Dark Fairytale (Published under Cloak Pop Fiction)

Chapter 15: A Night of Clichés

Chapter 15: A Night of Clichés

Author's Note: 

If I'm not mistaken, September 2017 was the last time I posted an update for this story. I'm sorry for making you wait and thank you for not giving up on me.

- Siel Alstreim

"There's only one vacant room."

I almost laughed when the receptionist informed us about it. It was the last of the four hotels located in the area and the dark night sky outside demanded us to find a place to stay immediately. I mean, could it get any more cliché? A man and a woman stuck in a place and need to spend the night together. I've read enough romance books to think that this could be a start of something new between us. But it was Declan – the mysterious boy in my class who seemed to be hiding a lot of secrets. And in the romance books I've read, there were no stolen Ducati, blood-stained book, murder, and sea of dead people. There was no danger threatening my life and at that moment, I wished that we were in a cliché romance novel.

Sa huli ay wala na rin kaming nagawa kung hindi ang kunin ang bakanteng silid. Tahimik lang si Declan habang kinakabahan akong nakatitig sa nag-iisang kama ng kwarto. I've never been alone in a room with a man in my entire life and being here with Declan makes me really uncomfortable.

"You can sleep on the bed. I'll just borrow books in the reception area and spend the night reading," aniya nang mapansin ang aking pagkabalisa.

"It doesn't have to be like that," bigla kong sabi. For sure that at some point in the night, nanaisin niya rin na matulog at hindi kakayanin ng konsensya ko na magpuyat siya dahil lang sa hindi ako kumportable. "We can request for a mattress tapos kahit sa sahig na lang matulog ang isa sa atin. Mukhang may hindi kayo pagkakaunawaan ng kapatid mo at kung kukomprontahin mo sya dahil sa iyong motorsiklo, then I think having a good sleep first would help you think rationally the next day."

Huminga siya nang malalim at saka humarap sa akin. Something was telling me that it wasn't an ordinary siblings' fight. He did mention that it was dangerous to go home at this time.

"That's actually the reason why I shouldn't sleep tonight."

Humakbang siya tungo sa nag-iisang bintana ng silid at sinigurong nakasara ito nang maayos. Subalit nasa ika-anim na palapag kami ng hotel. At kung hindi man maganda ang security rito ay wala naman sigurong magtatangkang pumasok sa silid mula sa bintana. Maya-maya pa ay lumapit na siyang muli sa akin at iginiya ako palabas ng silid.

"Where are we going?" tanong ko.

"We're going to have dinner. You're under my care tonight. I won't let you starve."

Lihim akong napangiti sa sinabi niya. His invitation to dine was quite different from the ones I usually get. Ibang-iba siya sa malambing na pag-aaya ni Aunt Martha na maghapunan; sa istriktong utos ni Uncle William na mag-umagahan bago pumasok sa eskwela; at sa napipilitang pag-irap ng mga mata ni Zoey bilang pagpayag na sumabay ako sa hapag-kainan. There was authority and assurance in his words making me feel that he would really care for me for the night.

Kinailangan naming lumabas ng hotel at pumili ng makakainan sa mga hilera ng mga restaurants sa harap ng dagat. Naka-order na kami ng pagkain nang mapansin kong magkakapareha ang mga kasabayan naming kumakain sa restaurant. I drank on my iced tea to hide my blush while Declan didn't seem to mind it at all.

"You must have done it before. Taking a girl out for a ride without bringing her back home at the same day," komento ko nang mapansin kong tila kalmado lang sya sa aming sitwasyon. Despite of my trust in him, I still couldn't help but get worried about the things I left in the mansion. Not going home tonight definitely screamed trouble at hindi ko alam kung paano ko haharapin iyon kinabukasan.