(KABANATA) 05: MATURE CONTENT 🔞

Lorraine's POV

(.... Continuation)

"Ang asawa mong si Brando ang nag-imbita sa kanya...nalaman niya kasing nasa Pilipinas na itong si Mark. Kaya ngayon ay nandito siya sa bahay niyo..."

What the h*ll in the world is going on here?

He's the distant cousin my aunt has been telling me?

What the....

Did I just f*cked my own cousin?

No, that wasn’t possible.

My lips parted slightly.

"Sige. Ikaw na muna ang bahala rito sa pinsan mo. Asikasuhin mona muna.." dagdag ni Auntie at bigla itong tumalikod sa amin.

Bumalik na siya sa loob. Habang ako ay halos hindi pa rin makagalaw sa kinatatayuan ko.

"We're that close though...so don't think od me as your cousin," rinig kong bulalas ni Mark sa harapan ko. At doon lamang ako bumalik sa reyalidad.

“What?”

His expression remained steady, though his voice dropped lower.

“Distant side of the family,” aniya. “Very distant. But still enough that I’m pretty sure our grandmothers used to fight over inheritance and land during reunions.”

I stared at him.

The world around me suddenly felt too warm.

Too small.

“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I would remember.”

“Would you?”

That made me pause.

Because....would I really remember him?

There were so many relatives.

Too many names.

Too many faces from childhood gatherings I barely attended.

Weddings.

Funerals.

Holiday reunions I spent trying to avoid.

He tilted his head slightly.

“You were younger then,” he said. “More talkative, if I remember correctly.”

My mind scrambled.

Fragments.

Nothing clear.

Just vague impressions.

Summer heat.

A big ancestral house.

Children running around.

And maybe that what him. The boy who looked so calm...it annoys me. He was just watching everyone else instead of joining.

My eyes widened.

“You…” bulong ko sa kawalan.

Muling sumilay ang isang nakakalokong ngisi sa kanyang labi..nang makita niya ang aking ekspresyon.

“Now you rremember me."

“Oh my God.”

The words escaped before I could stop them.

I stepped back immediately, horrified.

Hand flying to my forehead.

“This cannot be happening.”

“Well,” he said dryly, “it already did.”

I shot him a glare. “This isn’t funny!”

“I’m not laughing," usal niya at ngayon Aya seryoso na muli ang mukha.

Panic started crawling up my throat.

Out of all people.

Out of everyone in this city..why does it have to be him?

I dragged a hand through my hair, pacing once.

“This is insane,” asik ko. “Why didn’t you say anything that night?!”

He actually looked mildly offended.

“You think I recognized you in a dimly lit beach resort after several years and one emotionally questionable proposition?”

Unti-unting bumukas ang aking bibig. Ngunit agad din iyong sumara nang walang kahit na isang salitang kumawala.

“F*ck...." I hissed.

“On that,” he agreed calmly, “we finally have common ground.”

I stared at him.

Then groaned quietly, covering my face.

“Please tell me no one else knows.”

“Relax,” he said. “No one knows.”

A beat.

“Yet.”

My head snapped up.

“Mark....." puno ng pagbabanta kong angal sa kanya.

He lifted both hands slightly.

“Kidding.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You have a terrible sense of humor.”

"Don't you think...having me here means something?" tanong niya bigla.

Bahagyang naningkit ang aking mga mata at mariin siyang tiningnan. His eyes lit up, then slowly...he crossed his arms as he straightened up his posture.

"You can use me against you husband?" patanong niyang sambit.

Kumunot ang aking noo at umiling sa kanya. I don't understand exactly what he meant with those words.

"I will explain it, Lorraine..." usal niya sa mababang tono. At bago pa man ako makakilos ay bigla siyang humakbang papalapit sa akin.

"W-What are you doing?" nauutal kong tanong habang pinagmamasdan siyang lumalapit sa akin.

Suddenly...his arm extended, reaching for my wrists then he pulled me and I slammed into his body.

"Mark!!!" I yelled at him, but he only chuckled and brush the back of my head.

"Shh...gusto mo bang marinig tayo ng mga bisita?" aniya...at parang may kung sariling utak ang katawan ko at kusa itong tumahimik.

Hindi ako nagsalita.

Not until I heard footsteps approaching us. That was when I panicked.

"May tao---"

"That's your husband and your stepsister...." putol niya bigla sa akin.

At halos napatili ako sa gulat ng walang kahirap-hirap niya akong inangat papasok sa isang cubicle. Naramdaman kong tumama ang likuran ko s malamig na pader, napapikit lamang ako at sa mga sandaling iminulat ko ang mga mata ko...at halos mahigit ko ang aking hininga nang magtagpo ang mga mata naming dalawa.

"Mar--"

I wasn't able to finish my words when his lips crashed on mine.

"Let's do it again...just think that you don't know me."

TO BE CONTINUED.....