CHAPTER 27: PROGRESS

SORCHA'S POV

Bahagyang dumikit ang kamay ko sa kamay ni Daze nang kasabay nang pagbaba ko ng bandehado ng fried rice ay siya niya namang pagkuha niya ng egg roll. Our gaze met for a second, and I looked away when heat started to spread on my cheeks.

After last night, everything went back to normal like nothing happened. Almost. Well, kung si Daze ang pag-uusapan. He probably knew that I would feel awkward, so he tried to maintain his bubbly golden retriever self, even though every time I looked into his eyes, I always saw a flash of fire still burning behind them.

I mean, who could blame him? He said that it was all for me and that he's okay, so I was the only one who... Anyway, he even ran over the fence to get me new clothes. By the time na bumalik si Kuya Nevan ay aakalain mo na walang naganap na kababalaghan sa bahay niya.

"So, should we address the elephant in the room? I heard that something happened between the two of you yesterday."

Nabitawan ko ang carton ng juice na hawak ko na mabuti na lang ay nasalo ni Daze bago bumuhos iyon sa kung saan.

Nag-iinit ang mukha na nilingon ko ang kapatid ko. "W-What?"

Naniningkit ang mga matang nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin sa amin ni Daze ang tingin ng kapatid ko. I know tsismis spreads faster than STDs at Dagger but I don't think they will avoid my warning last night. Unless Kuya Nevan himself caught Daze and me in the act, I don't think anyone would say anything about it to him. Tease me about it while my brother's around? Yes. Tell him directly? I don't think so.

Not that I don't expect him to find out someday. But not now, when it happened just a few hours ago.

Wait. Kung nalaman niya na hindi ba dapat kagabi niya pa kami ginisa nang makauwi siya? Ano 'yon? Ngayon lang nag-sink in?

"Earth to Sorcha Byrne."

Napakurap ako sa kapatid kong kinakaway pa ang kamay niya sa harapan ng mukha ko. "Ha?"

He rolled his eyes when he realized I wasn't listening to whatever he said. "Ang sabi ko, kailan mo balak panagutan si Daze? You..." Umakto siyang nasusuka. "...kissed him in the middle of a café."

Bahagyang umawang ang mga labi ko at hindi ako nakasagot agad. So that's what he was talking about. "Hindi..." I cleared my throat. "H-Hindi ako ang humalik sa kaniya."

Nilukutan ako ng ilong ng kapatid ko. "Same thing."

If only he knew how true his words are. Daze might have kissed me in the middle of TDN, but I was the one who kissed him in my brother's pool, which led to further... things. Di hamak na mas inosente ang halik na pinagsaluhan namin sa TDN.

Lumipat ang atensyon ni Kuya Nevan kay Daze. "You're rich, you have a nice house, may kotse ka rin kahit hindi ka nagmamaneho, your job pays you well, and you invest your money wisely, you're almost as handsome as me—" My brother ignored my scoff and carried on, "And my sister likes you."

"Hoy, Kuya. Desisyon 'yan?"

"You don't like me, Red?"

I swallowed hard at the look Daze was giving me, as if reminding me that that wasn't the case last night.

"All I'm saying is that you should marry my sister," Kuya Nevan continued, as if Daze and I didn't speak.

Daze almost choked while I glowered at my brother. "Gusto mong sabihin ko rin iyan sa lahat ng babaeng dumadaan lang sa buhay mo?" tanong ko. Pinagdiinan ko ang salitang "dumadaan" dahil alam ko na hindi lang iyon ang ginagawa nila ng mga babaeng iyon. Ew.

"Lahat ng lalaking dumadaan sa buhay mo eh dumadaan lang literally dahil mas kinikilig ka pang makakita ng bagong halaman kesa ang makita sila." Umabot siya ng egg roll. "Dapat nga bigyan ko ng pabuya si Daze."

Inagaw ko sa kaniya ang egg roll na hawak nya. "Huwag kang kakain ha? Mula ngayon maghanap ka na ng ibang lugar kung saan ka pwedeng mag-breakfast."

