Deceret Series #1: His Lips On My Neck

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

At age 14, I flirted with the idea of death one too many times.

"Stormie..."

Napaigtad ako sa aking kinauupuan. Mabilis kong isinara ang lid ng laptop ko at inayos ang sarili. The soft silk fabric of my nighties caressed my skin as I pulled myself up and went to open the door.

Ang nakangusong mukha ng aking kambal ang sumalubong sa akin.

"Nagwalk-out ka na naman," she pointed out.

Pagod akong ngumiti sa kaniya. Mommy got mad earlier having to learned that I went home at around 2 in the morning, after that epic night at the bar.

"Bakit, Shantel? May kailangan ka pa ba?" marahan kong tanong sa kaniya.

Umiling siya at nginitian ako. Despite our differences, I loved my sister so dearly. Kahit pa na siya lang ang lagging bukambibig ni mommy at walang araw na hindi niya ako ikinukumpara sa kakambal kong babae.

"Just making sure you're okay. You barely eat your breakfast with us."

"I'm... fine." Napapaos kong wika.

"Can I come in?"

I hesitated at the door. Albeit we're twins, Shantel and I have never shared a room before. Maybe because of our glaring differences from each other. While she's sweet and outgoing, I'm rather shy and timid. And I'm the cursed daughter of Joachim and Leonora Roman who tried to kill herself some three years ago...

"Please?"

Shantel stared at me with her puppy eyes. Napanguso din ako. She's just too cute to be ignored.

"Fine."

"Yes!" ngumisi siya at humagikhik, sabay pasok sa kwarto ko.

Sinundan ko ang maliit niyang katawan. We almost have the same physique, actually. I'm lucky to be born with a different face from my twin otherwise my mother would've gone crazy. She thinks that I am too much to handle and what if there's two of me?

Napailing ako...

"Someone's courting me." anunsiyo ni Shantel sa akin. She sat on my faux fur chair and eyed my Macbook with white marbled skin before dragging her gaze back at me.

"Oh?" humalukipkip ako at pinagmasdan ang kakambal.

"Yeah. He's a college boy..." she twirled the ends of her curly hair and gazed at nothing. Ngumiti ang kakambal. "But I don't like him. I like his friend better." Amin niya sabay hagikhik ulit.

Tumawa ako sa tinuran ni Shantel. We don't go to the same school. While my twin sister is enrolled in an exclusive and private all-girls school, I am attending one of the public schools in San Juan, La Union. Mommy says I can't do more damage to the family's name that's why I should be separated from my sister. Matagal ko na iyong tanggap, even though Shantel was so against it in the first place.

"Pero..." she chewed her lower lips and for a moment, she looked so sad. "Mukhang hindi niya ako gusto, eh."

"Bakit naman hindi magugustuhan ang isang Shantel Iona Roman?" tanong ko sa kaniya habang nililigpit ang mga librong tapos ko nang basahin. I carried the six of them to my bookshelf and started arranging the books according to the cover's color.

"Ewan ko. He's just so... deadly, you know? I could feel that he is lethal and somehow, his mystery has me drawn closer to him."

Natigil ako sa pag-aayos ng mga libro, bahagyang naalala si Philodemus kagabi. Or at least that's what I thought is his name. As soon as I arrived home earlier, I searched for the ancient Greek philosopher. Tama naman ang naging sagot ko, pero siguro ay pinagtitripan niya lang talaga ako.