Chapter 18: Thalia
#DS3Unscripted #BelayaxPierce #LKCouple #DaggerSeries
CHAPTER 18: THALIA
BELAYA'S POV
"My phone died."
Nilingon ako ni Pierce at nagbaba siya ng tingin sa cellphone ko na kanina ay pinaglalaruan ko. Namatay iyon sa kalagitnaan ko nang paglalaro ng Mobile Legends. Nakarma ata ako. Minsan na nga lang ako magtaksil sa AOC namatayan pa ako ng phone sa kalagitnaan ng paglalaro.
"Don't you have a charger?" Pierce asked.
"Hindi ako nagdala. Hindi ko naman kasi akalain na dito na tayo sa gitna ng daan titira."
We've been travelling our way back to Cavite for hours. Kung naging maalwan ang byahe namin papunta ng Manila kaninang umaga, ngayon ay kabaligtaran iyon ng nangyayari. Mula sa toll gate pa lang papasok ng lalawigan ay halos hindi na umusad ang mga sasakyan.
Humalukipkip at at tinignan ko ang lalaki. "Do you have a charger?"
"Naka Iphone ako."
I groan in frustration. Inabot ko ang lever ng inuupuan ko at pinahiga ko ng bahagya ang upuan. "I'm an iphone user before but I don't think I'm going back. The exclusivity of that brand is killing me. Pati charger ipinagdadamot sa iba."
Galing kasi sa pamilya ko ang phone na ginagamit ko ngayon. It's a safe phone so that what happened to me before won't be repeated. Iyong ginagamit ko na na-hack noon ay android. Before that I was using an Iphone for years.
"Iphone has a more secure operating system," Pierce said.
"I know and it's great but I love playing mobile games specially kapag nasa shoot ako. Iphone is a great phone but I don't think it's made for gaming kaya nagpalit ako." Sinandal ko ang ulo ko sa upuan at tumingin ako sa kisame. "Iyon nga lang na-hack naman ako. Now look what happened to me."
"That didn't happened because you decided to change your phone. What happened to you is because of some sick asshole. It's not your fault."
I looked at him and I can't help but smile. He's eyes are focused on the road but his jaws are set tight. Pierce has his way of sharing his thoughts. He could be gentle but usually he'll just give it to you straight. Hindi lahat ng tao ay sanay sa ganoon. But I rather people just tell me the truth like he always does than to sugarcoat words.
"Bakit kaya may mga taong gano'n? What pushes them to their breaking point that they could hurt other people? At some point we all know what it's like to break. We're just good at hiding the wreckage. Pero kapag ganoon tayo lang ang naaapektuhan. We break alone... silently. Kasi ayaw natin na may masaktan. But people like that man and like the people that hurt Lucienne and Lia... they used what broke inside them to destroy others."
Pierce looked down at me as the car halted at another stoplight. I can see the tightness in his eyes. Nginitian ko siya pero hindi nagbago ang paraan nang pagkakatingin niya sa akin.
"Why are you always smiling like you're downplaying your own feelings?"
Natigilan ako sa naging tanong niya. Nagtatakang sinalubong ko ang tingin niya. "Anong ibig mong sabihin?"
"Even that night at the police station it was easy for you to smile again and joke around. Now you're smiling again kahit na ang pinag-uusapan ay ang taong dahilan kung bakit hindi mo magawang makatulog mag-isa."
"It's because you're here." I ignored how his eyes hardened with my words. "That night... you were there with me, your family's there, Sebastian and my brother was there. That's why I could smile. It's easy for me to do it when I'm around people that I care about."
"So you're pretending for their sake."
It didn't escape my notice that he ignored a part of what I said but I didn't call him out to it. "No. I just focus on the people that matters than the nightmares that will haunt me."
"Because you rather break alone silently. Kasi hindi masasaktan ang mga tao sa paligid mo kapag ganoon ang ginawa mo."
My lips parted but no words came out. Ginamit niya sa akin ang mga salitang sa akin din nanggaling. The words he just said to me affected me more than what he could probably understand. I can feel a twinge in my heart... not so much the the wound is bleeding but enough for me to remember what it's like for it to be open and in pain.
"Hindi ko na alam ang pinagsasabi ko." Ipinatong ko ang mga paa ko sa dashboard at nakita kong napadako ang mga mata niya ro'n. For a moment I don't know if he's annoyed that I put it there or he's looking at my exposed legs. "I'm hungry."
"Hmm."
I looked at him and I saw that his eyes are still fixated on my feet. Pinaikot ko ang mga mata ko at ibinaba ko na ang mga iyon. Napatingin sa akin si Pierce nang kumilos ako. Tumikhim siya at mabilis na ibinalik niya ang mga mata sa dinadaanan namin.
Wait a minute...
"Do you want me to find a restaurant?" he asked after awhile.
"I'm not sure."
Muli kong itinaas ang mga paa ko pero hindi ko ipinatong iyon sa dashboard. I watched as his eyes followed the movement of my leg as I crossed it from the other. He didn't mind my feet on his dashboard. He just can't look away from my legs.
