Dangerous Solace

CHAPTER 20

HINDI pa man sumisikat ang araw, tumutunog na ang cellphone ni Lucien at ‘yon ang gumising sa kaniya.

He groaned as he grabbed his phone from the nightstand. Then he slides the screen to abort the call. He turned off his phone and returned to sleep.

Nang muling magmulat ng mata si Lucien, he took his phone and turned it on. Hindi pa man nagtagal, nakaamoy siya ng nasusunog.

Bahagya pang kumunot ang noo niya. He just woke up, and he was still in a daze.

Pero ganun na lamang ang pagkabalikwas niya nang bangon nang ma-realize niyang amoy ng nasusunog na pagkain ang naamoy niya.

And it seems that the smell came from the small kitchen of their apartment.

“Neriah!”

Walang panglimang segundo, nakarating na si Lucien sa may kusina.

The kitchen was filled with smoke as soon as he entered.

“Neriah, where are you?” he asked as he waved the smoke away from his face. He quickly turned off the stove and saw the burned egg in the pan.

“I…I’m here…” may umubo sa gilid kaya doon natuon ang atensiyon ni Lucien.

Nag-aalala man si Lucien para sa dalaga, nakuha pa niyang matawa dahil naguhitan pa ng uling ang mukha nito.

“Walang nakakatawa,” naiiyak na sabi ni Neriah. She’s wearing an apron and holding a ladle. “Bakit mas mahirap pang magluto kaysa pumatay? Isang saksak lang, tapos na.”

Lucien gaped. “A-anong sinabi mo?”

Nakasimangot si Neriah na naiiyak. “I hate cooking.”

Hindi alam ni Lucien kung maaawa o matatawa siya kay Neriah. She looked like a kid who had lost in a competition.

“Alam nating pareho na hindi ka marunong magluto. Why did you push yourself to cook?” Lucien said. “Kung gutom ka, puwede mo naman akong gisingin—”

“Gusto kong magluto, pero ang hirap pala.” A tear fell from Neriah's eyes. “Mas madali pang umintindi ng camera kaysa sa magluto.”

Lumapit si Lucien sa dalaga at niyakap ito. “It’s okay. It’s okay. I’m here. I’ll cook.”

Neriah pouted.

Binuhat ni Lucien si Neriah at pinaupo ito sa may stool. “Stay there.” Aniya. Hinubad din niya ang suot ni Neriah na apron at isinuot niya.

Then he opened the window in the kitchen to let the smoke out. “Mabuti na lang at hindi tumunog ang fire alarm.” Aniya saka nagmumog. He gargled and spit it in the sink.

When Lucien looked at Neriah, she was still sulking. Napailing na lamang si Lucien, saka siya na ang humarap sa kalan.

He didn’t have the heart to throw the burnt egg, so he just set it aside. He didn’t want to waste Neriah’s effort. Puwede pa namang kainin.

For the next thirty seconds, Neriah was watching Lucien cook. The thing she always does whenever they are in the kitchen.

This time, she wanted to try it… Mukha kasing ang dali, pero ang hirap pala, lalo na kung hindi naman nakasanayang gawin.

Back at her parents’ house, she doesn’t need to lift a finger. Pagkagising niya, nakahanda na ang agahan at kakain na lang ang gagawin niya.

“I should have asked my mother to teach me how to cook,” Neriah muttered.

Hindi niya alam na darating ang araw na gugustuhin niyang magluto. She just wants to make breakfast because it looks easy whenever she watches Lucien, but it wasn’t easy at all.

She sighed.

“Anong problema?” tanong ni Lucien, at sandali niyang sinulyapan si Neriah.

Umiling si Neriah. “Nothing.”

Lucien flipped the egg before placing it on the plate. Humarap siya kay Neriah at inilapag sa harapan nito ang niluto niya. “There you go.”

Neriah’s eyes brightened. “It smells good, Lucien.”

Pero ang atensiyon ni Lucien ay nasa labi ng dalaga. Her lips look kissable. And right now, he wanted to kiss her.

Lucien gulped. “Neriah…”

Neriah looked up. “What—” Lucien suddenly held her nape and claimed her lips.

Automatikong napapikit ang mga mata niya at tumugon sa halik ni Lucien. Ipinalibot niya ang braso sa leeg ni Lucien, pati na ang hita niya ay ipinalibot niya sa baywang nito.

