CHAPTER XXV

Everything went normal the moment she touches his hand. Muling gumalaw ang mga sasakyan. Even the guardian angel named Clement had disappeared without any trace.

Napatingin siya kay Thorn. She could feel that he was relieved that she chose him.

"Are you still afraid of me?" he asked her. Napayuko lamang siya at humigpit ang pagkakahawak niya sa kamay ng lalaki.

"What will happen to me? Now that I've chosen you." she asked, confused.

"You'll see the real me." he answered.

"Do you think I'm ready for that?" fear was evident on her eyes.

Hindi niya alam ang susunod na mangyayari. Magiging katulad na ba siya nito? Things all went south now. And she's afraid of what will happen next. She's not ready for the consequence. She's afraid of how thing will end specially for her.

"You've chosen me. But those wingmen will stop at nothing to get you from me," he said with gritted teeth.

Hindi siya nakaimik. She's freaking scared. Sana hindi na lamang niya nalaman ang katotohanan. And now she believes that ignorance is a bliss.

"I chose you. Ibig sabihin ba no'n ay hindi na ako makakapasok sa simbahan? Hindi na ako puwedeng magdasal?" hindi niya mapigilang magtanong.

"Don't be silly, Araceli. You're not a demon. You could still do those things," he said rather amused by her terrified small face.

"I was forsaken. 'Di ba 'yon ang sabi," she cringe "no'ng angel?"

Nagulat siya nang haplusin nito ang pisngi niya. 'Yong kaninang takot na nararamdaman niya para sa lalaki ay bigla na lang nawala ng parang bula. Mas nangingibabaw pa rin ang nararamdaman niya para kay Thorn o kay Raguel. Wala na siyang pakialam.

"Uh, excuse me? Ara, bakit mo ako iniwan sa kotse?"

Sabay na napalingon ang dalawa sa babaeng naka-pameywang. Nakita niyang kumunot ang noo ni Thorn. Lihim siyang naawa sa kaibigan. Halos makalimutan na niya itong nasa loob lang pala ng sasakyan.

"J-Jecca..." tinanggal niya ang kamay ni Thorn sa pisngi niya pero humawak ito sa bewang niya. Nakita niyang doon natuon ang mga mata ng kaibigan at hindi nakaligtas sa kaniya ang nakakalokong ngiti nito.

"You must be Thorn," her friend said with a meaningful grin.

There was an awkward silence between Ara and Thorn. Both of them doesn't know how to react. Hindi niya alam kung ayos lang ba sa lalaki na ipakilala siya kay Jecca formally.

"Uhm..." lumayo siya ng kaunti sa lalaki at lumapit kay Jecca, "can we talk?" bulong niya.

"Why? Ayaw mo bang makilala ko siya?" tila nagtatampong wika ng kaibigan.

"Of course not. Hindi lang kasi ako sure kung gusto niya—"

"I would love to meet your best friend, Araceli," nagulat siya sa sinabi ng lalaki. Nasa likod na niya ito.

Lumapad ang mga ngiti ng kaibigan niya at mabilis na iniabot ang kamay.

"I'm Jericca Hugo, Ara's best and only friend,"

"Thorn Valverde. Araceli's...special friend."

Nakahinga siya ng maluwang dahil walang masyadong katanungan ang kaibigan niya. Sa totoo lang ay ayaw niyang makilala pa ng kaibigan niya si Thorn. He's a demon. At kahit na nga ba pinili niya ang lalaki ay mayroon pa rin siyang pag-aalinlangan. At dahil mag-iiba na ang takbo ng buhay niya, gagawin niya ang lahat para hindi ma-involve ang sino mang mahalaga sa buhay niya sa daang tatahakin niya.

"So, hindi ka na magpapa-tattoo?" Jecca asked while she's driving. Nasa backseat ito at nasa shotgun seat naman si Thorn.

"What tattoo?" he asked.

Napalunok siya. Magagalit kaya ito kapag nalaman niyang nais niyang magpa-tattoo ng sigil para hindi na siya malapitan ng lalaki?

