Guarding Thy Innocence ✓

Epilogue

I was busy staring at the picture where one certain girl was smiling like she just broke someone's bones again. Damn. Her smirk really screams trouble.

"That's Renaya Elle Ravenna."

Of course, I know who's that smirking troublemaker in the frame. She's the cousin of my girlfriend, Lajin Yrahell Ravenna. Simple lang naman ang kuwento. We met, dated, clicked and decided to give it a try and here we are.

I never saw Renaya Elle Ravenna in person. Hanggang news and pictures ko lang siya nakikita. But because my girlfriend is very fond of her, I felt like I grew up with them, too. My girlfriend has tons of childhood stories about her favorite cousin, Ayell. That's how she addresses her cousin whom I should guard.

Tipid kong sinulyapan ang aking pinsan na kararating lang. Naupo siya sa aking tabi at may malaking ngisi ang kaniyang labi. Muli kong ibinalik ang tingin sa newspaper na hawak ko.

"Have you heard something from her abuelo?"

I closed the newspaper and placed it back from where I get it. Just merely mentioning that word, I was pulled back to reality. The reality Renaya Elle Ravenna would surely hate.

My cousin handed me a glass of wine. My brows furrowed at him, but he just smirked at me.

"One try won't kill you," he told me his famous line.

I am one-year older than him, but he's acting like we're in the same boat at the same time. I just sighed. Almost all of my male teen cousins treated me like that. I just let them because I often do that.

"Hide behind, Klein." Kier tapped my shoulder. "You're not a bad liar and actor after all."

I sighed. Time will surely come and she'll find out what world she's really in and I hope she's ready enough to face her real world.

"Hoy, Klein. Ako pinsan ng jowa mo. Tawagin mo na lang akong Ayell," the great Renaya Elle Ravenna introduced herself.

Napakurap ako nang makita ang buong mukha niya. She's here. She's already here. Nasa harapan ko na ang babaeng nanganganib palagi ang buhay. Pumikit ako at saglit na nag-isip. Kailangan ko ba talagang magpanggap at magsinungaling? Kailangan ko ba talagang gawin iyon upang hindi niya ako paghinalaan at itulak palayo?

Napabuntong hininga ako. Kailangan kong sundin ang utos nina Mama at Papa.

"M-Magandang gabi sa iyo, A-Ayell," paunang bati ko sa kaniya. Gusto ko nang ngumiwi pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko baka kasi maghinala siya. "Ako pala si Klein—"

"Oo na. Ikaw nga si Klein. Paulit-ulit? Boomerang ka ba?"

Halos mapapikit ako sa sinabi niya. What the fuck? Ganito ba talaga siya makipag-usap? Malayong-malayo siya sa pinsan niya. Sa bagay, hindi naman talaga lahat magkadugo ay magka-ugali na rin. I was thankful that my girlfriend isn't like her. My girlfriend has claws and fangs, but she knows when to use it. But this girl in my front? Parang palaging naghahanap ng away.