SEDUCTION SERIES 2: HEARTBEATS FOR A STRANGER

Kabanata 18

DINALA ni Alec si Lucy sa bahay ng kaibigan niyang si Laila. Ka-batch niya ito noong nag-aaral pa siya sa Cagayan at isa na rin ngayong propesyunal, isang lisensyadong Psychiatrist. Kagabi ay tinawagan niya ito upang alamin kung natuloy ang bakasyon nito sa Cagayan. When Laila said she's in her family's home, Alec told her about Lucy. Kaagad namang nag-alok ang kaibigan ng session para kay Lucy nang mabigyan ang dalaga ng gamot dahil hindi talaga nila mahanap ang prescribed pills nito.

Tiningala siya ni Lucy, halatang nag-aalangan ngunit nginitian niya lang ito saka niya marahang piniga sa balikat. "It's okay. Laila is a trustworthy person and she's very professional You can be completely honest with her."

Tumikhim naman si Laila na nakaupo sa katapat nilang upuan. Nang tignan ito ni Lucy ay matipid na ngumiti ang doktor. "You don't have to be scared, Lucy. I am only here to help you. Hindi kita huhusgahan sa ano mang ibabahagi mo sa akin."

Lucy gulped and gently nodded her head. Tumingin naman sa kanya si Laila saka siya sinenyasan. "You can leave her to me now, Alec. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her. Hintayin mo na lang siya sa labas. My husband wants to discuss something with you anyway. Matagal na niyang binabanggit ang balak niyang manghingi ng tips sayo tungkol sa mga kabayo."

Alec breathed out and jerked his head. "Okay." Tumingin siya kay Lucy. "I'll just be outside, alright?"

Lucy hesitantly nodded. "Salamat, Alec."

NANG matapos ang session, hinayaan muna ni Alec at Laila na makipaglaro si Lucy sa kambal na anak ni Laila. Limang taong gulang ang dalawang batang babae at giliw na giliw sa mahabang buhok ni Lucy kaya nagpresintang lagyan ng kung ano-anong palamuti si Lucy sa buhok. Nakatanaw lang naman si Alec at Laila sa tatlo habang nakaupo sila sa receiving area.

"Look at her? She's very good with kids. Her inner child is showing up without her knowing that's why she's being playful. Her attachment with her Peppa is actually good for her so stop looking at her piggy as if you're gonna cook it once she falls asleep."

Napangisi si Alec. "Hey, I wouldn't do that?"

Matipid na ngumiti si Laila sa kanya bago nito binalik ang tingin kay Lucy. "What she had gone through was really hard and I can sense how much she's struggling to fully open up. Alam ko namang ang mga taong tulad niyang dumanas ng traumatic events ay nahihirapan talagang magkwento dahil para sa kanila ay binabalik sila sa mismong pangyayari so be patient with Lucy, Alec. She may appear childish sometimes but that's because her inner child feels comfortable in the environment. That's very rare and it takes so much to earn that kind of trust. Whatever you are doing for her to be comfortable with you, keep doing that."

Napakunot ng noo si Alec habang sinusubukang balikan ang mga nagawa niya na para kay Lucy. "Parang wala naman akong masyadong maalala."

"Maybe she remembers something because of you that's why you earned her trust unconsciously but I could tell with the way she looks at you that you are one of the few people she trusts now. Anyway, I would like to discuss something. Nasabi niya sa aking mayroon siyang psychiatrist. Pwede ko bang malaman kung sino?"

Napalunok si Alec. "Truth is, I actually don't know who her doctor is kaya sayo ko rin siya dinala."

"Well if that's the case, huwag mo na siyang pabalikin doon, Alec. If you want her to recover, do not bring her to someone who doesn't know how to do the job right."

Salubong ang mga kilay na binalingan ni Alec ang kaibigan. "What do you mean, Laila?"

Hinubad nito ang suot na salamin saka bumuntong hininga. "The therapies she had with her doctor, it's not really helping her. It's just making her depend so much on someone by feeding her false information about her case. Tinitira niya ang emosyon ni Lucy at ginagamit laban sa kanya ang mga bagay na dapat ay maging lakas niya."

"I'm getting more confuse, Lai."

Seryoso siyang tinignan ni Laila. "While I was assessing her, she kept on mentioning how the therapist told her to look for someone to hold on to so she can survive from her traumas, and to just look on the brighter side of life. Na swerte siya na mayroong tumulong at kumalinga sa kanya. That's not how you heal trauma? You put yourself in the situation and face your fears. Hindi mo tatakpan, hindi mo pilit na kalilimutan sa tulong ng pagtuon ng buong atensyon mo sa taong nandiyan para sayo. Lucy needs to realize that instead of getting healed, she's actually getting trapped. Hindi niya hinaharap ang pinagmumulan ng traumas, Alec. She's just burying it by putting her mind on something else. She unconsciously turned someone into a hero she puts on a pedestal because of the lies that's injected in her head and that's the kind of manipulation that brought her to the situations she didn't want to talk about. This poor thing, marami na nga siyang bitbit sa balikat niya, dinagdagan pa." Laila sighed. "We can never move forward in life if we will not learn how to leave the baggage from the past, right where it's supposed to be, and in her case, hindi siya tinulungang alisin ang mga bagahe kung hindi lalo lang pinabigat so she will stay right where she can be controlled. May isa pa akong concern. Noong una mo siyang nakilala, how did she behave?"