"W-wala. Nababaliw lang ako kanina," sabi niya at tipid na ngumiti.

"Girl, if it's that time of the month, sana hindi mo na ako dinamay. Inaantok pa ako, alam mo 'yon?" nakasimangot na wika ng kaibigan. Hindi na lang niya 'to pinansin at tinuon ang pagmaneho sa daan.

Jecca advise her to bring her home at sinunud niya 'to. Kanina pa pahikab-hikab ang kaibigan niya. She's guilty dahil pati ito ay nadamay sa problema niya.

The long drive became even more awkward when she was left alone with him. Hindi niya na alam kung saan pupuntahan. Walang direksyon ang pagdrive niya.

"Can I ask questions?" sabi niya. Might as well bombared him with all the questions on her mind.

"I'll be surprise if you won't,"

"Madami...as in madami akong tanong..." she warned pero tumango lamang ito sa kaniya.

She should have made list of all her concerns. Tuloy ngayon ay hindi niya alam kung alin ang uunahin.

Hinigpitan niya ang paghawak sa manibela bago huminga ng malalim. This is it. All her whats, whys, and hows will be answered by this demon beside her.

"So...Thorn and Raguel?" panimula niya.

"I'm Thorn Valverde in my human form...and Raguel Asmodeus underworld."

"I get it now..." she breathe heavily. "And you're the leader of the...Incubus?"

"Yes."

"P-pumapatay ka ba?" tanong niya pero mabilis na umiling. "Don't answer that, please?"

"Araceli..."

"You're a demon...of course you have killed...a lot!" her hands are sweating. "You kill women in their dream...you take their soul...then...then..."

"I don't personally do the deed...I..."

Mabilis siyang napalingon dito pero agad din namang ibinalik ang tingin sa daan.

"And me? You don't personally do the deed to me?" her voice became louder...pissed.

"You are an exemption, Araceli. Everything about you is an exemption." He said.

The way he said it...it made her heart flutters. Aminin man niya sa hindi ay gusto niya ang narinig niya.

Mabilis siyang tumikhim. Pinatigas niya ang mukha sa susunod niyang tanong.

"Why do you keep on visiting me on my dream as Raguel?"

There was silence. Kinakabahan siya.

"I wanted an heir..." he said that made her heart beats in triple. "I chose you not because you are special. I chose you because you are capable of giving me an heir."

Sobrang lumakas ang kabog ng dibdib niya. Nanghihina ang ang tuhod niya pati ang mga kamay niya kaya pinili niyang tumigil sa pagmamaneho at iginilid ang sasakyan sa may puno.

Tiningnan niya ito. Disappointment and disbelief was evident on her eyes. He chose him not because she is special. Pinili siya nito dahil babae siya at may kakayanan siyang bigyan ito ng anak kagaya ng iba ring babae na maaring napili rin sana nito. She was just a random chick who wears a skirt!

"You ruined me!" she couldn't helped but mutter. Nanunubig ang mga mata. "Then what? After I give you an heir? What will happen to me?"

"Araceli—"

"Am I going to be like anybody else? Like your victims? I will die in my sleep?"

"No! That won't happen to you!" he held her hand tightly. "Will you please let me finish first?"

Kinalma niya ang sarili. Maybe she's not ready to hear the truth. Maybe she's really afraid of him. Or maybe...or maybe she was really smitten by him that his words is like a knife stabbing through her chest.

"I admit, that was my original plan. But my first visit, I already wanted you more. Every night and every visit, I am slowly drawning to you. A feeling I don't know that still exsist inside me...

"When I realized that you're going to be my downfall, I tried to stay away from you. I stopped visiting you. But your astral body came to me. I was tempted to take you underground forever but I know you have a life here so I brought you back..."

Memories of her while she was in coma for a week flashed through her. She finally remembered everything. After they ate dinner, he brought her outside. It was dark full of nothingness. She remembered he once told her that he's a demon. She remembered she told him she wanted to stay there. She remembered he say no, she was disappointed. She remembered their last kiss before bringing her back to consciousness waking from her reality.

