NAG-IINAT siya ng katawan habang naglalakad patungo sa tagiliran ng bahay. Nangangalay ang kanyang likod at leeg, pati na ang kanyang mga braso dahil kakalabas lang niya ng studio sa loob ng bahay ng kanyang mga magulang.
Pagkalabas ay agad niyang nakita si Tyler na nakaupo sa chaise longue at may hawak na cellphone. Ang kanyang mga magulang ay nakalublob sa pool at nag-uusap. Right, they have no work this day and they were probably hanging out.
Lumapit siya sa kinaroroonan ng kapatid at humiga sa katabi nitong chaise longue. Kapagkuwan ay dinampot ang juice nito na nasa ibabaw ng lamesang nakapagitan sa kanila at sumipsip sa naroong straw.
"What are you doing?" tanong ni Tyler na nagtaas ng tingin mula sa hawak na aparato. Nakakunot ang noo nito sa kanya at napabuntung-hininga nang makita ang hawak niyang inumin. "Seriously? That is mine."
"Not anymore, brother," she answered and grin. Tyler rolled his eyes before looking at his phone again and grin as if he was reading something amusing. "What's that?"
"None of your concern," Tyler said.
Napasimangot siya sa isinagot nito at hinablot ang cellphone nito dahil sa kuryosidad na agad din namang binawi ni Tyler sa kanya. But before he snatched his phone back, she saw a picture of a woman in a bikini on Instagram.
"Wow! Stalker Tyler Dark Sanford," she uttered mockingly and grinned at Tyler, who was glaring at her. "So, who is she? The new flavor of the month?"
"She—" he trailed off and closed his eyes to calm his anger, he must've been pissed off by her. "It's not like that," he answered when he opened his eyes and sighed deeply before leaning on the seat.
Tara saw the trouble in his eyes and she was intrigued. Tyler was a player, he played girl's heart like he was just playing basketball with friends. For him to look troubled because of a woman in a bikini, it must be something.
"Out with it," she indulged when he let out a series of sighs. He looked at her and squinted his eyes as if telling her that she cannot be trusted. "Come on, I might help you with girl trouble." Tyler sighed in defeat. He sat on the chair and faced her and she did the same. "So?"
"I don't know why I'm telling you this, but, there's a woman."
"Of course there is. Then?"
"I met her at a bar. We drink, we talked, we danced, we had a good time. I saw her after two days at the gym, but she acted like we did not know each other. I tried to talk to her, but—" he stopped and fondled his hair in frustration.
"But she won't talk to you. She is avoiding you like you are some jackass that needed to be avoided."
"Yes. Thank you," Tyler was sarcastic.
Hindi niya ito pinatulan ang sarkasmo nito at nagpatuloy sa pagbabahagi ng kanyang opinyon. "That means she has no interest, brother. Or you might've done something that she didn't like, that might offended her."
"But we had fun that night, we end it well."
"Then she doesn't want to make a big deal out of it. What happened that night stays that night. She doesn't want to get to know you more, she doesn't want to get involved with you again. It means you have to forget her, and stalking her on social media won't help."
"I'm not stalking her, I just... I happened to see her on my phone..."
Tara chuckled while Tyler trying to reason his way out. "You got it bad, bro. You're into her."
"I'm not!" he countered sternly.
"Tyler likes a woman," she teased in a sing-song. "Mom, Dad, Tyler is whipped!"
Mabilis siyang nakatakbo nang makitang tinanggal nito ang tsinelas na suot at akmang ihahataw sa kanya.
Lumapit siya sa mga magulang na nasa gilid ng pool at nag-uusap habang nakalublob sa tubig ang kalahati ng katawan.
"Are you fighting?" her mother asked while frowning.
Nangingisi-ngising umiling-iling siya kasabay nang pag-upo sa gilid ng pool. She squatted and placed the glass of juice on her side. Kinuha niya ang cellphone na nasa loob ng bulsa ng kanyang jersey nang tumunog iyon. Ang mga magulang ay bumalik sa pag-uusap, si Tyler ay nasa chaise lounge pa rin nakahiga na at nakapikit ang mga mata.
