CHAPTER 2: Fire Meets Ice

RAVEN ELISE POINT OF VIEW

Hindi ko alam kung sino sa amin ang mas baliw ako ba, na pumayag sa lahat ng ‘to, o si Dean Kingsley, na akala mo ay nasa isang romantic comedy lang ang buhay niya.

Pagpasok ko sa loob ng bagong bahay na binili ng mga magulang namin para sa amin, halos sumabog ang dibdib ko sa inis. Sobrang ganda ng bahay, malaki, elegant, parang mansion sa mga magazine pero wala akong naramdaman kundi inis, galit, at pagkasuklam.

And he was already there.

Nasa sala si Dean, nakasandal sa couch, nakapatong pa ang isang paa sa coffee table habang relaxed na nagbabasa ng kung anong dokumento. Parang wala lang sa kanya lahat. Parang hindi niya iniisip na magsasama na kami sa isang bubong sa isang pekeng kasal.

“Ang kapal ng mukha mo,” bungad ko, hindi na nagpaliguy-ligoy.

Hindi man lang siya nagulat. Tumango pa siya, parang inaasahan niya ang simula ng away.

“Oh, good. You’re here. I was starting to wonder if you’d back out last minute.”

“Bakit? Gusto mo ‘yun?” Tumayo ako at lumapit sa kanya. “Gusto mong umalis ako para wala ka nang problema?”

He smirked. “Actually, yes. That would be perfect.”

“Then you leave.”

“Sorry, sweetheart,” sabay tayong lumapit, and now we’re face to face. “We’re stuck. Together. Whether you like it or not.”

Pumikit ako sandali, pilit kinakalma ang sarili. Pero hindi ko na kinaya.

“Alam mo, Dean, hindi ako katulad ng mga babae mong sunud-sunuran. Don’t think for a second na I’m going to just sit here and be your fake little wifey while you boss me around.”

“I don’t need a fake wifey. I just need you to shut up and follow the contract.”

“Excuse me?” I laughed. “Are you seriously telling me to shut up in my own house?”

“Our house,” he corrected, standing straight now. “And yes. Because you’re making it a war zone on day one.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t act like such a smug, arrogant, manipulative—”

“Don’t even finish that sentence,” he snapped.

“I will finish it!” sigaw ko. “Ikaw ang problema dito, Dean. Ever since we were kids, you’ve always tried to one-up me, make my life miserable—”

“Oh, please,” sabat niya. “Don’t act like you were a saint. You were a spoiled brat who threw tantrums when you didn’t get your way!”

“At least hindi ako control freak na may superiority complex!”

He scoffed, tumalikod sandali, then humarap ulit sa akin. “I don’t have time for your drama, Raven.”

“Well, too bad! You married drama!”

“Fake married,” he said, emphasizing each word. “So let’s get something straight. We live here. We pretend. We smile for our parents. But we stay out of each other’s way. You live your life. I live mine. Deal?”

“No.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said no,” sagot ko, mas matigas pa ang boses ko. “If I’m suffering, then you suffer too. Hindi ako aalis sa daan mo. You want fake? Let’s go full soap opera. Let’s ruin each other’s lives until this whole stupid plan blows up.”

He stared at me. Long. Silent.

Then he chuckled.

“You really haven’t changed.”

“And you’re still the same cold-blooded jerk.”

We stood there, chest rising, faces inches apart, parang isang spark lang ang kailangan para sumabog ang buong bahay.

“Tigilan mo na nga ‘yan,” sabay talikod ko, tumungo sa hagdan para umakyat sa second floor. “I’ll take the master’s bedroom.”

“Not a chance,” sigaw niya. “Ako ang nauna dito.”

“Well, I’m the woman. I get the bigger room.”

“This is not kindergarten, Raven!”

“Exactly! So grow up and let me have the damn room!”

Narinig ko siyang padabog na lumakad paakyat, kaya agad akong nagmadali, pero naabutan niya ako sa hallway. Nasa gitna kami ng corridor, both of us panting from frustration.

“I’m not sleeping in the guest room!” bulyaw niya.

“Then sleep on the couch!”

He groaned loudly. “You’re unbelievable!”

“And you’re a nightmare!”

Nagkatitigan kami, parehong naghahabol ng hininga, parehong punong-puno ng galit at inis. At sa isang iglap, natahimik ang paligid.

Tahimik na sobrang ingay.

Parang sa pagitan ng sigawan namin, may tension na hindi ko maipaliwanag. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba ito sa lapit ng mga mukha namin o dahil galit lang kami pareho... pero ang totoo, para akong nasusunog sa ilalim ng tingin niya.

“Get out of my way,” bulong ko, halos hindi ko na marinig ang sarili ko.

“No,” he whispered back. “You move.”

I didn’t. Neither did he.

For a second, akala ko may mangyayari. Akala ko hahalikan niya ako o baka ako ang hahampas sa kanya. But instead, both of us stepped back at the same time.

Parehong napikon. Parehong nagtatalo. Parehong natatakot.

“Fine,” sabi ko habang humahakbang palayo. “You keep the damn room.”

“Thanks,” sarcastic niyang sagot. “So generous of you.”

Bumalik ako sa hagdan, pababa sa sala. Tumayo ako doon, pinagmamasdan ang lahat—ang sofa, ang chandelier, ang mga marble tiles. Lahat ng bagay dito sobrang mahal. Sobrang kinis. Pero hindi ito tahanan.

Ito ay kulungan.

After a few minutes, narinig ko ang mga hakbang ni Dean pababa. May dala siyang unan at kumot.

Tumigil siya sa harap ko, seryoso ang mukha.

“Take the room,” he muttered. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Napataas ang kilay ko. “What’s the catch?”

“Nothing. I just realized I can’t stand your snoring.”

“Wow. You’re so noble.”

He gave me a long look. “I don’t want to fight every night.”

“Too late,” I muttered. “But... thanks.”

He sighed. “We’re stuck here, Raven. We might as well survive it.”

I nodded slowly. “Truce for tonight?”

“Truce.”

Tahimik akong umakyat sa kwarto. Pagpasok ko, napaupo ako sa kama, hinawakan ang dibdib ko.

Galit pa rin ako. Naiinis pa rin ako. Pero sa ilalim ng lahat ng ‘yon... may kaba akong hindi ko maipaliwanag.

Dean Kingsley is fire.

And I’ve always been ice.

But even ice melts eventually.