Through Dangers Untold

Chapter Fifty-One - Are You Lying, Stacey?

KAKALABAS LANG NI STACEY NG GUSALI. She stopped on her tracks, saw Renante across the cemented path toward the parking lot. Kanina pa ito naghihintay kaya napandal na sa gilid ng sasakyan nito. His hands anxiously played with the keys before clutching them in his palm.

Nang makita siya, tumuwid ito ng tayo at humarap sa kanyang direksyon.

He wore a grey suit with unbuttoned cuffs. Iyon ang dahilan kaya narolyo ng lalaki ang mga sleeves niyon. Not a very friendly thing to do with a suit blazer that was hard to iron once wrinkled badly. Naihilig na lang niya ang ulo, mataray ang tingin na pinukol sa binata habang papalapit dito.

But behind that irritated look was Stacey restraining herself from admiring the way he looked.

Those piercing dark eyes— intense and melting her; and the way a few strands of his hair kissed his forehead. Her hands wanted to brush them off before kissing his forehead.

Kissing his forehead? What. The. Hell?

"Oh? Naligaw ka yata ng opisina, Mr. Villaluz?" aniya nang huminto ang mga paang may suit na puting high heels sa tapat nito.

His eyes shortly explored her— from her neat full bangs and short hair, to the white high-waist straight pants that complimented her off-shoulder orange crop top. Nakapatong sa kanyang mga balikat ang suit blazer na kulay peach.

She easily got bored with his silence. "Alam mo, may kotse na akong ginagamit. I have to go," aalis na sana siya nang magsalita ito.

"Stace, I am sorry," he almost sank.

Hinarap niya ulit ito. "For what?" taas niya ng kilay.

Siyempre, alam niya kung ano ang kinagalit dito. Gusto lang niya alamin kung alam ng lalaki ang kasalanan nito at nagsisisi na.

"Sorry about the suggestion I made this morning," titig nito sa kanya, pinahina ang tinig nito ng hindi maikailang kaba. "I... I didn't mean to make that remind you of what I did before."

"But it's obvious that you haven't learned, Mr. Villaluz."

"I have learned!" giit nito. "No!" kontradiksyon nito sa sarili. "I mean, yes," naghihirap ang kalooban ng binata, "you're right. Yes, I haven't learned. But I will learn. I learned now. I won't do that again."

She could not help rolling her eyes.

"Look. About what happened, I swore not to do that again to you. Hindi ko naman alam na lahat na ng babae sa buong mundo hindi exempted doon. O itong dahilan na gagawin ko lang iyon para ma-track na natin ang stalker mo for once and for all."

"Seriously?" mataray niyang anas. "Hindi mo alam na lahat na ng babae sa buong mundo, hindi exempted? So, magpapaasa ka ng mga babae kapag may pagkakataon ka?"

"Stacey naman," bagsak ng mga balikat nito. "Hindi sa ganoong paraan ko gagawin 'yung sinabi ko sa iyo! It's only for purposes like this. Itong pag-solve sa problema natin. Look, I don't mind hurting all the women in this world, para sa ikabubuti mo, para sa ikasasaya mo—"

Tinaas niya ang isang kamay para patigilin ito sa pagsasalita. "Please, Renante. Stop. In the first place, it's your stalker, not mine."

At tinalikuran na niya ang binata.

"Pero ikaw ang pinapahamak niya!"

He had a point. Sa kanilang dalawa, siya ang mas dapat na mag-alala dahil hindi makakaya ng stalker na kantiin si Renante.