ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH?

Chapter Sixty-Nine

SUOT NI JARED ANG ROBA. He set aside bathing, reeking with scent not of his own. Declaring that loud that his body was already marked by someone else. Hilamos at mumog lang ang ginawa niya, kalmado pa noon bago inatake ng kaba. Binagtas niya ang pasilyo, magulo pa rin ang buhok.

He was wishing this was another one of his overthinkings.

He was wishing his hunch was wrong.

But was it really his instincts? Or was it past experience that was bugging him that things were happening all over again?

Tsinek niya ang lockers. Tsinek niya ang receptionist.

“Wala na po rito ang susi ng kotse niya, Sir.”

And that was enough to confirm his nightmares.

Lily left.

Nanlulumong tinungo niya ang lockers. Kinolekta ni Jared ang mga gamit doon. Inuna niyang silipin ang cellphone bago naligo.

Walang iniwang text si Lily para sa kanya.

He called her phone. He sent some texts. Napatambay siya sa lockers kakahintay ng sagot sa mga iyon.

Pero wala rin.

Bago pa siya pangunahan ng pag-init ng ulo, naligo na siya.

After he got his shower and dressed up, he returned to their room. Hangga’t hindi pa niya nababalik ang keycard, wala pang nagagalaw o nalilinis na mga gamit doon. Sinuyod niya ang paligid. Baka nag-iwan ang babae ng note. Ng sulat. Ng kahit ano.

Pero wala.

Napaupo na lang si Jared sa sahig, napasandal sa gilid ng kama. Nakataas ang mga tuhod kaya halos yakap niya ang kandong na bag. He ran his left hand upward, combing his fingers through his messy heap of a damp hair.

Then, clutched a handful of his hair. Nakatukod ang kanyang noo sa mga umbok ng kanyang palad.

Maybe there had been an emergency.

Pagbaba ulit ng hagdan, sinipat ni Jared ang suot na relo. It was already 9:19 in the morning.

Did she rush to work without me? Lalo siyang nalungkot dahil alam niyang imposible iyon. Hindi ganoon ang karaniwang ginagawa ni Lily, kaya hindi niya maja-justify anuman ang dahilang maisip niya para ipagtanggol ang dalaga sa mga pago-overthink niya.

Bumagal ang mga hakbang ni Jared nang matanaw ang pagsulpot mula sa paliko ng dalawang pamilyar na tao. Nagmadali siya para makalapit sa mga ito.

Dahil walang mga guest, napukaw agad ng ingay ng kanyang sapatos ang atensyon ng mga ito.

“Jared,” gulat na bati agad ni Walter sa kanya.

Katabi nito ang kanyang kapatid na si Clint.

He gave Walter a polite nod before turning to his brother.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ako yata ang dapat magtanong niyan. Anong—” Clint stopped mid-sentence. Gasped inaudibly at a realization. “Oh, no. Oh, no, you didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?” kunot-noo niya.

Pinanlakihan siya ni Clint ng mga mata. “That woman brought you here! She tainted your pure, innocent, virgin soul!”

He gave Clint’s exaggeration a bored look. Dahil doon, nasira ang pag-arte nito at humalakahak. Clint really believed he was so funny, he pulled his head back laughing before slowly calming down.

“So, how did your night go? Did she introduce you to something? You’re her little slave now, I bet?” He cocked his head to the side. “Where’s the collar and leash?” he said jokingly.