Chapter Eight

He Who Must Not Be Named

"I saw him." Iyon ang bungad ko kay Matthaios nang tawagan niya ako habang nagkakape ako sa balcony kinabukasan.

I missed the free breakfast. Kahit na punong-puno kasi ng alak ang sistema ko ay hindi ako pinatulog ng mga nangyari kahapon. Ilang oras mula nang iwan ako ni Toine at malamang nakilala niya ako at sinakyan lang ang lahat ng mga kasinungalingan ko ay hindi na ako natigil sa kakapaikot-ikot sa aking kama.

"Who?"

"You know who, Matt."

His line went silent for seconds.

"He who cannot be named?"

"Yes and it was not Voldemort."

"Fuck, Lacey."

"Fucking-fuck." I answered, agreeing to him.

Napahilot na ako sa aking sintido. The hangover was killing me twice today.

"How? What happened?"

I told him what happened from the start. Simula sa unang beses na nakita ko siya hanggang sa makilala niya ako.

"Why did you assume na hindi ka niya makikilala? You haven't had any surgeries done. If may pagbabago man you just became more fit and that's all. Every changes in you comes from within. You became wiser and stronger so hindi ko maintindihan bakit nakalimutan mong maging matalino sa muling pagkikita n'yo."

Natulala ako sa hawak kong kape. "I know right. I just thought... I never made an impact on him. Alam mo naman. I'm just one of the girls he's been with at wala rin kaming malalim na naging relasyon bukod sa... you know."

"Is he still there?"

"I don't know. Nabanggit niyang aalis na siya pero hindi sigurado."

"What are you going to do now? Bakit kasi hindi ka pa bumalik sa Coastal Rock?"

"There's a reason why I'm here and you know that."

"I also know that you're putting everything at risk in staying there and possibly reconnecting with him again."

"Hindi naman na mauulit 'yon. It was just a coincidence and nothing else."

"Paano mo nasabi?"

"Because I will not let myself be near him again. Ako na ang iiwas bago pa kami muling makapag-usap."

"He knows your room number. Paano kung puntahan ka niya ngayon?"

Napatalon ako't hindi nakapagsalita nang marinig ang door bell. I cursed at Matt.

"See?"

"You're overreacting! I order a room service. Nagugutom na ako."

Nagmamadali na akong tumayo para buksan ang pintuan pero ang lahat ng inihanda kong ngiti para sa staff ng hotel ay madaling napawi at napalitan ng pagkabigla at kaba matapos makitang hindi iyon ang order kong pagkain kung hindi si Toine!

"Am I right? Is it him, Lacey?" Matt asked on the other line.

Imbes na sagutin ay lutang kong ibinaba ang tawag at mabilisang inayos ang sarili.

Damn it! I look like a mess while he look like a God waiting to be praised!

"T-Toine..."

"Are you free today?" He blurted.

"W-what?"

"Nakapagpahinga ka ba?" He asked instead.

"Y-yeah, yeah! What are you doing here?" Niyakap ko na ang sarili dahil asiwang-asiwa ako.

I am only wearing a robe at bukod sa panty ay wala na akong iba pang suot sa loob! I feel like he was seeing me naked! Ang mga matang 'yon? Oh gosh...

"Can I buy you breakfast?"

I feel my hands began to sweat at that. Hindi ako makapaniwala at parang sasabog na ang puso ko sa mga nangyayari.

"W-what? Toine—"

"I cancelled your room service. Hinintay kita sa restaurant pero hindi ka dumating so I came here instead. After breakfast makakaharap mo ulit ang lalaking nang-harassed sa 'yo kagabi. He's been kicked out of the hotel but he wanted to personally ask for your forgiveness. Are you comfortable with that?"

I swallowed the bile on my throat. "Pinilit mo ba siyang mag-apologize siya sa 'kin?"

"He wanted to do it himself and in his own free will."

I doubt that. Toine Andres is literally lying to my face! There's no way that man will ask for my forgiveness unless he said it! Baka nga isang sabi niya pa lang ay nanginig na ang lalaki!

"I don't want to see him ever again so no."

"I understand. You will never have to, I promise you that."

Sharp knives were slowly cutting my heart again especially after hearing the last four words. I was once hurt by that promise yet here I am, fifteen years later, wanting to trust him again.

"I will ask him to leave the island right now if you're not comfortable seeing him for his apologies."

"Thank you."

