Dulling Glisters of the Diamond (Casa Fuego Series #5)

Chapter 10

Safe Place

It took me a while before I pushed him away. Nahirapan ako dahil malakas siya pero agad din naman siyang nagpatinag. Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa, pareho pa ring bahagyang mabigat ang hininga. Ako, sa pinaghalong galit at kaba. Siya, sa hindi ko malamang dahilan.

"What did you say?" iyon na lang ang tanging nasabi ko.

Anong ibig niyang sabihin? He purposely did not tell me that he will be gone for a while just so he has an excuse to talk to me again? At na ayaw niyang masira ang kauna-unahang beses naming magaan na usapan. To top it all, that was the first time I smiled at him. Or to anyone!

Why would he do that, then? Bakit kailangang gumawa pa ng excuse para makausap ako? Hindi rin ba naging sapat sa kanya ang pag-uusap namin habang ginagamot ko siya? Nakaramdam din ba siya ng pagkabitin katulad ko?

He sighed and shook his head. I don't think he has any plans to clarify what he said and I think I'd like to keep it that way. He licked his lower lip and waited for me to say something. Ilang sandali na kaming nagkakatitigan at wala sa aming dalawa ang kumikilos para umalis o putulin ito kaya ako na ang nanguna bago pa ako tuluyang matupok ng apoy.

"Never mind. I don't want to hear anything from you," sinamaan ko siya ng tingin ngunit pagkatalikod ko ay hindi napigilan ang pagngiti.

Damn!

I could hear his footsteps against the grass. Naalala ko ang pagkaing inihanda sa akin at nanghinayang ako pero hindi kaya ng pride ko na bumalik gayung nag walk out na ako.

"Are you not going to the hacienda today? You don't have any agendas for the day?" nakasunod siya sa akin.

"Nothing. I will stay the whole day in the library. Hindi na ang tahimik na si Elias ang bodyguard ko kaya maingay na naman."

I heard him scoff. Kinagat ko ang aking labi para pigilan ang pagngiti. Ni hindi siya napipikon! Just how I like it.

"I'll stay in the library because I might get distracted by my bodyguard again."

"What exactly do you mean by distracted?" he playfully asked.

Napakurap-kurap ako. He chuckled when he noticed I stopped walking for a quick second because of what he said. I cleared my throat and continued walking.

"You pervert," I hissed.

Natawa siya. "I was just asking you, Grace. You're the one putting malice in everything I say."

"Because that's how I know you! You chicboy!"

He chuckled. Naalala ko ang nabasa ko sa internet. May kasama siyang beauty queen isang gabi sa mamahaling bar. Who knows what happened next? At sinong makakaalam kung ilan sila?

Buong araw akong hindi lumabas ng library. Gusto kong panindigan ang sinabi ko dahil gusto kong subukan ang sarili kung bakit siya ang laman ng isip ko sa mga nakaraang linggo. Gusto kong panindigan ang iniisip ko na baka masaya lang talaga siyang kausap, may halong excitement at hindi boring kaya ganoon.

It was a torture inside the library especially when I would recall what I've read on the internet about him. I want to ask him about it but why should I? I should just mind my own business. His dating life is his business so why am I so intrigued?

Napuno yata ako ng pagpipigil sa sarili kahapon kaya kinabukasan, hindi na ako makapaghintay na bumaba. I see to it that I go downstairs during lunch. Para hindi naman halatang sinadya ko!

"Oh, great. Here she goes..." I heard Conor say while I was walking in the empty ballroom.

Napalingon sa akin si Julius. Bagong ligo siya at nakatali ang buhok. He's wearing a simple longsleeves sweater and black pants. His dogtag hanging on his neck.