Las Cosas Series #1: Ashes From Our Past

Capitulo Veintecuatro

Nagising ako dahil sa sinag ng araw na tumama sa mukha ko.

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. Pinapakiramdaman ko ang sarili. Shockingly my nightmare didn't visit me. Was it because of this man who's sleeping beside me?

Oh, right. Arturo... Earlier this dawn...

"Buenos Diaz, Mi Amada," bati nito. Parang may humampas sa dibdib ko at bigla akong kinabahan habang inaalala ang nangyari kanina. But my lips stretched into a thin smile as I heard his husky voice greeting me.

"M-morning."

Nakadagan pa rin pala ako sa malapad nitong dibdib habang hinahaplos niya ang buhok ko. Umalis ako mula sa pagkakadagan sa kanya at mahinang hinablot ang kumot upang mapagtakpan ang kahubdan ko.

"Nagpahatid ako ng pagkain kanina dahil baka gutumin ka agad paggising mo. Let's have some breakfast?" saad ni Arturo.

"Uhm...Mamaya na inaantok pa ako."

Tumagilid ito at ipinatong ang ulo sa kamay na nakatukod sa unan. Itinaas nito ang kamay at inabot ang ulo ko. He caressed my hair.

"Beatris?"

"Hmm?"

"You... you weren't drunk anymore last night right? I mean earlier when we... made love."

Unti-unti gumapang ang hiya sa aking sistema ng ipaalala nito ang nangyari. Ramdam ko ang pamumula ng aking mukha na parang kamatis.

"N-no..."

No. I was completely sober when...when we did that. I heard him sigh in relief. He bent forward and kissed my forehead.

"Good."

Ibinaling ko ang tingin kay Arturo. I caught him looking at me too. He still look sinfully handsome in the morning, even with a messy hair. A sly smile was plastered on his lips.

"Uh, Why did you ask?" tanong ko sa kanya.

He looks like some kind of a model being shot and seducing me at the same time. Damn.

"Nothing. I just want to make sure that it's not the alcohol that took a toll on you when we did that."

"Oh."

He gave me a wide smile and reached for my nape before kissing me with hunger. Mabilis nitong pinagpalit ang posisyon namin at pinaglandas ang kaniyang kamay sa katawan ko, hanggang sa nahanap nito ang nais makamtan. He caressed me down there that made me bit my lower lip and my eyes drowsy.

"A-arturo?"

"Yes baby?" he huskily whisper on my ear and licked my earlobe.

"U-uhm..."

Hindi ko halos masabi dito ang nais kong iparating dahil halos mabaliw ako sa ginagawa nito.

"Are you still sore?"

Napamulat ako sa tugon nito. I bit my lip and nodded shyly. Nahihiya akong sabihin dito na masakit pa ang ibaba ko.

Hinaplos nito ang mukha ko at matamis na ngumitu saka ako mabilis na hinalikan sa labi.

"Come on, let's get you some breakfast."

"S-sorry."

"You don't have to, baby. It was my fault. I should be the one saying that."

Bumuka ang bibig ko para magsalita ngunit natikom nang walang nakontemplang sasabihin.

Tunayo si Arturo at kinuha ang hinubad nitong damit ko kagabi at isinuot sa akin. Binuhat niya ako at dinala sa kusina.

"Arturo, I don't have any undergarments," problemado kong sabi.

"You don't need them, Beatris. You're beautiful when clothed. But you're gorgeous when naked. And you're conservative anyway." He winked at me before stealing a kiss.

He's teasing me! Akmang hahampasin ko na sana ito nang bigla itong tumakbo papalayo sa akin habang tumatawa. He even have the guts to smile wickedly! Pasalamat siya at masakit pa ang ano ko kaya hindi ko siya mahabol. Para akong maiiyak sa pinaalala ni Arturo. Oo nga pala conservative ako. Shutang conservative na 'yan!

--

Tanghali na ng lumipad kami pauwi. Naiwan ang mag-asawang Yukimoto sa Cebu dahil may honeymoon pa daw sila.

Kinabukasan ay balik trabaho na naman kami. I was typing on my computer when I noticed someone coming on my direction.

"Is Thaddeus inside?"

I froze upon hearing that voice. I looked up only to see the man I loathed the most. But I immediately gathered my composure. I stood up and greeted him.

