SEDUCTION SERIES 1: WHEN HE PLEADED GUILTY

Kabanata 9

HINDI mapakali si Argus habang nasa daan patungo sa Hacienda Mercado. Nanlalamig ang kanyang mga palad at kahit na dis oras na ng gabi, nakiusap siya sa kanyang kuya Armani na sabihin kay Tammy na gusto niya itong personal na makausap.

It was a long discussion between Armani and Tammy, pero sa huli ay nagawang mapapayag ng kanyang kapatid si Tammy. He wasted no time and drove off despite the time.

Nang makaparada sa harap ng mansyon, napalunok si Argus nang makitang nakaupo si Tammy sa maliit na hagdan, yapos ang sarili habang matalim na nakatitig sa kanya.

He knew that look on her face, but it was more terrifying right now because it was him who needs to do some thorough explaining.

Nang makababa ng kotse, tumayo si Tammy at naglakad, wala ni isa man lang na sinabi. Dumire-diretso lamang ito hanggang sa marating nila ang maliit na kubong pahingahan ng mga trabahador kapag tanghali. Malamig ang simoy ng hangin at kahit hindi magsabi si Tammy, alam niyang hindi sapat ang cardigan na suot nito upang sanggain ang lamig.

Argus took in a deep breath then removed his jacket. Napatingin sa kanya ang matalim na mga mata ni Tammy nang mailagay niya sa mga balikat nito ang jacket niya, at kahit na madilim ang paligid dahil ang liwanag lamang ng bilog na buwan ang gabay nila, malinaw pa ring nakita ni Argus ang namuong luha sa mga mata ni Tammy.

His eyes soften as he stood in front of her. Nakaupo na ito sa papag at ang ulo ay nakayuko, tila wala nang balak salubungin muli ang kanyang tingin.

Argus sighed. He was desperate to explain himself. Kaya nang bigla siyang lumuhod sa harap nito at hinawakan ito sa nakakuyom na kamaong nakapatong sa mga hita, nanlaki ang mga mata ni Tammy at umawang ang mga labi nito.

"Argus! Ano bang ginagawa mo?!"

His thumb gently stroked her clenched fist while his pleading eyes remained staring at her shocked face. "Tammy, I'm sorry. Hindi ko gusto ang mga sinabi ni kuya. When you ended the call, we almost had a fist fight kung hindi lang umawat si kuya Arevalo at kung hindi ako kinaladkad palayo ni kuya Armani."

Umiwas ito ng tingin at ang mga labi ay sandaling mariing lumapat sa isa't isa. "Totoo naman, 'di ba? I am out of your league and we're just friends. Walang dapat ikagalit. Hindi ko inabutan ang mga pinagsasabi niya noong bago niya ako tinawagan at kung anoman 'yon, ang mabuti pa ay paniwalaan mo dahil mas matanda siya sayo at mas napapansin niya ang pagkatao ko." She flashed an obviously fake smirk. "Tsaka wala naman talagang dapat ikaselos si Landon sayo dahil hindi rin naman kita lalandiin. Pang-friends lang tayo, 'di ba? Hindi tayo bagay. Ang demonyo, kahit kailan hindi pwede sa anghel kaya para na lang silang gago kung iisipin nilang magiging tayo."

Napalunok siya nang sumikdo ang kanyang puso. Yumuko ang kanyang ulo at sumara sandali ang mga mata niya habang pilit niyang kinokontrol ang kanyang sarili. Even his grip on Tammy's fist tightened a little as he pursed his lips when the pain made his chest feel heavy.

Bakit ba siya nasasaktan? Tama naman, hindi ba? They will always be out of each other's leagues. Tammy will... never take the risk and be with a boring man like him who knows nothing about her worldly desires.

Argus took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry for... bothering you at this time of the night. I forgot we're only friends and I should know my boundaries. Please tell your boyfriend to never think I would ever steal you from him. I know you see something in him which... I clearly don't have so..." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Hindi naman ako kailangan i-block at pagselosan pa. Gusto lang naman kitang kausap minsan kasi... you are my comfort person. Iyon lang naman 'yon..."

Sandaling natahimik si Tammy. Mayamaya ay nadama niya itong humugot ng hininga bago nito hinagod ang palad sa kanyang buhok pababa ng kanyang batok. It felt so good to be touched that way by Tammy, and when he lifted his head to meet her gaze, his chest tightened when he noticed the brewing sadness in her brown eyes.

Tammy swallowed before she tapped the space next to her. Tumindig naman siya at uupo na sana nang hawakan nito ang kanyang ulo at pinahiga sa kandungan nito.

His heart suddenly went wild when she started caressing his hair while her lips are pressing hardly with each other. Habang siya ay malakas ang kabog ng dibdib habang gulat na nakatitig dito, si Tammy naman ay... tila nalulungkot.

