"Thyron! Bakit andaming beer naman dito? Balak niyo bang i-refill ang pool ng alak?" hestirikal na tanong ni Tita Sidra nang makita niyang naglalapag ulit ng panibagong case si Thyron sa baba.
Thyron looks up and grins widely.
"Si Tita naman, paminsan lang e."
She heaves an exasperated sigh and stomps out of the room. Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa ni Thyron at natawa. We agreed to hire a nanny to watch over the kids during the party. Ayaw kong nakikita ni Castian ang mga guests na umiinom at baka magtanong-tanong pa kung ano iyon. He's so curious about everything.
Rigor is also loading the beer from the delivery truck. Marami-rami na ring tao ang narito. I could spot some models, independent singers, YouTube stars, and some celebrities. Elton is here, too. Ang dami-daming bumati sa kaniya pagdating niya kanina kasama ang nobya na akala mo'y siya ang may birthday.
Pasimple kong pinicture-an si Stormie at sinend iyon kay Shantel. Napaka-creepy pakinggan dahil nagmumukha akong stalker pero binalewala ko nalang.
To: Shantel
kapatid mo oh
Wala pang isang minuto ay kaagad na siyang nag-reply.
From: Shantel
is she okay? why is she so thin? kumakain pa ba siya? bakit wala si philo sa tabi niya?
Napailing ako sa text niya. Hindi pa ako nakakareply ay may text ulit siya.
From: Shantel
HE'S NOT CHEATING ON HER ISN'T HE? BECAUSE I WILL KILL HIM
I start chuckling then. Para akong baliw na tumatawa mag-isa dito. Napatalon ako sa gulat nang maramdaman ang mainit na kamay ni Rigor sa baywang ko.
"Who are you texting?" medyo irita niyang tanong sa akin. Mas lalong lumawak ang ngisi ko. itinaas ko ang phone at ipinakita sa kaniya ang sunod-sunod na mga text ni Shantel.
Kaagad nawala ang kunot sa noo niya at inilapit pa ang mukha sa screen para mabasa iyon nang maayos.
"Oh," his voice is softer now. "It's Shantel."
"Always worried about her sister," I shrug and then typed a quick reply to her before shoving my phone inside. Tuluyan ko nang hinarap si Rigor.
"Happy Birthday," I say genuinely. We slept side by side last night, with Castian in the middle. Hula ko'y natutulog pa ngayon ang bata dahil pinilit niyang maghintay ng 12 o'clock para ma-greet ang Daddy niya ng happy birthday. Ako naman, nakatulog nang maaga dahil sa pagod.
I could feel the heavy weight of my modest gift to him inside of my purse. Tumakas lang ako kahapon para pumunta sa bayan dahil halos hindi maiwan ang mga bata. Getting him a gift stress me out. What could you possibly give to a man who almost have everything?
In the end, I got him a wooden paintbrush made by a local seller. He allowed me to customize it so I copied the word from his tattoo, sinta, and had it carved delicately into the shaft of the brush. Medyo nahihiya pa akong magbigay sa kaniya lalo na nang makita ko si Stormie kaninang naglapag ng LV paper bag doon sa lamesa kung saan nakalagay ang mga regalo niya.
"Thank you," his lips grazes against my cheeks as he lean closer. Amoy ko kaagad ang pabango niyang hindi binago mula noong una kaming nagkakilala. I sigh with my whole body. "I can't wait for this party to be over," he looks down at my champagne silk dress and smirks. Pabiro ko siyang hinampas ng purse ko at umatras.
"Tigilan mo ko, Rigor," banta ko sa kaniya.
He chuckles and pulls me back to him. Napangiti nalang ako. He went around with me and introduce me to some of his guests. Pangiti-ngiti lang ako nang tahimik. They would look at me with a calculated gaze. The assumptions are evident in their eyes but no one dares to voice their opinion. They'd just glance at our linked hands and then smile broadly.
Medyo napapagod na din ako sa paikot-ikot naming dalawa. Nakasuot pa ako ng mataas na heels! I glance upstairs. Nagising na kaya si Castian? Anong ginagawa niya ngayon? I miss him terribly. Freuss and Franco are with him, so he will never get bored. Gusto kong makita ang anak kaso kapag pumasok naman ako sa kwarto ay paniguradong hindi na ako makakaalis.
"Happy birthday, Rigor!"
Napalingon ako nang marinig ang pamilyar na boses ni Stormie. She changed from into an animal print bikini and ripped denim shorts, probably to join the others lounging in the pool. Nilapitan niya si Rigor at hinalikan sa pisngi. She smiles at me politely before turning to him again and complimented his work. Bumili kasi siya ng painting niya noong last exhibit at mukhang nakita na niya ang kabuuan ng Perserva base sa excitement niya ngayon.