Nahagod ni Alec ang kanyang mga palad sa magkabila niyang hita. "She was very sophisticated and the way she carried herself shouted how much she's trying to appear strong."

"Exactly the other problem I spot with her so-called sessions with her doctor. That therapist is making her believe she's someone else. Instead of telling her to discover who she truly is, learn her weakness and strengths, the doctor is making her think she should be completely different. Hindi ganoon, Alec. She will just be more unwilling to embrace everything that's happened to her is she will never choose to know herself. Kapag kilala natin ang sarili natin, mas malalaman natin kung anong bahagi natin ang dapat nating ayusin. Oo nga pala, I do not recommend the pills she was taking. Mabuti na ring nawala iyon, Alec. Those drugs are just keeping her from facing her fears by blocking the thoughts she didn't like, but it doesn't really help. Bibigyan ko siya ng iba medyo nakakaantok lang ang isang ito."

Napabuntong hininga si Alec saka siya tumango at muling binalik ang tingin kay Lucy. Lalo lang tuloy siyang naawa sa dalaga. Mukhang may ideya na siya kung bakit ganoon ang ginawa ng doktor kay Lucy. The President surely manipulated the doctor so Lucy will think she badly needs him in her life. Umusbong tuloy ang kanyang galit at naikuyom niya ang kanyang mga kamao. Kung noong una ay nais niya lamang ihiwalay si Lucy kay Presidente Vince dahil sa Unang Ginang, ngayon gusto na niya itong tulungang makalaya mula sa pangmamanipula ng presidente.

Gaya ng sabi ni Laila sa kanya kagabi, hindi awa ang kailangan ng mga tulad ni Lucy. They don't need heroes to save them. They need the support and understanding. Kailangang iparamdam kay Lucy ang pagtanggap at ipakitang naniniwala siyang kakayanin nitong malagpasan ang lahat, and that's exactly what he's going to do to help her.

Lucy doesn't deserve everything she'd gone through and he believes she can survive all of it. This is no longer about her being someone's mistress. This is about her being groomed and turned dependent to the President without her knowing. Gumalaw ang panga ni Alec at sa kanyang isip ay pinangako niyang tutulungan niya si Lucy na maghilom sa tamang paraan.

MABILIS na inayos ni Lucy ang kanyang roba nang pumasok si Alec ng silid. Nang magtama ang kanilang mga tingin mula sa repleksyon sa salamin, matipid na ngumiti si Alec saka ito naglakad palapit sa kanya. He gave her a comforting squeeze on her shoulders before he pecked some featherlight kisses on her head. "It's alright. You can show your burn to me, Lucy."

Lumunok si Lucy at nag-aalangang binaba ang kanyang tingin sa dresser, ngunit nang hawakan ni Alec ang kanyang pisngi upang patinginin siyang muli rito, tuluyang bumagsak ang kanyang pangamba na mahusgahan ng binata.

He pulled her up and gently caressed her cheek with his thumb before he slowly pushed her robe down her arms. Pinaglapat niya nang husto ang kanyang mga labi at nahihiya siyang tumalikod upang ipakita rito ang malaking peklat na dinulot ng binuhos na mainit na tubig sa kanyang likod noong trese anyos siya.

Her knees trembled as Alec pushed her hair to her side, exposing her back. Nang dumausdos ang dulo ng daliri nito mula sa kanyang batok pababa sa kanyang peklat na nasa gitnang bahagi ng kanyang likod, unti-unting sumara ang mga mata ni Lucy. The friction coming from Alec's fingertips brought waves of sultry liquid sensation in every nerve in her body, and when he kneeled to kiss her scar, she almost gasped.

"You are perfect in your own way, Lucy," he uttered under his breath before he stood up and made her face him again. Tinitigan niya ang mga mata nitong puno ng sinseridad habang inaayos nito ang kanyang roba. Tila mayroon tuloy init na humaplos sa kanyang puso lalo na nang ngitian siya ni Alec saka nito hinawakan ang kanyang mga kamay at inilagay sa mga balikat nito. "How about we put something else on that part? Not entirely to cover it up but to help you turn it into something else."

Napakunot siya ng noo. "What do you mean?"

"I'm scared of needles but I'm willing to face my fears with you." He held her on her waist and then smiled. "Let's get tattoos. You and me, Lucy. Let's ink our skin together..."