A/N: Posting this today instead of tomorrow because it's my birthday :D Enjoy reading!

CHAPTER 32: DOUBLE MEANING

SORCHA'S POV

Daze and I's lips were locked in a kiss when we heard the sound of a car pulling over. He reluctantly ended the kiss with his actions showing that he wanted to do the opposite. His arm, which is wrapped around me, tightened while he squeezed my thigh with his other hand. Isinandal niya ang noo niya sa leeg ko at tila ba may kuryente dumaloy sa katawan ko nang maramdaman ko ang mga labi niya roon.

"Do you have a gun?" he whispered.

"I don't have one with me, but I know the code for my brother's safe."

"Good. Shoot anyone that will come to that door." Nang umakto akong kikilos ay natatawang hinalikan niya ang sentido ko. As if he couldn't help himself, he gave me another chaste kiss on my lips. "I can't wait for everything to be over."

I wasn't expecting the ache that gripped my heart at his words. "What do you mean?"

"This case. I want it to be done. I want Vanessa to have the justice she deserves, I want all questions answered, and I want to be able to go anywhere I want to without risking my life or possibly those around me."

Umalis ako sa pagkakaupo ko sa kandungan niya at tumabi ako sa kaniya. "I'm going to be honest with you. That's a weird thing to say after the kiss we just shared."

Bumakas ang pagkalito sa mukha niya pero hindi iyon nagtagal dahil pagkaraan ay umaliwalas ang ekspresyon niya. His hand went to the back of my head, and he kissed my forehead. "Red, I didn't mean us. You were the one putting a deadline on us, remember? And I'm the one who's hell bent on convincing you to forget that."

Nag-iwas ako ng tingin. "I'm just saying."

He put a finger on my chin so that he could make me look at him. "I want the case to be resolved because I want to freely take you wherever I want to." He brushed the tip of his nose with mine. "Double meaning intended."

Heat spread on my face. "What's the difference between then and now? Wala naman akong sinabi na kailangan mong maghintay."

"But I want to. We had our first kiss in a café, and I first made you come in your brother's pool. I'm not going to have you in his house as well or in your home where he could barge any moment."

He touched my cheek with the back of his hand, and then he playfully bit my lower lip before he stood up. Nag-iwas ako ng tingin pero sa pagkakataon na ito ay hindi dahil sa kaparehas na dahilan ko kanina kundi dahil sa pagkabigla nang makita ko ang harapan ng suot niyang pants.

He has a huge build, he's tall, and he has big feet. It looks like he's enormous in every sense. Even in that.

I heard him chuckle. Nakasimangot na mahina ko siyang sinipa sa binti na lalo niya lang ikinatawa.

Nilagpasan niya ako at dumiretso siya sa banyo. He's probably taking care of that dahil imposibleng maitago niya iyon kay Warrick. It was a good thing he got up early because not even a minute after he went to the bathroom, the door opened and Warrick came in.

"O, nasaan ang alaga mo?"

Inaasikaso ang alaga niya. Inabot ko ang chips na nasa coffee table at inangat ko iyon ng bahagya para maikubli ng bahagya ang mukha ko na siguradong pulang-pula na. Nilulumot na ang utak ko. It's probably like when Eve and Adam bite the forbidden apple. Kapag nagawa mo na, wala ng balikan pa. Hindi na maibabalik ang kainosentehan mo noon.

"Ewan ko," mabilis ko na sagot.

"Ha? Nawala mo si Daze?"

"No! I... nandoon ata sa CR." Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mga mata. "Bakit ba ang dami mong tanong?"

Napapakamot sa ulo na ibinaba niya ang mga gamit niya. "Nagtanong lang naman ako bakit parang kasalanan ko?" bumubulong-bulong na sabi niya. "Ang mga babae talaga ang hirap mga intindihin. Tatanungin mo lang ng one plus one, ang isasagot sa'yo may kasama pang formula. Addition lang magiging algebra pa."