Naging ngiti ang kanyang ngisi nang makita ang mensaheng natanggap mula kay Lian. She was asking her if they could meet outside. The last time they met was when Lian asked her to participate at the exhibit for a cause, after that, they only communicate using their phones. It will be nice if they see each other again and catch up.
"I have a date," anunsiyo niya sa mapagbirong tono sabay dampot sa baso at tumayo.
"What? Where are you going? Who's your date?" her father Ashton asked curiously.
She looked back and grinned at her parents, who were waiting for her response. "Lian Dela Cerna."
"Don't stay outside late," bilin ng kanyang ama na sinagot niya ng isang kindat.
Muli siyang lumapit sa kinaroroonan ni Tyler at inilapag ang walang lamang baso sa lamesa.
"Take a shower and changed your clothes, you stink."
"Well, you're hopeless, stalker Tyler," bawi niya rito at mabilis na tumalikod patungo sa kanyang silid. Kailangan nga niyang magbihis ngunit hindi naman siya mabaho. Puno ng pintura ang kanyang damit at katawan kaya kailangan talaga niyang mag-ayos bago lumabas. Tyler just said she stink to get back at her.
Well, that's what siblings often do, get into each other's nerve.
"OH, YOU HAVE A DAUGHTER."
"Yeah. She's the sweetest angel in the world," Lian answered and showed her the picture of her daughter on her phone. "She's pretty, right?"
"She is. Like you, you're both pretty." Lumapad ang pagkakangiti ni Lian dahil sa isinagot ni Tara.
"Thank you."
"So, where's the father?" Tara asked carefully.
"She didn't come from my womb. But I am her mother and she's my daughter, she will always be."
"Oh, that's sweet," aniya na lihim na napabuntung-hininga nang maluwag nang makitang nakangiti ito. She was not offended by her question.
"How about you, tell me about yourself. Do you have plans to settle down? Or you just wanna focus on your career?" Lian asked while sipping on her coffee.
"Career," she answered lightly with a shrug and a smile on her face.
"No one's lurking around? No handsome guys?"
"Oh, come on, Lian. Guys are way out of my style. You know what I like, I love beautiful women," she then wiggled her eyebrows at her playfully.
"No. You don't like women romantically. We've already settled that. You were just confused back in college. Tara Violet, you're undeniably a woman, and I know you know that," Lian commented and rolled her eyes.
Tara chuckled ngunit hindi na siya nagkomento pa at nagtanong dito nang may kinalaman sa exhibit.
They stayed inside the café talking about stuff until it's dark outside. They bade their goodbyes because Lian had to go home, and she promised her father not to stay late.
"Bye, be safe." Isinarado niya ang pintuan ng taxi na sinakyan ni Lian at kumaway rito pagkaandar niyon.
Nakasunod ang kanyang mga mata sa papalayong taxi nang may humawak sa kanyang braso. Napangiwi siya dahil sa higpit niyon at binalingan ang taong may hawak sa kanya.
Nagsalubong ang kanyang mga kilay nang makita si Harrison na madilim ang mukha na nakasunod din ang tingin sa papalayong taxi.
"I'll take you home," he said between his teeth.
He didn't give her a chance to refuse because he dragged her towards his car.
"Teka, sandali naman! Dahan-dahan," reklamo niya nang ipagtulakan siya nito sa papasok sa passenger's seat. Nang pumakabila ito sa driver's seat at makapasok sa loob ng sasakyan ay sinamaan niya ito ng tingin. "What is wrong with you?" tanong niya habang hinihimas ang namumulang braso.
"Kailan pa kayo nagkikita?" tanong nito sa halip na sagutin siya.
"Who?"
"Lian Dela Cerna."
"Oh. That's none of your concern, Harrison Green... Ano ba! Dahan-dahan, baka mabangga tayo!" sigaw niya rito nang apakan nito ang silinyador.
"Do you still like her?"
Nalilitong muli siyang napasulyap dito na nagmamaneho. Seryoso ang mukha ni Harrison habang nakatingin sa daan. "Why are you bringing that up? What is wrong with you, and why are you here?"
"You don't answer my question with a question!"
