Secret

“Shit,” napahawak agad ako sa ulo ko nang magising, para kasing binibiniyak sa sakit. My vision were blurry, pero pinilit ko iikot ang mata ko.

What happen yesterday—Shit! Were am I?! The last thing that I remembered was when the asshole Troy was dragging me to nowhere—-shit, did I got raped?!

Is this his room—beige walls, rustic interior designs, huh? Why does it look like my—room?

Mabilis na tinignan ko ang damit ko, mas lalong napakunot ang noo ko—I’m wearing my PJ’s?

Nababaliw na ba ko? Panaginip ba yung kagabi? Teka, hindi. I was about to call Sue nang may kumatok sa kwarto ko.

“Shit, my head,”

“Laura, wala ka bang pasok? Almost 7 am na,” si mommy, nakasuot pa siya nang apron, at naka bun ang buhok, nakakunot din ang noo niya, paanong hindi? Eh never pa akong tinanghali nang gising, “Antok na antok ka kagabi, nakatulugan mo na daw ang research mo, sabi ni Cole. Don’t forget to take of yourself, ija,” natulala ako dahil dun, “Mag ayos ka na at sumabay ka na kumain samin, I’ll be done in 20 minutes,”

Hindi na ako nakasagot hanggang sa naisara na ulit niya ang pinto ko.

I took a quick bath and changed myself into my school uniform. kahit masakit pa din ang ulo ko at medyo hilo, gusto ko pa pumikit, kinuha ko ang bag ko at diretsong bumaba mula sa kwarto ko, nasa hagdan pa lang, naririnig ko na ang kutsara tinidor na tumatama sa plato.

“Oh, Laura,” Bati ni Edward sakin, “Kain ka na, mukhang mahirap ang research mo ah,” bakas sa boses niya ang pagod, pero wala akong pakielam.

“Yup, grabe kasi ang hirap talaga, right, Laura?” nagtangis ang panga ko nang marinig ko ang pinaka nakakainis na boses na yun.

“Oo nga, buti na lang at nandiyan si Cole, inuwi ka, I was surprised na hindi ka nagising, hanggang sa madala ka sa kwarto mo,” Napakagat ako sa labi ko sa pinaghalong inis at hiya, “She’s a light sleeper, Cole. Kaya ko nasabi yun, parang manok matulog ang bata na yan—”

“Ma, stop,” putol ko sa kanya at umupo sa dulong part nang table at nag simulang kumain nang fried rice at bacon, nagugutom ako, “Ma, naka schedule na ang pag kuha ko nang driver’s license next week, you think you can get me the car I’ve been asking you since last year?” Sabi ko habang diretso pa rin sa pagkain ko.

“Uh, about that, anak?” napaangat ako nang tingin at kumunot ang noo, “Uunahin muna sana namin ang wedding, bago ang sasakyan—”

“Lagi naman, lagi naman ako nasa huli nang listahan mo, bakit nga ba nag assume pa ko na mauuna ko?” sagot ko at isinubo ang huling kutsara nang kinakain ko tsaka tumayo. dala ang bag ko, “No need for that, just forget what I said,”

“Laura—”

“Yeah, whatever you say, I can commute, ano ba ko sa pamilya na to? I almost forgot na ako na ang sampid dito, dahil may bago ka nang pamilya—”

“Laura, that’s enough! Huwag mo akong bastusin!” Mataas at galit ang boses nang nanay ko, pero mas masama ang loob ko.

I smirked, “Well, you should have thought of that the moment you told me that you will be having another husband,” pabalang na sagot ko, tinignan ko muna silang tatlo, bago mabilis na lumabas nang bahay, kasabay nang pagsara nang gate ang mga luha na kanina ko pa pinipigilan.

I looked at my watch, it’s almost nine thirty, buti na lang at twelve pa ang pasok ko, hindi na ako nakapag book nang taxi kaya nilakad ko na lang hanggang sa guard house—

“Hey dear step sis, hop in,” hindi ko pinansin ang demonyito na iyon at diretso lang na naglakad, “Wow, so that’s how you thank your step brother who helped you last night?”

Doon ako tuluyang napatigil at pinukol siya nang nakakamatay na tingin, “The heck? What did you do to me?”

“I’ll tell you when you hop in,” sabi niya habang nakangisi, bumuntong hininga na lang ako at padabog na sumakay sa kotse niya, “That’s what I thought,” bulong niya, pero narinig ko naman, “Seat belt please,” hindi ako nagsalita at sinunod lang siya, “I’ll step on the gas,”

Wala akong sinagot at pumikit, sa hindi malaman na dahilan parang may kung anong memorya ang sumagi sa utak ko.

