Kinusot ko ang mata ko nang maramdamang may tumamang liwanag sa aking mukha.

I groaned and stretched my arms. Pakiramdam ko ay napagod ako sa pwesto ko.

Uh, wait...

Napabalikwas ako at agad na napabukas ng mata, and my eyes immediately widened when I saw Alaric staring and grinning at me.

Anong nangyari? Bakit kasama ko siya? At nasaan kami?

Napatakip ako ng bibig nang maalala ang mga nangyari kagabi.

Gosh, I begged him to take me away last night, and I fell asleep during the ride. And now, it's already morning.

"Good morning," nakangiti niyang bati habang nakatitig pa rin sa akin.

"Uh, nasaan tayo?" I asked him with my furrowed brows and looked at the view outside, ngunit ang nakikita ko lang ay dagat at malalakas na akon.

"Can you guess?" He smirked.

Mas lalo akong napakunot ng noo. Ang naalala ko ay sinabihan ko siyang dalhin ako sa malayong lugar. Pero siguro hindi naman niya ako dinala sa Mindanao e 'no?

I sighed and went out of the car. Agad naman akong sinalubong ng malakas at malamig na hangin.

When I looked around, I saw windmills, at doon ko lang napagtanto kung nasaan kami.

Ilocos Norte.

And it was my first time to see the windmills in front of my eyes, kung kaya't bahagya akong napatulala, tila hindi pa naaabsorb ang tanawing nasa harapan.

My mind only went back to reality when my stomach growled. Napahawak naman ako agad ro'n.

Damn, kagabi pa nga pala ako hindi kumakain.

Agad ko namang narinig ang pagtawa ni Alaric sa likod ko pagkatapos, akala mo ay kinikiliti ng demonyo dahil sa tawa niya.

"Here, kumain ka muna. Mukhang galit na 'yang tiyan mo e, parang ikaw, galit na naman." He continued laughing as he handed me the paperbag he's holding.

Nakasimangot akong inabot iyon ngunit agad ding napangiti nang makitang galing iyon sa paborito kong restaurant.

Bumalik ako sa kotse at nagsimulang kumain samantalang siya naman ay pangisi-ngisi lang habang tumitingin sa akin. Ewan ko sa kanya! I appreciate his efforts and all pero nakakainis talaga mga tingin at ngisi niya. He looks so arrogant.

"Are you already done?" He asked when I placed the food back in the paper bag.

"Yeah, busog na ako." I answered. "Thanks for the meal. Ikaw? Kumain ka na rin ba?" I asked calmly, trying my best to sound nice.

He grinned. "Are you concerned about me now? Well, kung concern ka, don't worry about it anymore. Kumain na ako, babe."

Wow. I rolled my eyes.

"Napakaano mo talaga."

"Gwapo? Hmm." He immediately countered. Napangiwi naman ako.

"Kapal mo naman." Nandidiri kong sabi at tumawa lang siya.

"Ouch." Napadaing ako nang maramdamang may tumusok sa beywang ko galing sa gown na suot. It felt so uncomfortable.

"Oh, wanna change clothes?" He asked.

"Bakit? May dala ka bang extra?"

He smirked. "Wala, but I can buy you clothes. Anything you want."

Wow? Edi siya na ang mayaman.

"I also have my own..." I stopped when I realized I didn't have my wallet with me. "Uh, nevermind. Okay then, buy me. Babayaran ko nalang pagbalik ng Manila." I continued.

"You don't need to pay, babe." He grinned before starting the engine.

We went to the nearest mall after that. Kagaya ng sinabi niya ay ibinili nga niya ako ng mga damit. Nakakagulat pa dahil lahat ng sinusukat ko ay binibili niya talaga.

"I can't wear all of them!" I hissed.

Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay. "Bakit? Isang beses ka lang bang magbibihis?"

What?

"I mean we're gonna stay here for few days, so.. "

Huh?

"Few days? Hindi ako pwedeng umabsent!" Agad kong reklamo.

"Well, apparently, tomorrow's a holiday, and then it's already the weekend. So we have like, three days to spend here?" Nakangiti niyang sagot.

"I won't agree with that." I rolled my eyes.

"Really? Then what will you do when you go back? Face the people you left that night?" He chuckled.

"Bumalik man agad ako o hindi, pareho pa rin naman. Lagot pa rin ako." I sighed.

"Right, that's correct. Kaya bakit 'di mo nalang sulitin ang tatlong araw? Total kahit bumalik ka agad, pagagalitan ka rin naman."

Napabuga ako ng hangin. Ayos din siya kausap e 'no. Lakas mangdemonyo pero ayon nga, nadedemonyo rin ako.

Afterall, I badly wanted an escape. Kahit pansamantala man lang ay gusto kong makalimutan ang problema ko.

"Do I have a choice?" I raised a brow.

"Of course, you have, sundin mo lang puso mo."

What? I laughed.

"Makapagsabi ka ng puso d'yan, akala mo naman meron ka nun? Dami mo na kayang pinaluha, boy. Akala mo hindi ko alam? Pwe." I countered.

Ngumisi naman siya. "Oh, so you researched about me?"

Luh, kapal.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, pero hindi gano'n ang nangyari. You're just too well-known as a heartbreaker na kahit ayokong marinig ang mga bagay na iyon ay wala na akong choice."

He chuckled. "Luh, 'di naman ako gano'n. Ang bait ko kaya. They just misinterpreted me kaya gano'n."

"Redflag." I mouthed.

Ngumisi naman siya. "Says someone who's also a known redflag."

What?

"Excuse me?" I raised a brow.

But he just laughed and pulled me out of the store.

