#OLASweetNemesis

Chapter 11
Rain

Hila-hila na ni Keno ang aking luggage papalabas ng hotel. Mabuti na lang at nakaayos na agad ang mga gamit ko nang umakyat sa kwarto. I didn't bother changing clothes as well dahil magpapalit na rin naman ako pagkauwi sa bahay.

My initial plan was to stay overnight at the hotel dahil sayang din ang na-book kong room kung hindi ko gagamitin hanggang sa oras ng check-out kinabukasan. Kaya nga lang, sa dami ng nangyari ngayong gabi, I didn't feel like it. I was craving the comfort of my own bed and the solace I could only find in my bedroom. I knew better that if I stayed, it wouldn't make me feel better. Parang hindi na rin ako nagpahinga.

"Thanks," tipid na sabi ni Keno sa valet nang iabot sa kanya ang susi ng SUV.

Maayos ang tayo ko at nakahalukipkip habang pinapanood si Keno sa paglagay ng suitcase sa likod gaya kanina. Nang masiguradong maayos ang pagkakalagay, he finally pressed the key fob to unlock the car and opened the front passenger's door for me.

I kept my chin up as I entered the car. Keno initiated helping me with my seatbelt, but I immediately wore it on my own. Isinarado niya rin agad ang pinto nang makitang maayos ang pagkakasuot ko ng seatbelt. However, instead of riding the car, nagtagal pa siya sa labas.

I frowned and leaned forward kung hanggang saan ko kayang hatakin ang seatbelt. He had his back turned on the car while he was on a call. I got slightly annoyed that I couldn't hear what he was saying. I also had no idea who he was talking to, at kung bakit pinaghihintay niya ako.

The phone call lasted for more than a minute. Iritado na akong naghihintay sa kanya. I caught him making a quick glance my way after the call ended. He acted so suspiciously that I became too curious, feeling like he was hiding something from me. Parang hindi ako matatahimik hanggang sa hindi ko nalalaman kung sino ang kausap niya at kung ano ang napag-usapan nila.

Hindi ko dapat papansinin, ngunit wala akong nagawa upang pigilan ang sariling abangan siya sa pagpasok.

"Sorry about that," Keno apologized as soon as he entered the car while loosening his necktie.

Hinarap ko siya nang maayos habang sinusuot ang seatbelt at ina-adjust ang upuan.

"Sino ang kausap mo?" walang patumpik-tumpik kong tanong.

Keno was caught off guard. I noticed how he hesitated to answer my question before he replied, "Your secretary."

Agad naalis ang aking pagdududa. It was replaced with growing irritation and another emotion that I didn't want to name yet. Is that why he was hesitant to answer my question? Dahil si Kyla ang kausap niya?

I can't believe na pinaghintay niya ako para sa kanya. Does she have a special place in his heart now? Is he courting her behind my back? If he is, I don't care if I come off as petty because I could never accept that.

"Ano'ng pinag-usapan ninyo?" sunod kong tanong saka naningkit ang mga mata. "May tinatago ba kayo sa akin?"

"Wala," agad na sagot ni Keno.

"Ano nga'ng pinag-uusapan ninyo kung gano'n? Why are you looking so suspicious?"

"She just called to tell me na sabihan siya kapag naihatid na kita sa bahay. That's all."

"That's all?"

"Yes," he replied. "Ano pa ba ang dapat naming pag-usapan bukod sa 'yo?"

"Oh, I don't know. Baka may something kayo na hindi ko alam. You know I'm not really old-fashioned, but I don't like the idea of my bodyguard dating my secretary. Work is work. I don't want your personal life or relationship to interfere with your jobs."

"What?" Keno seemed so lost, like he couldn't follow where I was heading with my monologue.

"While you are still working for me as my bodyguard, I don't want you sneaking out with my secretary. But if you'll insist, I hope you are responsible enough to quit on your own accord," pagpatuloy ko.

"I'm not dating your secretary," seryoso niyang sabi. "We're not secretly seeing each other. Ikaw ang kasama ko halos buong araw. You should know that I don't have time for that."

"Halos," I stressed. "Halos, meaning almost. Hindi tayo buong araw magkasama. I don't know what you are up to whenever you're off work."

"So what do you want to do, then? You want to put a bug on me?" hamon niya sa akin.

Napakurap-kurap ako sa suhestiyon niya. "N-no. I'm not..." Hindi ko maituloy ang sasabihin.

