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C23- Except you

AIDAs

"You're not gonna talk? You will keep ignoring me?"

I looked to the window to my side, ignoring his remarks.

I, then, put my arms across my chest.

At dahil hindi ko siya pinapansin the whole ride namin ay nanahimik na siya. Alam niya kasi na kahit anong gawin or sabihin niya ay hindi ko siya sasagutin.

Teka, bakit ba ako nagkakaganito?

Hindi naman kami para magalit ako nang makita ko na may ibang babae umaaligid sa kaniya. Normal lang yun sa kaniya kasi gwapo siya.

Ano naman sa akin ngayon?

Yes, may nangyayari sa amin, pero wala naman kami label, eh.

Sumumisikip tuloy ang dibdib ko habang iniisip ko na nagkakaganito ako towards him, pero hindi naman kami.

He just liked my body, and not me.

For him, I'm just a subject.

Lalo na ngayon na humingi ako ng tulong sa kaniya na hanapin ang parents ko. Hindi na dapat ako humingi ng tulong sa kaniya kasi para tuloy ako umaasa sa kaniya. Pero kasi tama siya. With me alone, I cannot find them. I have no connections or, what.

But, he does.

The car halted na dahilan kung bakit napatigil ako sa kakaisip.

I looked outside at hindi ko alam kung nasaan kami.

At saan naman niya ako dinala?

Tumalon ang puso ko nang bigla siya lumitaw sa harap ko, at binuksan niya ang pinto. Inabot niya ang kamay niya sa akin, offering to help me. Pero hindi ko tinanggap ang kamay niya, at kusa ako lumabas ng kotse.

"Where are we?" masungit kong tanong na matalim din ang tingin ko sa kaniya.

"Just follow me," aniya ng seryoso, at tumalikod na siya sa akin.

Saan banda 'tong lugar na 'to?

Though, I follow him at baka kung ano pa ang mangyari sa akin dito sa kakahuyan. At habang naglalakad ay natanaw ko ang nagliliwanag na bahay... sa gitna ng kakahuyan.

Wow.

It's just small but... elegant and cozy.

Pumasok kami sa loob at napaawang ang bibig ko seeing the interior designs.

This is lit.

I like it.

"It's a bungalow staycation house that I built whenever I want to be alone," banggit niya while walking.

"In the middle of the woods?" pagtataka kong sambit, na patuloy pa din sa pag-iikot sa bahay niya.

"Yeah. Well, it's far from the civilization. It's good for hiding out," replied niya, at pumunta siya sa kitchen.

"Yeah, it's far and no one would know you're here when you die," pagtatapat ko without a filter, at naupo ako sa couch na tapat ng malaking tv.

"Carl knows this place too. And also, Auntie, and my granny."

"So, just close relatives and friend knows this place."

"It can actually go in stealth mode."

"How?" tanong ko curiously, at lumingon ako sa kaniya.

Hindi niya ako sinagot, at may pinindot lang siya na button under the table in front of him. With that, nagsara lahat ng bintana at naramdaman ko na yumanig ang lupa na ikinabahala ko.

"Wait... are we sinking?" gulat kong tanong na napahawak ako sa couch.

"Yes. Don't worry this place is bullet proof, water proof, and earthquake proof. Zombie proof, too."

Napanganga ako sa bilib just hearing him.

"How about the food?"

"I have enough stock for ten years. To be honest, I have farm here underground. Enough for me to sustain my needs."

I am more than impressed.

Then, tumabi siya sa akin na may dalang bowl of green grapes, offering me.

I looked at him in the eyes and for a moment nakalimutan ko na galit pala ako sa kaniya.

"Can you tell me why'd you bring me here?" tanong ko, na pinangsingkitan ko siya ng mga mata as I wonder why.

"Well, you are mad at me. I don't know what you want. Also, I am not good in courting. I've never done it before. Then, this house crossed my mind, and maybe I could take you where we can be alone," he seriously told, at umiwas siya ng tingin sa akin like he is... shy.

"You're not gonna kill me, aren't you?" tanong ko bigla kasi sabi niya 'alone'.

"No, quite the opposite actually," he answered, at may pinindot na naman siya.

Nag-shake na naman ang buong paligid, at narinig ko na may something sa kisame kaya napatingala ako. Nakita ko na bumukas ang lupa at nakita ko ang nagniningning na mga bituin.

Wow. What a sight to see.

Napatingin ako bigla nang naramdaman ko na gumagalaw naman ang couch na inuupuan namin, and it lied down flat like a bed. Napangiti ako sa ginawa niya.

"You know, star gazing is one of my favorite things to do," sambit niya sa tabi ko na mukhang komportable sa pwesto niya.

He, then, smiled na napakagwapo naman talaga.

"How do you say beautiful in tagalog?" tanong niya bigla.

Napatingin ako ulit sa kaniya, at nagkasalubong ang mga mata namin.

"Beautiful in tagalog is 'maganda'," I answered with a smile, at tumingala ako ulit.

"I see. Ma-gan-da," bigkas niya.

Natawa naman ako sa kaniya after niya bigkasin ang tinuro kong word.

"Why are you laughing?" aniya curiously.

"Nothing. I'm just a little bit flattered that you want to know our language," pagtatapat ko, glancing at him.

"I have to know your language so, I would know what you are saying sometimes. I heard you and Carl talking in tagalog, and I couldn't understand a thing. I've been here for months and if I'm going to stay here more, I need to learn your language so, I will not be left behind," seryoso niyang sagot na hindi ko inaasahan.

"You mean to say, you want to learn our language because of me?" I teased, and I giggled.

"Yes," aniya, at sa gilid ko ay sinandal niya ang kaniyang kamay sa kaniyang ulo to looked down at me charmingly.

Nawala ang ngiti sa mukha ko just staring at him.

Anong ginagawa niya?

"And just to be clear, I am not interested in Lara. I know she has a thing for me, but it's not gonna work for me. Besides, I have my eye on someone already," direkta niyang paliwanag sa akin eye to eye.

Is he talking about me?

"Does that help you remove your anger at me?" sunod niyang tanong.

"Anger? Me? No, I'm not," tanggi ko, at umiwas ako ng tingin sa kaniya dahil nararamdaman ko na umiinit ang mukha ko just staring at him.

"You left my office without telling me. You shouted at me a while ago. You ignored me. You avoided me. You didn't let me touch you. You slapped my hands. You rolled your eyes on me a lot of times today. You argued with me. You were not answering me. You're being rude to me. Yeah, you're definitely not mad at me," he enunciated each word slowly with his hand counting what I did to him today.

"Well, you started it. You were bullying Carl. You kept ordering him around. You were rude to me as well. You held my neck. You were ignoring me to—"

Hindi ko na natapos ang sasabihin ko nang bigla niya ako hinalikan sa labi, na ikinagulat ko.

Then, he pulled at nagtitigan kami with our faces near too much for each other.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I took out my anger to you. I promise I will never grab your neck like that again. Just promise me too that you will not get along with other men again. I have a quite an anger issue when things didn't go my way. And, you gotta trust me, too, Aida. I am allergic to women. Except you," he apologized with those tantalizing eyes.

Those eyes that I cannot resist.

For a moment, nagtitigan lang kami.

There are a lot of words I wanted to say to him, but I couldn't.

He, then, caressed my left cheek without leaving my eyes.

Now what?

His gaze then went down, and he kissed me once more.

He went on top of me, and for the nth time, he took me.

Thereafter, we spent the night together merrily watching Filipino movies so, he would learn how to speak my language just like he wanted.

We had fun all evening.

Oh, I want more alone time with him.

Itutuloy...