CHAPTER 3

Shivering from the cold, Rhea blindly reached out, trying to find the switch of the electric fan so she could turn it off. No matter how much she groped around, her hand met nothing. Frustration crept in, and she forced her heavy eyelids open even though she still felt drowsy. As soon as she sat up, a wave of shock washed over her when she realized she was not in her apartment.

She straightened her back on the bed and tried to recall what had happened the day before. Then everything came flooding back. She had almost taken her own life, but fate clearly had other plans for her. Instead of dying, she had simply lost consciousness. Perhaps it truly was not her time yet. She had allowed herself to drown in grief, crushed by one tragedy after another.

“Wait… where am I?” she muttered under her breath while glancing around the unfamiliar room. A nervous laugh escaped her lips because she must have looked insane talking to herself, yet that was her way of coping whenever she felt anxious.

She was about to step out of bed when she noticed her state of undress. She was wearing nothing but her bra and panties. Horror shot through her as panic quickly took over. Oh my God! Who undressed me? Did something happen to me? she screamed silently, too terrified to voice it out loud in case the culprit was still nearby.

She grabbed the blanket and wrapped it tightly around her body before getting up. Her gaze then fell upon a picture frame resting on a small table near the door. Out of curiosity, she walked closer and picked it up. It was a family portrait of smiling faces, with parents and children beaming with joy. The sight made her heart ache. If her father and brother were still alive, maybe her family would still look that happy as well.

“You’re awake!” a deep baritone voice suddenly rang out from behind her, making her freeze in place. A chill ran down her spine, not from the cold but from the unfamiliar voice that had just spoken.

Slowly, she turned around. Standing there was a man who looked like he had stepped out of a magazine. He was tall, around six feet, with sharp features, bronze skin, and tousled dark hair. His lips were thin and red, almost sinfully so, which made her mentally scold herself for even noticing.

Only then did she realize that he was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. Droplets of water still clung to his skin, which made it clear that he had just come out of the shower. Instead of fear, however, she found herself stupidly admiring him for a moment.

“Aaah! Rape! Help! Somebody help me!” she shrieked in panic, scrambling backward toward the bed. She could not even think of running because she had no idea where she was.

The man looked utterly bewildered but moved quickly. Before she could climb onto the bed, he caught the edge of her blanket. They both stumbled, and as he tried to steady her, the blanket slipped away. In an instant, they landed on the bed, with him on top of her.

“AAAH! YOU!” she screamed in pure panic.

“Stop screaming, you idiot!” he snapped in frustration while covering her mouth with one hand. His eyes were wide with irritation.

However, his tone suddenly changed. It became higher and almost playful, with exaggerated gestures that completely threw her off.

Rhea blinked in confusion. “Oh my God!” she gasped. “You’re gay?!”

“Me? Gay? Uh, no, darling. I’m a woman, obviously,” he shot back with sass while rolling his eyes dramatically.

Confirmed, she thought grimly. He’s definitely part of the rainbow community.

Before she could say another word, the door burst open with a loud bang. An elderly man entered the room holding a knife, followed by a woman who struck a dramatic Darna pose with one hand raised and the other resting on her waist.

“Where’s the culprit?! Who’s the rapist?!” the old man barked, scanning the scene with fierce eyes.

A knife? Seriously? Are they here to kill me—or him? Rhea thought in panic.

“Do not worry! Darna is here!” the woman declared proudly.

Three girls hurried in after them, each holding an Arnis stick and looking ready for battle. They were short and probably still high school students, although Rhea herself was not tall enough to judge.

“Kuya slash Ate! We’re here to save you from the rapist!” they shouted in unison with fierce determination.

Kuya slash Ate? Rhea blinked in disbelief. Are they referring to him? Then she looked at their faces again, and realization hit her. They were the same people from the family portrait she had just seen. So, she was in his house.

Both she and the stranger looked at each other at the same time, realization dawning on their faces. He was still half-naked and still on top of her while she was almost bare herself. Her cheeks flamed, and she squeezed her eyes shut just as she heard the clatter of weapons hitting the floor.

When she peeked again, everyone was frozen in shock. The old man recovered first.

“I’m proud of you, son! I thought something terrible was happening, but here you are bringing home a woman! Well done! Your grandfather would be proud!” he exclaimed with a grin.

What in the world? Rhea gawked at him in disbelief.

“Lucas Villarreal! What is the meaning of this?!” the Darna-posing woman demanded. “Why are you like that in front of a woman? Were you trying to assault her?!”