"Daddy wait!— Oh, hi there, Deborah." She waved and gave me a taunting smile. Lumingon ito sa lalaki. "Let's go inside, Dad?"

H-he's Catherine's... father? I gritted my teeth. Anger starts to boil inside of me. No wonder pareho sila ng ugali, mga masasahol. Para na akong nanginginig sa galit ngunit pinigilan ko ito. Hindi ko na pinansin si Catherine sa tabi nito.

I cleared my throat. "Do you have any scheduled appointment with Mr. Del Marcial, Sir?" nakayuko kong tanong. I tried to make my voice as normal as I can. Iyong walang halong pang-uuysm kahit na kating-kati na akong magwala.

"None. Just tell him that Alfredo Walters is waiting for him."

"Oh! There's no need for that, Dad. He knows us, so no need for formalization like calls."

"And you think that's proper, Catherine?" Natahimik si Catherine sa turan ng ama. Para na ito ngayong tupa na maamong nakayuko dahil takot sa leon. When her father's sight landed on me. I nodded my head like an obedient employee and hurriedly went to the intercom to tell the boss about his unexpected visitors.

"Good Morning, Sir. Mr. Alfredo Walters and his daughter are here outside."

"Come again?"

"Mr. Alfredo Walters and his daughter are looking for you."

There was a long stretch of silence on the other line before he replied. 'Let them in." His voice... It was cold and serious.

I turned to Mr. Alfredo Walters once again but didn't made an eye contact.

"You may now go inside, Sir."

He didn't say a thing and just walked by pass me. Catherine rolled her eyes and followed her father. Napakumo ko ang mga kamao ko habang pinapakalma ang sarili. I stood there for I don't know how long bago ako bumalik sa ginagawa kong pagtitipa pero ang isip ko naman ay lumipad na sa kung saan.

Kaano-ano siya ni Arturo? Are they acquainted? Or worst related?

Napahawak ako sa ulo. Sumasakit ang ulo ko sa mga naiisip. Maybe I'm just overthinking. Baka kasosyo lang nito ito sa negosyo or something like that.

I have to calm myself but there's a question in my head that keeps on bugging me.

Hindi ba niya ako namumukhaan? I bet not. Base na rin sa reaction nito kanina. He could've look dumbfounded kung nalaman niyang ipana-kidnap niya ako dati kasama ang mamá ko. Na ako ang anak ng babaeng pinapatay niya— na ako yung batang nakatakas sa mala-impyernong lugar na 'yon noong gabing pinatay nila ang namá ko.

Mabilis kong pinahid ang luhang nakatakas sa mga mata. I'm no weakling. I once said to myself that I won't revenge for my mother's death because she told me so even thougg I wanted to. I tried...but failed due to lack of evidences and support. But after seeing that son of b*tch again... Lo siento, mamá but I will give you the justice that you long deserve. Im done with my silence.

I took a folder on my desk and looked for something. Walters is one of the stockholders of this company. Great. How did I even mislooked that.

"Beatris."

I was pulled out of my reverie when someone called me. I looked around and saw him looking at me with a worried expression.

Lumapit ito sa akin at pinulupot ang mga kamay sa bewang ko. Tiningala ko ito at binigyan ito ng isang matamis na ngiti.

"Ah, baka makita tayo ng iba." Sinubukan kong kumalas ngunit hinigpitan lang niya ang kapit.

Lumingon ako sa paligid at baka may makakita sa amin at sa likod niya. Nagtaka ako kung bakit hindi nakasunod sa kanya ang nag-ama. Are they still inside his office? Probably.

"Hey..." Naibaling ko ang tingin sa kanya. Nakataas ang dalawang kilay. "Did you eat already?"

Iniling ko ang ulo. Tumingin ito sa relo niya at ibinalik ulit ang atensyon sa'kin.

"Let's eat. It's past twelve. Bakit hinintay mo pa ako? You should've just eat without waiting for me," aniya.

"Nasaan na nga pala ang mga ka-meeting mo?" tanong ko.

"Kanina pa umalis."

Hindi ko alam na ilang oras na paka akong napatulala dito sa pwesto ko at 'di ko na namalayan ang oras. At hindi ko rin namalayan ang pag-alis ng mag-ama.

Nagpunta kami sa opisina nito at inasikaso ang pananghalian namin na luto ni manang kanina.

As for what happened way back in Cebu. Hindi pa namin ito napag-uusapan. Tambak kasi ang trabaho namin at ayoko din na magtanong dahil natatakot ako.

