EXCHANGE OF HEARTS [BL]

KABANATA 28

Their exchange of hearts gave bliss to Atlas. Perhaps when someone heard them talking like that, exchanging hearts (just figurative not literally—it's like they made vows to each other) just maybe they'll cringed if they'll heard them talking, breathless.

It gave light. Atlas came to life again. Atlas admitted that before he met Race, his life was hell, his life was miserable and darkness clouded him like all he saw was black, but now he saw kaleidoscope of colors.

Race brought him to life. Race gave him another reason to live. Race gave him a reason to stay. Race gave colors to his darkness.

Yet, he can't take off of his mind the message he received two days ago.

This time, Race messaged him to come over because him and Bridgette are coming home (for their unfinished project). Atlas wanted to come because he missed Race even though they met everyday and kissed all day when they're alone.

Yet, he can't come today.

He type a reply;

Atlas: I think it's a bad idea, baby. You need to finish that project.

Race: I miss you.

Atlas shut his eyes. Every day passed Race sometimes initiated their kissed. It makes Atlas happy because it's not just him who initiated the kiss, it also Race. Also, Race was slowly letting himself to be free, to opened himself.

Race was not timid anymore. He's not full of confidence.

Atlas: I miss you too. But, if I'll come over, you can't finish your project.

Atlas: you need to focus on that one. I have mine to make too. I have some school works to do, so I can't come, baby.

Race: I remembered you're not serious with your study. I didn't even saw you review for your exam.

Atlas: baby, you forgot that I'm a Valedictorian and with honors since elementary! I have a lot of medal. Review is nothing to me. Exam was so easy. It's basic!

Race: okay, smart-ass.

Atlas smiled at the reply.

Atlas: I love you.

Race: yeah.

Atlas squinted his eyes on his screen. Staring the screen to long until he forgot that he need to go to their headquarter (their turf).

I'll punish you when I come back, baby.

Atlas shoved his phone back to his pocket and maneuvered his car to their unregulated turf. No one knows about it except Race who he'd bought on his birthday to surprise Race, yet it turns out he didn't surprise Race because some outsider throw a party and wrecked everything!

Back to the present, Atlas parked at the basement and closed his doors harshly as he stumped inside the turf.

As he expected, he saw his friends on their couch when he come. Of course, they are not shocked when they saw Atlas stepping in, Rile perhaps told them that he's here.

“I need to relax,” he said and shoved his shirt off.

He grabbed the pistol near him and walked straight to the shooting range.

He shot and and shot and shot.

Gunshot echoed around.

Atlas kept on shooting. He always hit the head and the heart of the target.

When he's run off of bullet, he throws the pistol away and grabbed the shotgun.

He aimed for the head and the head shattered around. He aimed the heart and the target wrecked.

“Loosen up,” Rile held a bottle of whiskey. Bottle not cup.

“I don't drink anymore.” He said and he put down the shotgun.

“You really need to loosen up. The tension in your body was visible, you are stiff today, jaw clenched, gritted teeth, narrowed bloodshot eyes and dark smoke around you.” Rile still held the bottle but he shook his head. “I can imagine the horror movie while watching you.”

At last, Rile gave up and put down the bottle and sat at the opposite couch.

“What happened?” Rile asked.

“Some fucker broke inside Race's house,” his eyes turned dark and brows narrowed. “He sent me pictures of me and Race and it was taken inside the house.”

“Have you checked the surveillance camera?”

“Done.”

“Did you checked place? 360 radius? The house?”

“Already done.”

“And?”

His bloodshot eyes narrowed at Rile. “Nothing. I saw nothing. He work clean and he didn't leave any traces like some professional and skilled criminal also rubber.” Atlas rubbed his palm on his jaw.

Rile was right, his jaw was clenched. Atlas rubbed it to erase the tension and to relax.

But he can't relax. He can't lose the tension. There's no way to relax when someone broke inside Race's house. If the spy broken in without everyone noticed then that fucker was dangerous and he need to be more cautious. If he's careless, then it's the end of him.

