Dancing With Fire (TO BE PUBLISHED)
Kabanata 9
Kabanata 9
"STOP FUCKING LAUGHING, Serafine!" His voice roared.
Instead of shutting up, lalo akong napahagalpak. I sounded like a high-pitched witch cackling like a madman.
He stared at me seriously. Nahampas ko ang table, humahalakhak pa rin at tinuro siya.
"M-Macho dancer..." I murmured, then burst out laughing again.
"Vioxx, normal ba itong girlfriend mo?" Caspian asked, leaning lazily on the table in front of me.
Napatingin ako sa kanya, natigilan hanggang sa nag-click sa 'kin ang kulay ng mata niya't unti-unti ko siyang namukhaan. "Ikaw 'yong tricycle driver!" I pointed at him. "Hinatid mo ako no'n!"
Namilog ang mata niya, napawi ang ngiti sabay sulyap kay Rai sa tabi ko.
"Yari si Alcantara." Wave whistled with a grin.
"I will pray for your soul, Kuya," Warrion said coldly.
Rai turned to Caspian. "You what?" he snapped, his voice sharp.
"H-Huh?" Caspian blinked.
"Hinatid daw ang baby mo, Vioxx. Payag ka? Tangina nitong si Alcantara, yari 'to kay Lars." Lucian laughed.
"You ass—" Rai shot up, ready to punch his cousin, but I quickly pulled him back down.
"Hinatid lang!" I exclaimed.
"Alangan! I'm a freaking tricycle driver, Vioxx!" Caspian defended himself. "May Reev ako, mga hangal!"
"You—"
"Hinatid nga lang ako, Rai!" I said firmly, eyes widening when I saw how truly irritated he was.
"Bakit ka hinahatid? Ako lang ang p'wedeng maghatid sa 'yo, Serafine!" His voice roared again.
The room fell silent. His cousins' jaws dropped in unison, all of them staring at him with wide eyes as his brows furrowed.
"He's fucking whipped," ani Wave nang makabawi.
Rai groaned, squeezing his eyes shut as his jaw clenched. I rolled my eyes and smirked.
"You know, Daddy..." I began.
"What the hell?" Nabulunan pa si Lucian at namilog ang mata. I chuckled. "Anong tawag mo kay Vioxx, Sera?"
I glanced at Rai's cousins, then at Rai, who kept his eyes closed, brows knitted.
"Daddy—"
"Shut up, Serafine," Rai grumbled, glaring at me, but I only grinned.
Inabot ko siya papunta sa leeg ko. I laughed when he turned his face and buried it against my neck.
"Ulitin mo, Sera," Caspian urged, grinning widely.
"He's my daddy, you know?" yabang ko at hinaplos pa ang buhok ni Rai na nagmumura nang mahina sa kahihiyan.
"Sugar daddy?" Warrion nearly choked, coughing at the words.
I nodded. "Yeah, but I don't call that. Mas gusto kong tawagin siyang Papa dè Asukal.," inartehan ko pa ang pagkakasabi.
Rai's cousins burst out laughing. I laughed with them.
"Tangina, sugar daddy ang hayop," Caspian cackled.
Rai looked up and cursed. "Fuck you all!"
"Sshh, bad 'yan!" I slapped his arm.
He grimaced, glaring at me, but when I rolled my eyes at him, he pouted and buried his face back into my neck.
"Paanong sugar daddy?" Caspian teased again.
I flashed a money sign with my fingers, and they all burst out laughing once more.
"Tangina! Maluho sa jowa, pero 'yong utang tinataguan!" Lucian exclaimed.
Rai groaned, while his cousins laughed even harder. Para tuloy kaming tangang nagtatawanan pero wala akong pakialam at aliw na aliw ako sa kanila.
I paused when Lucian suddenly pulled out a small notebook.
"Fuck, maniningil na..." Warrion grunted. Nawala na ang tawa niya at nagseryoso na siya.
