My Sweet Innocent Lovely Brat

Chapter TWO

"Gano'n ba?" may pag-aalala sa tinig ni Tito Ricky habang kausap ni Eric sa phone. Kare-report lang niya rito na sa nagdaang dalawang oras mula nang malaman ng unica hija nitong hindi ito pinayagang um-attend sa party ay may nabulyawan na itong dalawang baguhang katulong at pinaalis ang cook sa kusina. Pinagbakasyon. Nagmamasa ito ng dough ngayon doon para mag-bake ng cake ngayon.

Unfortunately, even as she tried hard, Lara wasn't a good cook. Pero ganoon ito kapag gustong magpakalma, which made him wonder if she could cook fine if she wasn't cooking while angry in the first place.

"She's really angry, isn't she?" kabado nitong tanong uli. Ito ang kakain ng cake pag-uwi nito kung mabe-bake nga iyon.

"She is," aniya. Napakunot ang kanyang noo. Did she miss that Zachary that much kaya nagdadabog ito nang ganito? "Gusto niya talagang makarating sa party na iyon ng mga Tanchoco."

Natawa si Tito Ricky. "Hindi party-goer 'yan, pero may balak gawin. I don't think she ever really forgave that boy."

Nakuwento sa kanya ang tungkol sa Zachary-Lara saga noong bagong dating pa lamang siya at inabutan ang dalaga sa late-heartbreak era nito. Nakiramdam na lang siya muna noong tahimik ito, palaiwas, at laging nakatago sa kwarto o kung hindi naman ay sa library. Which was unfortunate because as young as she was, Lara was a sight for sore eyes. She was beautiful with big, soulful eyes and naturally red, soft-looking pouty lips, and to-die-for body. That she was a toddler when he first saw her, and now a fresh graduate never-had-a-boyfriend twenty-one-year-old to his thirty-two was also a part of the equation.

Tito Ricky was going to kill him and dump him in acid if he ever found out he had the hots for his sweet, innocent, lovely brat. The one he was supposedly protecting. The one who almost died while he, the bastard protecting her, was about seven steps away from her. The one who still figured in his nightmares of countless dead bodies of people he wasn't able to save. Naroon ang mommy niya. At si Ashley.

Masyadong komplikado ang mga feelings niya para kay Lara at hindi na niya iyon dapat dinadagdagan pa. But damn, everytime he saw her, inaatake siya ng mga pagnanasa na hirap na hirap siyang kontrolin. At hindi pa nangyari ito sa kanya, dahil pa sa isang babae, kahit kailan.

The more he justified not touching her, not thinking of her as a woman and not a young brat, the more he wanted to get closer because he already knew there was something more to her than just the bratinella girl.

"Hindi siya makapagpatawad dahil pakiramdam niya, nainsulto ako. Pero hindi lang naman tungkol sa pangmamaliit ang nangyari sa pagitan namin at mga Tanchoco. Natalo ang bid ni Mr. Tanchoco kaya nagsungit si Mrs. Tanchoco sa 'kin kahit magkaibigan pa rin kami ng asawa niya at wala sa amin ang manalo o matalo. Ganoon din iyong mga magulang noong babaeng pinalit sa kanya ng Zach. O. Hindi ko alam na meron na pala silang problema dahil sa kaka-casino ng mga mister nila. Siguro ay may pinagdaraanan na noon si Mrs. Tanchoco at ako ang napagdiskitahan. Mabuti na lamang at nakabawi sila agad ng pamilya nila, pero iyong isa... ang mga Esteban..." Nagbuntunghininga ito. "Eric..." Nagbalik ang pag-aalala sa tinig nito. "Tingin mo, gusto pa rin ni Lara ang Zach na 'yon? Nakow... hindi ko gusto ang binatang iyon. Malaki na, eh, kapit-palda pa rin sa ina."

"Hindi ko alam, tito. Wala ako noong nagde-date pa lang sila," sagot niya, pero dahil walang nakakakita sa kanya ay napagdiskitahan niya ang dingding sa tapat niya at sinamaan niya ng tingin. He didn't like the idea at all, that she still felt something for her first love. Kung ganoon din lang, he would willingly offer himself to her. Ako na lang. So what kung bodyguard ako sa ngayon at mas matanda ako, and I might not be what she really wants. That she only really needed the thrill. I can be that for her. Heck, isa o dalawang suntok lang naman siguro ang makukuha niya kay Tito Ricky. It's not like he was playing her. Why did she have to be so young and innocent, anyway? Why did she have to be so beautiful that in five years' time, probably, it would not be so strange to have a thirty-seven-year-old boyfriend? Or she might not have passed over him to other guys she would much rather play with?