All Clear, Attorney

QQ

HE HUGGED HER.

He kissed her head.

Would it be safe to assume na may. . . nararamdaman din ito para sa kanya kahit konti?

She bites her lower lip and looks at how he fights in the court, swallowing his enemy. His cold and low voice resonated across the four walls.

Ang sarap nitong pakinggan habang nakikipag-argumento. He's indeed a fine and smart man.

The way he stands and throws his argument, his left hand inside his pocket while the other is making some gestures, makes her feel as if she's watching a movie. . .

At ang scene lang kung nasaan si Cadence ang gusto niyang ulit-ulitin, and she would never get bored nor get used to it.

Watching him rule the courtroom will always be new to her.

The hearing ended, at muntik na siyang mapapiksi no'ng hinawakan ni Cadence ang kamay niya habang papalabas sila sa Hall of Justice. He intertwined their fingers and just like that, he took her breath away.

May kung ano na namang naglalaro sa loob ng puso niya, and her insides are screaming!

Fuck. Hinawakan lang naman siya nito!

But then, it's Cadence! The man she likes!

She likes Cadence! She admires him! Fuck.

"Where do you want to eat, Jacinda?" he asked as they walked, hands intertwined, their elbows brushing against each other, his perfume making its way to her nostrils.

With her free hand, she played with her palm using her thumbnail, constantly digging her thumbnail on it and making marks to suppress her emotions.

Fuck. Paano hindi magwawala ang sistema niya kapag ganito?

She cleared her throat and tried to act casual. "Gusto kong mag-samgyup," satinig niya rito at mabilis itong tinapunan ng tingin.

Cadence just nodded and tightened his grip on her hand. Hindi iyon masakit. Sapat lang upang maramdaman niya ang init ng palad nito.

Sapat lang. . . upang pigilan niya ang kanyang hininga.

She heard Cadence smirk, causing her to throw a gaze at him. Nagkasalubong ang kanyang mga kilay, lalo na nang makitang kinagat nito ang pang-ibabang labi na para bang nagpipigil ng ngiti.

What seems to be funny? Ano ang tinatawa-tawa nito?

"Anong tinatawa-tawa mo r'yan?" kunot-noo niyang tanong dito. 'Di niya na nakayanan. Her curious is at its peak.

May nakatatawa ba?

Umiling lang ito habang hindi binibitawan sa pagkakagat ang labi. Napakurap pa siya no'ng bigla nitong binitawan ang labi at pinadaan ang dila roon na muntik niya nang ikasinghap.

Namamasa ang labi nito, and it glistened under the afternoon sun as if it was inviting her to take a bite, causing a lump to form in her chest-a lump that she finds hard to swallow.

She's. . . damned.

He chuckled, waking her up from reality, before opening the car door on the passenger seat for her.

"Nothing. You're just amusing, Jacinda. Really, really amusing."

She doesn't know what he meant by that, but somehow, she could tell that Cadence sensed how tense she was just by. . . being beside him.

Being close to him, and her arms against his.

He knows. . . Of course, he knows.

But Cadence doesn't seem to mind, because as days passed by, nahahalata nito kung paano siya natataranta at 'di mapakali kapag kaharap ito, and he would just smile playfully as if letting her know that he can see through her.