"I erased your memories from underground. But I am your moth and you are my flame. If I can't visit you as Raguel, then you'll see me as Thorn..."

Hindi alam ng dalaga kung mapapangiti o maiiyak na lang sa daloy ng damdamin na nararamdaman niya para sa lalaki. Gusto niya itong marinig na sabihing mahal siya nito. But with all the words he said to her, 'I love you' fades to comparison. Three words in eight letters is just a confirmation to a feeling that is already obvious.

"You're going to be the death of me, Araceli." He said while holding her hand.

"I know," she beamed at him. "I love you, too."

***

Ara went home with Thorn. Dumeretso na siya sa bahay niya dahil malayo-layo pa ang biyahe niya kung uuwi pa siya sa bahay ng kaniyang pamilya. Besides, gusto niya pang makasama ang lalaki.

"Are you okay with me staying here?" tanong nito nang makapasok sila.

"Of course. It's not like I am letting a demon inside my house," she said chukling but he remained serious.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"I'm famished. Ni hindi ako kumain kanina pag-gising ko, eh," she answered while heading to the kitchen. "Ikaw? Gutom ka na ba? Oh, wait. Do you really eat? Kasi I remember kumakain ka 'pag kasama mo ako. Nakakaramdam ka ba ng gutom o pakitang tao mo lang iyon para hindi kita mahalata?"

"I eat souls for breakfast..."

Napahinto siya at mabilis na lumingon dito. Pakiramdam niya ay may tumusok sa likod ng leeg niya.

"A-are you...serious?"

"When I'm in my demon form. But I also love human's food..."

Lihim lamang siyang napalunok. Kailangan niya 'ata tatagan ang sarili sa mga sasabihin sa kaniya ng lalaki. Although she's expecting it from him, hindi pa rin siya makapaniwala.

Ara cooked an omelet at nagprito ng spam. Habang naghihintay sa sinaing ay naghain na siya sa mesa. Hindi niya alam kung nasaan ang kasama niya dahil ang sabi nito ay mag-iikot-ikot sa bahay. Nang maluto na ang kanin ay 'saka niya ito hinanap. Wala ito sa salas kaya umakyat siya papunta sa second floor. Naka-awang ang kuwarto niya kaya alam niyang doon pumasok ang lalaki.

"Your bed seems...small," he said while facing her bookshelf.

"Ako lang naman kasi rito," sagot niya. "Well, brunch is serve. Kain na tayo?"

Humarap ito sa kaniya.

"Well, where am I suppose to sleep then?"

Pakiramdam niya ay may bumara sa lalamunan niya.

"Dito ka matutulog?" hindi niya makapaniwalang sabi.

"I could go back underground but I wanted to stay here for a while. Lucifer is tiring to deal with..."

Mas lalong nanlaki ang mga mata niya. The way he drops every revelation is like a bomb to her. Kanina lang ay sinabi nitong nagko-consume siya ng soul at hindi pa nga siya nakaka-recover do'n at heto na naman maririnig niya ang pangalan na Lucifer.

"S-sige...dito ka na muna." Sabi niya.

Akma siyang tatalikod pero hinila siya nito. Sobrang lapit. Hinaplos nito ang pisngi niya. Mas lalo rin nitong inilipat ang mukha nito sa sa kaniya. Kaunti na lang ay maglalapat na ang mga labi nila.

"If only I could do to you the way I did you to your dreams..."

Bahagya siyang napakunot-noo.

"What do you mean?" anas niya. She could feel her knees wobbling. Biglang nanuyo ang lalamunan niya sa lapit nila.

"I may have claimed you in your dreams, but I am not allowed to do that in my human form. Even being this close, it's hurting. Kissing you is like kissing a fire. That was my consequence as an Incubus, Araceli. I can't truly be with you..."

"But...when you kissed me before—"

"It was excruciating but worth it, my little devil."

"Thorn..."

"Don't worry, I'm a Chief Incubus. I can endure every pain as long as you are the one causing it..."

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Marami bang typo? Sorry, ni-rush ko lang kasi hinahabol ko ang speed ng internet para makapag-post. Enjoy!!!