Takot.
Iyon ang nakikita ni Deo sa mga mata ni Lisha. Puno ng takot ang dalawang nagtutubig nitong mga mata. Deo notices how her body trembles. Kapansin-pansin na rin kung paano nito habulin ang kaniyang paghinga.
"It hurts!" Muli nitong sigaw. She's still grabbing his chest tightly.
"I killed him." Her body tensing. "I-I killed t-them."
Naalerto si Deo nang mapansin niya kung paano bumaon ang mga kuko nito sa sariling balat. It seems like anytime, she can cut her self.
"Shit, kid. You need to calm down." Deo grabs her wrist away from her body. "Look at me and breathe."
Marahas ang naging pag-iling ni Lisha. "It h-hurts."
"It does," Deo takes a deep breathe. "But I can't let you be consumed by your own self."
He gently holds her both hands and circle his thumbs on the girl's palms.
"Breathe for me, hmkay? I need you to breathe, even if it hurts, just take it slowly. I'm with you."
Lisha paused for a moment, she stares at Deo. She swallows and breathes deeply. Halata sa mukha niya na nahihirapan siya, but she still tried.
"Good." Deo whispered, still circling his thumbs on her palms. "One more time, slowly."
Lisha follows him. She inhales again slowly and breathes out.
"You're doing good, baby. Keep it in, slowly." Deo let Lisha do it in her own pace. He patiently watch and praises her after each breathe.
Deo's tone and words are very gentle. If his mafia men hear him, they'll definitely be in shock. Baka nga mapadasal pa bigla ang kaniyang mga tauhan. Being gentle is way too far from his character. He was raised to rule and be bowed to. Gentle and warm words are out of his vocabulary. Sa mundong kanilang ginagalawan, tanging lamig ng kadiliman ang naguumapaw. Ang mainit na liwanag ay magsisilbing kahinaan. And he already knows that he's on the verge of this deep shit.
"You look tired," He stated. Lisha's breathing became stable, but tears are still flowing on her cheeks. "Lay down."
Dahan-dahang umiling si Lisha as she looks down.
"I can't." She said, almost a whisper. "I-I don't want to s-sleep."
"You don't need to. Just lay down." Nag-aalanganin man, sinunod pa rin ni Lisha ang sinabi ng lalaki. She slowly lays down on the mattress, Deo's sitting beside her, still not letting go of her hand.
Isang mahabang katahimikan ang bumalot sa buong kwarto. Tulalang nakatitig si Lisha sa kisame at patuloy lang si Deo sa pakikipaglaro sa kamay ng babae. Hindi na alam ni Deo ang susunod na salitang dapat niyang ilabas. He's scared that his words might trigger something to her and she might burst again.
"I'm—I'm afraid to sleep." basag ng babae sa katahimikan. Napako ang mga mata ni Deo sa mukha nitong nakatitig pa rin sa kisame.
She looks lifeless. Deo noticed how the girl's physique has changed overtime. Her fingers are very thin and Deo is so cautious that he might break them in just a snap. Lisha's face looks so dull, far from the bright and smiley face she have back from the start. Deo sighed as he saw how the girl's eyes dimmed. Her orbs do not shine just like how the way they used to before. This is not on his plan. It's not on his plan to ruin this girl.
"I keep having nightmares, and I keep seeing their faces." She continued. Her body tenses.
Deo held Lisha's hands firmly to ease her tension. It actually helps to calm the girl.
