Sinfully Angelic

Chapter 23

23 : fight for liberty

Rien froze and his face went pale. It was as if Death was just right in front of him. As if one wrong move and he would perish. He looked disappointed; like someone who failed to achieve an almost victory.

What his mother said didn't sink into my head right away. I was flabbergasted. I didn't expect the sudden turn of events. I had never kissed anyone in my entire life.

Shoot, we're doomed! I didn't sign up for this!

Mouths could lie with words, but actions tell the truth, huh? To see is to believe? Perhaps, that was what his mother really was thinking.

"She's your wife, right? I'm sure you have kissed her. And kissing her here won't be a big deal, right?" Ipinagkurus nito ang mga braso sa dibdib at kapagkuwa'y mapanghamon na ngumisi.

"E-Emi is a shy girl. And she dreads PDAs," Rien reasoned and stammered for the first time.

Mapagdudang nagtaas ito ng kilay. "Only if you kiss her and prove to me that you both are truly in love, will I only let you be, Adrien."

My heart was doing cartwheels in my chest at this point and my whole face was now on fire. Opposite to it, my entire hands were ice cold, so cold that it was starting to feel numb. Are we really gonna have to kiss? And in front of his parents?

I looked at Rien and he couldn't even look at me. His adam's apple constantly moved up and down. His eyes quivered as he stared into the abyss.

I couldn't tell why he reacted like he just died or something. As if his world just stopped spinning. Maybe it was a big deal to him as it was to me. Most guys wouldn't mind kissing just anyone. Well, as annoying as it may sound, maybe I was not worth it.

Being kissed with true love was just a dream I fantasized about when I was younger, until I gave up on romance. And now that it was really happening right at the unexpected moment, a strange feeling began to resurface. As if the innocent teenager in me fronted up my system.

Dumagundong sa buong silid ang mapaklang tawa ng kaniyang ina. "You can't," she said with conviction. "You still remember what happened to you back on that island. See, you aren't healed yet, and you dared to fool us with some fake marriage. 'Wag ako, Rien. I'm your mother. I know everything about you."

Agad na nagtagis ang bagang ni Rien at matalim ang naging pagtitig sa kaniyang ina nang marinig ang mga kataga. Tila umaapoy sa galit at sakit ang mga mata nito. It was an expression of someone being betrayed, and it was the most painful reaction I had seen from him.

It made me more curious about what really happened to him and what his story was.

"You shouldn't be glaring at me like that, My Son. I'm on your side and only I can understand you."

Rien gripped the table napkin hard and tight. Sa totoo lang ay sobrang nakakatakot niyang tignan. He had quite the temper but he knew how to control it which I admired about him. But I kind of felt bad that he had to go through this. He didn't deserve it.

My hand carefully reached for his and laid it on top. It was an impulsive act to comfort him. There was that electric buzz again. Gulat na napabaling ang attention ni Rien sa akin nang gawin ko iyon, na para bang nararamdaman niya rin iyong kakaibang naramdaman ko.

Rien loosened the grip to the napkin and turned his hand over, our palms pressed together, and fingers intertwined. Both of our hands were cold but what he did warmed the frozen heart in me with assurance.

I couldn't understand what his mother was talking about or whatever exactly happened to him in the past. Maybe I hadn't understood Rien fully. Perhaps it's true I didn't know much about him. But what I knew and understood for sure, he wasn't trying to escape from his parents or his past. The guy simply wanted a new life and was trying to help himself heal from the pain he experienced.