I became ashamed of how I acted when realization dawned upon me. Why am I trying to interfere with his life? Kung gusto niyang makipagrelasyon, that's his decision. And whatever he does during his free time, that's his privacy. Hindi ko na dapat panghimasukan pa 'yon. I don't want to be a hypocrite who ends up chaining and controlling other people when I would never want that for myself, when I've been struggling all my life just to have a taste of freedom.

"I'm sorry..." All I could do was apologize. "I didn't mean to pry."

Keno's brows furrowed as his expression slowly softened. "Hari—"

"Kalimutan mo na ang mga sinabi ko," bawi ko. "You are free to do whatever you want. If you want to date my secretary, I don't mind. That's your life, and I respect your decisions."

Nanuyo ang lalamunan ko. I couldn't believe I managed to say all that kahit na mahirap.

"Hariette..."

"Iuwi mo na ako. I'm really tired," sabi ko saka nag-iwas ng tingin sa kanya at sumandal sa upuan.

Humigpit ang kapit ko sa seatbelt at napapikit na rin ako nang mariin. What am I even doing? Nababaliw ka na, Hari. This is not like you.

Lutang ako habang nasa biyahe. Paulit-ulit kong naaalala ang mga pinakawalang salita. Ano naman pakialam ko kung mag-date sila, 'di ba? Kahit patago pa 'yan, that shouldn't matter to me.

We were already nearing my house when Keno suddenly changed course. Napaahon ako nang upo at tiningnan ang kabilang daan sa side mirror kung saan patungo aa amin. Nilingon ko si Keno at tahimik lang siya habang diretso ang tingin sa daan.

Where is he taking me?

As soon as I asked that question in my head, bumagal ang takbo ng sasakyan at tuluyan ding huminto nang makarating kami sa parke sa loob ng subdivision. May nakita akong couple na naglalakad palabas kasama ang aso nila. However, aside from them, there seemed to be no other soul in the park.

It was almost eleven in the evening, so it was reasonable for it to be deserted. Akala ko ay hihinto lang kami saglit, ngunit pinatay rin ni Keno ang makina ng sasakyan at nadinig ko ang pagkalas niya ng kanyang seatbelt.

"Bakit tayo nandito?" I asked after he unlocked the doors.

"I know you're tired, pero sandali lang... I just wanna do something."

"Kasama ako?" wala sa sariling tanong ko.

I saw his ears turn slightly red. He cleared his throat and went out before I could take a closer look. He avoided my question as well.

Umikot si Keno papunta sa gawi ko upang pagbuksan ako ng pinto. The cold night breeze softly brushed my skin. I shivered a bit as I was caught off guard, lalo na't nakatapat pa sa akin ang aircon kanina sa sasakyan.

Nang makalabas ako sa sasakyan, agad isinarado ni Keno ang pinto at ini-lock ang sasakyan. Nagulat ako nang bigla niyang hinubad ang suot na suit. He then carefully put it over my shoulders to make sure it wouldn't fall.

I immediately felt his warmth through his suit. His scent slowly began to intertwine with mine.

After folding his sleeves, Keno silently took my hand and led me to the park. But once we crossed the short man-made wooden bridge, agad niya ring binitiwan ang kamay ko. We continued walking side by side as we headed deeper inside.

Since we had finally entered the ber months season, everything was well lit. Trees were wrapped with Christmas lights, and flower lanterns were scattered everywhere. It was very beautiful. Parang nawala ang pagod ko habang tiningnan ang paligid.

I couldn't remember the last time I had been here. It was out of my way. Hindi ko nadadaan kapag paalis o pauwi kaya hindi ko naiisipan. I completely forgot about the existence of the nature park. The last memory I had here was very hazy. Siguro ay batang-bata pa ako noong huli kong punta.

"I saw this park when I was patrolling around the subdivision the other night," tahimik na sabi ni Keno habang patuloy kaming naglalakad. "I thought you might want to take a breather here."

I pursed my lips and resumed looking around the park. May mga iba't ibang daan sa loob ng park. Dire-diretso nga lang ang lakad namin at natatanaw ko ang bandang dulo kung saang may parang mini town square.

"I don't like taking pictures and being in front of the media. I don't want to attract unwanted attention."

Bumagal ang lakad ko sa pag-amin ni Keno. Is he trying to explain his actions earlier?

"I guess the nature of my job happens to influence that personality of mine. Iyon din ang rason kung bakit ayaw kong maging date mo noong una," he continued.

"What made you change your mind, then?" tahimik kong tanong.