Nagpapacute na kinuha niya ulit sa akin ang pagkain at isinubo niya iyon ng isang buo para hindi ko na mabawi. "Joke lang. Ang aga pa sobrang serious mo na. Alam ko namang hindi mo kailangang panagutan si Daze dahil baka isang dekada muna ang lumipas bago kayo lumagpas sa—" Nangangaligkig sa ideya na nagpatuloy siya, "—kissing stage."

And with that, both Daze and I couldn't meet his eyes.

EVEN MY WORK wasn't enough of a distraction. It couldn't make me forget everything that happened yesterday. Lalo na at lagi kong kasunod si Daze dahil iyon naman ang role niya rito sa Dagger.

I busied myself with reviewing findings and writing reports on my other cases while we waited for Daze's manager. Siya kasi ang magdadala ng mga hinihingi namin kay Daze.

It was about lunchtime when I almost collided with Daze in the hallway of the laboratories. Papasok siya habang ako naman ay papalabas pa lang dahil may kinuha ako sa loob. Si Daze naman ay lumabas sandali dahil may tumawag sa kaniya.

"Hi, Red." Parang nahihiyang dalaga na binaba niya ang magkasalikop niyang mga kamay habang iniikot niya ng bahagya ang katawan niya pakaliwa at pakanan. "Pwede mo na ba akong pansinin?"

I looked away. "Pinapansin naman kita."

I felt a hand on my chin, and in the next second, I found myself facing him. "You couldn't even meet my eyes."

Gone was the playful Daze, and it was replaced by the one that I was with last night. He might act cute and playful, but I now realize that he has a different kind of playfulness. Iyong bang parang hindi pang golden retriever. More like a wolf ready to pounce.

"W-Whatever." I crossed my arms. "We can't stay here."

"I need a sample. Can you help me?"

I blinked and gave him a look of confusion. "Sample?"

Instead of answering me, Daze opened the door of the processing room and pulled me inside.

"What are you—"

Any question I had was drowned out by his lips, which took mine into a kiss. His name proves to be perfect again because it feels like its meaning has the same effect on me. I feel dazed.

Pumalibot sa katawan ko ang mga braso niya at naramdaman ko ang pagdikit ng malamig na lamesa sa likod ko. I put a hand on his chest as if to push him, but rather than doing that, I found myself grabbing the color of his shirt to pull him to me.

When the kiss broke, Daze planted a soft kiss on my collarbone. "That kind of sample," he said as answer to my question. "I might need to extract another one later."

"You..." I smack his solid chest. "You can't do that here."

"Why not?"

"Because we're at work!" I hissed.

Itinaas niya ng bahagya ang kamay niya para tignan ang relos niya. "Kanina mo pa break time."

I should have known na makakaisip siya ng lusot. "But still!" Itinuro ko ang camera na nasa isang bahagi ng kuwarto. "Everyone can see us."

"They won't say anything." Nakangiting kumaway siya sa camera. "Kasi bibilan ko silang lahat ng lunch."

I rolled my eyes. "Talagang may solusyon ka sa bawat problema 'no?"

Binaba niya ang kamay niya at inilapat niya ang daliri niya sa mga labi ko. His eyes flashed, and I caught his Adam's apple moving. "I can't bear not to kiss these lips again after I got a taste."

"Sino kaya iyong may sabi na we should "ease into" it?"

"That's the Daze of the past. This is the present."

Nilukutan ko siya ng ilong at pagkatapos ay bahagya ko siyang tinulak. "Ewan ko sa'yo. Ang dami mo pang arte tapos ikaw itong halik nang halik ngayon."

"Na-realize ko na hindi ko kayang magpakabayani." Kinindatan niya ako. "You're too irisistable."

Naiiling na nilagpasan ko siya at lumabas na ako ng kuwarto. Iyon nga lang ay nakulong naman ako sa hallway ng laboratoryo nang sumunod sa akin si Daze at inilapat niya ang kamay niya sa pintuan. I was now trapped between the door and his hard body.

"You need to understand something, Red."

"Daze," I said with a warning in my tone.