"Buti handy itong magic notebook ko." Lucian smirked handsomely, turning his gaze toward me. "Hoy, Miranda! Bayad-bayad din!" he demanded.
"May utang 'to?" I asked, surprised.
"Lahat ng mga hayop na 'yan, may utang!" Lucian declared, pointing at each of his cousins one by one.
Wave cleared his throat, looking away. He brushed back his blonde hair and pretended not to hear anything.
Caspian whistled like an idiot, at nakita kong hinarangan niya ng daliri ang dumaang mga langgam sa lamesa para hindi makatakas.
Warrion licked his lip, his eyes glinting as he pressed something on the phone in his hand. "Please check Winter for me," he said into the other line.
Meanwhile, Rai was hiding his face against my neck, hugging my waist tightly, as if doing so would make him invisible.
"Ay, wow! May sariling mundo na bigla ang mga walanghiya!" Lucian exclaimed disappointedly.
I stifled a grin as he scowled, slamming his notebook down onto the table.
"'Langhiya kayo. Last na utang na 'to!" he declared.
Doon na sila naalarma at sabay-sabay pang nagsilingunan sa kanya—even Rai, who sat up straighter and frowned.
"Mga gago, takot hindi makautang!" Lucian groaned. "Sa susunod, may interes na ito! Nakakasira kayo ng negosyo!"
Negosyo? I almost laughed.
Lucian pursed his lips, combed his hair with his fingers, then opened the notebook and pointed to a page.
"Unahin natin 'yong sa huli, letter V. Hoy, Vioxx. Utang mo."
"I have no cash with me," Rai answered.
Lucian scowled, tucked his pen behind his ear, and glared. "Sugar daddy ka, pero wala kang pambayad sa sixty pesos and point fifty centavos?!" he exclaimed.
My jaw dropped, naglipat-lipat ang tingin ko sa magpinsan.
"S-Sixty?" I exclaimed, staring at Rai. "Sixty pesos lang ang utang mo, pero wala ka pang pambayad?!"
"'Di ba?!" Lucian replied. "Pero, Sera, may fifty centavos pa—huwag mong kaligtaan."
Wave, Caspian, and Warrion burst out laughing, while Rai pouted and glanced at me.
"Wala akong barya," he sulked.
I gasped, glancing between Lucian's annoyed face and Rai before flicking his lips.
"Aww," Rai whined.
I rolled my eyes, pulled out my wallet, and saw Lucian's eyes sparkle. I handed him seventy pesos.
"Babayaran mo utang niya?" Lucian grinned, snatching the money like he was afraid na bigla kong bawiin.
"Oo, nakahihiya naman kay Engineer," pasaring ko sa sugar daddy na kuripot.
"Sera..." Rai whined again.
I rolled my eyes as Lucian scribbled something in his notebook and handed it to me. "Pirmahan mo, Sera, para fully paid na," aniya.
I couldn't help but laugh as I signed, witness pala iyon na bayad na ang utang! Talagang walang makakaligtas at balak pa ata niyang ipanotaryo.
"Seryoso 'to?" I chuckled, handing the notebook back to him.
"Oo. Mahirap ang buhay, Sera, kailangan maningil kahit piso lang." Lucian grinned.
"May point ka." I nodded.
"Anyway, may sukli ka pa." Dumukot siya sa bulsa. I smiled and shook my head.
"Huwag na, keep the change," I said.
Lucian's mouth fell open, his eyes twinkling as if he had just won the lottery.
Rai chuckled and kissed my cheek. "Thanks, baby." Bumaling siya kay Lucian. "'Yong sukli, ibawas mo na lang sa next na utang ko—"
"Tangina! Buraot ang hayop!" Lucian grunted.
Ngumiwi ako at hinampas si Rai. "Let it go. Halos sampung piso lang naman 'yon!"
"Fine..." Rai gave up. "Thank you again."
