TAINTED HEARTS (ENGLISH)

TAINTED HEARTS 13

Chapter 13

I didn’t go all the way down when I saw Lennox talking with Mena and Rico in the living room. From the kitchen, I could hear Mama and Along cooking. He got along well with my siblings because of driving me to and from home every day. Even when there were no classes, he was here. He always brought food or toys, and not once did he come to the house empty-handed.

“It should be placed here because it’s his hand.”

“It’s the foot,” Rico said.

“No, I’m telling you it’s the hand.”

“It’s the foot,” my brother insisted.

They were arguing. Lennox laughed. He pointed out to Rico where the feet should be attached. In the end, Lennox laughed again because Rico was right. Rico was smart, but he learned things slowly. I couldn’t send him to a school for children with special needs. When I asked before, the tuition was too expensive, so I just patiently taught him myself whenever I had the time.

“Smart boy!” Lennox lightly patted Rico’s head. Rico didn’t look at him and just continued fixing the toy.

I stayed upstairs, watching him. He and Rico were assembling the toy he brought, while Mena was eating on the side and watching them. I wanted to ask him about the things I heard, but if I was going to, I should first know my place.

That’s when I realized that after I told him I liked him too, we never had a formal conversation. There was no clear discussion. We both liked each other. Our feelings were mutual. But that was it.

He stood up when he saw me standing at the top of the stairs. I widened my smile so he wouldn’t know I’d been watching him for a while. He came closer and waited on the other end as I walked down.

“You’ve been here for a while?” I asked. “You didn’t ask Mama to wake me up?”

His eyes were serious. I stopped at the last step so we were eye level, though he was still taller even with me on the higher step. He kissed me on the corner of my lips and reached for the bag I was holding.

“It’s fine. I kept myself entertained with the kids while waiting for you.”

I said goodbye to Mama and my siblings before following him outside. He was already inside the car, the front seat door open where I always sat. I looked around the car as I entered.

“A new car?”

He nodded, then started the engine. “I will teach you to drive. It is smaller and easier to maneuver.”

I pursed my lips as I fastened my seatbelt. “Why did you have to buy a new one?”

“It is the same size as your car. Besides, many people have ridden in my other cars. Here, only you.”

I looked at him while he was seriously driving. What were we doing? We hadn’t talked about us yet, but we acted like we were in a relationship. He said he liked me, and I liked him too. Was that enough reason to do the things couples in a relationship do?

My mind came back to the present when we arrived at school. He pulled my arm and held my neck to bring my face closer to his. He fetched me early from home because this was what we did for a few minutes inside his car.

Lennox groaned the moment our lips touched. He kissed my lips like he was savoring his favorite dessert. Just one kiss, and I was hooked. I got excited and suddenly forgot what I was worried about. I closed my eyes and quickly responded to his kiss.

He kissed me intimately, showing me how experienced he was. At first, I was so overwhelmed and didn’t know how to return his kisses. He was good at kissing, and I wasn’t experienced. Later on, I just got used to it because we did it often.

I clung my arms around his neck, then pulled him closer to me. I stroked his hair with my fingers while kissing him like I always did. He growled as my tongue brushed his. He then sucked my tongue and bit it gently.

“Hmm . . . you are good. I can’t believe you are dominating me in kissing now.” He chuckled, then used his right hand to unbuckle my seatbelt.

He quickly pulled me onto his lap. As soon as I straddled him, his kiss grew more intense. His mouth was hot and tasted like mint. It felt like he was competing with me. He said I had gotten good at kissing, so now he was kissing me even better.

“Oh!” I flinched at the hard thing that poked me.

“Xena . . .” His kisses moved to my neck as I tilted my head back. He lifted my dress and guided my hips to move against him.

I wasn’t wearing my uniform when we entered school. I always left it in my locker ever since this became our routine. He firmly held me by the waist. After a while, he stopped and hugged me. His breathing was heavy as he tried to calm himself.

“Go inside. I’ll just calm myself down.”

I nodded and got off him so I could change into my uniform. There were still a few minutes before his class, so I stayed in the room waiting. I thought he would come in after a few minutes, but I was surprised when he didn’t show up.