Pinipigilan ko lang na indahin ang hang over ko, pero meron pa din talaga, my mind was still in haze.

“Seriously?”

“Damn it, kiss me!”

“You will surely regret this, Faye,”

“I need this, I need this,”

“That goddamn guy, just to fuck someone, he would stoop this low?”

Napahawak ako sa sentido ko habang nakasandal sa bintana ng sasakyan. My head still felt heavy, and my thoughts were a mess. Did that really happen last night? The last thing I remembered was Troy dragging me somewhere, but after that… everything went blank.

I exhaled sharply and shook my head. No, it must’ve been a dream. There’s no way Cole…

Napahawak ako sa labi ko. Shit, bakit parang mainit? My mind flashed back to that hazy image—Cole hovering over me, his face too close, and then… No. No way.

“You sure you didn’t enjoy it?”

Bigla akong napatingin sa kanya, my glare sharp. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Cole smirked, eyes still on the road, but I could see the amusement in his expression. “Oh, come on, step-sis. You were clinging to me like a damn koala last night. I had to pry you off just to put you in bed.”

My jaw clenched. “Shut up.”

He chuckled. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember? Tsk, tsk. That hurts, Laura. I was a gentleman, you know.”

“Stop the car. I’m getting out.”

“Relax, I’m just messing with you.” He glanced at me with that stupid grin, obviously entertained by my reaction. “Besides, I don’t think my girlfriend would like it if I had any funny business with my dear step-sister.”

Napakurap ako. “Girlfriend?”

“Yeah. She’s waiting for me at school.”

My fingers curled into a fist on my lap. For some reason, that word—girlfriend—sent an uncomfortable weight in my chest. Not that I cared, obviously.

“Why do you look so shocked?” Cole teased, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous?”

“As if,” I scoffed, looking away.

I heard him chuckle under his breath, but I ignored it. My mind was still trying to process everything—the weird tension last night, waking up in my own room, and now… this?

“Take care, Faye!” Mabilis na nag lakad ako palayo sa kotse nya at tumingin pa sa parking lot.

Pagkababa ko nang hall, hindi ko pa man naisusukbit nang maayos ang bag ko ay sumulpot na sa harapan ko si Sue, with an all-knowing smirk on her face. Sira ulo yata.

“Well, well, well… look who finally made it home last night,” she teased, crossing her arms. “Care to share the juicy details?”

Napairap ako. “Wala akong kwento. I just went home.”

“Seriously?!” Halatang na-disappoint siya. “I was looking for you! You just vanished, girl! And now you’re telling me nothing happened? Lame.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, pero wala kang scandal na malalaman,” sagot ko at naglakad na papunta sa locker ko. Syempre, sumunod pa rin siya.

“Ugh, you’re such a killjoy sometimes,” Sue groaned. “Pero next time, di ka na makakalusot! We’re hitting the club again this weekend—”

“Hindi na ko sasama,” putol ko agad, binuksan ang locker ko at nilagay ang libro ko.

“What?!” Sue gasped, like I just told her the world was ending. “Laura, girl, anong nangyayari sayo? Did something happen last night?!”

Wala akong planong sagutin yun, so I just closed my locker and faced her. “Wala akong gana sa party life mo. Get over it.”

“Bullshit,” she scoffed, but before she could interrogate me further, the bell rang.

Thank God.

My classes ended early, biglang may announcement na suspended ang last class namin dahil sa emergency faculty meeting. Ayos lang, I wasn’t in the mood to stay in school anyway. Kaya naman, instead of wasting time, dumiretso na lang ako pauwi.

Pagpasok ko sa bahay, tahimik ang paligid. I was about to head straight to my room nang marinig ko ang mababang boses mula sa study ni Edward.

Napahinto ako. The door was slightly ajar.

At narinig ko siya.

“Miss na kita…”

Napakunot noo ako. His voice was soft, almost affectionate.

“Of course… Soon. I promise.”

A slow, uneasy feeling crept up my spine. Sino ang kausap niya? I couldn’t hear the other person, but the way Edward spoke… it didn’t sound like business.

I took a step closer, my pulse quickening.

“Don’t worry… I’ll make time. You know I always do.”

Napaatras ako.

What. The. Hell?

I wanted to barge in. I wanted to ask him right then and there. Pero anong gagawin ko? Sasabihin kong narinig ko siya? Na nag-aassume ako? Baka naman—shit!

But something told me it wasn’t.

Instead of confronting him, I turned around and quietly walked upstairs, each step heavier than the last. Pagpasok ko sa kwarto ko, agad kong sinara ang pinto at napaupo sa kama, clenching my fists.

Edward. That bastard.