Pakiramdam ko ay umaakyat ako ng entablado para tumanggap ng award. Pierce-Can't-Stop-Looking-At-My-Legs Award. If it's a real award I will put it at the center of my award shelves with a glass case and a security alarm.
Umangat ang sulok ng labi ko nang magtama ang mga mata namin. "I'm not sure. Ano bang gusto mo? Dine in, take out, or take me home?"
He just cleared his throat again and he grabbed his phone and started typing on it but despite the lack of light since the sun has already set, I can still recognize the red on his cheeks.
Aww. I made my lion blush.
It took us another hour and a half before we manage to enter the city of Tagaytay. Imbis na pumunta sa kung anong fast food lang ay sa pagtataka ko tinahak namin ang daan papunta sa headquarters ng Dagger Private Security and Investigations.
Hininto niya sa tapat ng gusali ang sasakyan at nang tumingin ako sa labas ay nakita kong may isa pang sasakyan na nakaparada rin doon. I saw Pierce's brother Gun went out of the headquarters and approached the other vehicle. He opened the driver's side door and he bent down to give Lia, who's behind the wheel, a kiss.
I've seen Gun a couple of times now. Just like Pierce, he's a bit on the suplado side. But while Pierce is a full pledge suplado, Gun is more the broody type. Siya iyong klase ng tao na parang magkamali ka lang ng sabihin sa kaniya ay parang bigla ka na lang ihahagis sa bangin. One look with his shoulder length hair that is always up on a messy bun, his huge built, and his unsmiling face... kahit siguro pinakamalaking wrestler kakabahan. But when Gun is with Lia he's a different person. He's so gentle with her and I always saw how he melt when she's in the room. Hindi rin siya nangingimi na ipakita kung gaano niya kamahal ang babae. It's the kind of love that anyone will feel envious for.
"Stay here," Pierce said before he went out.
Bumaba ang mga mata niya sa labi ko bago niya isarado ang pintuan nang makita niyang humaba ang nguso ko. Shaking his head, he walked towards Lia and Gun. Binaba ko ang bintana ko at sumungaw ako ro'n. Hindi pa ako nakuntento at halos ilabas ko na ang kalahati ng katawan ko ro'n at kumaway ako. Lia's face brightened and she waved her hands back.
"Where's the babies?!" I asked in a loud voice.
"They're at the backseat sleeping! Thankfully since I've been trying that for hours!"
"Maybe we should stop shouting!"
Tumawa lang siya at kinawayan ako ulit bago siya umayos sa pagkakaupo niya. Naiiling na isinarado ng asawa niya ang pintuan ng sasakyan. Dahil nakabukas ang bintana niya ay kita ko pa rin si Lia na ngayon naman ay kausap si Pierce na tumango bago lumapit sa trunk ng sasakyan na binuksan na ng babae.
Nakita kong may kinuha sila ni Gun na mga paper bag doon. Isa kay Pierce at dalawa ang kay Gun. Pagkaraan ay naglakad na ang lalaki pabalik ng sasakyan. Pagbukas pa lang niya ng pintuan ay nalanghap ko na ang amoy ng pagkain at kaagad kumalam ang sikmura ko.
"Lia should open a restaurant," I told Pierce as I started sniffing around the bag. Inilagay niya iyon sa paanan ko at kaagad kong sinilip ang laman. There must be at least three huge tupperware inside.
"I told her that but she just said that if she does mawawalan na siya ng oras na ipagluto kami."
"She's such a sweet person. I don't think I ever met someone as dainty and gentle as she is."
Pinaandar ni Pierce ang sasakyan at kinawayan ko si Lia nang mapadaan kami sa tabi ng kinapaparadahan niya.
"Tell that to the man that she threw her heels at."
Napakunot ang noo ko. "What man?"
"Yesterday she and my brother went out. Naiwan ang babies kaila Lucienne para makapag-date naman silang mag-asawa. A fan approached them and asked for Lia's picture. Of course she agreed but the fan was intoxicated and he started getting a little bit..."
"Handsy?"
Pierce jaw hardened and it's clear that he doesn't like that. "Yeah. My brother got angry but the fan started insulting him. He called him names and in another time Kuya Gun might have punched his teeth out but he's with his wife. Mas priority niya na ialis si Lia ro'n. But if my brother hates that kind of things happening to his wife, hindi rin gusto ni Lia kapag may bumabastos sa kapatid ko. So while Kuya Gun is trying to pull her away, she managed to take off her high heeled shoes and she threw it at the man like it's a ninja star. Apparently one hit a bulls eye because she knocked him off his feet."
Tinakpan ko ang bibig ko nang automatiko na kumawala roon ang tawa. Pierce probably thought it's funny too because when he looked at me I could see his eyes shining with laughter. And I can't help but think how I want to keep on seeing that. That next time I want to be the reason that he's smiling or laughing.
A part of me is hoping for a lot but there's also a part of me that knows that despite my pursuit on teasing him and making him like me... there's also a huge question if I want something deeper than that. Deeper than where I'm already threading in.
