A promise that took him a decade to fulfill. Never had he imagined himself that speechless when the moment finally came. Tumuwid ng upo sa kahoy na silya si Jace para pantayan ang tikas ng kaharap.The vacant hospital room they were in was huge. Puti ang mga kurtina, malinis at kung tutuusin ay may sapat na espasyo para mapagkasya ang lima pang higaan. But fuck him! He can't even breath easy in the presence of this old man. Mas malala pa ang nararamdaman niya ngayon kumpara sa araw na tinutukan siya nito ng seniorita gun. Yes, that same day when he married the bride who outshone all the other brides in world's history... his Baby. The tension felt like a thick slab of ice against his face so he decided to break the silence. He cleared his throat. "Dad... I mean Mr. Santiago." Hindi agad kumibo ang kanyang kaharap. Nanatili lamang itong nakatitig sa kanya gayong alam niyang narinig siya nito. He waived off the coil that was forming in his stomach and continued. "It's nice to see you
“Binubura ka nilang lahat, Jace...” “Alam ko...” “Hindi naman talaga kasi dapat ibalik pa ang nakaraan. Isoli mo na siya.” “Hindi ko kaya. Siya lang ang meron ako...” . . . . “Jace!” It was Kimberly’s scared voice that cut through all the ruckus in his mind. Nang lingunin niya ito ay agad niyang sinalo ang mga pisngi ng dalaga, bago maingat na diniinan. Nagla-lock jaw na naman si Kimberly dahil sa takot at dahil ‘yon sa kanya. Syempre, kasalanan niya ulit. ‘D*amn...’ “Wag kang tumingin sa labas. Sa akin ka lang tumingin.” “S-Saan ba kasi tayo pupunta--” “Pete’s place,” mabilis na tugon niya habang ginigiya ang tingin nito. He knew that making her ride that speedboat was a bad idea. Lalo pa ngayon na hindi pa ito nakaka-recover mula sa pagkakahospital. Kaso wala na siyang pagpipilian. Kailangan niya itong ilayo, o ito ang ilalayo nila sa kanya. Could he handle that? Nagawa niya noon pero hindi niya alam kung magsu-survive siya sa ikalawang pagkakataon. Baka ikamatay niya n
It was a scramble.Everything inside Kimberly felt like being tossed in a mixer! Fear, pain, agony, darkness and that wild nameless emotion that made her locked her mouth tighter to Jace's and bit his lower lips hard.Naramdaman niya nang dumaing si Jace sa loob ng kanyang bibig at napapikit siya nang maramdaman ang pagulong noon sa kanyang lalamunan. It brought a spark inside her core pero mabilis niyang isinantabi yon.She fought with him. Her strength against his. Her fear against his will to keep her under water. Nanipa siya at nahagip noon ang tagiliran ni Jace pero bukod sa sandaling paglalayo ng kanilang mga labi sa ilalim ng tubig ay sinalo nito ang kanyang baba at muling sinibasib ng halik.Her chest was about to burst when she felt him forced her mouth to open using his teeth and tongue. Nilaban niya ang panga sa kagustuhan nitong paghiwalayan yon. Her fingers found a way to claw his back through his shirt until she blindly felt it ripped.Umapaw ang tubig mula sa bathtub. P
"I was looking all over for you." Napapiksi si Kimberly sa pagkakaupo nang biglang may magsalita mula sa kanyang likuran. She felt her heart jumped inside her chest, pero ilang sandali pa bago siya lumingon sa pintuan ng nag-iisang kwarto sa rooftop. "What are you doing here, Baby? Malamig na. Are you okay?" She didn't made any extra move other than to stare back at the man leaning lazily against the door frame. Kahit madilim sa kinatatayuan nito ay hindi siya maaaring magkamali. Every cell in her already knows his baritone voice. It was Jace. "Kim, Are you aware that your feet are--" "Dipping in an infinity pool." she completed his statement for him before she raisied one foot from the water and watched how the drops drip down her toes. Nang matapos ang pagtulo ng tubig mula sa kanyang binti ay nilubog niya ulit yon at ang kabila naman ang inangat na tila isang batang nagtatampisaw. "So you finally made peace with water?" She heard him sigh. Nasundan yon ng mga yabag sa tile