"I'll see you around, then." She turns to me and smiles again. "Czarina,"
I just wave at her goodbye when she joined the others. Gustong-gusto kong magpa-picture sa kaniya dahil alam kong mamamatay sa selos si Shantel at idolo ko rin siya pero pinapangunahan naman ako ng hiya. She's nothing like the shy freshman I remembered from college. Sobrang laki ng ipinagbago niya.
"Come on," Rigor snakes his hand around my waist gently and leads me to the kitchen. Kanina pa ako nagugutom pero andami kasing dapat gawin at hindi ko rin gustong disturbuhin ang mga helper sa kusina. Halatang aligaga na sila sa dami ng guests.
I place my purse in the marble countertop and started looking for the food. My mind is so pre-occupied with filling my stomach that the only thing I manage to do is squeal when Rigor lifted me up from the floor and placed me into the counter like a child.
"Rigor!" heat creeps into my face. Napapalingon ang ibang mga bisita sa amin. Ang iba ay pangiti-ngiti pa. Bigla tuloy akong nahiya. Hindi naman siguro nila nakita ang panty ko?
"Just stay there," he instructs while getting a plate for me.
See? A child.
I frown at him to hide the smile from forming in my lips. Napalingon pa ako nang marinig ang shutter ng camera. Gulat na nakatingin sa akin ang babaeng nakataas ang phone.
"Nakalimutan mong i-off ang shutter ng camera mo," panloloko ko sa kaniya.
Her face turns red as her friend drags her out of the kitchen, extremely embarrassed. Nilingon ako saglit ni Rigor na nakataas ang kilay, nagtatanong kung may problem aba. Nakangiti akong umiling. I don't have a reputation to protect. People can snap pictures of us all they want. I would be glad to create a shared album on Facebook and pick the prettiest photo.
They can do whatever they want as long as they don't involve Castian. Ibang usapan na yun.
"Here," Rigor hands me a plate. I look down and smile when I saw he must've picked the nuts from the dish itself because he knows I don't like it. Kumuha din siya ng isang baso ng tubig at itinabi sa akin. He leans against the counter and watches me eat. Bigla tuloy akong na-conscious.
"Hindi ka ba babalik sa mga bisita mo?" tanong ko sa kaniya bago sumubo.
"Malaki na sila," walang kwenta niyang sagot sa akin.
I scowl at him. He's wearing a black wife-beater shirt that leaves no room for imagination. Every ridge, every curve is visible through his thin clothing. The strong column of neck houses his Adam apples that bobs up and down while he's drinking water in front of me.
Why don't you go back to eating, Czarina?
Napailing ako at pilit na inalis ang tingin sa kaniya. He was topless earlier, carrying case after case of beers into the mansion. Hindi mo naman aakalaing isa siya sa mga kargador kasi sobrang tangkad at naiiba niya. I scolded him and told him to put on some shirt because girls are openly ogling at him. Wala naman ako sa mood para tusukin isa-isa ang mga mata nila!
"Rigs!"
May mga lumapit sa kaniya na lalaki. They look familiar to me. Must be one of his blockmates in college before. Nginitian nila ako at kinausap si Rigor. I continued eating and minding my business. The guys started dragging him away from me. Before Rigor could protest, I finished eating and nodded at him.
"Hiramin lang muna namin saglit si Rigor, Czarina, ah?"
"Okay lang," sagot ko at nginitian din sila. Rigor helplessly went with the guys while I tuck the dishes into the sink.
"Czarina?"
I turn around when I heard the voice. My eyes widened in shock when I saw Kenna standing in front of me. Nginitian niya ako. She's wearing a cropped tank top with a black blazer over it and casual jeans. Mukhang kakagaling lang ata nito sa trabaho o kung saan man.
"K-Kenna!" nauutal kong wika sa kaniya. Kaagad hinanap ng mga mata ko si Thyron pero bigo akong makita siya. Kenna realizes what I was doing and chuckles softly.
"It's okay, I already saw Thyron," she informs me. "He knows I'm here."
"Oh," I let out a nervous chuckle. "Right. Right."
"Kumusta ka?" tanong niya sa akin, nakangiti pa rin.
I stare back at her. She didn't look like a woman who gave birth to twins. She managed to maintain her body and the glow of her skin. Anyone who sees her for the first time wouldn't suspect she have children.
"I'm... fine. I guess?" hindi pa sigurado ang sagot ko dahil busy akong kaka-usisa sa kaniya.