"Amazed na amazed na naman si Sugar Daddy," Caspian teased. "Sana all may jowa na nagbabayad ng utang!"
"Mayro'n din no'n si Wave," ani Lucian kaya napunta ang tingin namin kay Wave na bumusangot lang.
"Shut up, Castanier," Wave groaned.
"Bakit ba kayo nanditong lahat? This is supposed to be mine and Sera's dinner date," Rai complained.
"Wow! Excuse me, dapat ilibre mo kami!" Caspian said.
"For what?" Rai groaned.
"We helped you gate-crash that birthday party!" Warrion smirked. "We deserve food, Miranda!"
"No!" Kontra ni Rai. "Ngayon ko lang nasolo 'to! There's no way I'll let you—"
"Rai!" I exclaimed. "Ilibre mo na sila! Tinulungan ka nga nilang itakas ako ro'n sa birthday ng kaibigan ko, 'tapos..."
He stared at me. I looked at him intently. He ended up sighing and scratching his brow.
"Alright, alright..." He nodded reluctantly.
And so, we all ate together at a 24-hour fast-food restaurant. Of course, Rai reluctantly treated everyone. It was fun being with Rai and his cousins. After such a rough, tiring day, I felt happy, laughing at their jokes and antics.
Para silang mga bata. Akala mo 'di malalaki ang mga katawan.
I shook my head as they tossed chicken bones at each other and fought over a single jolly hotdog.
"Hati-hatiin n'yo na lang," I said, taking the jolly hotdog out of the container.
"Dapat pantay, Sera. Kaso wala kaming ruler," Wave joked.
I laughed, shaking my head as I studied the hotdog carefully, determined to divide it evenly among the five of them. Using a clean spoon and fork, I cut it into five equal pieces.
"See?" I smiled, handing them out. Nag-unahan sila doon sa pirasong may pinakamaraming cheese at sauce.
It made me genuinely smile, watching handsome boys with pure, childlike souls. They looked mature, but at heart, they were still kids.
I caught Rai smiling widely, biting into his hotdog. When our eyes met, he offered me half. "Kainin mo na," he said.
I shook my head and smiled.
Slowly, I felt his hand on my waist. I glanced at him and leaned gently against his shoulder. His hand slid from my waist up to my arm, brushing softly.
"Are you tired?"
I looked at him, smiling, and shook my head. "Ayos lang ako."
We all chatted for a while, laughing about how Rai had managed to sneak me out of my friend's party.
When Rai found out I was at the bar, he slipped into the private room and saw the macho dancers performing. He pretended to be one of them, with his cousins trailing him. I don't even know how they even managed to include themselves there! After giving me a lap dance and kissing my neck, he acted as if he was going to take me somewhere else to do nasty things.
Of course, Jesusa and Jenny were thrilled—they practically sold me out. Wala akong ideya saan napunta si Gino, but Rai had successfully gotten me out of the party.
With Rai's arms wrapped around me, I said goodbye to his cousins while he spoke to Lando.
"Baka pakitaan ka niyan mamaya ng iba pang macho dancer moves," ani Lucian. "Binigyan ko kasi 'yan ng tips."
I laughed. Rai stopped talking to Lando. He scowled and glared at Lucian.
"Magsiuwi na nga kayo! Mga istorbo!" Rai exclaimed.
I just shook my head as they waved goodbye one by one, each heading off in their own cars.
"Baby," Rai called.
"Hmm?"
"Do you want to..." He cleared his throat. "Uhm, stay at my place tonight?"
"Huh?" I blurted out in surprise.
"I... uhm..." He licked his lip. "I got your contract at home, and I ordered food for us. I want to watch a movie with you."
My heart thumped. I bit my lip and glanced at Lando, who was standing nearby.
"Pero kasi, sa bahay, baka kailangan ako nila Tatay—"
"Babantayan ko po ang pamilya n'yo, Ma'am Sera," Lando said, making my eyes widen.
"T-Talaga?"