So that’s his name… Lucas Villarreal. The name sounded oddly familiar, though she could not recall where she had heard it before.

“Kuya slash Ate is straight now!” the three girls squealed excitedly.

“Of course not, Mom! What are you even saying?!” Lucas shouted, his face flushing with embarrassment.

“Oh, really? Then explain why you are half-naked and on top of her!” his mother retorted.

Lucas turned to Rhea, and their eyes met in shared mortification. He immediately scrambled off the bed while clutching his towel tightly.

Rhea quickly pulled the blanket around herself again and glared at him. “Tsk, perverted gay,” she muttered under her breath.

Lucas groaned. “It’s not what you think, Mom,” he said irritably. “I’m still gay, sirena, badaf, whatever you want to call me. Mang Tomas and I found her unconscious on the highway last night, and I brought her home to help her because I am a charitable woman. But seriously, why are you all here? I thought you were not arriving until Saturday!”

Luciana, one of his sisters, folded her arms and replied, “Excuse me, Mr. I’m Straight Now, but it is already Saturday. We arrived yesterday.”

“What?!” Lucas blurted out in shock. Everyone nodded in agreement. Crap! I have a meeting with Grandpa this afternoon! he thought in alarm.

Their father cleared his throat and said sternly, “Lucas Villarreal, fix yourself and come to my office later.” He then left the room with his wife.

Luciana smirked. “Kuya, better get dressed. Breakfast is waiting,” she teased before glancing at Rhea mischievously. “And sis, lock the bathroom door tight. My brother peeks, even if he’s gay.” She darted off laughing before Lucas could respond.

“Luciana!” Lucas roared in frustration, his face red. He muttered to himself, “How many times do I have to say I’m a woman? Well… fifty-fifty woman, but still!”

Still fuming, he stomped toward his walk-in closet, leaving Rhea sitting in stunned silence as she tried to process everything that had just happened.

When Lucas disappeared, Rhea rushed to check her belongings. Almost everything in her backpack was damp from the night before, except for a few things in her suitcase. Unfortunately, most of her clothes were inside the soaked bag. She sighed and said to herself, “Whatever. I just need to get into the bathroom before that weirdo comes back.”

Inside the bathroom, she froze in awe. “Whoa, is this really a bathroom?” she whispered. It was enormous, almost half the size of her old apartment, with a spacious bathtub, a glass shower, a sleek sink, and neatly arranged shelves filled with toiletries.

“Oh my God, they’re seriously rich,” she murmured while inspecting each item. Her eyes lit up at a strawberry-scented body wash. “Well, he did save me, so borrowing a little won’t hurt. I’ll apologize later,” she said before stepping into the shower.

After about twenty minutes, she was done. She found a fresh towel, wrapped it around herself, and was about to step out when she heard a knock on the door.

“Hey, slowpoke!” Lucas’s impatient voice called from outside. “Are you planning to stay there forever? Mom’s getting mad and I’m starving!”

Rhea cracked the door open slightly. “Um, Lucas…” she began hesitantly.

“What’s with the drama? Get out already!” Lucas groaned as he pulled her by the arm.

“Ouch, Lucas!” she yelped, rubbing the spot where he had grabbed her. She turned to scold him, but stopped when she saw his expression. He was frozen, and his face was burning crimson.

“What now? You drag me like that and suddenly—”

“Oh my God! My virgin eyes! Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?!” Lucas yelped, covering his face.

Rhea gasped and tightened the towel around her body. “You’re the one who pulled me out!”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake! I thought you were dressed already! Didn’t I tell you where your stuff was?” he said frantically.

“My stuff’s wet, okay? I was about to borrow clothes from you, but you dragged me out before I could even ask!” she shot back.

Lucas groaned dramatically. “You troublesome woman! Stay there. I’ll get you something from Luciana. My eyes can’t take this!” He stomped out of the room.

“Hmph. As if I’d walk around wearing just a towel,” she muttered in annoyance.

Five minutes later, Lucas returned, slightly out of breath. “Here, wear these. I borrowed them from Luciana. I’m not sure if they’ll fit, but please just put them on. I’ve been traumatized enough for one morning.”

Rhea raised a brow. “Whose shirt is this? And the boxers? Do you even have a sibling who wears these?”

“Stop asking questions and hurry up. Breakfast is waiting,” Lucas said while pushing her gently toward the bathroom.

Rhea sighed but smiled faintly. “Fine, I’ll get dressed. Thanks for the clothes,” she said, closing the door behind her.