Tale as Old as Time (La Fortuna Series #1)

Kabanata 45

Warning: Explicit Content.

- - -

Kabanata 45

Betray

"Chill, dude. 'Yung girlfriend mo 'yung naunang humawak," a friend of the now beaten up guy said.

I froze at my place because of that. Nahahapo kong pinabalik-balik ang tingin ko mula sa kaniya at kay Chamuel. As I shivered with the cold, my heart ignited with a blazing fire of anger.

Is this for real? Ako pa talaga ang may kasalanan kasi ako 'yung humawak?

Walang halong birong ngumisi Chamuel. His hair was wet and droplets of water dripped from it, gliding down to his jaw, neck, and torso. Naka-topless siya kaya kitang-kita ko kung gaano nagtaas-baba ang dibdib niya, tila hirap na hirap huminga. His hands were still in a fist as he raked his eyes on the guys' faces with utmost dimness and slur.

I had never seen him this angry my whole life. Noong nangyari ang insidente sa Bistro apat na taon na ang nakalipas, hindi ko masyadong nakita ang mukha niya dahil sa kakapusan ng tanglaw. This one's different, though. The pool area was fully illuminated, letting me fixate on the glint in his eyes. It told me that even though he was alone, he could break the five men's bones.

"Putangina sinong niloloko mo?" He wasn't shouting but the intensity of the way he spoke overpowered any faint sounds in the entire pool.

Ang mga taong hindi nang-usyoso kanina ay nagsilanguyan na palapit sa 'min. I even saw two bouncers approaching us as well. I snapped myself out of my trance and walked towards Chamuel. Nang sipatin niya ako'y galit pa rin ang mga mata niya. I touched his biceps and rubbed it gently to calm him down.

"Cham, tara na," mahinahon kong sambit.

His jaw clenched. Parang may malamig na kamay na humawak sa puso ko nang kunin niya ang braso niya mula sa hawak ko. He looked away and swallowed hard, making his Adam's apple move violently.

Ibang klaseng pagkapahiya ang dulot sa 'kin ng ginawa niyang 'yon. I didn't know what he meant by that gesture but all I could come up with was that he was mad at me. Pero bakit naman? Did he believe what one of the guys told him? Na ako 'yung humawak at kasalanan kong nasa ganoon akong sitwasyon? I didn't know. And my mind was too haywired to contemplate about it further.

"Cham..." I tried again.

Tumalikod siya sa 'kin. "Get out of the pool, Tacia."

Siya ang unang tumakas at nang nasa kongkreto na'y tinulungan niya naman ako. He squatted a bit to hold me on my waist and helped me pull myself up in a swift motion. Dahil naka-string bikini lang ako, damang-dama ko ang mainit niyang palad sa balat ko.

It wasn't an ideal time to feel such worldly things, but the roughness of his actions and his hands made my insides churn in anticipation. Kinuha niya ang bathrobe ko sa sun lounger at agad na isinuot 'yon sa 'kin. He couldn't look at me properly. Kumirot ang puso ko dahil doon.

"Ipapapulis po ba?" tanong ng bouncer sa 'kin.

Wala sa oras na pinasara nalang ang pool area dahil sa nangyaring insidente. The premises were now almost empty leaving me, Chamuel, some staffs, the bouncers, and the five men who harassed me in the whole area.

"Yes. Ipapapulis po," sagot ko.

I gave the five guys a scathing look. Kung akala nila'y palalampasin ko 'yon dahil hawak lang naman, puwes, nagkakamali sila. As a woman, I oftentimes experienced incidents like this. In Cebu though, I was surrounded by my friends. Dahil doo'y walang nakakalapit at bastos sa 'kin masyado. I get catcalled and eye-fucked all the time, but that was the highest extent I suffered from since that scene in the Bistro four years ago.