Sunod-sunod na sumubo ako ng kangkong chips. He wasn't exactly wrong. Before, I could answer one plus one easily because, back then, it wasn't as complicated as it is now.

"There's food in the kitchen," I grumbled.

Bago kasi kami pumasok ni Daze sa bahay nang makaalis ang kapatid ko ay kumuha muna ako ng pagkain sa bahay. I usually stock my brother's fridge with food when I have the time. Minsan naman siya na ang kumukuha no'n sa bahay.

Hindi naman kasi araw-araw ay nakakapagluto ako. Breakfast pwede pa. But cooking meals is different, and with the kind of job we have, it's not easy to have the time to do it. Kaya may mga araw na sinasadiya kong damihan ang niluluto ko para may naitatago ako sa fridge.

Nag-thumbs up si Warrick. "The best ka talaga."

I rolled my eyes when he hurriedly went to the kitchen. I can hear him rummaging through it when Daze returns. Sans the mini-hulk inside his pants.

Tinapunan niya ng tingin ang direksyon ng kusina bago siya umupo sa tabi ko. "Stop looking at it, or it'll wake up again."

"W-What did you even do to... umm... that? Did you beat it to death or something?"

Nang umangat ang sulok ng mga labi niya ay saka ko lang na-realize kung anong double meaning ng sinabi ko. Beat could mean to strike someone or something, or it could mean... to masturbate. Damn it. Just kill me now.

Daze tapped the tip of my nose with his finger. "I didn't do anything. I just took a quick shower." Yumuko siya at bumulong. "If I did that while thinking of you, I'll just be hard again after."

"Daze!" I hissed.

Mahinang pagtawa lang ang naging sagot niya lalo na at iyon ang piniling pagkakataon ni Warrick para bumalik.

Inosenteng nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin ng lalaki sa amin ni Daze at inangat niya ang plato niya. "Kain," alok niya.

Daze rubbed his lips, and he glanced at me. "Iba ang gusto kong kainin."

My breath caught in my throat, but fortunately, Warrick seems oblivious to what Daze really meant with his words.

"Choosy ka pa, dude? Ang sarap kaya!" namumualan ang bibig na sabi ni Warrick. "Kung may girlfriend lang ako na ipagluluto ako ng ganito baka mag-work from home na lang ako kasi hindi na ako makakaalis ng bahay."

"Hindi niya ako girlfriend."

"Hindi pa," mabilis na dugtong ni Daze.

Still unware of things, Warrick made a tsk tsk sound. "Kapag babagal-bagal ka, pareng Daze, baka maunahan ka pa ng iba." The man glanced at me. "Hinihingi ni Caleb Riley ang number mo, by the way."

"What?" Magkasabay pa kami ni Daze na nagtanong niyon. I added, "Why is he asking for my number?"

"Sinamahan kasi ni Trace si Ma'am Belaya sa isang event. Nandoon din si Caleb Riley. Ayon, nakuwento niya kay Caleb na celebrity crush mo siya."

Trace Dawson is my boss, but I wonder if I can get approval somewhere to give him a kick and a punch in the stomach.

"Should I tell Trace to give him your number?" Warrick asked.

"No."

"Why not? He's your crush. Sa mundong 'to bihirang ma-crush back ng crush kaya i-take advantage mo na."

I'm pretty sure he's trying to get a rise from Daze, and by the looks the latter is giving him, it's already working.

"I don't like actors." Nang maisip ko ang asawa ng boss ko ay dinugtungan ko iyon. "Except kay Ma'am Belaya."

Tumaas ang kilay ni Warrick at tinapunan niya ng tingin si Daze. Mukhang natunaw ang galit ni Daze dahil nakanguso na siya ngayon na nakatingin sa akin.

"Daze is an actor," Warrick said, stating the obvious.

"He identifies more as a dog than an actor."

"So you like him better than Caleb Riley?"

I mean, I shared a lot of kisses with Daze. He's even my first kiss. And he gave me my first orgasm. "Uhh... sure."