"I heard you got back with Rigor?"
Hindi ko alam ang isasagot. Nothing's official yet. We haven't talked about it. All I know is that he loves Castian and that's what important.
"That's good for you guys," dugtong niya bago pa man ako makapagsalita ulit.
"Uhm..." I thread the water carefully. Ayoko namang maging chismosa o pakialamera, kaso naaawa talaga ako kay Freuss. "Are you here to see your kids?"
Tango naman ang isinagot niya sa akin. "Yep. I won't be long. I have an early flight to catch tomorrow."
Nagpaalam na si Kenna sa akin pagkatapos. Aakyat daw siya para i-check ang mga bata. I told her about Castian and it made her very eager to go upstairs. Nakita kong seryosong nakatingin sa aming dalawa si Thyron at sinalubong si Kenna sa hagdan. Her expression went cold. She said something to him and left him at the bottom of the stairs while she went inside the kid's room. Thyron stared at the closed door for a minute or two before heaving a sigh and dragging himself out to the pool.
I force myself to sit still. It's not my business. I shouldn't be meddling with their personal affairs. Rigor came back to the kitchen. He's already wet. Mukhang naligo ata sa pool kasama ang mga kaibigan niya.
"Do you want something to drink?" tanong niya kaagad pagkalapit sa akin.
Umiling ako. Water is dripping from the tips of his hair, his sharp cheekbones, down to his throat, and then chest. Napalunok tuloy ako at nang mahuli niya ako ay isang malawak na ngisi ang lumitaw sa mga labi niya.
"Want to call this a day?" I shiver at the crisp of his hoarse voice ringing next to my ears. My whole body heats up. Bago pa man ako tuluyang maakit ay itinulak ko siya palayo sa akin.
"It's your own birthday. Iiwan mo ang mga bisita mo?"
He shrugs. "For you, yes."
I shut my mouth with his brisk and no-nonsense answer. Nag-init ulit ang mga pisngi ko. It's a good thing that Elton started singing in the pool because I don't have to wrack my brain for witty answers. I just drag Rigor to the crowd of people gathering around him. Pamilyar ang lahat sa kinakanta niya at nakikisabay pa.
Mundo'y ating iwanan
Kung maari lang sana
Dito nalang tayo
Sa ating tagpuan
Kung maaari lang sana
Dito nalang tayo
Sa ating tagpuan
Tagpuan
Namamangha akong nanuod kay Elton. I've heard him sing since college but his shine never faded. In fact, each time he sings is better than the last. He's made for this. Nakangiti akong nanunuod sa kaniya. My daydream was suddenly cut when a huge chest blocked my view. Nawala ang ngiti ko at nag-angat ng tingin. Rigor is frowning down at me.
"You're enjoying this?" he growls in my ear.
I pouted. Fine. I had a crush on Elton, but that was years ago! Hindi pa rin ba nakakamove-on ang lalaking ito? And for someone like him, normal lang na maraming babae ang nagka-crush sa kaniya!
Ngayong gabi, aking sinta
Sa'yo ang puso ko at kaluluwa
'Pagkat ikaw at ako ay iisa
Magkikita tayong muli
Parang batang kinikilig
'Di mapakali at nasasabik
Mahawakan kang muli
Inirapan ko si Rigor at tumingkayad para masilayan ulit ang pinsan niyang kumakanta. His frown deepens at my shameless action. I'm enjoying his scowling face more than his cousin now, but I don't show it. nagkunwari pa rin akong desperadang gustong mapanuod si Elton na nagli-live concert kasama si Stormie ngayon.
"Oh, for fuck's sake, Czarina," he mutters angrily and pulls me to him. Nagulat ako sa biglaan niyang ginawa at agad na napakapit sa dibdib niya. Without hesitation, he leans down and presses his lips against mine. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa ginawa niya. Nakahawak pa rin ang kamay niya sa braso ko habang sinisiil ako ng halik. His friends cheered and teased him. Ipinikit ko ang mga mata habang si Elton naman ay patuloy pa ring kumakanta.
Mundo'y ating iwanan
Kung maaari lang sana
Dito nalang tayo
Sa ating tagpuan
Kung maaari lang sana
Dito nalang tayo
Sa ating tagpuan
Tagpuan
(Sa ating tagpuan)
His skin is still damp from the water but his mouth is hot and it set the rest of my body ablaze. An unintentional moan escapes from my lips when he pulls away from me, eyes darkening with desire that he did not even bother to hide. My eyes traveled to his chest, straining with each breath, and down to his stomach, and the obvious bulge in his swimming shorts.