"Tammy..."

"I just... wanna play with your hair." She took in a sharp breath then flashed a sour smile. "Kasi kung... ligawan mo na si Dawn at sinagot ka ay hindi ko na pwedeng gawin ito dahil kung ako ang girlfriend mo, hindi ako papayag na may kaibigan kang gagawa nang ganito."

Lumamlam ang kanyang mga mata. "Is that why you let Landon block me? Hindi mo na rin ba hahayaang makausap kita kung kailan ko gusto?"

Her sad eyes dodged his stairs as she continued combing his hair with her fingers. "I didn't know that... he blocked you on my accounts. Nag-aaway kami noong... tumawag si Arvind."

"Kung may tulad ko ba si Landon, will you do the same? Will you block her account, too on your boyfriend's f*******:?"

Tammy pursed her lips and gently nodded. "I will."

"Then why were you fighting about what he did, Tammy if you would do the same anyway?" he asked in almost a whisper manner.

Tammy took in another sharp breath then looked up. "Because I don't want to lose my comfort person for a fling. I don't wanna lose a home for... a temporary shelter..."

Argus' eyes soften as he watched her eyes turned sad. "Am I... your home, Tammy?"

Tumingin ito sa kanya kasabay ng pamumuo ng mga luha. "Always will be... sadly we both know we only stand under one roof, but there will always be a wall separating us for our own good..."

Sumikip nang husto ang dibdib ni Argus. Hindi siya nakakibo dahil kahit yata hindi diretsuhin, malinaw sa kanilang pareho ang ibig nitong sabihin.

He will always belong to the friendzone, and the wall separating them is their own standards she's never going to break...

NASA karatig-bayan ng Castañaz ang grupo nina Argus para sa isang programa ng kanilang organization. Nagkaroon sila ng medical mission kasama ang ospital kung saan nagtatrabaho ang tiya ng girlfriend niyang si Dawn kaya naman sumama ito at sinurpresa siya.

It's already been six months since Dawn said yes to him after almost four months of courtship which his brother, Arevalo pushed him to do until he finally had the courage to pursue her willingly. At sa mga nakalipas na buwan mula nang maging sila ni Dawn, hindi na sila muli pang nakausap ni Argus si Tammy. Binabalitaan na lamang siya ng kuya Armani niya na mas nakakausap nito, ngunit minsan, hindi pa rin sapat kay Argus ang mga salitang, "ayos lang naman si Tammy".

Sometimes he wanted to swallow his inhibitions and go see her, check how she's doing and know if she's really doing fine in life without him. Ngunit nilalamon din siya ng takot na baka kung makitang ayos lang ito habang siya ay may mga gabi pa ring napapaisip kung mababalik pa ang pagkakaibigan nila, baka masaktan lamang siya o hindi kaya ay magtampo nang tuluyan.

Nadama niyang humagod sa kanyang likod ang palad ni Dawn, marahil ay napansin na natahimik na naman siya.

"What are you thinking, hmm?" masuyo nitong tanong na ginantihan niya ng maliit na ngiti.

"Nothing. I'm just... relaxing my mind."

Napansin niya ang paglamlam ng mga mata nitong kaagad na umiwas ng tingin kasabay ng paghugot nito ng hininga.

"Sometimes you get me so worried, Argus. Kasi parang kahit anim na buwan na tayo, pakiramdam ko marami ka pa ring bagay na hindi handang buksan sa akin." Tumingin itong muli habang may lungkot ang mga mata. "Hindi mo ba ako pinagkakatiwalaan?"

It's not like that. He does like Dawn, but he doesn't think he's ready to talk about Tammy. Masaya siya kapag kasama niya si Dawn at nalilibang din naman siya ngunit ang diwa niya, madalas na mayroon pa ring hinahanap. Tila isang tahanang nais niyang mauwiang muli ngunit alam niyang hindi talaga pwede.

He swallowed the lump in his throat before he smiled. "It's not like that, Dawn. I just... don't think I still have to discuss that with someone when it's not really that important anymore."

She flashed a bitter smile. "Is it not important or you're just not ready to talk about it because you know it can hurt me?"

Umiling siya. "It's really not important, Dawn—"

Natigil ang kanyang sinasabi nang umalingawngaw ang kanyang phone. Dinukot niya iyon sa bulsa ng kanyang pantalon, at nang makita ang mukha ng babaeng nag-flash sa screen, sumikdo sa pangungulila ang kanyang puso. Tila nawala sa kanyang isip ang lahat ng tao sa paligid, at nang masagot niya ang tawag, pakiramdam niya ay muntik nang sumabog ang dibdib niya.

"Tammy?"

His anticipation suddenly turned into worry when he heard her sob. "Argus..." she sobbed harder. "Help me... They're... going to rape me..."