"You want this because you think that when you have your fill, you can move on and we can just chuck everything to experience." Heat pooled between my thighs when I felt his teeth graze my ear. "I want this so that I can convince you that there's no moving on."

Huminga ako ng malalim. Just like I expected. It's a battle between what we both believe in.

Gathering all my strength, I turned around to face him. Dahil halos walang espasyo sa pagitan namin ay dikit na dikit ang katawan namin sa isa't isa. I tugged on his belt to pull him closer, and the corner of my lips went up when I heard his sharp intake of breath.

Clearly, I'm not the only one weak against the things he could do to me. He feels the same way.

"We agree to disagree," I whispered.

There was evident need in his eyes, and by the searing feeling on my skin, it's obvious that we're on the same page. Bumaba ang mukha niya kasabay nang pagtingkayad ko pero bago pa maglapat ang mga labi namin ay bahagyang bumukas ang pintuan na nasa likod ko. It would have opened fully if Daze hadn't had a hand leaning toward it.

Panic enveloped me, and I pushed Daze hard. Dahil hindi niya napaghandaan ang ginawa ko ay patumbang napaatras siya. He managed to grab the nearest door handle, but it didn't stop his fall. It only stopped him from falling too hard.

"O, anong nangyari sa inyo?" tanong ni Khione. Nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin niya sa amin. "Binubully mo na naman si Daze, Sorcha?"

"W-Wala... wala akong ginawa riyan!"

Umaapoy ang mukha na nilagpasan ko sila at lumabas na ako ng laboratory. Halos takbuhin ko ang elevator para hindi ako maabutan ni Daze. Fortunately, mukhang nakikisama sa akin ang mundo dahil nagawa kong makapasok doon nang matiwasay.

Huminto iyon sa second floor pero hindi ako dumiretso sa bridge na kadugtong ng cafeteria. I also don't want to go to TDN again because I don't think I can show my face there for awhile. I went to the fun room instead because it's a place I rarely go to, and I was lucky because no one was inside yet. Kahit makita ni Daze sa display panel ng elevator na bumaba ako ng second floor ay siguradong una siyang pupunta sa cafeteria.

Dapat nagdala ako ng pagkain.

Napabuntong-hininga na pabagsak akong humiga sa isa sa mga bean bag. It's one of the huge ones, and it immediately swallowed my small frame.

Hindi ko alam kung ilang minuto na ang lumipas na nakatulala lang ako sa kisame.

"What am I doing?" I whispered to myself. "Propositioning someone in a bookstore, kissing said someone in the middle of a café, and then doing the same thing... and more... in my brother's pool... then doing it again at my place of work."

Idinampi ko ang daliri ko sa mga labi ko. It feels like it's been thoroughly kissed. Kung hindi lang ako nakaalis agad ay walang dudang may katrabaho akong makakapansin niyon. It wouldn't be long before they could put two and two together. Lalo pa at hindi ako sigurado kung sino sa kanila ang nakakaalam.

"He's here because of my interpersonal skills training. I'm supposed to learn how to get along with clients well."

"You're doing it very well."

Malakas na nagpakawala ako ng buntong-hininga. Hindi ko na nilingon ang pinanggalingan ng boses dahil wala namang duda kung sino iyon.

"Maybe too well," I grumbled.

"I'll give you a five-star rating."

Matalim ang tingin na nilingon ko siya. "Anong akala mo sa akin? Airbnb?"

Imbis na sagutin ako ay ibinaba niya ang mga dala niyang pagkain. Mukhang nanggaling na siya sa cafeteria. With how fast he was, he probably ran around just to look for me.

"I won't recommend you, though," he said.

"Ha?"

"If you need another interpersonal skills training in the future, I'm always free to do it. You don't need to look for anyone." Sa pagkagulat ko ay imbis na umupo sa isa pang bean bag ay tumabi siya sa akin. His arm snaked around me, and he pushed me a bit so that he could fully lay down with half of my body leaning on him. "Gusto ko akin ka lang."

"D-Daze! Someone might come in!"

He grinned. "I put the cleaning in progress sign."

_________________________End of Chapter 27.