I grinned at him and joined the crowd who were yelling the lyrics with Elton. Rigor pulled me closer to him. Nakikanta na rin siya. Sa bawat talon namin habang kumakanta ay tumatama ang tainga ko sa dibdib niya. I could hear his fast heartbeat. Gumapang ang braso niya sa likod ng baywang ko. Sumisikip na rin dahil parami nang parami ang mga taong nakiki-jam sa mini concert nitong si Elton.
"Czarina," Rigor called me and as soon as I turn to him, he kissed me again. Pabiro ko siyang kinurot palayo at nagpatuloy sa pakikikanta.
"Mundo'y ating iwanan..." Elton almost whispered the last of the lyrics, and it made my skin shudder. I know everyone feels the same because of the delightful glow in their faces. Para na din kaming naka-attend ng free concert ng Memento Mori sa lagay na 'to.
"Tangina mo, Rigs. Happy birthday!!" he brutally yelled into the mic. Nagtawanan ang lahat, pati na rin si Rigor na pinakyu ang sariling pinsan bilang sagot. He nodded at the two of us, swiping the sweat from his forehead before he dragged Stormie away from the crowd.
Pinagkaguluhan na si Rigor pagkatapos nun. Some asked for pictures. Kaniya-kaniya na silang post sa IG story nila. Hindi binitawan ni Rigor ang kamay ko at pinipilit pa akong isama sa mga pictures. After that, we joined the rest of the guests in the pool. May ibang nag-iinuman haban ang iba ay nasa loob naman, nagpapahinga.
I spotted Thyron in a middle of a circled group, pouring drink after drink. He looks like a drowned rat. Namumula pa ang mga mata pati na rin ang pisngi sa dami ng ininom na alak.
"Uhm... si Thyron," bahagya kong hinigit si Rigor at itinuro ang kapatid niya.
He glanced at him briefly, then shrugged. "Just let him be. Kenna was here."
"Kenna," I repeat silently and then turns to him again. He's getting so wild and extra flirty with some of the women in the circle. Napailing ako. Again, I shouldn't meddle.
Inabutan ako ni Rigor ng tuwalya nang mapagdesisyunan ko nang umahon mula sa pool. I wrapped it around my body and followed him inside the mansion. Doon kami pumasok sa guest room kung saan ako nagpalit kanina at iniwan ang purse ko. Rigor picks up a clean shirt and some shorts before entering the shower.
Kabado akong naupo sa kama, pinag-iisipan kung papaano ibibigay sa kaniya ang regalo niya. He's taking his time in the shower. I look down at my purse and the simple gift I have for him. Humigit ako ng malalim na hininga. After a few minutes, he finally steps out of the shower. Nagdala pa siya ng shirt sa loob eh wala rin naman siyang pang-itaas nang lumabas siya. He's drying his hair with the towel now.
"Get in the shower before you catch a cold," aniya sa akin at iminuwestra ang nakasaradong pinto. Tumango naman ako at nag-aalinlangang ibinaba ang purse ko. I glance at it nervously before dragging my gaze back to him.
Dahan-dahan akong naglakad patungo sa shower. Rigor is watching me, still drying his hair. Mabibigat ang bawat hakbang ko at puno ng pag-aalinlangan.
"Uhm... Rigor," I whirled around, only to find him staring at me with an amused look.
"Anything you want to say?" nakangisi na niyang tanong sa akin ngayon.
Ngumuso ako at itinuro ang purse ko sa kama. "Your gift is there. Mamaya mo na buksan." Ani ko at nagmamadaling pumasok sa shower dahil sa hiya.
I stripped off my wet clothes and step into the hot shower. It was only a minute before I heard the door opening. I almost yelped and glanced at the doorway. Rigor is stepping inside with the paintbrush I got him.
"Rigor..." my breath died in my throat.
The water flowed smoothly down my body as he gently set the paintbrush in the sink. He's watching me like a hawk. Napaawang ang bibig ko nang tuluyan na siyang lumapit, walang pakialam kung nababasa na rin siya.
He grabbed a handful of my wet hair and drags me closer to him before leaning for a hard kiss. I closed my eyes, instantly melting in his arms. Kumapit ako sa balikat niya habang dahan-dahan niya naman akong isinandal sa pader. I moaned. Rigor's lips traced my jawline while his other hand is busy with my breasts.
"What are you..." I gasped. "What are you doing?" I ask him weakly.
"Me?" he smirks and places both hands on my hips before twirling me to face the wall. I could feel him, alive and hot and greedy behind me. Rigor places his mouth next to my ears. "I'm thanking you for the gift, Czarina." he whispers before taking me.
-
#HanmariamBFLIIChap12