"Bakit mo ako sinisigawan?! Anong pakialam mo kung gusto ko pa nga si Lian? Why are you meddling with my life? Why are you so mad?" Sa nakikita niya ay galit nga si Harrison base sa ekspresyon nito. She had known him for so long, and she knew what his gestures and facial expressions meant.
Isang malalim na buntung-hininga ang pinakawalan ni Harrison ngunit wala nang sinabi hanggang sa makarating sila sa labas ng kanilang bahay.
"You can't like her, Violet," he said in a low voice, stopping her from climbing outside the car.
Muli niyang isinarado ang pinto ng sasakyan at kunot noong lumingon kay Harrison. "Why not?"
"Because...because..." Muling napabuntung-hininga si Harrison nang hindi makahapuhap ng isasagot.
Tara rolled her eyes and got out of the car. She was walking towards the front door when someone held her hand and pulled her towards the side part of the house.
Pahablot na binawi niya ang kamay na hawak ni Harrison at sinamaan ito ng tingin. "What the hell are you doing?"
"You can't like her because you're a woman."
"Ano bang pakialam mo kung sino man ang gustuhin ko, Harrison? God! You're complicated!"
"I will make you realize that you like men more than women, that you like me."
Tara snorted mockingly and placed her hands around her waist. She grinned at him and looked at him from head to toe. "Pinapahirapan mo lang ang sarili mo. Hindi tayo talo, dude."
Sa halip na maapektuhan sa sinabi ni Tara ay humakbang papalapit si Harry rito.
"'Wag kang lalapit! Stop!" sigaw ni Tara na napapaatras dahil sa ginagawa nito. Hanggang sa tumama ang kanyang likod sa malamig na pader. Naglumikot ang kanyang mga mata at naghanap ng paraan upang makalayo nito nang hawakan nito ang kanyang braso at ipininid siya sa pader. "W-what are you doing?"
"Making you realize that you like me, you desire me."
Biglang nataranta si Tara nang lalo nitong ilapit ang mukha. Awtomatikong tumaas ang kanyang tuhod sa harapan ng pantalon nito. Bumalik ang ngisi sa kanyang mga labi nang mabitawan siya ni Harry at mamilipit sa sakit. "Dickhead!"
Gusto niyang matawa dahil sa pinanggagawa ni Harrison. She knew he was just playing with her, it must be one of his ways to annoy her. They haven't seen each other for weeks, he might've missed annoying her and getting into her nerve.
She snorted. Akmang iiwan niya si Harrison doon subalit sa panggigilalas niya ay muli nitong hinuli ang kanyang kamay at sa sumunod na sandali ay nakita niya ang sarili na nakapinid sa dingding at sakop ng mga labi nito ang kanyang mga labi.
She felt like lighting struck her when she realized that Harrison was kissing her. Kissing her!
Her eyes were wide in surprise, she couldn't move, couldn't form coherent thoughts. But she was aware of the soft lips that attacked her.
Bago pa bumalik ang kanyang katinuan ay mabilis na pinakawalan ni Harrison ang kanyang bibig. Tinalikuran siya at malalaki ang hakbang na umalis sa kanyang harapan. Hanggang sa marinig niya ang tunog nang paalis na sasakyan ay hindi niya nagawang gumalaw dahil sa pagkagulat.
"W-What the fuck, Harrison," bulalas niya nang makahuma. Napahawak siya sa kanyang mga labing pakiramdam niya'y namamaga at wala sa loob na humakbang ang mga binti patungo sa harapan ng bahay at pumasok sa loob.
"How's your date, Tinkerbell?" tanong ng kanyang ama ngunit hindi niya iyon pinansin at nagtuloy-tuloy sa pag-akyat patungo sa kanyang silid na ikinakunot noo ni Ashton.
Pagpasok sa loob ng silid ay dumiretso siya sa loob ng kanyang banyo at napatitig sa sarili sa malaking salamin.
Pagkatapos ng ilang minutong pakikipagtitigan sa salamin ay isang marahas na buntung-hininga ang kanyang pinakawalan at ikinuyom ang kamao. Hindi niya alam kung anong gustong patunayan ni Harrison sa paghalik sa kanya ngunit hindi niya iyon nagustuhan.
If this was one of his schemes, then they'll be hell to pay.
"Dam you, Harrison Green! I won't let you win your game."