My Sweet Innocent Lovely Brat

Chapter FIVE

Pinanood ni Eric ang perpektong arko ng katawan ni Lara noong mag-dive ito, at muntik pang mapasipol sa halos walang ingay nitong pagsilid sa ibabaw ng tubig. May nagsipulan sa taas at sa bandang kabila ng pool area. Pero wala siyang nakita kahit isa sa mga ito noong tumingin siya, agad na nagsitago.

He couldn't really blame them. But he couldn't show that.

Naglalangoy na si Lara. She was a good swimmer. Dahil sa paglalangoy nito tuwing umaga, nasa tamang tone ang muscles nito at hindi ito sing-hina gaya nang aakalain ng mga nakakikita sa slim nitong katawan. But she never came down wearing a bikini, goddammit.

Not a tinie, tiny red bikini. Hindi niya kailangang i-review ang Psychology class para mahulaan kung anong ibig sabihin niyon.

Eric was losing time. Konti na lang, and she was going to reclaim him as determinedly as anything she fought for in her life.

About four months after ng attempted kidnapping, palihim itong nagpaturo ng self-defense sa isang private instructor. All the while that she was showing a brave face to everyone, patago nitong mina-manage ang trauma nito. Tumigil lang ito nang magkaroon ng muscles sa katawan because she liked looking feminine, not a female boxer.

Always in rigid control. Always striving to be a good daughter and a prized girlfriend kahit hindi pa ito nagpapakita ng interes sa kahit sinong lalaki mula nang makilala niya ito maliban sa Zach na iyon.

And him. But he was irrelevant hangga't hindi nagiging malinaw kung anong nararamdaman nito para sa kanya.

Nevertheless, sa kabila ng bata pa nitong edad, Lara was one of the strongest people he had ever met. But there was a vulnerable part to her that she kept to herself almost by habit. Ayon sa ama nito ay nagsimula iyon noong mamatay ang ina nito.

"Naging matapang siya para sa 'kin. I was broken in pieces, I'm telling you, when my wife died and I didn't have a clue how to go on, Lara turned me around, bless her sweet soul. She took her mother's place in taking care of me. Ah, ganito. If you want to really know her, you have to be familiar with her smiles. She has different kinds. It'll be better that you know."

At tama ito. May ngiti si Lara kapag masaya, iba kapag may iba itong sinasabi talaga kaysa mga salitang lumabas sa bibig nito—unang indikasyon na matalino ito kahit tahimik o hindi nakikihalo sa mga diskusyon. She also gossiped and giggled like a girl, but only with her closest friends. She behaved almost perfectly kapag ibang tao ang nasa paligid.

But she didn't have anyone of her equal to talk to in the house. Lahat ay nagtatrabaho para rito. Her father was always working. Maybe that was why she was subdued and in check most of the time with him in the beginning, kasi in essence ay empleyado siya ng pamilya nito kahit kaibigan din silang mag-ama ng pamilya nito. Kung bakit kahit noong nangyayari pa iyong mga gabing magkasama sila, sa araw at sa mata ng ibang tao, kontrolado ito at nakatago ang passion na nararanasan niya sa mga halik at mga yakap nito. Such passion from someone innocent and very young.

Huhugot ba siya ng pag-asa sa red bikini nito? She had heard him on the phone last night. This must be about that. He couldn't be mistaken about this.

May ngiti rin ito para sa kapilyahan, but that he rarely saw. She was so focused about the sensations those nights... pinigil lang ni Eric ang ungol na gustong umalpas sa kanyang bibig sa lalong pagsikip ng kanyang pants sa bandang harap, where he was quickly developing wood.

Kapag nasaktan ito o nainsulto at itinatago iyon, mas matamis ang ngiti nito. Iba rin ang gamit nito kapag natatakot, pero mamamatay muna bago umamin.

The stark terror on her face that day...