DANCING WITH THE VILLAIN

XIX | Louder Than the Mind

Rhysand Marfori 

Sinclaire Grande

The moment he entered the Grande, he was greeted by Adriene at the counter. Nakangiti ito sa kanya dahilan para mapakunot ang noo niya.

"What's wrong with you?" tanong niya sa babae mang makarating siya sa counter.

"Huh? Nothing's wrong."

He narrowed his eyes at her and she kept smiling.

"You forgot what happened last night," he said at nawala ang ngiti ng babae dahilan para tumaas ang mga kilay niya.

"Honestly, I don't remember what happened after I passed out. And I suppose you're the one who took me home?" tanong nito sa kanya.

A small smile curved his lips at agad nagpunta sa kwartong naroon kung saan sila madalas mag-inuman.

It was a surprise to see Rory in the Grande when she made it clear she wouldn't involve herself with the Marfori's business. Ngunit naabutan niya itong nasa Grande, cradling a handful of ripped dress. 

"I'm guessing you didn't catch your flight?" saad niya sa kapatid at agad naupo sa upuan doon katabi ni Marcus. Rory rolled her eyes.

"I did not!" saad nito sa kanya. He poured himself some whiskey at saka ininom iyon. He couldnt help but glance at the counter kung nasaan nagpupunas ng mga baso si Adriene. Bukas ang pinto ng kwarto kung nasaan sila.

"So why are you here bringing a ripped dress?" tanong niya sa kapatid ngunit ang mga mata niya'y nananatili pa rin sa kung nasaan ang babaeng lasing na tinulungan niya kagabi.

Napatingin naman siya kay Rory nang hindi ito makasagot. He looked at Marcus and Sid and both of them just shrugged, telling him that they don't know either. 

He sighed and looked at Aurora who was still silent. And when he looked at the open door, someone was already there, blocking his view to the counter.

"Eliza," he called. Ngunit hindi siya pinansin ni Eliza at diretso itong nahlakad papunta kay Rory.

"I told you that was a stupid idea," Eliza exclaimed. "Tingnan mo ang ginawa mo sa damit!"

Napayuko naman si Rory. He looked at the dress on her lap. Hindi niya pa rin malaman kung anong nangyari.

"What happened, Eliza?" tanong ni Marcus ngunit nagpakawala lang si Eliza ng malakas na singhap at napaupo. Saka naman ito nagsindi ng sigarilyo.

"Scotch, please," tawag ni Eliza sa counter. He saw Adriene look in their direction and when she met his eyes, agad nitong iniwas ang tingin. He let out a scoff. So, she's embarrassed now, huh.

Kaya naman nang papunta na ng babae sa gawi nila bitbit ang isang bote ng scotch at isang baso ay sinadya niya itong titigan. The moment Adriene arrived at the door, she was deliberatelty avoiding his gaze. Agad nitong inilapag ang bote sa mesa na naroon at nakita niya pa itong ngumiti kina Aurora at kay Sid. And his brother grinned back.

Bago pa man makalabas ang babae sa kwarto ay tinawag niya ito. Napatingin naman ang lahat sa kanya. He saw Adriene stop walking by the door at humarap sa kanila. This time, she doesnt have a choice but to look at him. A small smirk curved his lips as he looked at her, trying to compose herself. Alam niyang naaalala ng babae ang nangyari kagabi at ngayon ay nahihiya na ito sa kanya.

"How are you feeling?" tanong niya sa babae dahilan para mapakurap ito. She was clearly not expecting him to ask that question and clearly, his family wasnt expecting it too dahil nakatingin ang mga ito sa kanya na para bang nagsalita siya ng panibagong lingwahe.

Adriene cleared her throat and replied, "I'm...I'm fine." Then a tight smile.

And for some reason, he wanted to tease her more. And his family too.

"After what we did last night, I was wondering if you found the keys? I took it out of your brassiere and I placed it on top of your table."

Kitang-kita niya ang pamumula ng mukha ng babae habang nakatingin sa kanya. Napangisi naman siya nang tingnan niya ang mukha nina Eliza.

