Tamed: The 8th Hiñago (HS#01)

Chapter 20

A/N: Mas gusto ko talaga magsulat ng Chapter 20 kesa magsulat ng Chapter 4 ng Research namin.

Chapter 20

Divine Justice

"This can't be real..." umiling siya ng ilang beses at lumayo sa akin. Still in shock and unable to process what just happened.

Natawa ako at napaupo rito sa bench ng gazebo. I reached for my phone and showed her the portal of NMSU.

"Yes, it's real," I disagreed. I even looked at the screen again. "That's your name right there—" tinuro ko. "—Deborah... with an 'H', Nissi double 's' and Sujarez, not Suarez. It's with a 'j'. It's you, love."

"Wait hold on..." she inhaled and exhaled drastically. "You mean you just became my boyfriend and you knew that I already passed the exam?"

I got caught up in her words and nodded naughtily. "Yes. It's your words and conditions, not mine."

Napatakip siya ng bibig na parang nabigla rin sa mga pangyayari. Well me? I don't know what to do too. Gusto ko lang siyang tingnan habang nagiging masaya siya sa naging achievement niya. Right now, becoming her boyfriend is the least of my concern. She can take back what she said once she realizes how impulsive it is, or she could just tell me that it's a joke and I surely won't mind.

"Well, I guess you are my boyfriend now."

Ngayon ako naman ang natawa. She sounded less serious. Para bang okay lang sa kanya. Too casual that I think she's pranking me.

"Niloloko mo ba ako Deborah?" I asked confused. Natatawa ako at nalilito hindi ko alam. I think she's playing with me. Ngayong nandito na, bakit hindi ko na maintindihan?

"I'm not joking. You're my boyfriend now," tumango siya at nginitian ako ng pagka-tamis-tamis.

"If you are afraid of taking your words back—You d-don't have to worry— I can wait for a little more—"

Her warm embrace halted me. Sa bigla ay hidi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko sa kamay ko. They were raised in the air. I wanted to hug her back but I chickened. Her voice, her victorious laugh... was the only thing I heard that moment and the echoing sound of my fast-beating heart against her body.

Hindi ako makahinga. Her hug was not suffocating me, rather it simply makes me cold and nervous that I might mess up and touch her in places that she didn't allow me.

"Thank you, Damian..." she whispered over and over.

Why is she thanking me?

I echoed my thoughts to her. "Why are you thanking me?"

She smiled and shook her head. She held my hand. "Congratulations to my boyfriend-slash-tutor too for passing the NMSU entrance exam..."

I pulled back. "What? How do you know?"

"Tiningnan ko," she shrugged. "Mas nauna kong nakita ang sa iyo bago ang sa akin dahil mas nauuna ang apilyedo mo. Kinakabhan akong tingnan ang akin kaya, hindi ko na lang tinuloy tingnan."

I heaved a deep sigh of relief that was so refreshing. Parang nabunutan ng tinik ang lalamunan ko. "Thank God."

"Yeah, indeed." bumitaw siya bigla. "Kailangan kong sabihan si Mama na nakapasa ako!—Oh wait! About the senior prom, my gown will be soft pink."

That was the only information she told me before she ran off happily. I couldn't even say a word.

Tila na-hit and run ako. Ten minutes after we became casually official—which is shocking to me too—hindi ko maproseso ng maayos sa utak ko, unbelievable. Talagang hindi ako makapaniwala kung totoo na ba talaga o kung jino-joke time lang ako ni mahal.