"Breakfast then? Please?" Anito bago ko pa maisara ang pintuan para tapusin na ang pag-uusap namin.

"Toine—"

"I want to talk to you, Lacey," he cut me off after stepping forward, almost closing the gap between us.

Titig na titig siya sa mga mata ko. Para akong hinika sa ginawa niya lalo pa't napakalapit niya't amoy na amoy ko ang bango ng kanyang katawan.

God, it was the same smell I loved from years ago... it was still... my Toine.

"F-fine. Pupuntahan na lang kita sa restaurant."

"We're not going to dine there."

Napahawak na ako sa pintuan at pagkatapos ay bahagyang itinago ang sarili bago pa bumaba ang mga mata niya sa aking katawan. His presence alone was already making the temperature high. Parang ilang segundo pa ay pagpapawisan na ako ng malagkit!

"Another secret restaurant?"

"Do you have a favorite place in the island so far?"

"I do."

"My treat."

Tumango na lang ako para mawala na siya't makahinga na ako ng matino.

"Sa lobby mo na lang ako hintayin."

"I can wait here. It's fine with me."

"No way. Please just wait at the lobby. Maliligo pa ako at mag-aayos. At least do'n may upuan."

"I said I'm fine here. Go, do your thing. I'll wait for you."

Wala na akong nagawa nang siya na mismo ang humila sa pintuan para lang makapagsimula na ako. It did not help me though.

Ilang minuto akong natulala at hindi pa rin makapaniwala sa mga nangyari habang mariing nakasandal sa pinto. I mean I don't like that we are having a lot of interactions and I feel like I couldn't escape him anymore, but I also don't know how to stop it. Knowing Toine, part of his personality was being persistent. Kahit anong gawin ko ay mukhang wala na akong kawala ngayon!

Tuliro ako habang naliligo. Kahit mabilis ang mga galaw ko ay parang napakabagal ko pa rin. Naiwan kasi ang katinuan ko sa pintuan.

I finished taking a bath after twenty minutes. Nang subukan ko siyang silipin gamit ang peep hole ay talaga ngang nasa labas siya at matiyagang naghihintay!

Nahihiya ako sa ginagawa niya. Never akong na-late sa kahit anong appointment ko at mas lalong ayaw na ayaw kong may pinaghihintay na tao kaya matapos magbihis ay hindi ko na napigilang buksan ulit ang pintuan.

He was now leaning at the wall beside my door. Ibinulsa niya kaagad ang hawak na cell phone matapos akong lingunin.

"You done?"

"I'm not. Matagal pa ako kaya pumunta ka na muna sabi sa lobby." giit ko.

"I will wait here and please don't ask me that again."

"Toine."

Natigil ko ang pagsasalita nang umayos siya ng tindig pagkatapos ay hinarap ulit ako. Para na akong sinilaban sa biglaang pag-init ng pisngi ko matapos niyang itukod ang isang kamay sa hamba ng pintuan.

He stare at me intently. Walang sinabi, walang expression. Nanatili lang siyang nakatitig sa akin na para bang habang ginagawa 'yon ay hinihila na rin ng nakaraan.

"Do you... want to come inside instead?" Pukaw ko sa titigan naming dalawa, hindi ko na mabawi ang mga salita.

It was the first thing that comes in my mind so he would stop staring at me because honestly, I'm melting again because of different emotions digging in my heart all at once.

"I'm fine here."

"How about a chair?"

"In a lobby? No."

"Then just come inside and wait for me at the balcony. Tapos naman na akong magbihis at magma-make up na lang. Weird din naman kung maghintay ka rito kahit nakatayo."

Wala na siyang nagawa nang luwagan ko ang pintuan ng aking suite. I almost screamed the moment he stepped inside. Ilang beses kong pinigilan ang mga kamay na batukan ang sarili sa kapahamakang ako na mismo ang naglalagay ngayon sa sarili ko. Mabuti na lang at wala namang kalat ang kwarto ko kaya hindi masyadong nakakahiya.

He went to the balcony. Bumalik ako sa banyo upang mag-ayos.

I already finished doing my make up after ten minutes but I stayed longer inside because I started panicking again! Para akong nababanyo na hindi ko malaman. My confidence was hanging by a thread. Parang sinasalakay ako lalo ng matinding hangover sa mga nangyayari pero wala na akong nagawa.

After scolding myself for another five minutes ay nakalabas na rin ako. I put on a brave smile even though I was screaming internally.