I like him but that's it. Hindi ko alam kung gusto ba ako nito pabalik and besides, what happened was my fault. I kind of felt ashamed for myself. I could've done better. I could've controlled myself. But I didn't. At hindi dahil may nangyari sa amin ay mag-a-assume na ako. But without a proper talk, talagang gugulo ang ilang bagay lalo na sa parte ko.

Questions were flooding on my mind likr: "What will happen next?", "What are his plans?", "When will I ask him about us?" or "Is there even an us after what happened between us?", "What are we now after what happened?"

Napabuntong hininga na lang ako. This is hard. Pinasok mo 'yang sitwasyon na 'yan kaya panindigan mo dai. For the nth time I sighed again.

"Beatris."

Mabilis ko itong nilingon.

"U-uh. Oo, kumain na tayo." I want to slap myself from spacing out again.

I don't want to act strange in front of him dahil busy ito sa trabaho at ayaw ko nang dagdagan pa ang stress niya. I should just be contented of what we are— as friends. But I'm just fooling myself. We don't act as friends at all.

Tahimik kami habang kumakain. The air around us was silent so to break it ay tinanong ko ito.

"Nga pala, how's your talk with Mr. Walters and Catherine?"

Naubo ito kaya nilahad ko ang tubig sa kaniya.

"Ayos ka na?"

He nodded and went silent for a while. Inilapag nito ang kutsara at tinidor saka pinahidan ang bibig ng malinis na panyo.

"It was okay. The talk went well," malimit nitong sagot.

Patuloy akong sumubo ng pagkain nang maalala ang mga nagpabagabag sa akin kanina ay agad kong tinapos ang kinakain at uminom ng tubig.

"If you don't mind. Maaari ko bang matanong kung kaano-ano mo si Mr.Walters?"

I maybe overthinking it but my gut feeling is telling me that there's something more with that Alfredo. I am fidgeting my fingers under the table. I'm quite nervous about his answers. Dio...

His eyes were observing me and it's making me feel uneasy. It should be the other way around. I am interrogating him silently but why do I feel like I'm the one being on the spotlight. Kailangan kong makakuha ng impormasyon tungkol kay Alfredo kung gusto kong maghigante. I should know my enemy.

"He's just a family friend and a major stockholder of the company." He didn't look at me in the eye as he said those words. Ako nama'y inoobserbahan ang kilos at salita nito, at sa tingin ko may hindi siya sinasabi.

The low-key interrogation I did didn't go according to my plan. Wala akong napalang importanteng mga detalye. Sobrang kakaunti lang ang mga sagot ni Arturo.

I'm currently at the bathtub. Nang makauwi kami kanina ay nagpahinga lamang ako sandali bago lumublob dito. I need to relax and the scent of my lavender bath made me slightly relaxed. Na-ii-stress ako sa mga ganap sa buhay ko nitong mga nakaraang araw. Arturo and I's score, the mysterious relationship of the Walter's and Arturo. But no matter what I'll make sure to have my answers one-by-one. By hook or by crook.

Matapos ang isang oras ay naisipan ko nang umahon at nagbihis ng pajama at shirt. Matutulog na sana ako ng may kumatok. I walk my way to the door and opened it.

Arturo's standing outside my door with a pillow tucked on his arms.

"Oh, bakit?" I asked him.

"Uh... Can I sleep here?" Umarko ang kilay ko sa hiling niya.

"Why?"

"Because I want to sleep with you."

"You want to sleep with me?"

Why do I find that sentence malicious? Ah! Ang dumi na ng utak ko dapat hindi lang mukha ang nilalagyan ko ng cleanser eh, pati utak dapat.

"We'll just sleep, nothing more nothing less," sagot nito na may pilyong ngisi sa labi.

Nilakihan ko ang buka ng pinto para makapasok ito. The bed's kind of wide so I think we'll fit there.

We placed ourselves on each side of the bed leaving a large space between us, and this is kind of deja vu! Batid ko'y kasing pula na ng kamatis ang mukha ko dahil sa naalala. This exactly what happened on that night w-when we... I shook my head.

'Kung di ka titigil na gaga ka masasaktan ka talaga, 'wag masiyadong assuming dai ha?' ani ng isang parte ng isip ko.

"Goodnight, Beatris."

"Goodnight, Arturo." I yawned.