THE HILARIOUS HUSBAND (LEE BROTHERS #2)

Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

RACING HEART

❥ ELISSE GARCIA ❥

I woke up with a jolt, the pressing need to pee dragging me out of my comfortable sleep. Groggy and disoriented, I slid out of bed in the guestroom, rubbing my eyes as I shuffled toward the bathroom. The clock on the wall read 1 a.m. - not exactly the most ideal time for a bathroom run, but what could I do? Ganito na talaga ang routine ko, nagigising sa dis-oras ng gabi para umihi, dahil bago ako matulog ay umiinom ako ng gatas o 'di kaya'y tubig or tea.

I pushed the door open and flicked on the light. Ngunit nagulantang ako at nagising nang tuluyan ang diwa ko sa bagay na bumungad sa 'kin sa banyo. No, wait. Hindi 'yon basta isang bagay lang. It was a... pirate?

Sh*t. What is Captain Jack doing here in the guestroom? Nananaginip ba ako?

Tila naestatwa ako sa kinatatayuan ko at natakot gumalaw because he has a sword in hand, eyes glaring straight at me like he was about to attack. His wild hair, that tattered pirate outfit, and the way his sword seemed aimed right at me... it felt like I'd walked straight into a nightmare. Tumindi ang kabog ng dibdib ko at ramdam ko ang pamamawis ng mga kamay ko, maging sa noo ko ay mayroong nagbutil-butil na pawis.

F*ck. Was he moving?!

Napaatras ako, my breath catching in my throat as the world tilted. Panic overtook me, and I almost bolted right there. Tinangka kong tumakbo, but something-some nagging instinct-made me stop. I squinted through the blur of fear, trying to process the ridiculousness of the situation. Pirates weren't real, damn it! What was this?

Pinagmasdan ko ang piratang nasa sulok ng banyo at inaral ang bawat anggulo nito. Then, I saw it-hanging off his waist, flapping softly with the slight movement of air in the room-a price tag.

I blinked once. Then twice. Then thrice.

Bakit may price tag siya sa baywang?

My fear drained away in an instant, replaced by an overwhelming sense of relief dahil napagtanto kong laruan lang ang human-size na Jack Sparrow sa harap ko. Dahan-dahan akong humakbang palapit doon, close enough now to see every unnecessary detail on the pirate's face. Hinawakan ko ang price tag at tiningnan. Namilog ang mga mata ko nang makita ang presyo no'n.

$2,500?!

Napabuntonghininga ako. Almost one hundred thirty thousand sa peso. Matino ang isip ng mga kapatid ko kaya alam kong hindi nila 'to gagawin sa 'kin. Only my dimwitted, prank-obsessed husband would think this was funny. I could already imagine the smug grin on his face when he pictured my reaction. Pero hindi ako papayag na hindi siya magbabayad sa ginawa niya.

Maingat akong lumabas sa guestroom, wicked grin playing on my lips, and tiptoed down the hall to his room. Nang maabutan kong hindi nakasara ang pintuan niya, bagkus ay bahagya pa 'yon nakaawang ay lalo akong napangisi.

Sumilip ako sa pintuan para i-check siya sa loob. Ang loko, hindi rin pala nagpatay ng ilaw kaya kitang-kita ko siya. He was fast asleep, sprawled out on the bed, snoring lightly with his stupid mouth half-open. Perfect.

Pigil ang tawa kong bumalik sa guestroom para kuhanin ang Jack Sparrow doll. The damn thing was heavier than it looked, and I almost lost my balance a few times. Mabuti na lamang at hindi nagising si Hope habang sine-setup ko 'yon sa gilid ng kama niya. Sinadya ko pang itutok sa kaniya ang espada nito, para malaman niya ang pakiramdam ko kanina.