Magkapantay kaming naglakad palayo sa aking suite at hindi na naghiwalay hanggang sa makasakay kami sa kanyang sasakyan. I told him about my favorite Italian restaurant. Doon kami pumunta.

It was a casual catch up after we ordered food. I reminded myself that these interactions will stay this way and nothing more. I will take this moment as an opportunity to ask about Sunset Royale.

"So, lagi ka bang nasa El Nido?" Tanong ko habang nagsisimula nang kumain.

I need to open new topic so we would both forget that he knew it was me, Lacey, from fifteen years ago.

"Not really. How about you?"

"Vacation lang."

"I see."

"Why did you chose Sunset Royale? Is it because it's currently the most popular hotel and resort here?" May ingat kong tanong.

"Nah, I don't mind staying in another hotel but this one is somehow a family owned hotel. I don't like any hassle."

"I heard. Kamag-anak mo ba ang isa sa mga may-ari ng hotel na 'to?"

"It's Thelonious' wife. You know him, right?"

Muntik ko nang maibuga ang pagkain sa aking bibig.

"Of course! You two were inseparable back then. He has a wife, huh? Good for him."

"He also have a villa here. His wife wanted to live in an island at first but duty calls in the city so they make it like a rest house. It's the one near the cliff side."

I think I knew what he was talking. Iisa lang naman ang malaki at engrandeng villa na naroon. Now that makes sense.

"That's nice. Does he have kids as well?"

"Two. They're also twins."

"Good." I chewed my food slowly.

Parehas kaming natigil sa pagdating pa ng ibang pagkaing in-order niya.

"How are you, Lacey?" untag niya maya-maya nang wala na akong masabi.

Pinilit kong kaswal na ngumiti. "I'm fine. How about you?"

"Same." aniya ngunit imbes na dagdagan pa ay inabot na lang ang wine na nasa kanyang gilid at mabagal na ininom habang ang mga mata ay nakahinang sa akin.

I don't know what's going on in his mind, but I know I will not like it.

"How about you? Do you have kids?" I asked, just for him to stop staring at me.

Sa pagbabago ng kanyang ekspresyon ay nanlamig ang batok ko. Right. Ayaw niya nga palang pinag-uusapan ang relasyon niya.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to answer anything about that if you find it too personal. Hindi ko lang talaga alam kung ano pa ang sasabihin."

"Two kids."

For some reasons, my heart dropped at that. Hindi ako nakapagsalita. Mabuti na lang at siya ang nagpatuloy.

"Do you still live in Manila?"

"Yes." I lied.

"Still in Alabang or you move somewhere else?"

"Somewhere else."

"How can we never met, Lacey? Maliit lang ang Manila. We have a lot of places to meet especially because we knew the same people but it never happened. Dito pa tayo nagkita."

"What for?" Matapang ngunit kaswal ko pa ring sabi. "Bakit naman kailangan nating magkita?"

Nilawakan ko ang ngiti nang matigilan siya.

"What happened between us," he trailed off, agad akong umiling.

"Wala naman na tayong dapat pag-usapan kahit pa sa nangyari sa atin kaya siguro hindi na rin tayo nagkita, Toine. Simple."

Nagtangis ang kanyang bagang. Naibaba niya ang hawak na tinidor para abutin ulit ang alak na nasa kanyang harapan.

"I'm thankful for you for saving me from that man but that doesn't mean we have to reconnect. We don't even have to be nice to each other. I mean, we ended for a reason. Wala rin naman tayong kahit anong babalikan. Whatever happened between us in the past was left there at ang totoo ay ayaw ko nang balikan kung ano man 'yon."

"Your eyes are contradicting your words, Candace Thylane."

That made me swallowed hard. Humigpit ang kapit ko sa hawak kong mga utensils lalo na sa pagtalim ng kanyang titig sa akin na para bang hinahalukay nang muli ang buong pagkatao ko.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Andres."

"You still love to call me that, huh?"

Nabitiwan ko na ang mga hawak at agad na sumandal sa aking upuan. Fear crawl in my heart as he lean forward and gaze at me.

"Why do you keep lying to me, Lacey? When will you tell the truth?" He asked in a low and disappointed voice that made my anxiety through the roof.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Advance updates and full version of this story will only be available on Patreon and VIP group. Subscribe to www.patreon.com/cengcrdva or message me for full details.
💚GCash payment is accepted💚