“Sir is outside! He’s talking to a woman!”

I looked at Abigail’s group when one of her friends hurried in and whispered loudly.

“A woman? Who?”

“I don’t recognize her face! Maybe his live-in partner?”

My chest tightened at what I heard. I stood up and didn’t listen to the rest of their conversation. I searched for where he was.

“What’s your plan? Why are you going to drag this out for a year?”

I was at the parking lot door, hiding on the side, because I could already hear them from here. I peeked and saw the same woman he talked with at the restaurant before.

“Leave! I told you not to come here!” Lennox leaned on his car, brows furrowed as he told the woman to leave.

“How can I leave when you’re not coming home?!”

The woman angrily brushed her hair with her fingers. She had long hair, was tall, and beautiful. She was the type of woman you’d think was a model if you passed her on the street, one you’d keep looking at even after she walked past.

“Leave! I’m not going—”

“Why?” The woman came closer.

The moment her hand touched his arm, I ran away. I locked myself in the bathroom. I tasted blood on my lips from biting too hard. I tried to calm myself by thinking they weren’t doing anything, just talking. I didn’t even know if she was just a relative or what.

He was spending his time with me, not with another girl. He was teaching me new things, and I was happy with him. When I was with him, I felt like this was the first time I was doing something for myself. Not thinking about anyone else. Not thinking about any problems coming my way. The only thing occupying my mind was us.

I took a deep breath and smiled. I shouldn’t think badly of him. If it was true he had a live-in partner, he wouldn’t approach me. So I believed the other part of my mind—that it wasn’t true. I left the bathroom cubicle and washed my face when my phone rang.

“Where are you? You’re not in class.”

I smiled when I heard his voice.

“I’m in the bathroom. I’m coming back now.”

I ended the call. Even before I got closer, I already saw him by the door. He smirked when he saw me and went inside. While in class, he kept glancing at me. On the third glance, his brows furrowed as he looked at my lips. I touched them and remembered I had bitten them earlier, so they bled.

“Diana,” he called to the girl in front for recitation.

The dark look and his furrowed brows never left throughout the class. He left without acknowledging me, so I didn’t know if he would fetch me later. Was he angry because I was late? That I was taking advantage of our closeness to excuse my tardiness?

I wasn’t in the right mind during my other classes. I even got scolded by the professor in my last subject because I couldn’t answer his question. I was too preoccupied with what happened earlier—him and the woman they said was living with him, my wonder about who she was, plus his cold treatment toward me.

I didn’t go to the parking lot because Lennox didn’t say he would fetch me. I went straight out the gate and waited for a jeepney to go home. I was already in my sleepwear clothes when I got a call from Lennox.

“Where are you? Why are you taking so long to come out?” he asked angrily.

“What?” I asked, at the same time Along called me from the first floor.

“Why do I hear a man’s voice? Who are you with? I’ll go inside if you don’t come out!”

“Inside where? Where are you? I’m at home, and what you heard was Along.”

He went silent on the other line. Then he clicked his tongue irritably.

“You know I always fetch you. Why did you go home on your own?!”

I heard his car door slam and the engine started.

“You didn’t say you’d wait! You even ignored me in class!” I yelled back. I was on the verge of tears from his angry and irritated shouting.

He went quiet. Then I heard his deep sigh.

“I’m coming over.” His voice wasn’t angry anymore, but I was already upset.

“Don’t. I’m sleepy already.”

“I’ll come. Just wait for me.”

“I said I’m sleepy!” I shouted louder.

He fell silent again and let out another heavy sigh. I heard car horns, and it seemed like he was already driving.

“Fine. I’ll go home now. I’ll just fetch you early tomorrow.”

I ended the call, lay face down, and cried on the bed. I didn’t want to be hurt, but that was what I felt now. Was I just being too sensitive, or was there really something wrong with what I was feeling? Was it wrong because I was doubting him? I felt like he really did have a live-in partner, but how could I explain him spending holidays with me? Him always coming to me? I couldn’t point out exactly what, or maybe I was just letting my feelings blind me so I couldn’t see the truth.