Dancing with the Devil

Chapter 12

I put my weight on Sera's jeep and fished out a box of cigarettes from my bag along with a lighter. His lighter. His gaze followed my every move, then landed on the lighter that I got from him. Inipit ko ang sigarilyo sa pagitan ng aking mga labi at eksperto ko itong sinindihan sa harap niya.

I huffed out the smoke, watching it curl into the air. And there he was—standing tall, proud, hovering over me like an eagle eyeing its prey. His well-built frame was impossible to ignore, muscles flexing beneath the thin fabric that hugged his body just right. Matangkad at matipuno, he could easily pass for an international model—too bad he's all about business. I bet he could lift me like a sack of rice without breaking a sweat.

My frame was obviously small compared to his. I could almost picture both of his hands wrapped around my waist—possessive, claiming. His hair was purposely unkempt—messy, unruly, yet effortlessly striking. His features had a certain softness to them, with deep, narrow eyes that held an unreadable depth. But the contrast was sharp—the stubble lining his jaw, the thick arch of his brows. He looked like a soft beast, restrained for now, but ready to devour me at any moment.

Napailing ako sa naisip at muling hinithit ang sigarilyo. I shamelessly checked him out, and I could tell he was doing the same. Kaya bakit ako mahihiya? Shame had no place here—not for me, not for him. We both knew he looked effortlessly good.

The silence embraced us for a minute. Hindi ko mapigilang mainip sa katahimikang namamagitan sa amin. From afar, the booming music pulsed through the air, yet around us, a bubble of tense silence formed—boxing us in, shutting the world out. It was the kind of stillness that came before a storm, heavy and inevitable. And we both knew there was no outrunning it.

"Anong gusto mong pag-usapan?" I finally asked, tossing the cigarette butt and stomping on it.

"You were a virgin." He dropped it with no pretense, like a bomb that could threaten me.

"So?" I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. Is this where we were going? Sinisiguro niya ba na walang mabubuo? And if there will be, would he ask me to abort it? I know I was careless that night—we both were. But I own this body, and I have the freedom to decide on whatever I want to do with it. I'm not a kid not to know where my priorities should lie.

"I'll take responsibility for it."

Natanga ako sa kanyang sinabi. I was expecting the worst, but I did not expect this from him. Really? Pakiramdam ko nabibingi ako.

My eyes widened momentarily. I stared at him, at a loss.

"W-what?" My heart beat against my chest, but I couldn't help but laugh like a lunatic.

"Is this how a one-night stand should work? From a playboy, I didn't expect you to be..." I stopped and eyed him from head to toe. "This conservative?"

"You might have experience, but clearly, you are a virgin." He pointed it out like it was a matter of fact. His jaw clenched like he wasn't happy with where this talk was going.

"Virgin?" I echoed his words.

"You fucked me already, yet you still think that I'm a virgin? May I remind you that I'm like your other girls too—liberated and wild. Kaya wala kang responsibilidad sa akin. You enjoyed that night as much as I did. Thank you."

"Now, just shut up and leave me alone," I said, finality in my voice.

I walked past him, but he was fast enough to snatch my wrist, pulling me back into place. His face grew taut as he neared me, closing all the distance between us. Kinulong niya ako sa pagitan niya at ng sasakyan. Sa laki ng kanyang katawan, tiyak na hindi ako makatakas.