HINDI MALAMAN ni Kimberly kung paanong kapit sa hand rail ang dapat niyang gawin habang hinahabol ang mabibigat na paghinga. The water before her was moving and she could feel it almost reaching her chin. Her toes were barely touching the floor under water and she's more than sure that she was just few inches from drowning, but... "Oh...Jace!" Isang halos hindi makilalang ungol ang kumawala sa kanya kasabay ng pagpikit ng mata. Nang hindi pa maging sapat yon para kontrolin ang panginginig ng kanyang hubad na kalamnan ay mariin niyang nakagat ang pang-ibabang labi para ikulong ang isa na namang nakakadarang na ungol mula sa kanyang lalamunan. "I'm... I'm oh!" she felt her folds parted and darn her for knowing what was that warm thing that was lapsing her core. Naramdaman niya nang umangat ang isa niyang hita at sumampay yon sa matigas na balikat. Lalong bumuka ang kanyang mga binti, kasunod ng pagtama ng kanyang balakang sa sinasandalang tiles. " Jace!" Her back arched when the wo
It was the longest ten seconds of her life. Kimberly had never felt so hesitant before until that time came when she had to wait for his reaction while standing butt naked on a mansion's rooftop. Every second was just too silent, long and totally disturbing... Napayakap siya sa sarili nang umihip ang hangin. The night was dark and cold, pero wala yon kumpara sa blangkong titig ni Jace - nakakapangyelo ng puso. "Ano? Wala ka bang sasabihin?" Untag niya rito nang di na makatiis. Hindi pa rin ito kumilos hanggang sa paulit-ulit nalang siyang mapakurap. She breathed deep in an attempt to push back her tears and hold herself together. ‘Dang it! Masakit pala ang maapakan ang pride’. "Fine." She jerked her head with a fake grin and continued with the hardest monologue she ever delivered. Tutal para namang wala siyang kausap eh. "If that’s what you want. Sana noong dumating si Dad, sinoli mo nalang ako..." Alam niya na magkasing pula na ang kanyang mga mata at pisngi sa sobrang pagkapah
‘Make love to me, please...’ . Sandaling napatigil sa ginagawa ang kamay ni Kimberly nang maalala ang mga katagang ‘yon. Nagtataka pa rin siya kung paanong ang simpleng mga salitang ‘yon ay nauwi sa sitwasyon ngayon. Halos isang linggo na rin ang nakakaraan nang magbago ang sitwasyon nila ni Jace. And all through those days, hindi niya na rin maintindihan ang nadarama niya rito. She felt closer. Pero ang nakakatawa... hindi awkward. Parang napakanatural lang na ganoon sila magkalapit. She shook her head to refocus herself. One sigh and she went back to scribbling on that notebook he left for her. Sabi ni Jace mahilig daw sya mag-scribbles. Ang nangyari, sa gulo yata ng isip niya, nagkapunit-punit ang iniwan nitong papel, yung iba nasa sahig, yung iba naman nakalamukos sa desk. Sa dulo ng lamesa naman ay mayroon ding mataas na baso ng juice, platitong may sandwich, at sticky note. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be back in a few. Need
Three in the morning. One cold rainy night. One dark room and twenty-five possible sleeping positions with zero hours of sleep. What could be more devastating? Isang malalim na bintong-hininga ang nagawa ni Kimberly nang muling bumiling sa kama. ‘Twenty-six.” she desperately counted, setting her gaze at the beeping red numbers on the alarm clock. It was two-twenty na ng madaling araw pero wala pa si Jace. Nang magbago ang numero sa minutero ng orasan at muli siyang bumiling. “Twenty-seven.” Ilang minuto pa ang lumipas hanggang sa tuluyan na niyang nakalimutan ang kanyang binibilang. Napapagod na siya sa kakahintay pero hindi naman niya makuhang isara ang mga mata. Her senses were searching for that familiar warmth that never missed to hold her at night. Wala sa sarili na napalingon siya sa pwestong inookupa ni Jace sa napakalaking kama bago napakagat ng labi. ‘The right side as he always said,’ she thought, as one of her hands moved on its own to snatched his pillow. Pumikit siya