SHE SIGHED softly when she felt Harrison's lips on her shoulder. He trailed kisses to her neck until he reached the back of her head. He took one last kiss on her hair, and his embrace tightened from behind.
If she was still the old Tara, he'd probably lose his hand by now. But she wasn't, the old Tara was gone.
Mahabang katahimikan ang namagitan sa kanila sa mga sumunod na sandali. She was tired from their activity earlier but she can't sleep knowing that he was there and remembering what he said.
Hindi ito umalis pagkatapos na may mangyari sa kanila sa kanyang studio na nasa loob ng bahay. Sa halip ay pumasok ito sa kanyang silid at doon naghintay sa kanya. Nagulat na lang siya nang may humalik sa kanya pagkapasok na pagkapasok niya sa kanyang silid pagkatapos nilang kumaing pamilya. At higit pa sa halik ang nangyari pagkatapos.
"You don't have to say anything, Violet, for now," he whispered to her ear. She knew what he was talking about. It felt like a heavy metal was lift-off from her chest hearing those words. She doesn't know what he expected from her, she doesn't know what to tell him either. "I love you, I've been in love with you for a long time."
Tara Violet literally stopped breathing when she heard those words again. Her brain malfunctioned, and her heart was thumping with complete exaggeration. How can he say that as if it was nothing? Like he doesn't know the indication of his words and their effect in whatever relationship they had.
"Breathe, I still want you alive," he said with a tinge of humor.
Dahil sa sinabi nito ay doon niya napagtantong pigil niya ang hininga. Malalim siyang bumuntumg-hininga at tumihaya ng higa. She looked at him in the eye and she almost ran away like a coward seeing the emotions in it. "Do you even know what you're saying?" she asked, confused.
She involuntarily closed her eyes when his fingers touched her cheek gingerly, like a touch of a butterfly to nectar.
"You're my friend, Harrison, sometimes enemy. How can I accept your... I love you. 'Wag mong ipagkamali ang nararamdaman mo, you love me as a friend and that's okay." Talaga ba, Tara? tuya ng kanyang isipan. "How can you love someone like me... on another level?"
Harrison held her head in place and staring intensely at her that he might have a glimpse of her soul. "I know my own feelings and I've thought about this a lot of times... years ago. I recognized my feelings for you years ago, Tara Violet."
"Years ago?" she asked and swallowed. Maybe she's gullible for believing him, but she believed him nonetheless. How can he love her for years without her knowing? He was her mortal enemy, he exasperated her, he was good at getting into her nerves. But he was also always there for her.
Come to think of it, Tara. He will come to you wherever you are or whenever the time of the day it was when you call her. He can tolerate your bad behaviors. He would annoy you, but he would also woo you afterward. Because of him, your life had never been boring.
Harrison nodded with a faraway look in his eye and then smiled as if he remembered a happy memory. "I don't know when it started. Perhaps when you punched me the first time we met. Maybe when you cry when I fell on the swing when you were nine, and I acted like I died."
A nostalgic smile appeared on her lips when she remember that incident, how can she forget that if it was her first time to cry hardly. Nasa swing sila't naglalaro, pinapaalis niya si Harrison sa swing upang siya naman ang gumamit noon dahil wala ng ibang bakante nang hindi ito pumayag kaya itinulak niya ang swing. Itinulak niya iyon ng itunulak hanggang sa naging malakas ang paggalaw niyon sa hangin. Harrison lost his grip and fall, she thought he died when he didn't move for minutes and his eyes closed. Umiyak siya ng umiyak habang ginigising ito ngunit hindi pala ito nahimatay at ginulat siya sa huli. Yes, Harrison was a dick to her since they were young.
"You always owned a part of me, Tara Violet."
Namatay ang ngiti at malamlam ang mga matang napatingin kay Harrison. She can't say the same thing, hindi niya alam kung ganoon na rin ba kalalim ang nararamdaman niya rito. Ayaw niya nitong paasahin, gusto muna niyang siguraduhin sa kanyang sarili ang lahat.
Nang yakapin siya ni Harrison ay napabuntung-hininga na lang siya. Being in his arms felt so right, so good, so satisfying.
"Everything will be alright, you have to trust me, trust us. We will be fine," he muttered in assurance and caressed her hair to comfort her.
She only hoped so.
TARA VIOLET was about to go to bed when he got a text from Harrison. She smiled automatically as if it was normal of her to do that.
Something inside her stirred while reading the text message. Harrison valued whatever they had, he would tell her the important things that he was doing like a normal couple would do. Though there wasn't normal with their set-up. Simula nang magtapat ito ng pagmamahal sa kanya dalawang linggo na ang nakakaraan ay patago silang nagkikita. May isang beses ngang nagcheck-in sila sa isang hotel, like they were horny teenagers.