After shopping, he brought me to a hotel which was just near Bangui windmills. Dire-diretso lang siyang pumasok at hindi naman siya sinita ng mga naroon.

Wow, regular 'yan?

"Gaano na ba karaming babae nadala mo rito?" I asked.

Agad naman siyang tumawa.

"Wow, that hurts! Ikaw palang kaya." Sagot niya.

I rolled my eyes.

"As if!"

"Ikaw naman, grabe naman trust issues mo sa akin." Natatawa niyang dagdag.

"I don't trust playboys." Mahina kong bulong but I guess he heard it dahil ngumisi siya.

Napatigil naman ako nang paakyat na kami ng hagdan dahil sa naalala.

"Two rooms?" I asked.

He grinned. "Nope, just one. Fully-booked na e."

"What? Edi sana sa iba nalang." I answered.

"I like it here. Maganda, malawak, malinis, refreshing ang view, the staff are friendly." He answered.

I rolled my eyes. "And the receptionist is pretty, gano'n ba?"

He chuckled. "Grabe ka naman. Pero uy, selos ka?"

Agad akong nandiri.

"Ang kapal mo naman! Dahil d'yan sa sofa ka matutulog!" I hissed.

But that was just a joke. Ang kapal ko naman kung gagawin ko iyon dahil siya ang nagbayad ng accomodation, at isa pa, sanay naman akong may katabi sa kama e.

Hindi ko nga alam kung pareho lang ba 'yon sa mararamdaman ko sa kanya, given that there's something about him that makes me feel...somehow inflamed.

Damn, baka naman kasi inaakit niya ako!

"No worries, babe. Sanay naman akong matulog sa couch." Sagot niya at binuksan na ang hotel room.

He didn't lie when he said na maganda at malawak ang silid. Sa katunayan ay agad kong nagustuhan ang room.

The bed also looks big and sturdy.

Fuck, I suddenly hate my mind.

"Aren't you busy? Wala ka bang pasok sa school?" I asked to divert whatever I am thinking.

Umiling naman siya. "That's not important."

"Wow. So what's important to you?" I asked, somehow jealous that it's not important for him.

Sa 'kin kasi, I was taught to embrace my studies as if my life depends on it. Na kapag wala 'yon ay wala akong silbi.

"Girlfriend ko?" He grinned.

"You mean your vices?" I scoffed. "You're lucky you don't have strict parents." I muttered.

His smile suddenly faded but after a split second, he immediately broke into laughter.

"Yeah, right. I am so damn lucky." Natatawa niyang sabi.

"Tuwang-tuwa ka naman d'yan." Kunot-noo kong sabi.

"Swerte ko kasi e." He laughed again before standing. "Anyway, I'm just gonna go out and buy something. Make yourself at home, babe." He uttered before finally going out.

I busied myself with the view when he left and when the night came and he still hadn't gone home, I suddenly felt uneasy.

Nasaan na kaya 'yon?

Kinuha ko ang phone kong nakacharge at binuksan iyon para sana tingnan kung may mensahe siya pero wala rin.

Kinabahan naman ako dahil baka iniwan niya pala ako. Shete, paano naman ako makakauwi kung gano'n? At baka ako pa ang pagbayarin ng hotel.

I was busy fidgeting when suddenly, the door opened, at iniluwa nun si Alaric.

I gasped when I saw his face covered with bruises and cuts.

"W-What happened? Anong nangyari? At sino ang may gawa sa'yo n'yan?" I asked and immediately went near him.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine. Here, may dala akong pagkain, you should eat dinner already." Iyon lang sinabi niya bago mabilis na pumunta ng banyo.

Naiwan naman akong nakatulala. Puzzled with the situation.

He was so happy earlier and suddenly, he came home like that. Looks like someone beat him up.

Nang lumabas siya sa CR ay wala nang dugo sa mukha niya, but the bruises were still there. He didn't even looked at me, at diretso lang siya umupo sa sofa at binuksan ang tv.

Mukhang wala sa mood.

Alam ko dapat wala akong pakialam dahil hindi naman kami friends but I couldn't help it, hindi naman ako pusong bato e.

I started dating the food he bought ngunit hindi ko naman masikmurang kumain mag-isa.

"Uh, kumain ka na ba? Sumabay ka na sa akin." I asked.

"Tapos na ako." Mabilis niyang sagot, 'di man lang inalis ang tingin sa pinapanood.

Argh. This is annoying.

"Nalinis mo na ba mga sugat ba 'yan?" I asked again.

Damn, hindi ko talaga 'to dapat ginagawa.

"Don't worry about it." He answered.

Naningkit ang mata ko. "Baka ma-infect."

"Hayaan mo na." He answered like he didn't care at all.

It's pissing me off.

"So what's your next line? Huwag na akong makialam kasi buhay mo 'yan?" I stood, annoyed already.

He looked kind of surprised when I did that pero bumalik din sa pinapanood.

"Let me see your wound." Maawtoridad kong sabi. Agad naman siyang umiling.

"Don't go there, Klio. Don't bother worrying about me."

I rolled my eyes.

"I'm already worried, you freak!" I yelled.

His eyes widened but it also immediately dissipated.

"Then stop worrying!"

Wow?

"Hindi mo ko madidiktahan sa pwede kong maramdaman, gago! If I want to feel worried, I will! Now, let me treat your cuts!" I yelled again.

He got up and I was surprised when he suddenly went closed and pinned me to the wall, caging me with his arms.

"Stop worrying, Klio. You're making me..." he gulped and looked away.

"H-Huh?" I asked, feeling agitated with his presence near me.

"Damn...you're making me feel sorry and horny!" He yelled and started kissing me with his wild mouth.