POSSESSIVE 9: Lash Coleman

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

LASH TOOK OFF his sunglasses as the Black Pearl Cruise Ship was already near the Coleman's Port. After seven months of sailing around Asia, dumaong na sila sa wakas sa Pilipinas. Huminga siya nang malalim, saka ginawang headband ang sunglasses niya.

"Pahinga muna tayo after this," wika ni Lath na nasa tabi niya.

Tumango siya. "Yes. We should."

"Ilang buwan tayong mamamalagi rito sa bansa?" tanong ni Lath.

Alam niyang gusto nitong mamalagi sa bansa. Lath was Lath. He couldn't survive without being in land. Samantalang siya, ayos lang na wala siyang makikitang lugar at puro dagat lang. Maybe because the sea was his escape from his irritating father, annoying stepmother and his not so MIA stepsister, Nez.

Speaking of that woman...

Lash wondered, nasaan na kaya ngayon ang babaeng 'yon? Ano kaya ang pinaggagagawa nito sa buhay? Nang dumating ito sa bahay nila kasama ang ina, she was just fifteen years old. Nanatili pa si Nez sa bahay nila ng tatlong taon—three years na wala siya sa kanilang bahay at tuwing summer lang umuuwi dahil nag-aaral siya sa abroad—pagkatapos ay nagdesisyon ang ama niya na ipadala si Nez sa London para doon mag-aral ng kolehiyo. Siya naman ay sa Stanford nag-aral.

Dahil sa paghihiwalay ng landas nila ni Nez, his life became peaceful but boring as hell. But Lash would take boring anytime rather than always having a huge boner every time Nez was near.

Tuwing sumasapit ang summer sa tatlong taong 'yon, his restrain was put into test. After that kiss in the shore, when Nez was just fifteen, alam niyang wala nang pag-asang maging maayos ang pakikitungo niya kay Nez. Every timeshe was near, all he could remember was the sweetness and softness of her lips pressed against his. Damn! Hanggang ngayon, naalala pa niya ang lasa nito.

That kiss was a mistake. Nang makita kasi niya ito sa dalampasigan at tinatawag ang pangalan ng kanyang kakambal, mas nadagdagan ang iritasyong nararamdaman niya. So he kissed her and he liked it.

Then regret rushed in.

Yes, he liked Nez. More than he should, actually. But she was his stepsister. Hindi niya dapat nararamdaman 'yon sa kapatid niya.

Bullshit! They were not blood related for Pete's sake!

But who cared? Nez was long gone and it seemed that she was not coming back. Kaya nga gusto niya itong ipahanap kay Shun. But Mr. Detective was busy with his love life and now with his newborn son—Saito Becker.

Weird name.

"Hindi ko alam," sabi ni Lash, saka nagpakawala ng buntong-hininga. Ayokong manatili nang matagal. "Two months? Three?"

Lath grinned. "Make it three."

Wala itong ideya kung ano ang laman ng isip niya at kung ano ang hirap ang dadanasin niya sa tatlong buwan na yon.

Lash sighed. For his twin brother, he would endure.

"Lash?"

"Yes, Lath?"

"Tumawag si Daddy kani-kanina lang nang makasagap ng signal ang cell phone ko."

Agad na nasira ang kanina pa niyang sirang mood. "'Tapos?"

"Nagtanong kung uuwi raw tayo."

Tumaas ang dalawa niyang kilay. "'Tapos?"

"I said yes. Mukhang nagmamadali siyang makauwi tayo. Sabi niya may welcome party daw, eh."

Lash grimaced in irritation. "Since when did Dad throw a welcome party for us?"

"Not for us." Lath rested his elbow on the railing. "For Nez."