Harrison sneaked into her room again, twice, since that night when he confess his affection towards her. Malaya rin itong nakakapasok sa kanilang bahay at pinupuntahan siya sa kanyang studio kaya patago silang gumagawa ng milagro.
Ang sabi nito sa text ay lalabas ito kasama ang casts ng huli nitong pelikula bilang artista. He wasn't active in the industry anymore but he kept in touch with people he worked with before.
"Yeah. Enjoy," she replied. Totoo iyon walang halong sarkasmo, gusto niya itong magsaya at makalimutan sandali ang pagod sa trabaho. She knew that her brother Tyler didn't go easy on Harrison at work even though they were friends. He worked hard these past weeks, trying to build a rapport.
Nang patayin ang aparato ay ipinahinga na niya ang pagal na katawan.
Kinabukasan ay maaga siyang nagising, nagtungo sa direksiyon ng swimming pool at umupo sa naroong lounge chair habang umiinom ng kape. Dala niya ang kanyang cellphone kaya tinawagan niya si Harrison, ngunit walang sumasagot sa kanya at ring lang ng ring ang kabilang linya kaya ibinaba niya iyon at naisipang tingnan ang kanyang mga social media accounts.
She was browsing on her newsfeed when a shared link of an article caught her attention when she read Harrison's name in it. Agad niya iyong pinindot at nangunot ang noo nang mabasa ang headline ng artikulo. Harrison Green and Stephanie Villacino have seen having a good night together. What's the real score between them?
Sa ibaba niyon ay nabasa niya ang mga impormasyong alam niya at mga hindi niya alam. Naroon ang detalye kung saan nagkasama ang dalawa sa huling pelikula ni Harrison at sinabi rin doon na nagkamabutihan daw ang dalawa at nagkakilala ng maigi na siyang nagpataas ng kanyang kilay. It was also said by the writer that the two looked good together, iyon ang hindi niya mapapabulaanan, kahit na ayaw niya iyong tanggapin ay totoo ang sinabi ng writer ng artikulo. They looked good together, Stephanie was beautiful and tall and graceful while Harrison was Harrison.
May kasama iyong larawan kung saan nasa tila esklusibong bar ang dalawa at nag-uusap. Tumatawa pa ang mga ito at magkalapit ang mukha, marahil ay para magkarinigan sa kabila ng ingay sa paligid. May mga kasama ang dalawa ngunit sila lang talaga ang focus nang kung sinumang kumuha ng larawan.
"So, this is what you did last night," she muttered blandly. Itinuloy niya ang pagbabasa ng mga salitang pamumuri sa dalawa hanggang sa makarating sa mga komentaryo ng mga taong nakabasa na ng artikulo.
Hindi niya nagustuhan ang espekulasyon ng iba na kaya nagretiro si Harrison dahil papakasalan nito si Stephanie at gusto ng tahimik na buhay. Na may relasyon na raw ang dalawa. Kesyo nagli-live in na raw ang mga ito. Baka buntis na raw si Stephanie at si Harrison ang ama at kung anu-ano pa.
Gusto niyang sigawan ang mga taong iyon na walang magawa sa buhay. Hindi nag-iisip at basta na lang magbabahagi ng komento nila wala namang pruweba.
She couldn't help herself but to leave a comment about the article. Kapagkuwan ay magkasalubong ang kilay na muling pumasok sa loob ng bahay.
"CAN'T YOU do that after we eat, Tyler Dark?"
Isang buntung-hininga ang pinakawalan ni Tyler kapagkuwan ay ngumiti bago ibinaba ang hawak na cellphone at nagsimulang kumain. She was eating dinner with her mother and Tyler who was sitting across her. Mukhang maganda ang mood at marahil ay napagtagumpayan nitong suyuin ang misteryosong babaeng nakabihag sa mapaglarong puso ng kanyang kapatid.
They were conversing while dining when someone entered the dining room, Harrison. Sumama ang timpla ng kanyang mukha nang magsalubong ang kanilang mga mata matapos nitong batiin ang mga naroon. Naiinis siya rito dahil hindi man lang siya nito nagawang tawagan kagabi, iyon pala may kasama itong iba at mukha masayang-masaya sa ginagawa.
Napasimangot siya ng yayain ito ng kanyang inang kumain. She gave him a glare when he sat on the chair beside Tyler before yanking her gaze at him and continued eating. She ignored him while they were eating and remained silence for the rest of the dinner. Hinayaan niya ang mga itong mag-usap at nagkokomento lang kung kinakailangan ang opiniyon niya. She was pissed at him because of that photo, he didn't even tell her about that night. Ang sabi lang nito ay kasama nito ang mga dating kasamahan sa trabaho. Well somehow it was true, ang ikinaiinis niya ay bakit tila close ito sa artistang iyon at kay sayang kausap ito.