"Ew, what? Why the hell would you even say something like that habang narito kami?" Rory exclaimed.

"What you did last night?" Eliza asked but her face was more intrigued rather than confused.

"You took it out of her brassiere? I'm surprised I didn't find any marks on your cheeks. Malakas manampal ang mga babae, Rhys. They could take out gangs with just their hands."

"You went inside her room?" Sid asked and he was more horrified than anyone else. Alam niyang interesado amg kanyang kapatid kay Adriene and he just realized he finds Adriene quite interesting too. And he isnt some good big brother who gives way for his brothers. Kaya naman nginisihan lang niya si Sid na hindi makapaniwalang nakatingin sa kanila.

Ngunit mang tumingin siya kay Adriene ay naniningkit ang mga mata nito saka ito tumikhim.

"I was drunk last night and Mr. Marfori—hinatid niya ako sa bahay. And the keys are in my brassiere and I was the one who took it out, not him. Iniwan niya agad ako sa kwarto ko at agad umalis. Nothing else happened."

"Oh, so you remembered," ngisi niya sa babae at nakita niya itong napapikit nang mariin when she realized her mistake.

Napatingin naman sina Marcus sa kanya and he shrugged. Adriene didn't say anything at agad na isinara ang pinto. He let out a low chuckle before he took his glass and sipped on his whiskey, while his family was looking at him as if they have seen something odd. Hindi nalang niya ito pinansin and shifted the focus on Rory.

"So why are you here bringing a ripped dress?"

It was Eliza who answered, "She wanted to prove to you she could manage to hold herself while she lives in another city."

"And the dress?"

"Sabi niya kung makakaya niyang magsuot ng ganoong damit ay makakaya niyang mamuhay doon."

Napatingin naman siya sa kapatid na nakayuko. "If you said you can live in another city perfectly well then you can. Wala namang nagdududa sa 'yo."

Tumingin naman si Aurora kay Marcus. "But Marcus said it's better I should be here."

He looked at Marcus and the latter shrugged and said, "I told her what I think. Hindi ko naman siya pinipilit na manatili dito." 

Rhysand sighed and looked at his sister na nakatingin lang din sa kanya. "You can go wherever you wish to go. You have our blessing. You have nothing to prove to us," saad niya sa kanyang kapatid. Narinig naman niya ang mahinang pagtikhim ni Eliza dahil alam niyang hindi ito sang-ayon sa desisyon ni Aurora. Ngunit alam niyang wala na ring magagawa ang mga ito sa desisyon niya. And besides, it's what Aurora wants. 

Tahimik ang kwarto hanggang sa tumayo nalang bigla si Aurora. "I'm going tomorrow." 

There was even more silence than before. Nagtataka namang nakatingin si Aurora sa kanila, wondering what caused the silence. And Rhysand knew why but none of them doesn't know how to tell Aurora about what's going to happen. 

"Rhys?" she called and he sighed as he put his glass down. 

"Since a lot of people now know your connection to us, huwag kang umasa na magiging mapayapa ang buhay mo kahit malayo ka rito. You will be chased, Rory and you have to promise me that you will fight. Let the Marfori in you take charge and fight. It's scary but you have to choose which kind of scary do you want. The kind where you see your beloved dead in our enemy's hands or the kind that where you accept who you are and let them see what you're capable of," he said and Rory smiled at him. It was a tight one and he knew she was still undecided. But he trusts his sister enough to tell her that she will make her mind soon enough. 

"And Marcus is getting married," he said dahilan para mapatingin ang lahat sa kanya. Perhaps they were not expecting him to deliver the news that way. But it was Aurora who was wide-eyed as she looked at him. At bigla naman itong napakurap na para bang sinisigurado nito kung tama ba ang kanyang narinig. 

"I'm sorry, what?" 

Rhysand looked Eliza who was giving him glares so he just shrugged his shoulders. Nang tingnan niya ang dalawa pa niyang kapatid, ay napapikit ito nang mariin. But it was Marcus who was lookin on the floor as if he just received a funeral news. 

Napalingon si Aurora kay Marcus. "Is that true? You're getting married? To whom?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ng kapatid. 

