Task Force Trilogy #1: Bullet

Chapter 19

YOU heard everything.

I stepped backwards. "Did I? What did I heard? I didn't hear anything. Top secret ba yon? Kinakausap mo ba sarili mo kanina? I didn't hear anything but the glass breaking, Valente---ang l-lapit mo. Stay away from me."

"Then what's the first aid kit for?" He glanced back at the kit above the table. It was his deep voice, softly uttering the words, but danger laced in his voice. I can clearly see his deep and scrutinizing gaze. At patuloy pa rin ang paghakbang niya palapit sa akin.

I keep backing down, stepping backwards, away from him. "P-para sa sugat mo. Look at your palm. It's bleeding. Kailangan mong gamutin iyan."

"How did you know?"

"H-how? I mean, look. You can see---"

"I had this earlier. And you can't possibly see this wound. I was keeping my hand close to my chest, you won't see it from there, Aurora. Unless you...watched everything."

Tumalon ang puso ko sa gulat nang maramdaman ang malamig na pader sa likuran ko. Mahaba na pala ang iniatras ko kanina. It was a long distance that I reached the cold wall, and now I had nowhere to go. Aalis na sana ako pero naitukod niya na ang kamay sa gilid ko. I tried to snoop down below his arms but he held mine.

"Did you hear everything, Aurora?" Mahinang tanong niya.

It was the wrong decision. I let my heart win, and it was the wrong choice tonight. Dapat ay pinabayaan ko na lang siya. I should have kept everything to myself and wait for tomorrow. Now that I realized, it was just a small wound. Kayang-kaya niya.

Matapang kong sinalubong ang mga mata niya. "I didn't hear anything, lieutenant. I just came here because I heard a sound. May ingay na galing dito at nakita kita at iyang sugat mo."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Are you telling me the truth?" He asked again. Bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko nang nawala ang kamay niya sa braso ko. Now both of his hands crawled onto my waist and he held it gently. "Are you telling me the truth, Aurora? C'mon, tell me."

"I am telling the truth." May diin na sagot ko at itinulak siya palayo. He moved a little bit and that gave me a little bit oxygen. "Can you please move away? You're too close, it's dangerous. Isa pa, lasing ka. You're drinking, lieutenant. Bawal iyon. Hindi ka off-duty."

"I was drinking." He nodded. "But I'm not drunk."

Naikuyom ko ang kamao ko. Here he go again. Telling me he's sober but telling me tomorrow, he's not and he forgot half of everything he had done. Halos malimutan ko na nag-usap nga pala kami kanina. That he said to me that I should stop, and I promised him, I'll move on starting from now.

"Aalis na ako." I turned my back on him and was about to reach the doorway when I felt him grabbed my arm. Marahan niya akong hinila pabalik. "Lieutenant, I think you should go back to your quarters and rest. Para mahimasmasan ka. Let me go and I'll take a bath."

"Life's unfair in the wrong time, Aurora, huh?" His lips slightly lifted, almost a smile but it did not reach his eyes. "I know you heard everything. I saw you. But I thought I was just hallucinating. I thought I was really drunk because I saw you. I miss you too much, you know? I miss you too much I nearly believe you're not real."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Sir, you're drunk. Let's go. You should get some rest."

"See?" I panicked when his voice broke. "You call me that now. I've never liked it when you call me lieutenant or sir. That's not me..." His face suddenly fell onto my shoulders. Naramdaman ko agad ang bigat niya.