He's going to war.

“Hmm,” Rile put down his drink. “Maybe the spy was already inside the house before you come in?”

Nagsitayuan ang balahibo ni Atlas sa sinabi ni Rile. If he'll consider that, then Race was in danger.

“Or maybe the spy can go in and out the house because you know him?”

Atlas stilled. His eyes darker, someone come in to his mind but he shook it off.

“No one can go in and out of the house without us noticing it. It's just the three of us inside the house and Bridgette was on the living room. She's sleeping when we slipped or maybe she's doing their project when I grabbed Race out.”

It's not Bridgette. There's no way in fucking hell that Bridgette was his parents' spy.

“Who's Bridgette?” Sebastian asked.

It's the first time he talk since the last time they saw each other.

“Bridgette is Race's friend. They know each other for years. It's not Bridgette. She's not the spy.”

Atlas gritted his teeth and bite his lips. He often do that when he's thinking deeply or he's in the situation like this.

“Hmm, did you asked her?”

Atlas shook his head. “No. It's more suspicious if I ask her. I already saw the enough at the monitoring room and she didn't leave her place since we left.”

“It is so easy to delete the records, Atlas. If she's a good at it, then perhaps she deleted the records when she followed you and Race and captured that picture. She can delete that since and go back to her place like nothing happened.”

Atlas shook his head.

No. Bridgette wouldn't do it. He trusted Bridgette. Bridgette is his friend now. She's not the spy. No.

“We can't jump into that conclusion, Rile,” Sebastian interfered his thought.

“Maybe Atlas was right. Maybe, just maybe that spy was a skilled criminal and rubber. We don't know anything, we can't throw the accusation in that innocent girl.”

Sebastian was right. He shouldn't throw an accusation towards Bridgette when that girl didn't do anything.

Bridgette and Race is a good friend. They have a good relationship and Bridgette won't let their friendship broken.

Besides, when Atlas felt like someone was staring at him. He saw a man and Bridgette was with them. It's hard to think that Bridgette was the spy since it's a man who followed him everywhere.

What if Bridgette was also a spy? It's not impossible. They can work together perfectly. That man was just a decoy and perhaps Bridgette was really the one who taken that picture of him and Race inside the house and sent it to that man.

It's not impossible that Bridgette and that man worked together. They can work swiftly.

Bridgette can take a picture and she's inside the house with them. She can pretended that she's doing their project and followed them upstair and captured a photo. Perhaps, that man deleted that records of Bridgette sneaking and following them and after that she sent those picture to that fucker and everything back to normal again like nothing happened.

Perhaps, Bridgette didn't saw anyone coming inside the house because it was her who captured those picture.

It's possible right.

Yet, Bridgette can't do that. No. Bridgette was innocent and she didn't know about the underground. She's not a spy.

You're just saying that because you can't accept that she's one of the culprit! His mind said and shook his head.

Even if he comes with that thought. He can't throw the accusation towards Bridgette. They shouldn't accused Bridgette. What if they're wrong? What if Bridgette was not a spy?

“Oh, shit,”

Atlas blinked and back to the present when James swore, face on his laptop and he's brow furrowed.

“Do you found something?” Rile asked.

James lifted his head and shook. “That fucker was good,” he looked at Atlas. “You're right, he's damn professional and skilled. He didn't leave any traces and he also deleted the history when he pry in. The system looked like normal but he's not good enough like me.”

Atlas lifted his brow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean it that he didn't leave any traces but damn dude, he totally leave a mark.”

“Are you stupid or you're really stupid?” Sebastian shoved James.

“Hey! I was born smart! My smart neurons agreed with me!” James protested and he become serious in just a second.

“What I meant by traces was, he deleted swiftly the record when he broke in. It's so clean you didn't found anything when you check, but if you dive deeper, that spy leave a mark!” James seems genuinely happy.

Atlas wanted to punched James at the face.

