THE HILARIOUS HUSBAND (LEE BROTHERS #2)

Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

FIRST TIME

❥ ELISSE GARCIA ❥

ORAS na maubos na ang mga bisita namin at nagkaroon na si Hope ng pagkakataong ipagpaalam ako sa pamilya ko at pamilya niya ay hindi na siya nag-aksaya pa ng oras. Kaagad niya akong inakay papunta sa elevator. His grip on my arm was firm, almost too tight, at alam kong dahil 'yon sa galit niya.

I could feel the anger radiating from him, every step heavy with tension. The atmosphere between us had shifted dramatically after what happened at the garden. Sinubukan kong mag-explain sa kaniya kanina, pero bago ko pa man maibuka ang bibig ko ay hinigit na niya ako pabalik sa venue at sinabing humanda raw ako sa kaniya mamaya. At alam kong ngayon na ang oras na 'yon.

I knew exactly where we were headed—to the suite booked for us here in the hotel. At ngayon pa lang ay kinakabahan na ako. The knot in my stomach tightened with each step, the elevator looming closer.

I glanced at Hope, hoping to see even the slightest hint of softness in his expression, but his jaw was clenched, his gaze hard and focused straight ahead. He was angry, no doubt about it, and I wasn't sure how this night was going to end.

Sasaktan ba niya ako? Pagbubuhatan niya ng kamay? I hope not.

We entered the elevator, and the doors slid shut behind us with a soft hum. The confined space only made the tension worse. Gusto kong magsalita, to explain myself, but the words seemed to get stuck in my throat. Instead, I stayed silent, my mind racing with thoughts of how the rest of the evening would unfold.

Alam ko sa sarili kong wala akong ginawang masama. Matapos kong pumunta sa restroom kanina ay tumawag sa akin si Miles. At first, I declined his call, but then it rang again. I ignored it a second time, but when he tried for the third time, I finally answered, dahil naisip kong baka hindi niya ako tantanan katatawag niya kung palagi ko 'yon papatayin. And besides, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to officially say goodbye to him for good.

Pero iba ang naging dating no'n kay Hope. Saktong nagpapaalam na ako kay Miles at nagbibilin na hindi na niya ako p'wedeng tawagan at kailangan na naming putulin ang communication namin, Hope appeared out of nowhere, yanking my cell phone from my hand and, without warning, hurling it straight into the pool.

Hindi ko makakalimutan ang naging reaksyon niya kanina. Hope's face was twisted in frustration, his breathing heavy, and I could see the anger boiling just beneath the surface. Siguro kung lalaki lang ako ay baka nasapak na niya ako ora-mismo.

Pero ang ikinainis ko rin ay hindi man lang niya ako binigyan ng pagkakataong magpaliwanag. He jumped to conclusions, like he always did. Wala naman akong tinatago sa kaniya bukod sa ginagamit ko lang ang marriage namin para maisalba ang mamanahin ko. Pero kung loyalty ang pag-uusapan, handa naman akong ibigay 'yon sa kaniya habang nagsasama kami.

That's why I answered Miles' call, because I wanted to close that chapter of my life properly, to make it clear that this— our marriage, Hope and I—was where my focus should be. But explaining that to Hope felt impossible now. Dahil sa pinta ng mukha niya ay alam kong hindi siya handang tumanggap ng anumang paliwanag mula sa 'kin.

Pagkapasok namin sa suite, hindi na nag-aksaya ng oras si Hope. Hinawakan niya ako ng mahigpit, halos hilahin, papunta sa king-size bed na nakahanda para sa amin. Red rose petals were scattered across it, but instead of feeling romantic, the sight only made the anxiety in my chest heavier. I had a sinking feeling about where this was headed dahil ito ang dahilan ng pag-c-count down niya nitong mga nakakaraang linggo.

F*cking sh*t.

Paglapit namin sa kama ay pabalibag niyang binitawan ang kamay ko, na kamuntikan pang maging dahilan ng pagkatapilok ko. Mabuti na lamang ay agad kong nabalanse ang weight ko. I looked at him, our eyes locking for a moment. His gaze was intense—dark, filled with something between desire and hunger, but there was an underlying frustration that made the air between us thick with tension.