Marcus lifted his head and smiled at Aurora. Although Rhysand could tell it was forced, he kept quiet. 

"Some girl from the West. One of the Corocans," Marcus said and Rhysand was surprised he told Aurora the truth. Natigilan naman ang kapatid nilang babae. Napatingin ito sa kanya at kay Eliza na para bang nagtatanong kung paanong nangyaring magpapakasal si Marcus sa isa sa mg Corocans.

"You do remember that they tried to kill you, right?" Aurora asked and looked at Marcus. 

Napayuko naman si Marcus saka sinabing, "Ako naman ang nagsimula ng gulong iyon. It was only right that I should apologize--" 

"And this is your way to apologize? Pwede naman natin silang bayaran--" 

"That is not how this works, Rory," singit niya dahilan para mapatingin ang kapatid niya sa kanya. 

"This is your idea, isn't it? You told Marcus to marry some Corocan girl. Is that what you did?" 

Napahilot si Rhysand sa kanyang sentido. "It wasn't. I went to the west to make a deal with teh Corocans--" 

"Why did you even made a deal with them, Rhys? Alam mo ang ginawa nila kay Marcus. You knew what they almost did to him--" 

"And Marcus knows it was his fault. That he has to pay for it at some point and this is the time that he's going to pay for it. And we made a deal with them because the Woods are after us now. After what Neinhart did, they are now coming for us. And we need more men than ever to protect you from our enemy's grasp." 

"Rhysand!" Eliza's voice boomed inside the room and then it was too late for him to take what he said. Napag-usapan nila na hindi sasabihin kailanman kay Rory ang tungkol sa kung bakit sila nakipagbati sa mga Corocans because it would only burden her. And that is exactly what he did. He just spilled everything and now he couldn't take it back. 

Aurora looked at Marcus. "Is it true?" she asked. Ngunit hindi makasagot si Marcus kaya naman tumingin siya kay Sid. 

"Sid?" 

Sid looked at him and then at Eliza. And then he heaved a deep breath and nodded. Rory sobbed and sat on the couch. 

"The Corocan's offered us two choices. Either Marcus marries one of the Corocans or...or you marry their current family head." 

Silence filled the room as they let Aurora understand what had happened and then she said, "So Marcus chose himself?" 

Marcus nodded and said, "Because you wanted to live your life. You can't do that if you are tied to a man you don't even love."

"And you will be tied to a woman you don't even love." 

"I can bear it, Rory." 

"Marcus--" 

"It's fine. It has been decided. Marcus will marry the sister of the family head. We will have the Corocans on our side and the Woods would hesitate to come at us." 

The room was still silent kaya naman agad siyang tumayo at naglakad papunta sa pintuan. Ngunit bago pa man niya mabuksan iyon ay nagsalita si Aurora. 

"How can you expect I would be able to leave after knowing all of these?" 

Napahinto siya at hinarap ang kapatid. "Like I said, nobody is stopping you, Rory--" m

"How could I leave after what I knew? Marcus will be tied to the Corocans--who knows what they will do to him! And it was all because of me. Hindi ko mapapatawad ang sarili ko kapag nangyari iyon," Aurora sobbed. "Why do you have to tell this to me? Just when I was ready to leave?" 

"I wanted to be selfish. But knowing what would happen to Marcus, I couldn't leave like this. There has to be another way--" 

"There is no other way, Aurora," he said, his voice stern and loud. "There is no other way. What you're wishing is idealistic. We owe the Corocans and Marcus is going to pay for it." 

"I can't be living peacefully knowing my brother sacrificed himself for my happiness--" 

"We are all sacrificing here! It's not just him. Akala mo ba madali iyon para sa amin? Sa akin?" 

Natahimik naman ang kanyang kapatid. He looked at the others in the room before he got out. Pissed. He did not even spare a glance on the counter dahil alam niyang narinig iyon ni Adriene. 

The moment he was out, he lit up his cigarette at sakto namang nakatanggap siya ng isang text message. When he opened it, he sighed. 

As he has something new to do tonight. 

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