Secretly Married (English)

Chapter 09

"What are you doing?"

Kent's father and Manang Lourdes stood on the doorway, their eyes wide with shock. Phoebe and Kent were shocked too and embarrassed. They had gotten carried away, and it wasn't like they did this on a regular basis.

"Nothing . . ."

Kent and Phoebe couldn't look at each other. Phoebe started straightening her clothes and hair, and Kent got up.

"We were just going downstairs."

"What were you shouting about?"

"Nothing, Pa. Just, please, we'll go follow you downstairs."

Kent's father looked just as embarrassed as the two of them, if not more. He took one last look at Phoebe and guided the shocked Manang Lourdes out of the room and downstairs.

Kent looked at Phoebe and took a deep breath. Phoebe was still too embarrassed to meet his eyes.

"Phoebe—"

"Kent—"

They spoke at the same time and stopped at the same time as well.

"Do you want to—"

"Uh no, no, thanks."

"Huh?"

Phoebe was afraid that he was going to ask her to resume the kiss so she got up. Then she remem- bered her other overdue project for her electronics elective. "Um, I'll just . . . go now. I have to go check on my project."

Kent nodded. "Okay, okay." He watched Phoebe leave the room and spoke no more.

At the dinner table a few minutes later, the two sat down, not speaking to each other and not meeting the elder's eyes.

"Uh, Phoebe?" Kent's father said, clearing his throat.

"Yes?"

"Your father called in earlier. He said he's coming home earlier than expected for your debutante party." "Really?" Phoebe's own father worked in Italy, and so he rarely went home. But this party was a big deal for him, since her late mother loved parties like this.

"Yes. And he said that he's already hired the people who will design the things for your party . . .

And, um, Kent . . ." "Yes, Pa?"

"Since it's Phoebe's eighteenth birthday, maybe we should talk about how you're going to announce at the party your—"

"That she's the girl I'm courting."

Phoebe looked at him in disbelief. Earlier, he was asking if she wanted to get married again, but now he couldn't even announce that they're married? "What? No, no, son. Didn't we talk about this before?"

"Pa, look. Wouldn't it be weird for people to know that I'm married? I mean, they will be shocked to find out. It will be better if we just take things slow."

Phoebe felt giddy all of a sudden. If Kent revealed that he was still courting her, then he had to show that he's courting her—something she's never experienced before. She couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, whatever you say. Just . . . talk things over with Phoebe. And your manager." Kent's father made a show of yawning and stretching out of his arms. "Well, I better go to sleep. I'm sleeping over, hope that's okay with you guys." He got up and went to the guest room.

Phoebe knew that he was sleeping over because he didn't want a repeat of what he'd witnessed earlier in Kent's bedroom. Phoebe got up soon after and went to her room to work on her project.

Phoebe's been working on her project for five hours and still no progress. She already felt like crying as she fumbled with the wires.

"Green and red, yellow and green, orange and black—ugh! Negative or positive? Oh no!"

She looked at her notes yet again. She had to finish this project because she'll be busy for the next few days before the birthday party. She considered asking for Kent's help again, but when she looked at the clock, she saw the time. Oh no! It's one in the morning. Just seeing the time made her feel so tired. She decided to take a short break and get a bottle of water from the kitchen. Before leaving the room, she charged up her project.

When she got up, drinking from the bottle of water, she bumped into Kent and spilled some on him.

"Oops, sorry, Kent."

Kent sighed and took off his shirt in front of her. Phoebe didn't know where to look.

"Oh, you should practice kissing with that bottle."

Phoebe looked at him, horrified and embar- rassed. "What?"

Kent laughed and shook his head. Suddenly, something exploded in Phoebe's room.

"Oh no!" Phoebe ran into her room, with Kent right behind her.

"What the hell happened here, Phoebe?" They inspected the floor and Phoebe's side of the bed. Kent took his shirt and put out the tiny flame with it.

Phoebe scratched her head and felt like crying. "Oh no, what am I going to do? Where am I going to sleep?" The side of her bed was badly charred, and the room had a very bad burnt smell.

"You can just sleep in my room."

"What? I'll just sleep in the guest room, whatever."

"Papa's there."

Phoebe felt so sleepy so she had no choice. She followed Kent to his bedroom and then settled on the far side of the bed—far, far away from Kent.

~~

Kent was well aware of Phoebe trying very hard to distance herselffrom him on the bed. He didn't turn to face her as he spoke.

"Phoebe?"

No answer.

"Phoebe!"

"Huh?" Phoebe's voice was half-asleep.

"I can't talk to you in public, you know that, right?"

"Whatever, Kent."

"Also, can you not hang out with that Harley anymore?"

"Why, you jealous?"

"Of course not!"

"Well, whatever."

"Just, don't rush into things. Wait for me, okay?" It took a long time for Kent to realize that he was already talking to a sleeping Phoebe. He had to prod her several times before he realized it. His last prod was so forceful that he almost pushed her toward the edge of the bed, so he had to rush and grab her in his arms so she wouldn't fall off.

Still, Phoebe didn't wake up. She even started snoring, making Kent laugh. Are you really asleep? he thought as he watched her sleeping face. Then, as if to test it out, he put his face closer to hers. And then kissed her.

Still, no reaction from Phoebe. He then lay there, looking at her peaceful face. Then he caught himself.

Why was he staring at her? He moved to the other side ofthe bed, trying to ignore the fact that there was a girl on his bed.

Of course, the girl also happened to be his wife.

The next morning, with Kent's internal body clock getting the best of him, he woke up just a few minutes earlier than his alarm clock and found Phoebe still sound asleep.

"Phoebe?"

She still wouldn't budge.

"Phoebe?"

He prodded her just as she turned on her back, so she almost went to the edge of the bed again. Good thing, Kent had good reflexes and caught her in time. But oddly enough, she was still asleep just like last night. He couldn't help himself as he looked at her face. He just had to kiss her.

Just as he deepened his kiss, his door burst open. Again? He thought as he let go of Phoebe. "What's . . . going . . . on?" Phoebe asked in her half-awake voice.

*later*