Sinfully Angelic

Chapter 16

16 : windows to one's soul

Maaga akong nagising kagaya nang nakasanayan sa bahay. Tila ugali ko nang maghanda ng umagahan ay lumabas ako sa kwarto ni Rien at pumunta sa kaniyang kusina. Pero bago pa man ako makarating doon ay sinilip ko siya sa sala. Mahimbing siyang natutulog sa sofa at nasa lapag na ang kumot niya.

His shirt was raised up, unintentionally displaying his well-molded abs.

For some unknown reason, witnessing such a sight made me blush across my cheeks.

My knees bent down as I instinctively picked the blanket up. I tucked him in as carefully and ghostly as I could, afraid to wake him. It was the least I could do from occupying his bed, to ease myself from guilt.

I had the chance to observe him in his impeccable visage. He was totally oblivious, vulnerable, and looking more calm and angelic than usual.

I knew I wasn't thinking so much when I stared at him in peace. I knew that just by looking at him, I felt a different kind of safety. But deep within me, I heard a tiny voice saying—hoping, asking, please don't hurt me.

Inayos ko ang aking slate blue comfort cardigan sa pagkakatakip sa aking katawan at tuluyang naglakad patungo sa kaniyang munting kusina. Nagkalkal ako sa ref niya at nagtingin ng pwedeng mailuluto.

He surprisingly stocked up a lot of food, but most of them were instant and easy-to-cook. Kumuha ako ng apat na pirasong itlog, kaunting pirasong manok, at ilang tangkay ng alugbati. Nagsaing na rin muna ako bago naghiwa ng sibuyas at inihanda ang mga dapat na lulutuin.

My heart thrummed when I heard Rien's just-woke-up voice behind me after a couple of minutes. It broke the peaceful silence of six ante meridiem.

"Good morning," he grunted under his breath. "Wow. I wondered what the delicious scent was and it was you, cooking in my kitchen. It made me get up."

Rien was rubbing his abdomen, imprinting muscular shapes beneath his thin, white cotton shirt as he approached the table. I noticed him peeking at me in my periphery before sitting down on one of the white nordic chairs.

"I didn't know you could cook." Kinuha niya ang isang baso sa kaniyang kanan at nagsalin ng maligamgam na tubig galing sa babasaging pitsel.

Sa apat na taong nagdaan, ito muli ang araw na binati ako ng magandang umaga sa loob ng bahay. And somehow, it sent a strange feeling deep inside me. It felt oddly new and sadly nostalgic at the same time.

"Umm, good morning," halos pwet ko lang ang nakarinig ng sagot ko dahil sa gumagapang na hiya sa aking sistema. Isinalin ko ang isang kalulutong omurice sa plato niya. "It's just egg, fried rice and fried spinach for side dish. Nothing chef-like special."

"Oh, an Omurice. Do you have any idea how hard it is to perfect the egg like this? You must have a chef-like skill to pull this off." Agad siyang pumulot ng isang kutsara, naghiwa ng malaking piraso, at dinala iyon sa kaniyang bibig upang tikman.

I was watching him closely when he began to chew. Tumatango-tango siyang nginunguya ito at kapagkuwa'y nagthumbs-up bago sumubong muli. "Oh, shit! It's good!" He struggled to blow the heat off his mouth, making a huffing sound. "Wow, this is the best Omurice I have tasted!"

Alam kong eksaherado lamang ang kaniyang sinabi habang nakikipaghamok sa init sa loob ng kaniyang bibig. I bet he didn't even taste anything from all that heat. But it still made my day.

Hindi ko pinansin ang pagmumura niya kahit na nagpaalala iyon ng nakaraan ko, kung kailan palagi akong pinapagalitan ni mommy nang 'di sadyang nakakapagmura ako sa harap ng pagkain.