Nagseselos ka lang! "No!" ang matigas na bulalas ni Tara. Kapagkuwan ay nanlaki ang mga matang napatingin sa mga kasama na nakamata na ngayon sa kanya at puno ng pagtataka. "I mean, no dessert for me. I'm full," agap niya na sinabayan pa ng ngiti na duda siya kung hindi ba nagmukhang ngiwi.
Bumalik naman sa pag-uusap ang mga ito na tila walang nangyari hanggang sa isilbi ng mga katulong ang kanilang panghimagas. She was about to bid her goodbye and went to her room but halted when she heard Harrison's full with seriousness with a hint of agitation voice.
"I... I want to confide to you about something, Tita... Tito, Tyler," panimula nito. Nagtaka pa siya ng hindi siya nito isinali, ngunit ang pagtataka niya ay nahaluan ng kaba nang tumingin ito sa kanya. May kung ano sa mga mata nito na hindi niya maipaliwanag, but it was making her nervous. Will he tell her family about them? This better be good or she'll kill him. The last thing she wanted her family to know was her having a casual relationship with a man, with Harrison. Her father would kill her for sure.
"What is it young man?" her father asked with a deep frown. May kung ano sa mga mata nito na hindi niya maipaliwanag.
Lumunok si Harrison bago ibinuka ang bibig at sumagot ng diretso habang nakatingin sa mga mata ng kanyang ama. "I want to marry your daughter."
Nasamid siya kahit na wala naman siyang iniinom kasabay nang pagpikit nang mabuga ni Tyler na nakaupo sa kanyang tapat ang juice na iniinom nito. Her mother beside her gasped loudly that might be heard in the whole house.
"What the hell, man?" Tyler exclaimed while coughing.
"Why?" Ashton asked with a serious tone and a mixture of warning in his voice, like if he heard something he didn't like from Harrison's mouth, the latter would be sorry.
Napalunok siya habang palipat-lipat ang tingin sa kanyang ama. She was hyperventilating and she wished that the whole would break into two and eat her wholly.
"I love her. I have always been in love with her," he answered with seriousness and conviction.
Nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata na napatingin kay Harrison. Hindi niya malaman kung anong unang gagawin, ang sigawan ito, tumakbo palabas doon o magpaliwanag sa kanyang ama.
"Wait, wait! You want to marry my father's daughter, that mean you want to marry my sister and my only sister is Tara Violet," mahabang lintaya ni Tyler na inaanalisa ang lahat dahil hindi pa napoproseso sa isipan nito ang mga pangyayari. "What's your with you, man?"
Kung nasa isang normal na sitwasyon lang sila ay nabatukan na niya ang kapatid, pero hindi. Everything around her was crazy! It was mad! Harrison was out of his mind!
"Wow! This is great!"
Napatingin silang lahat sa kanyang ina na nakabawi sa pagkagulat at nakangiti na ngayon habang nagniningning ang mga mata.
"Tamara!" ang matigas na sita ng ama sa kanyang ina.
Tinaasan ni Tamara ng kilay si Ashton at sinalubong ang mga mata ng asawa. "Why, Ashton? Look at them, your children are grown-ups, Red is married, Tyler's been chasing a woman, he looks serious this time, Blue is doing great in med-school and our daughter is in the right age and mind to get married. We've known Harrison since he was born and his family. He can take her off our daughter, I know he will... we know." Makahulugan itong tumingin sa asawa na napabuntung-hininga at napahilot sa noo.
"I know that this is too sudden, your daughter and I grew up together, and you might think that I am just confused with my feelings. But I'm telling you, I'd been in that stage a long time ago, I couldn't find an answer easily to what I'm feeling towards her. And when I finally got it, I accepted it, and I kept it for a long time because I didn't want to ruin the friendship and bond that was built. I've waited for the right time and I believe that this is the right time for me to finally do what I always wanted to do, to be with her. This is our right time," he declared in one breath.
"Tara Violet—"
Bago pa maituloy ng kanyang ama ang sasabihin ay mabilis siyang tumayo at tumakbo paakyat sa hagdan patungo sa kanyang silid. When she finally went inside he took a series of deep breaths and let her body fell on the bed. She buried her face on the pillow when she heard knocks on her door followed by Harrison's voice.
Hindi niya ito pinansin at tinakpan ang magkabilang tainga. She was mad at him for what he did, and at the same time, she was nervous as fuck. How can he say that to her family without consulting her first! And marriage! Nag-iisip ba ito ng tama? They've just started whatever the relationship they had, and now he would propose marriage!
Go to hell, Harrison!