Promiscuous (Who's the slut?)

Chapter Eight

This is the first day of my mission.

Make Rave rue the day he'd messed up with Marie Claire.

I could still hear Lucy's voice last night.

"You screwed him?"

"Didn't you hear the word I said, he's sleeping with me. I'm not sleeping with him or any other way around. Vice versa or otherwise." I heard her chuckle through the phone. It only added to my ire.

"You're so slow... are you sure you're my friend?" I tried to sound more sardonic as I rolled my eyes. As if she could see me biting my nail in irritation.

"I'm your only friend, remember?" she laughed hard. Damn.

A slow, lingering smile touched my lips. I looked up at him as he surveyed the crowd. He had sunglasses on that made him looked ruggedly handsome. I breathed in. Dammit. I shouldn't be fantasizing my bodyguard.

He didn't even ask where we are going.

We went to a department store to buy women stuff. I picked this and that, or whatever I fancied. I was waiting for a complaint or two at seeing a big log of a man holding a pack of sanitary napkin, rolls of tissues, two paper bags of dresses. But he only whistled!

I turned to face him.

"Aren't you the least bit tired?" I could see his questioning look. Then he just shrugged.

"Aren't you allowed to speak to me? 24/7 tayong magkasama tapos tango, iling at pagtaas lang ng balikat ang gagawin mo?" I blurted out in dismay.

When he just looked at me I could tell that he was seeing me as some kind of... of... of... a child! Child?! Yeah right.

My eyes turned into slits. Nobody neglects Marie Claire. I smiled and crossed my hand on my chest making the top of my exposed skin a better view. "Surely, hindi ka naman bad breath?"

I saw his lips started to form a slow, lazy, sexy... Jerk! What the hell am I thinking? His head bent a little so as his breath reached my ears. It tickles.

"Darling... that ploy of yours is as old as time. If you want me to kiss you, you just have to ask." He whistled then turned his back on her. What the hell does he mean by---- Smartass!

I smiled. I wouldn't be Marie Claire Enrique for nothing.

"Miss," I smiled at him. "Do you have condoms here?" I could have laughed my heart out when I saw her look of bewilderment. She stared at Rave then back at me. I saw Rave's knitted eyebrows. Gotcha.

"I need a dozen." I still hadn't heard anything from him. Handed it to him. And whistled when he grabbed my arm pulling me suddenly into his chest. I even have to raised my chin a fraction just to meet his gaze.

"What do you need this for?"

I imitated the way he twitched his lips into a lazy grin. "Isn't it f*cking obvious?"

I was waiting for his outburst at any moment. Dark eyes met brown eyes. He just shrugged and then let go of me.

I was so appalled my mind couldn't comprehend his reaction. Just like that? He doesn't really care? I closed my eyes tightly to make the stinging feeling go away. What if I f*cked with anybody here, does he even care? Of course, because he's preventing you from tainting your family name. Not that it's not yet tainted.

So--- what the hell, he's just a stupid bodyguard.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you become forlorn all of a sudden?" I raised my eyebrow. Why is he asking now? He's so insensitive. And you're being overly sensitive! I rolled my eyes heavenward. We're heading in his car when I heard my name. I looked around to see...

"Riel?" He kissed me on the cheek.

"I missed you, pumpkin." I punched him playfully on the ribs.

"You went home early last night. You hadn't seen the big event." I smiled sheepishly as I remembered pushing Caroline off the ground.

We heard the cough from behind.

"Rave?"

"Riel?"

"Whoa... small world. Hey, you two know each other?" Riel turned suspicious eyes on me. World is really getting smaller by the minute. Or should I say by the day?

"I should be the one asking you that." I smiled. I saw Riel tapped Rave's shoulder.

"Let's eat first, pumpkin. It's my treat."

Before I could answer Rave took hold of my hand. "Brod, some other time maybe. We're on an errand." I looked up to see Rave's warning. He squeezed my hand hard when I was about to protest.

"Riel, he's right. I'll fill you in with the details... some other time." I tried to crack a genuine smile. Lord, it's hard when you wanted to scream.

I could see Riel's disappointment but he waved goodbye. And mouthed a 'take care' before he left.

"What was that all about?"

"Let's go home."

"You go home. Lucy and I are going somewhere. And I don't need a babysitter." I angrily wriggled out of his grasp. I could see the imprint of his hand on my wrist.

"You bruised that easily?" I glared at him at the soft spoken words.

"The hell you care!"

He turned his back on me and started the ignition. He was such a moron. I turned the radio on and tuned up it's volume to the highest. He turned it off. I turned it on. I glared at him.

My phone went ringing I didn't bother to see the caller when I knew it was Lucy.

"Hello? Lucy I----"

"Darling, did you miss me?" my eyes grew wide. I could hear the moaning sound albeit the rock music in the background of the car.

"I'm jerking off as I think of you..." My hand gripped the phone tightly. I was shivering violently. I felt cold fear. I hadn't felt this for what, a month or two now. My breath got hitched. Rave started eyeing me with a frown.

Without a word he pulled the phone free from my hand. "Hello?" it went dead. He pulled the car in the nearest vacant area. He took hold of my lifeless hand. I bit my lower lip from crying. He's back.

"Marie Claire, look at me." I couldn't move. Numb. Disbelief. Fear. Death.

I was staring into thin air. I couldn't fathom what was what. He's back. He's back.

"I said look at me." He cupped my chin and forced me to meet his eyes. Dark, fiercing eyes. I should be frightened. I don't really know him. Rave. He came out of nowhere making me feel human, what if he's one of them. I struggled free from his tight deathlike grip.

"No, no Marie Claire. Don't fight me." He tried to pull me into his arms but I wouldn't let him. My mind was starting to wander off. What if he's the one who's doing the prank calls? What if----

I slapped him hard inadvertently when he wouldn't let go of my arms. He was shocked to find that I'm stronger than he thought. I wanted to get away. To run.

Then he kissed me. That stopped me dead on my tracks. But my eyes were still open. Unblinking. Unresponsive. Indifferent. Not knowing what to feel. Then tears started rolling down my eyes.

An emotion I thought long gone. Buried. With my mother. With my dignity. With my hope to find love. To find myself.

He enfolded me into his embrace like I was his second skin. We fit. He tenderly kissed the top of my head. I sobbed violently. My body wracking. I felt like a baby fallen into fits.

Everything's coming back to me now. Pain. Hatred. Agony. Shame. And fear.

Fear of the unknown.