Kapag nalaman ni Senyora na naglalandian tayo dito habang wala siya . . . I don't think I will still be able to face her. Uuwi na ako.''

He tsked. ''Hindi tayo naglalandian, Georgianna. Naglalambingan tayo.''

''They're just the same!''

He backed away and stared at me for a while, and I frowned, wondering what was on his mind.

''Don't you want to meet or greet them? Paparating naman na sila Lola.''

My eyes widened.

''Paparating na sila?! You should've brought me home earlier! Tara na!''

Agad na akong napatayo at hinila na si Carlos, na nagpatinod na lang din sa'kin habang tumatawa. I glared at him, and eventually he stopped. But the grin on his face remained.

Sa sobrang kaba na maabutan kami ng kahit na sino sa pamilya niya, lalo na ni Senyora, halos tumakbo na ako patungo sa kanyang sasakyan. Alam naman kahit papano ni Lukas ang mga galaw ni Carlos pagdating sa'kin, pero si Senyora ay hindi. Sympre nakakahiya pa rin, at baka kung ano rin ang isipin niya.

Nasulyapan ko lamang ang iling ni Carlos habang pinagmamasdan akong mabilis na ikinakabit ang aking seatbelt. After that, I repeatedly tapped his arm to signal him to start driving.

At kasabay nga nang paglabas namin ay ang pagpasok ng dalawang sasakyan.

''There they are,'' I heard Carlos say.

Bumusina lamang si Carlos at ganoon rin ang ginawa ng kabila. Heavily tinted din naman ang sasakyan ni Carlos, pero ewan ko ba kung bakit tinago ko pa rin ang aking mukha gamit ang mga kamay.

I silently thanked the heavens for saving me today.

        
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