UNMASKED (Incognito Book 3- Completed)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“It meant... it meant...” Naghagilap si Charlee ng idurugtong doon, ngunit wala siyang maisip na dahilan. “Ayokong... kung puwedeng huwag na lang sana nating pag-uspaan iyan, ZD, please?” nakikiusap na sabi niya, bago napayuko.

“Ayaw mong pag-usapan ang tungkol sa mga nasasabi o ikinikilos mo na hindi ko maintindihan, pero gusto kong malaman. Ayaw mong pag-uspaan ang pamilya mo, kung saan ka nanggaling, kung ano ang buhay mo dati...” napabuntung-hininga ang binata.

“I wanted to meet your family, know more of you through them... just know more about you.” marahang pinisil nito ang braso niya. “Hindi mo ba naiisip kung gaanong kaimportante iyon Denise?”

Denise...gusto niyang matawa ng mapakla. ZD, hindi mo siguro iisipin kung gaano kaimportante ang mga iyan kapag nalaman mong ni hindi nga talaga Denise ang pangalan ko.

“You will... know me, sometime.” hindi niya alam kung paano pipigilan ang bahagyang panginginig sa boses. “Really.”

“That's a lie, Denise. At alam mong pareho nating alam yan.” he said gravely. “Pero gusto kong maintindihan. I want to know why you're never going to tell me anything about yourself. Why don't you want me to know you ?”

“ZD, it's.. it's not that. Please.“ pakiusap niya, nakayuko pa rin.

Tumaas ang mga kamay ni ZD paakyat sa kanyang balikat. “Then what is it, Denise? Please, I love you and it kills me to not know what is going on whenever you get that look like you're scared and wanted to run away.” dire-direchong sabi nito, bago napabuntung-hininga. “Sometimes, even from me.”

Napapikit siya ng mariin, bago huminga ng malalim. Nag-angat siya ng ulo at sinalubong ang tingin nito. “Okay, ZD. I am going to tell you something. At ayokong magalit o maghinanakit ka man lang sa akin, okay?”

Because I love you. Because I don't wan't you to think, even just a little, that I love you less because I can't tell you who I really am.

His eyes flickered. “I promise. Hindi ko magagawang magalit sa iyo.”

“Okay.” pinatatag niya ang boses. “Totoong iniiwasan kong mapag-uspan ang tungkol sa pamilya ko o kung saan kami nanggaling o kung ano kami dati or anything like that. At hangga't maaari, hangga't maiiwasan, ayoko rin sanang makilala mo sila. If it were all up to me, I am not even supposed to have anything to do with you... or anybody else for that matter.

“Pero gusto kong malaman mo na kung pupuwede lang, gusto kong sabihin sa iyo ang lahat. Lahat ng may kinalaman sa akin. Lahat ng tanong mo, sasagutin ko. Lahat. Kung puwede lang.

“Pero may dahilan kung bakit...” napalunok siya. “Kung bakit hindi puwede. And the worst part of that is that I can't even tell you what the reasons are.” tuluyan nang nabasag ang boses niya, kasabay ang pagkawala ng luha sa kanyang mata.

“It's okay...” hinila siya ni ZD at masuyong niyakap. “It's going to be okay, Denise.”

“No, it's not.” tanggi niya habang patuloy ang pagpatak ng luha. “Dahil hinding-hindi ko masasabi sa iyo ang kahit ano pa tungkol sa pamilya ko, kung ano kami dati, kung ano ako dati. It's all going to be a secret... maybe forever. Do you understand that, ZD?”

Ilang sandaling natahimik ang binata. Patuloy lang ito sa paghagod sa kanyang likod, sa masuyong paghalik sa kanyang sentido, sa kanyang noo. Then he stopped and gently wiped her tears with his thumb. “You know, Denise. Kung may nagawa ka man dati o may kinalaman sa kung anumang hindi dapat at natatakot kang sabihin iyon sa akin...”  he smiled a bit. “You don't have to be afraid or anything, really.”

“Alam ko. Pero--”

“Una, hinding-hindi ko sasabihin kahit kanino ang mga bagay tungkol sa iyo na ipinagkatiwala mo sa akin, okay?” he took her head in both hands. “Pangalawa, walang magbabago. Nothing you could have done, nothing you could ever do – would change the way I feel about you.”

Gustung-gusto nang bumigay ni Charlee at sabihin kay ZD ang lahat ,--- kung paanong lampas anim na taon na silang palipat-liapt ng tirahan, papapalit-palit ng pangalan, at pilit na nagtatago at sumusubok mabuhay ng normal. She longed to tell him how music is her only solace, how that is the only thing aside from her family that she can never give up, ever... until she met him.

But looking into his serious face, she knew it was impossible. She had already endangered him enough by telling him what she just said.

“I told you, ZD. Hindi... hindi puwede...” sinubukan niyang huwag gaanong maapektuhan ng nangungusap nitong mga mata. She fought to keep her voice steady, as she pressed her body closer to his and her hand crept up his shoulders.

“I only want to talk about now. Us. Just you... and me.” she said fiercely. She angled her head so that her lips were barely meeting his, as he looked down at her. 

“Because now might be all I have. And the only thing I'm sure about.” magaan niya itong hinagkan, ramdam niya ang pagbangon ng kaba sa dibdib. She has been thinking about this in days, and she's never felt so sure about anything, until this very moment.

“But don't you trust--”

Hindi na nagawang ituloy pa ni ZD ang sasabihin dahil tuluyan na niyang nasakop ang labi nito, at mariin itong hinagkan.   

It was a nother kiss to silence him, to stop him from asking any more questions. To stop him, maybe from ven thinking, period. 

And as the kiss deepened, as he responded with equal fervro, she knows she is succeeding, so much so that she felt him pulling  her even closer, pressing her towards his warm solid body until it looked and felt as if they are one.

Nagsimula ding maging mas mapusok at mapaghanap ang mga kamay nitong naglalakbay sa kanyang kabuuan. His hands were on places she never thought were capable of any sort of sensation until he has touched them. At tumutugon siya sa bawat nararamdaman dahil doon, na posible pala.

She has never kissed and touched a man this way, and yet as his mouth was trailling kisses from her lips down to her collarbone, she breathlessly held his face in her hands, her hooded eyes meeting his.

She felt a sensual stirring within her as she gazed back at those eyes, looking so dark, so clouded with desire. “This time, I am the one who's not going to take no for an answer.”

Bahagyang tumaas ang kilay nito. “Anything.”

“Make love... with me, ZD.”