“Jameson Ambrose Martini Éstosé Salvador.” He called.

James snapped his head towards Atlas, eyes dark but he pouted his lips.

“Hey! No one called me by my whole fucking name!”

“Then tell me about that fucking mark he left asshole! Why did you love the thrill?”

James rolled his eyes at him. “Nyenye! For your fucking information, boss. I love the thrill! Stay put your penis and let's dive in to the deepest pussy!”

Sebastian groaned while Rile massage his temple.

That's really James real name. His first name came from his great-grandfather and the second name from his grandfather and the last name was from liquor that his father love. Éstosé was his mother's surname when she's not married and Salvador from his father.

Atlas really hate that name because it really long. His deepest sympathy to little James  because he needs to write those names.

“James,” he called.

James puffed an air and then he said. “I meant by mark was a mark from a not well-known name, hmm...” James stopped and he did something to his laptop then his eyes lit up. “Oh, shit! I knew it!”

He, Rile and Sebastian stumbled to their feet as they run to James to see what he meant.

Atlas eyes widen when he saw the logo.

“That company died a long time ago,” Sebastian spoken his uttered thoughts.

“But it's back from dead.” James added.

“Maybe, he intentionally leave that mark.” Rile said while eyes stacked on the logo. “James was right. For how many decades it disappeared and now it finally back. The dead is back.”

Atlas settled back to his seat. He stomped his foot on the floor while his mind was working.

“Can I see the message?” Sebastian stretched his hand.

Atlas gave his phone to Sebastian while the man read it his mind backed at worked again.

That fucker. I'll kill him.

“Oh, he called you boss,” Sebastian throw a knowing looked at James and Rile.

“Hey, hey, hey! Don't look at me like that!” James exclaimed when he felt Sebastian's gaze.

“He called Atlas a boss,”

“I'm not a spy. I'm telling the truth, Bastie! Even if you'll test me with lie detector! I'm not lying! I admit that I called Atlas a boss but I'm not his parents'
spy—”

“James, please breath,” Rile massage his temple and shook his head. “Sebastian is not telling you that you're the spy.” Rile tried not to rolled his eyes.

“Then—what?! Why he's looking at me like that?” James panicked. “You're so creeeppy!” James run to him and shook his arms. “I swear I'm not the spy, boss! I called you boss because you're my boss, but I swear I'm not the spyyyy!”

Atlas inhale deeply and then exhale. He's composing himself.

“I know,”

James nodded three times. He looked at somewhere they didn't know, only James know.

“Who the hell is the spy? Why he's calling you boss?! I'm the only one who'll call you boss! If I find that spy I'll roast hiiiimmm!”

Rile and Sebastian shook their heads while Atlas massage the bridge of his nose and stood up.

“But first, I'll dig deeper about that dead-who-comes-back-to-life, hmm interesting!” James rubbed his both palm and grabbed his laptop.

                       * * *

Atlas stayed at the turf until all night. He can't show up to Race's door looking like this—deadly.

He'd done this before, he forgot to control his emotion. Race saw it and Atlas saw the horror in Race's eyes. It happened on Race's birthday and Atlas promised to himself that he won't do it again—he'll control his emotion, specially when Race was around.

In the morning, Atlas drove to school and the first person he saw was Bridgette.

She's walking in the gate. She's alone and an earphone plugged in to her ear.

Atlas stopped his car just to watched Bridgette. While he watched Bridgette, he didn't saw any hint that she's a spy. She walked normally, she doesn't care about her surroundings. She doesn't seems like a spy to Atlas.

It didn't leave his mind what they'd talked with his friends yesterday.

Rile suspected that the spy was inside the house before they arrived at the house or maybe the spy was with them—and it's just Bridgette and him and Race.

Still, Atlas wouldn't believed it. Bridgette isn't the spy, she doesn't looked like one. She's Race's friend for years and Atlas believed that Bridgette didn't captured those photos.