Napahawak si Lucien sa gilid ng counter nang maramdaman niyang may nabubuhay sa kaniya.

Neriah suddenly stopped. “You…”

Ibinaon ni Lucien ang mukha niya sa leeg ni Neriah. “Let me calm down.”

“Will you really calm down if we’re like this?”

Natawa nang mahina si Lucien saka ipinalibot ang braso sa katawan ng dalaga.

Pero naputol ang yakapan nilang dalawa nang bahagya siyang itinulak ni Neriah. “Gutom na ako. Kumain na tayo.”

“We just kissed—”

“Lucien, totoong pagkain ang gusto ko.”

Ngumiti na lamang si Lucien, pero ninakawan niya ng halik si Neriah bago siya humarap sa counter upang ihanda ang agahan nila.

The warmth inside the kitchen disappeared the moment Lucien’s phone rang.

The screen lit up.

Father.

Nawala ang ngiti ni Lucien at hindi niya pinansin ang cellphone niya.

Nasulyapan naman ni Neriah ang cellphone ni Lucien. “Hindi mo naman kailangang sagutin kung ayaw mo.”

Napatitig si Lucien sa phone. Tumigil na ito sa pag-ring. Pero pagkalipas lamang ng ilang segundo, muli na naman itong tumunog.

He let out a sigh. Pinulot niya ang cellphone at tumingin kay Neriah. “Continue eating. I’ll just talk to my father.”

Tumango si Neriah.

Lucien stepped out of the kitchen and onto the balcony, and answered the call only after closing the door.

“What?”

His father’s deep voice came through. “You finally decided to answer.”

“Anong kailangan niyo? Abala ako ngayon.”

“Your stepmother had complained to me. You’re being disrespectful.”

Lucien snorted. “At nagsumbong pala sa inyo ang magaling niyong asawa.”

“Lucien,” his father warned.

Pero hindi ito pinansin ni Lucien. “Sabihin niyo na lang kung ano ang kailangan niyo—”

“Watch your tone, Lucien. I’m still your father.”

“My father had already died the same day my mother died,” Lucien said in a cold voice.

Natahimik ang kabilang linya.

Then another voice came through. “My dear Lucien, huwag mo namang sabihin ‘yan sa daddy mo—”

“Hindi ikaw ang kinakausap ko,” ani Lucien.

“Lucien, you’ve become rebellious now.” Wika ng kaniyang ama.

“I learned from watching our family—wrong—from your family.” Malamig na wika ni Lucien. “And if you called only because my stepmother complained, then let’s end this conversation.”

“Lucien, mukhang medyo matapang ka na ngayon na sumagot,” anang kaniyang ama. “Was it because of her?”

Kumuyom ang isang kamay ni Lucien. Hindi na siya nagtataka na nalaman ng kaniyang ama ang tungkol sa mga ginagawa niya rito sa London. He was sure that he had hired an investigator to investigate him.

“Leave her out of this… You can’t take the consequence if you provoke her.”

“She’s just a lowly woman, Lucien. I know, he’s just your passing fancy.”

Mabilis na humarap si Lucien sa kusina. Neriah was eating heartily. Looks like his father didn’t know Neriah’s background. That’s good then.

“Dad, she’s not a passing fancy. Be careful with your words.”

“You sounded like you’re choosing a stranger over your own family now?”

Tumaas ang sulok ng labi ni Lucien. “She treated me with genuine kindness in a few weeks than your family has in years.”

Natahimik ang ama ni Lucien.

“Dad, when I was younger, you could manipulate me. But now, my loyalty is no longer yours to command.”

Then Lucien ended the call.

Sa pakiramdam ni Lucien, nawala ang tanikalang nakalagay sa kaniyang leeg dahil sa wakas, hindi na siya katulad ng dati. Before, he always obeyed.

Now, it was different.

This time, I’m choosing myself. And it’s not because he had to, but because someone had taught him.

Gumuhit ang ngiti sa labi ni Lucien habang pinagmamasdan niya si Neriah na kumakain. In a family where every conversation felt like a battle, Neriah had become the one place where silence didn’t hurt.

And for the first time in his life, he realized that going home no longer meant returning to the Verdan Manor.

It meant returning to her—Neriah—the woman he loved.