"Opo," he answered. "Sige na, magpahinga ka muna doon kay Engineer. Pa-bonus mo na, kasi bugnutin siya kapag wala ka." Ngumiti pa siya na para bang 'di niya nilaglag ang amo niya.
Tumikhim si Rai at siniko si Lando.
Ngmuisi na lang ako at inabot si Rai para kumapit sa braso niya.
"Alright." I chuckled. "Kawawa naman itong macho dancer kong engineer. Baka may magibang building kasi hindi makapag-focus."
On the drive to his place, Rai nearly threw me out of the car from all my teasing about him being a macho dancer. By the time we reached the building where his condo was, nakabusangot na siya.
"Ano? Gusto mo na talagang mag-macho dancer?" I teased loudly. "Bet ko 'yong paggiling mo kanina, 'tapos 'yong pag-ikot ng kamay mo sa ere."
I noticed people glancing at us in the elevator kaya nakagat ko ang labi ko. When I looked at Rai, his eyes were shut tight, his face flushed red.
"Oops," I whispered.
Bumusangot siya. Nanatiling gano'n ang mukha niya, pati nang bumukas ang elevator doors sa palapag kung nasaan ang condo niya. Dere-deretso siyang naglakad palabas, kaya hinabol ko siya at kumapit ako sa braso niya para hindi maiwan.
"Rai... Daddy, pansinin mo na ako," I hummed when we entered his place.
Hindi pa rin niya ako pinansin, humaba tuloy ang nguso ko.
I let go of him when I noticed a pair of pink bunny slippers beside his black ones. He paused after putting on his slippers, perhaps sensing I had released him.
He took my hand and placed it back on his arm.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
I quietly pointed at the slippers. He glanced at them, his brows furrowing.
"Why? Wear them—they're yours," he said.
Namilog ang mata ko, gulat at namamangha. Tumikhim siya at umiwas ng tingin.
Excited, I slipped them on and clung to him again until we reached his living room, where a large box of pizza and soda were already on the table.
He sat down, and I joined him, smiling brightly.
"I'm tired, Serafine," he suddenly complained.
"'Yan! Kakagiling mo 'yan kanina!" asar ko.
He shot me a glare, but I just laughed and fixed his hair. I brushed it with my fingers, gently pressing his forehead until the crease disappeared.
"Huwag bubusangot, daddy, nakaka-haggard," biro ko pa.
"We couldn't think of any other way to get into the damn party," sa halip ay reklamo niya kaya mas natawa ako at sinapo ang pisngi niya.
"Na-miss kita, Rai," I said softly.
"Yeah?" He raised a brow. "Ilang araw mo na nga akong tiniis, tinakasan mo pa ako."
"Naiinis kasi ako," I confessed.
He adjusted his seat, watching me intently, worry now etched in his expression.
"Did I do something? Did I annoy you?" he asked.
I didn't answer right away. Our eyes locked, and I saw his jaw tighten.
"I knew it—you got scared because of the damn confession. I shouldn't have done that." He stared at me, his eyes turning gloomy. "I'm sorry if I keep pushing myself on you. I like you, Sera, but if you don't like me, I'll try to understand."
My heart pounded. Seeing his sadness hurt me deeply; it physically ached me.
He licked his lip, avoiding my gaze. "If you don't want to stay here, I'll take you home."
He stood abruptly, running his fingers through his hair as he reached for his car keys. I quickly stood as well.
"Hindi naman dahil do'n," I clarified. "And I like you too, Rai!"
He froze.
Bumuntonghininga ako at lumapit sa kanya. Sliding my arms around his waist from behind, I rested my forehead against his back.
"I like you, too... so much. I've never felt this safe and comfortable with anyone before," I confessed.
Naramdaman ko ang paglalim ng paghinga niya.
"No one... no one has ever cared for me the same way you do. Gustong-gusto ko 'yon, pero natatakot ako, kasi napabilis ang mga nangyayari," I whispered. "I'm really scared that one day, because we're too quick, you'll find someone better than me, and you'll get rid of me."