When he couldn't see Bridgette anymore, he hop out his car and walked straight to the gate. Hands on the pocket. He seems like he didn't care to his surroundings, but Atlas opened all of his senses.

The spy was here. He's around and perhaps that spy was watching him now. He didn't know. That spy was good and skilled robber.

Atlas looked around like he was just watching these students who passed by, but the truth was he's looking for that man he saw the other day.

That gold-brown-hair-man.

He's positive. He's the spy. He looked really suspicious and that man was watching him from the distance.

Yet, he didn't saw that man again. He didn't encounter that man the whole day, Atlas tried to find that man around the campos, yet he didn't saw even a glimpsed of him.

Atlas thought that perhaps that man was not here anymore. He's done with his mission (or perhaps not) or he have another plan (or perhaps he already reported it to Atlas's parents and his parents was now planning something) or he have someone ally here to kept that man dated about him (or perhaps that man was really a good spy).

He's done with all of his class and he's waiting now outside at Race's last class.

Atlas was looking around, he need to be more cautious, he can't let that man near even an inch at Race.

He'll kill that man before he go near an inch at Race.

When Race and Bridgette stepped out the class, the three of then walked towards the door.

Even he didn't believed that Bridgette was a spy or perhaps an ally. Atlas can't put his guards down, not like this that Bridgette was there first suspect.

They didn't know.

Everything can easily twisted. Words ate the best example.

Atlas dragged back to the present from his reverie when Bridgette spoke. “Race, sa susunod na lang ako pupunta sa bahay ninyo,”

Atlas lifted his brow, he tried his best not to looked suspicious. “Why? Do you have something to work on?”

“No,” Bridgette giggled. “I have to go somewhere...um, I have some important business to do—”

“You have business?” Atlas cocked his head to the side.

“Omg ka, Atlas!” Bridgette pouted. “Wala akong business ah, wala akong company kung 'yan ang ibig mong sabihin pero may pupuntahan ako ngayon.” Bridgette smiled so brightly.

It's real smile, yet Atlas tried not to doubt Bridgette.

She's going somewhere. She have important things to do. She's not a spy. She's Race's friend for fuck's sake. Atlas convinced himself. At least he tried.

“Oh, it's okay, Bridge. You can go now,”

Bridgette grinned and shoved Race at her shoulder. “Ehe! Ikaw ha, gusto mo talagang maiwan kayong dalawa, ano?”

Race shook his head and smiled. “Tomorrow, let's continue it tomorrow.”

Bridgette nodded and bid her goodbye and they left alone.

“You're off today,” Race said as they stared walking towards Atlas's car.

“I'm just tired.” He lied.

It makes him felt guilty whenever he lied to Race. It's not right but it's the right thing to do. He can't tell Race that someone was following them. He can't tell Race about his job and about his family business and about what he'd did.

“I love to stroll today,” Race stopped before they reach his car. Race messed his hair and looked at him. “Let's walk, it makes you to lessen your tension on your body and try not to scare everyone with your deadly stare, Atlas.”

Atlas blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. And many times.

He stilled and composed himself.

He didn't know that.

Race took his hand and they started walking to the other direction, hands holding and fingers intertwined.

“You can talk to me, Atlas. What's bothering you?”

Atlas tried to relax, he looses the tension in his body and embraced the cold breeze.

He inhaled through his nose and exhales through his mouth.

Atlas was debating with himself to tell Race or not.

Lying makes Race safe (he can assured that). Lying will made them to move swiftly and if he tell Race, everything will change. Race will change. Atlas was certain that Race wouldn't look at him after he know that his true colors. Race wouldn't look at him like Race look at him today—soft eyes, gentle and tender, full of understanding and...like. Well, he's not certain if Race love him but he was certain that Race cared for him.

Atlas took a deep breathe again and smiled. Finally, he loosed the tension and his body relax, not stiffed anymore like earlier. His jaw relax and eyes becomes soft.

“I had a hard time in class.” He lied.

And he didn't regret it.

He will lied again. Again and again and again. If it means to protect everything—including Race.