Dancing With Fire (TO BE PUBLISHED)

Kabanata 25

Kabanata 25

I LAUGHED HARD when he tripped on a stone and fell. Nagmamadali siyang tumayo pero mabilis ko siyang nahila kaya bumagsak kaming dalawa.

"Ouch, Sera! Fuck!" he cursed.

"Ikaw!" Kinurot ko ang tagiliran niya. He laughed while pulling away, trying to catch my hand and trap it against his side.

"Isa, Vioxx. Bitawan mo 'ko," I warned, glaring at him.

His lips tugged into a smirk, his menacing dark eyes taunting me. Nakasalampak siya sa buhanginan habang ako'y nakaluhod sa harapan niya, his grip was locking my hands.

"Vioxx!" sita ko bago sumubok kumawala pero prente ang hawak niya. "Pakawalan mo 'ko!" I demanded.

"Let me remind you kung sino ang may atraso sa ating dalawa." He raised his brow. "I didn't know I had a wife."

"Joke lang kasi..." My cheeks flushed.

"Joke, huh? That's not something to joke about, Engineer. Take full responsibility, pakasalan mo ako ngayon," he demanded.

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"You're my secret wife—"

"Vioxx Ephraim Miranda," I said seriously. He stopped, his smile fading when he saw my expression.

He cleared his throat, staring at me intently. He cocked his head to the side, the humor fading, and was replaced by seriousness.

"You really treat my feelings as a joke," he murmured. Napawi ang ngiti ko at biglang napaatras.

"H-Hindi..."

He looked away, sighing as he stood from the sand, gently holding my hand to help me up.

I brushed the sand off my knees. Tumulong siya sa pagpagpag no'n sa dress ko. When our eyes met, his were blank, unreadable.

"Stop confusing me, Serafine," he whispered before turning his back on me.

I remained frozen, watching him walk away with his hands in his pockets. My heart throbbed painfully at nakita ko ang sariling mabilis na humahabol pasunod sa kanya.

I ran to catch up, grabbing his arm. He stopped, glanced at me, then sighed, but he didn't push me away.

We walked quietly toward the cottage. The white sand sank beneath my sandals, the cool night air brushing against my skin. I felt the warmth of his jacket around me. The sound of crickets filled the silence, mingling with the crash of waves and the rustle of leaves in the breeze.

Nadaanan namin ang cottage kung nasaan ang team niya. Natahimik sila nang dumaan kami.

"Good evening, Engr. Miranda!" they exclaimed.

Vioxx nodded with a small smile.

"Good evening," he replied.

"Kwentuhan muna tayo, Engineer!" a lady in red lipstick called, raising a can of beer.

Others joined in, calling him over. Suddenly, I felt shy, guilty even, na dahil hawak ko siya'y parang napipigilan ko siya. I bit my lip and slowly let go of his arm.

He shifted his gaze to me, his forehead creasing.

"Uhm, sige, mag-enjoy ka muna. M-Mauuna na ako sa cabana," I said with a smile.

Lumayo ako pero isang hawak sa siko ko'y napabalik ako kaya nilingon ko siya.

"B-Bakit?" I asked, confused, trying to pull away. "You can have fun. Kaya ko naman mag-isa."