Scandalous Affair: Atlas Mate

06

O L I V I A   V A L E Z

I was floating in the vast midnight sky full of stars and luminous moon standing proudly in the middle. It was dark, yet the light was trying to make its way in creating a breathtaking dark blue sky. I could feel the chilly air of the night and day mingling. The darkness gave me an eerie feeling permeating my whole being, but the stars giving faint twinkling light made it so fascinating. 

The next thing I knew was...I was falling hard.

That was the feeling I felt as I was staring at his heavenly penetrating gaze probed into me.

And when he spoke using that authoritative thundering voice, I swear my whole being shaken along with the corners of the hall. My heart crumbled, and I tell thee, my soul shivers for him.

"What are you doing here?" His deep voice is compelling now at the core of who I am like he can resonate with the entirety of me while others can only do a fragment of all that.

If I was in my normal state, I'm sure I'd already sent him my cynical response in my head. But I was too stunned at the view he was giving me. He was like a fallen angel ready to drag me and rebel against the sky to fight the sin we will commit. The shadow in his majestic face made him sinfully desirable like a rose full of thorns in the garden—seducing you to prick yourself to its thorn, to get your hands into it like the blood you'll shed is all worth it. 

"I...Umm." I swallow audibly. I can't find my strength to answer him, and it was like his eyes were sucking all my rational senses. Fuck it, Olivia! Just answer the goddamn question.  "I-I was passing by?" 

What the fuck? Why did that end up like a question when it was supposed to be a normal response. Napangiwi ako dahil sa katangahang aking ginawa. Ano ba naman 'yan! Napaka-simple lang naman ng kaniyang tanong, pero to ako at hirap na hirap sagutin iyon nang maayos. All it took was just one look, and I was already damn. Already lost into the depth of uncertainty, nothing to hold on to, and just a continuous falling and swirling. 

"What? Are you a ghost?" 

"No!" Atlas Mate was mocking me, and for the first time, I cannot find any rebut that will ignite a heated conversation between us. " I just want to drink water." That was a lame excuse, but I cannot think of anything else. 

"I did not know the balcony was now the new kitchen."

I hated how he was taking the lead right now, but what can I do? I was still so flummoxed by him. He was topless, standing proudly on our balcony, his right hand clenching the phone a little tightly. In the glow of the moonlight emanating through the glass door, the skin of his naked shoulders shone silver. Defining the well-toned muscles that were obviously created by hard work. 

I surveyed the horizon for clues as to how far away dawn could be, and a long juncture of listening revealed that everybody else in the household was still asleep apart from us. I needed the distraction of the sky to tore my eyes away from his glorious body serve upon me. I needed the silence from the midnight atmosphere to make my mind at rest, to stop it from wandering into a lustful world. 

Atlas's head rollback, tensing the great thick muscle into his neck.

I mastered all the courage left in me, "Who were you talking?"

I know I should not ask that. It was not my business at all, but I do not know what had gotten into me. Hindi ko talaga alam bakit lumabas ang tanong na iyon sa aking bibig. Gusto kong murahin ang aking sarili sa pagiging chismosa. Hindi naman talaga ako mahilig mag-usisa sa mga bagay-bagay na walang kinalama sa akin, pero pagdating sa kaniya, parang gusto kong malaman lahat. And I know that was bad.