Lips That Lie

CHAPTER 27

She walked straight to their room when they arrived at the beach house. Hinubad niya ang kanyang basang damit nang matunton ang banyo at tuluyan nang naligo. Pagkatapos doon ay nagpalit na siya ng kanyang damit pantulog at kaagad nahiga sa kama.

Thoughts from what happened a while ago flooded her mind. Hindi siya makapaniwalang magkikita sila ni Mayor Fernan sa ganitong pagkakataon. What a small world! Hindi niya tuloy alam kung paano magre-react kanina o kung paanong tamang um-akto sa harapan nito. All she could think about was to run as far away as possible and hide from him!

Nahalata kaya siya ni Karissa? Clearly! Para siyang estatwa kanina nang makita ang mayor at matuklasan pa na malapit na kaibigan pala ito ni Alfonso Sandoval!

Should she confess the truth to Antonio now? Before he finds out from Mayor Fernan? But will he find out? Maybe she's just overthinking this! Hindi naman siya nito nakilala bilang Calla lalo na dahil sa mukhang tinataglay niya ngayon. But it still bothers her that she reminded him of the young Rosanna Leuterio.

Pero kung matuklasan ng mga Sandoval ang dating buhay ng ina at ang isa pang anak na iniwan nito sa Del Rio, hindi naman siguro no'n maaapektuhan ang pagpapanggap niya bilang Celine hindi ba? It will be big news, for sure, but they won't think that the ugly daughter her mother abandoned in her remote hometown is now Celine Enriquez. And that the real Celine Sandoval is already dead.

Ang alam ng pamilya niya ay nasa ibang bansa siya ngayon at nagta-trabaho. Nobody knew except for her and her mother.

Nagulat siya nang maramdaman ang pagyakap ni Antonio sa kanya mula sa likod. She could tell by the fresh mint scent of his skin that he already showered. At sa dami ng tumatakbo sa isip niya, hindi niya napansin na nahiga na rin ito sa tabi niya.

He fixed the duvet and made sure her body would be well covered.

"Still cold, baby?" he asked softly.

Marahan siyang umiling. "Thank you."

Hinalikan siya nito sa gilid ng kanyang leeg dahilan kung bakit siya napapikit.

"Are you alright, hon? Is something bothering you?"

Slowly, she turned to face him. Madilim na ang buong paligid at tanging ang malamlam na sinag ng buwan na lumulusot sa bintana na lamang ang nagsisilbing liwanag nila sa loob. But despite the lack of lighting, Antonio was breathtaking.

Kita nga lang niya ang pag-aalala sa mga mata nito habang hinihintay siyang sumagot. Tahimik siya sa buong biyahe kanina kaya siguro ito nababahala.

"I'm alright," she assured him.

Masuyo nitong hinaplos ang kanyang pisngi at pinagmasdan ang bawat sulok ng kanyang mukha.

Hindi niya alam kung bakit...ngunit may kung anong pangungulila siyang nararamdaman habang tinitignan ito pabalik. She could almost hear the clock ticking. Pakiramdam niya ay nalalabi na ang mga oras nilang magkasama.

Seeing a familiar face from her old life as Calla made her realise how easily she could get caught. How this life could easily end as it wasn't hers in the first place. Maybe she's lucky that she was able to pull this off for so long without anyone noticing. But sooner or later the truth will find its way and come out.

It's just a matter of time. Kaya naman gusto niya itong pangunahan. But a part of her isn't ready to do that yet.

Funny how just weeks ago she almost begged her mother to stop this as she didn't want to fool Antonio anymore...only for her to say now that she wasn't ready yet to reveal the truth?

"May nangyari ba kanina bago ako dumating?"

Kumunot ang kanyang noo roon. "What do you mean?"

"Did Karissa intentionally push you off the pool? Nagtalo ba kayo?"