Be my Pretty Man (#1 of Guilberra Series)✔

Chapter 38

Kung ako yung tatanongin niyo, this is the best Christmas in my life.

I feel the atmosphere thicken while in the dining room. "Charles..." Simula ni Papa. Napalunok lang ang bakla at tila hindi makatingin sa amin. "Welcome to the family!" Dugtong pa niya ang ngumiti. Ayt! Akala ko pa naman may interrogation pa 'tong sila mama at papa.

Inakbayan lang ako ni Papa ang ngumiwi. He wiggled his eyebrows na parang timang. As usual. The tradition of the Guilberra family is to prioritize business over love, aaand I'm sure na 'yan rin ang mangyayari.

"So..you must've heard our tradition, nak?" Panimula ulit ni Papa. Huwaw! Ehem ehem Anak ulit? di pwedeng fututure son-in-law? AYIEEE! Napa-iling lang si bakla at napasimangot. "No I have not po.." Nauutal niyang sagot. Naku! ang kyut pala niya kapag natatakot. He looks like a lost kitten.

"Well it is promised that we, Guilberra family will prioritize business over love..and are you willing to wait for our daughter?" Salaysay ni Pader. Naman ihh! May pa tradition tradition pa sila. Pero excuse me ha! Di rin ako ready mag churva ek ek diyan. In short mag boyfriend!!

Charles's POV

Oh..may pa ganern ganern pak pak pa pala sila. Napa-iling lang ako habang pinag-iisipan ang mga desisyon ko. I know that I want this. Matagal ko nang napansin si Dia, since we were kids. Since she did'nt even know my existence. Kilalang-kilala ko na siya. And I liked her for so long. Pero nung nahulog ako kay Luna. Sa tingin ko true love na 'yun pero di pala.

Ibinaling ko lang ang aking atensyon kay Dia at ngumiti. "I'll wait..kung 'yan ang makakabuti sa aming dalawa..." I grinned at myself. Proud of my decision. Finally, there's someone in my life that I want to be happy with. And she's slowly converting me into a man.

I intertwined my cold fingers with her warm ones. Takte! Hindi naman ito ang dream love story ko eh! It was supposed to be a man who is ready to accept me. But tables have turned and I never regret l,iking her.

She is more than enough for me.

Dia

Habang abala kami sa pagkain ay biglang tumunog ang aking cellphone. Kumunot lang ang aking noo at tiningnan ang notification. Nang natanto ko kung sino ang nag text ay biglang nahulog ang aking awra.

"Ma! si Kuya! nasa labas na siya!" Wika ko at dali-daling silang lumabas. Sinundan ko lang sila Mama at Papa habang naiwan si Charles na may nalilitong mukha.

"I'm baaaack!!!"

"Darius anak!"

Niyakap lang nila si kuya at naiwan lang ako sa likod.

"Akala ko hindi matutuloy flight mo?" Ani ni Mama habang hinihimas himas ang buhok ni kuya. "Eh ano kasi Ma..sinundo ako ni Tita Jezel, at sumakay lang kami ng private plane papunta dito." Nakangising sagot ni kuya. Napailing lang rin si Mama at ibinaling ang atensyon niya saamin.

"Darius! may ipapakilala ako sayo!" Wika ni Mama habang hinihila si Charles. Shit! Ba't pa pinakilala ni Mama si Charles! eh alam naman niya na mainit ang dugo ni kuya sa ibang tao.

"N-Nice to meet y-you po.." Nauutal na wika niya kay kuya. Bigla lang nandilim ang paningin ni kuya and tinitigan lang siya. He glared at him like there's no end. Tumawa lang rin ako at pumagitna sa kanilang dalawa. Baka may something na mangyayari kung di ko puputulin ang tensyon sa kanilang dalawa.

"Who's this Diang?" He fakely smiled. Oh fudge! alam ko kung anong nasa isip ni kuya kapag ganyan ang kanyang mukha. He looked at us as if we are a sin. Umiling lang ako at ngumiti. "Kuya. He's Charles Michael Sarmiento, the heir of Sarmiento industries." Pagpapaliwanag ko.

Tinapik lang ni kuya ang aking magkabilang balikat at hinarap si Charles. "Your so-called industry was taken down a few months ago. And I suspect you know that your father made a scandal to our company, The Guilberra company.." Panimula niya. "I know what you're aiming to. Since my sister is still fragile so that's why you're trying to target her, hm? am I right?" Dugtong pa niya. Nakita ko ang galit sa kanyang mga mata. He is very competitive I must say, nagmana talaga siya kay Tito Jordan. The Strict competitive side of Guilberra really struck him.

And how DARE he say that I'm fragile? I stared at the both of them emotionless and sighed. "Kuya. Let's go inside, masyado kayong scandalous dito." Ani ko at pumasok sa loob. I think that I don't want to see both of them right now because I'm angry! galit ako kay kuya dahil sa pamamahiya niya kay Charles. At galit rin ako kay Charles dahil hindi niya sinabi kung anong bumabagabag sa kanyang isipan.

I facepalmed at myself. True hindi ko alam kung anong pag-ibig, and we're willing to take time because we're still young. I should take this easy. No rush.

"DIA! WHAT THE F*CK ARE YOU DOING?! DON'T LET THAT GUY TO THIS HOUSE! HIS FAMILY IS A DISGRACE!!!" Pagmumura niya sa akin. Napasimangot lang rin ako at nilingon si Charles. I know that it's hard for him to mention his family. Kung sa totoo lang, disgrace naman yung family namin. We are full of power-hungry people and full of brutal ways of shutting people out. Hindi ko naman tinatanggi na isa ako dun eh, but kuya took it too far.

I shooked my head and pulled Charles outside. "Listen, hindi ka mananalo kapag kausap mo si Kuya. Please just go home.." Pagmamakaawa ko at binigyan siya ng kaunting ngiti. The smile that would give us distance for a while.

"But Dia..I can prove to your Brother that I'm worthy.." Aniya sa akin. Napahimas lang ako sa aking mukha at umiling. "Charles, you can't win to my brother! Don't you understand? We can't do this! alam ko yung kapatid ko, hinding hindi siya magpapatalo at baka mapatay ka pa niya!" I exclaimed to him, hoping that he would understand.

He gave me a look of dismay. That handsome face with a frown on his lips. He nodded in understanding and walked away. I waved at him. But he did'nt even utter a word.

Bigla akong nakaramdam ng kirot sa aking puso, knowing that this is the last moment that everything will be okay.

Kung kanina, ang saya saya pa namin, tapos ngayon. Wala na. It all fades away. Hindi ko man lang naibigay ang regalo ko kay Charles. I just went inside and see the tables decorated, with them on the table eating silently.

I don't even feel the atmosphere anymore, instead, I just glared at my brother who stared coldly at me. Hindi naman kami ganito noon, we were closer than ever. We trust each other. Pero simula nung umalis siya para sa business training niya. He became cold. He became distant. He became like any other Guilberra who would kill just for money.

Alam ko na man sa sarili ko na mali na idrag ko pa si Charles dito. Pero nagbabakasakali ko kung matutulungan niya ang pamilya kong wasak na.

My oh-so perfect Family was not perfect. Hindi niyo makikita kung gaano kami ka sama. And despite all of that, ako dapat yung naiinggit kay Charles eh. Because he got to live a life freely. Nagka watak watak man sila. They still got the love inside them. While us? Hindi ko na alam. I don't know how to play my part in this family anymore.

But our distance will keep him safe, and I know that this is the only way...