"Do you think I could ever do that to you?" he whispered painfully.
I sighed as he gently turned, pulling me closer by the waist. I rested my face near his neck, feeling his breath against my ear.
"Ayokong madamay ka sa gulo ng buhay ko, Serafine," he whispered. "Pero mas ayokong lalayo ka ng basta-basta lang. I've played around with girls before, but I know this one is different." His voice carried a lot of conviction and vulnerability.
I hugged him tightly.
"I know you have a lot of problems, and maybe you don't want to add me to your life," he whispered. "But please, Sera, let me be part of it."
I said nothing, only tightening my hold on him. Nangilid ang luha ko pero pinigilan ko ang sarili. He'd seen too much of my messy life; I don't want to add more. Ayaw kong puro gulo na lang ang maibigay ko sa buhay niya.
"Kaya ko naman ang mga problema," I whispered faintly.
"I know you're a strong woman, baby," he whispered. "But even the strongest person has weaknesses. I'm here—if you can't handle it anymore, you can lean on me anytime."
A tear slipped down my cheek. Maybe the world has been so cruel to me that genuine kindness makes me cry.
We stayed silent for a short while. Our breathings were slow and deep. It felt comfortable. I don't know if there's any other place that could make me feel this way but his chest and warmth.
I discreetly wiped my tears so he wouldn't notice, then looked at him and smiled sincerely.
"Thank you for making me feel better."
I stood on my toes and kissed his cheek. His hand slid around my waist as he leaned down to kiss my forehead.
"Let's watch a movie?" he asked, holding my hand.
"I'd like that."
We watched a romantic-comedy. While eating pizza, Rai sat behind me, my body nestled between his legs. Naramdaman ko ang haplos niya sa braso ko. Kanina ko pa napapansing tumatagal ang tingin niya doon kaya lumingon ako.
"Why?" I asked.
He tilted his head, lips parting slightly. I offered him a slice of pizza, and he took a bite.
"Your bruise here..." He pointed to my left arm.
"Magaling na. Nilagyan ko ng yelo, gaya ng sabi mo."
He nodded, lowering my left arm. But then his hand shifted to my right arm, and I froze. "Then why is there another bruise here?" he asked.
I gasped and glanced down. A faint mark remained on my skin, but it wasn't that visible anymore. How did he notice?
"Nabangga kasi... no'ng naglinis ako sa bodega," I lied.
His fingers grazed my skin gently. My heart pounded as he lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss to the fading bruise.
"Rai..." I called.
"Let me get some ice," he said, standing up.
Hindi siya nag-demand ng sagot. I know he was curious but he didn't press.
I watched him walk to the kitchen, clutching my chest as my heart raced wildly.
Why are you like this, Rai? Why do you make my heart beat fast?
When he returned, wearing only his jeans and bare-chested, I caught myself staring. Tumaas ang kilay niya. "No macho dancing tonight," aniya kaya napalitan ang lungkot ko ng tawa.
He sat beside me, gently placing the ice pack on my arm.
I bit my lip as I watched him. When our eyes met, he moved closer, his hand sliding to my waist.
I gasped when he effortlessly pulled me onto his lap. His arm wrapped securely around my waist as he pressed the ice pack against my bruise, massaging it slowly.
It made me feel the things I could only have whenever we're together, so to distract myself, I glanced at the television, laughing at a scene and pretending I wasn't affected by the way his chest was pressed against my back. Ibinaba niya ang ice pack sa table.
"Tapos na?" I asked.
He nodded, still caressing my arm, then kissed it again—softly, gently.
I smiled, leaning against him, savoring the warmth of his body.
"Why are you kissing my arm, Daddy?" pabiro kong tanong pero 'di ko inaasahan ang seryosong sagot niya.
"Just hoping my kiss would take away the pain," he answered softly.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: Truyen3h.Co