The smile that spread on Daze's face could blind anyone. "Woof woof!"

KAUUPO ko lang nang may babae na huminto sa lamesang kinaroroonan ko. I'm currently at The Dawson's Nook to buy some food for me and Daze. Hindi ko na siya sinama para mas mapadali kami at binawasan din namin ang exposure niya sa maraming tao kahit na nga ba fully secured naman ang TDN.

"You're that woman, aren't you?" nakakrus ang mga braso na tanong ng babae. Mukhang may kasama pa siya dahil napansin kong nakatingin sa amin ang dalawa pang babae sa lamesang di kalayuan sa amin. At parehas na masama ang tingin nila sa akin.

With the woman's stance and the looks on her face, this looks like it wouldn't be a friendly encounter. Hindi ko rin kailangan maging henyo para malaman kung anong dahilan niya para lapitan ako. Bakita parang may sumpa sa amin ni Daze ang TDN? Kada na lang pupunta kami o may isa sa amin ang pupunta rito parang laging may nangyayari.

Sumandal ako sa kinauupuan ko. "You need to be more specific than that."

Umangat ang kilay niya. "Iyong lumalandi kay Daze ko."

Ko. This is what I don't understand with fans sometimes. I get that there's a sense of ownership somehow. Wala namang masama na gamitin mo ang salitang "ko", "namin" o "akin". Playful possessiveness is acceptable since usually their idols are people they use as materials for their fantasies. But when fans use it as a literal claim and treat their idols as property to be owned, then that's when you know unhealthy territory has been crossed.

By the looks of it, the woman in front of me falls into the second category.

"Hindi ka makasagot kasi totoo 'no?" tanong ng babae.

"I think you're misunderstanding something. Hindi ako ang lumalandi kay Daze. Siya ang lumalandi sa akin. Kung may problema ka ro'n eh siya ang kausapin mo at hindi ako."

From the corner of my eye, I could see Arah, TDN's barista, slowly moving towards the kitchen. I have a feeling that she's about to call Mireia Dawson.

The woman scoffed in disbelief. "Sumasagot ka pa."

I blinked. "You asked." She moved as if to grab the cup of watermelon juice I have on the table. Pero bago niya makuha iyon ay nagawa ko ng abutin iyon. "If you don't mind, I prefer to drink my juice and not bathe with it."

"The nerve—"

"The nerve of you to come here, to a place that my boss' wife owned, and make a scene. Didn't you know that this place is covered with cameras? Nasa tapat lang ang opisina namin. There are dozens of men I could call right now to detain you. I could also file complaints against you with unjust vexation, just one against the many."

"Daze is mine!" she said through gritted teeth. She jabbed her finger towards her friends. "He's ours!"

Lumabas mula sa kusina ang asawa ng boss ko. Salubong ang mga kilay na may dala siyang whisk na parang handa siyang gamiting pang self-defense iyon. I gave her a small smile before I stood up, taking my cup with me. Sakto naman na lumapit sa akin ang empleyado niya na may dala na paper bag.

Kinuha ko mula sa empleyado ng TDN ang dala niya bago ko binalingan ang babaeng nag-aapoy na sa galit. "He's not yours."

"So ibig sabihin sa'yo siya?" nanunuyang tanong niya. "Nauna namin siyang makilala kesa sa'yo."

"Iyon ang basehan niyo para kanyahin siya? Ibig sabihin kung isa sa inyo na fans niya ang "nilalandi" niya, okay lang sa inyo?" Nang matigilan siya ay napailing ako. Of course, it isn't okay for them. Kahit ang pinakaunang fan pa ni Daze ang makatuluyan niya ay hindi nila matatanggap. If they can't have him, they don't want him to be anyone else's. "Daze is a person. He's not a property to be owned."

"That—"

"To answer your question, no. He's not mine. But for now, his gaze, his lips, his touch—that's all for me."

________________________End of Chapter 32.