Because I don't know if I will every be ready to open that part of my heart.
Not even with him.
SINARADO ko ang pintuan ng refrigerator at dinala ko sa mga labi ko ang baso ng malamig na tubig na hawak ko. Madaling-araw na pero nagising ako dahil sa tawag ni Lauren. As always iyong tawag niya ay iyong mga oras na wala ng malay ang karamihan sa mga tao sa mundo.
Dahil hindi naman madali sa akin na makatulog agad ay nag decide na lang ako na bumaba ng bahay. Pierce is already sleeping and I don't want to wake him up. I think it's past midnight when he was done doing whatever he's doing with his laptop. Instead of staying in his office, sa kuwarto niya na tinuloy ang trabaho dahil matutulog na ako at alam niyang ayokong matulog na mag-isa.
Inabot ko ang glass jar na nasa center island ng kusina. May laman na M&M iyon. Dala ang garapon at ang baso ng tubig na lumabas ako ng kusina at tumuloy ako sa sala.
Pinatong ko sa coffee table ang baso pero hawak pa rin ang garapon na binuksan ko iyon at sinimulan ko iyong kainin. Chocolate is my weakness and Pierce has a lot. Madami siyang garapon na puro chocolate at candy na sa tingin ko ay para kay Arctic. Papalitan ko na lang pag naubos ko. I'll probably buy more because his baby is adorable.
Tumingin ako sa labas ng bahay kung saan kita ko ang malaki na swimming pool ni Pierce. Pierce house is made of wood and glass. Ang lawak din ng lugar kaya parang ang laya ng pakiramdam. My house is beautiful but if Pierce is selling this house I will probably be the first one on the list of buyers.
I looked at the pool again. With the way I'm eating what with Lia's cooking, I should probably start working out. Since tamad ako sa ganoon ay perfect ang pool ni Pierce. I rather swim than go to the gym anyway.
I stayed standing there for awhile when I noticed something. Malayo ang kinaroroonan ng gate ng bahay ni Pierce pero dahil pababa iyon ay tanaw ko iyon ng bahagya. Dahil probinsiya pa rin ang Cavite kahit pa na city na city na ang Tagaytay ay tahimik na ang paligid lalo pa sa ganitong oras na madaling-araw na.
I remember Pierce telling me that if I'm sleeping in the room, I should always close his curtains to black out the light from the outside. He has an outdoor security lights and it could get annoying kapag may mga dumadaan na tao o mga sasakyan.
But right now the security light is not blinking like how it does when someone passed by the sensors. Instead it's staying open.
Like someone is standing in front of it and that person is not moving away.
Kaagad akong binalot ng panlalamig. Nanlalambot ang mga tuhod na pilit na lumapit ako sa pintuan ng bahay. With a shaking hand, I reached for the panel beside the door to open the one way video intercom.
Lumikha nang malakas na tunog ang hawak ko na garapon nang dumulas iyon sa isa kong kamay at nagkapira-piraso iyon. Napaatras ako at bumuka ang mga labi ko para sumigaw. But I couldn't find my voice. I just keep on staring at the small screen where I can see the mask. But this time it's not Melpomene's mask.
"Belaya?"
I can feel my whole body shaking when I looked at Pierce. Nasa hagdanan siya at puno ng pagtataka habang nakatingin sa akin. Nagbaba siya ng tingin sa paanan ko kung saan nagkalat ang mga bubog mula sa garapon na nabasag at nakita kong kaagad nawala ang antok sa mga mata niya.
"What happened?"
"H-He's here... Pierce... he's outside."
Mabilis siyang lumapit sa akin at tinignan ang screen ng camera. The mask is gone. Nakapatay na rin ang security light na kanina ay maliwanag na maliwanag.
"I swear... I swear I saw him. This is not a part of my nightmares. I never had this... this... but... I saw him. I swear I saw him."
He didn't say anything but I felt his arms went around me. Inangat niya ako para buhatin at ilayo sa nagkalat na mga bubog at pagkatapos ay ibinaba niya ako sa sofa.
"Stay here," he whispered gently.
I watched him grabbed his set of keys hanging on the high key holder near the door. Pumunta siya sa isang cabinet na malapit sa fireplace at binuksan niya ang isa sa mga nakakandadong drawer no'n. I can hear my heart thumping loudly when I saw him pulled out a gun.
"Pierce..."
"Stay here, Kitten."
Wala na akong nagawa nang mabilis ang mga kilos na lumabas siya. Sa kabila ng takot na nararamdaman dahil sa nakita ko ay ngayon mas lamang ang takot ko sa mangyayari sa kaniya ngayong mag-isa lang siya.
Tumayo ako mula sa kinauupuan ko nang ilang minuto na ay hindi pa siya bumabalik pero bago pa ako makakilos ay muling bumukas ang pintuan at iniluwa no'n ang lalaki.
His face is dark with anger while he's holding something in his hand. A mask.
One of the great muses; Thalia.
The comedy mask.
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