He could've just let me be. Ayos lang din naman sa akin na hindi siya maging date. Although I admitted feeling bitter about his rejection, natanggap ko na. However, his actions made me confused. Nadagdagan din ang sama ng loob ko.

Nang makarating sa gitna ng malawak na space, huminto si Keno sa paglalakad. Napakunot ang noo ko't nilingon siya dahil hindi niya sinagot ang tanong ko. There were lanterns hanging above us, and I could see his expressions clearly.

Keno looked really nervous. He consciously looked around, surveying the whole place, before he locked his eyes with me. Para bang sinisigurado niyang walang ibang tao sa paligid na puwedeng makakita sa aming dalawa.

"Let's dance," Keno said out of the blue.

My eyes went round and wide. Kahit nakatayo lamang ako ay muntik na akong matapilok. With his quick reflexes, Keno immediately rested his massive hand on the small of my back and pulled me closer to keep me steady. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko habang titig na titig sa kanya.

"Careful," he whispered.

I swallowed hard. "W-what did you say?"

I might just be hearing things. He wouldn't really ask me to dance with him, right? O kung tama man ako ng nadinig, I might be dreaming. Gigising din ako mamaya kapag maganda na ang nangyayari.

"I'm not really good at dancing, but..." mahina niyang aya bago inilahad ang kanyang isang kamay. "Do you want to have this dance with me?"

My lips parted in awe and disbelief as my gaze dropped to his palm, spreading wide in front of me. Para akong nabingi at wala akong ibang madinig kung hindi ang malakas na pagtibok ng puso.

He's really asking me to dance!

What should I say? Should I play hard to get there first? What if he takes it back? But why am I acting like a fucking teenage girl?

"Mali ba ako? I thought you wanted to dance earlier when I saw you looking at the married couple," sabi niya nang halos isang minuto na ang nakalipas at wala pa rin akong nasasabi.

He was about to give up on waiting, but before he could, I quickly grabbed his hand. This is a rare opportunity that I shouldn't waste. If I am indeed dreaming, I should enjoy every moment and stop hesitating.

"Pumapayag lang ako dahil mukhang gustong-gusto mo akong isayaw," sabi ko, at wala sa sarili kong hinigpitan ang kapit sa kamay niya dahil sa kahihiyang sinusubukan kong takpan. "Since I'm a generous person, I'll be kind and allow you to take me for a dance. Treat this as a part of my charity."

"If you say so..." Keno licked his lips, guiding my hand to my shoulder.

I tried playing it cool and casually put another hand on his nape while he wrapped his arms around my waist. I fixed my posture to look taller. Dahil sa 3-inch heels na suot ko, our eyes almost met at the same level.

Honestly, it felt awkward at first. It was hard to dance without any music playing in the background. It almost seemed like we were fooling ourselves. Hindi ako makatingin sa mga mata niya nang diretso. Kung saan-saan lumilibot ang mga mata ko para lang may ibang pagtuunan ng pansin. But as time passed by, I was slowly lured into the comfort, warmth, and security of being locked in his arms.

I vaguely remembered how I danced during my 18 roses. My family went all out in planning for my debut. It was featured in lifestyle magazines and became a hot topic on social media. However, despite the fancy decorations and arrangements, nothing stood out to me. For me, it was like just another night of wearing gowns and makeup and dancing until my feet got sore. It didn't feel anything special.

But in this moment with Keno, it was different. Everything seemed perfect.

The sound of our footsteps, our heartbeats, the branches of trees rustling, and the soft whistles of the night breeze filled the air. With each step, a silent rhythm echoed between us, matching our tempo. Keno's hand in mine felt warm, and I couldn't help but feel the gentle pull of emotions.

"I was homeschooled before going to college. I know it was a huge privilege. Not everyone could have the same comfort and luxury I had while growing up. Lahat ng kailangan at gusto ko, ibinibigay nila. Never silang nagkulang. I won't deny that I'm pretty spoiled," I told him in a soft voice. "But it was also because of those things that I missed out on a lot of things that I could experience if I was born in a normal household... I couldn't help thinking it would be better if I didn't have the power and influence to my name... if I didn't have to carry a huge burden and responsibility... if I could be free to do whatever I wanted in life. Am I ungrateful for thinking this way? Nasa akin na ang lahat, pero parang hindi pa rin sapat."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and lifted my gaze to him. Keno's eyes, usually guarded, now revealed a depth of emotion that I struggled to decipher. Was it understanding, empathy, or perhaps pity? I don't know if I was just projecting my own insecurities onto his gaze, but it felt comforting to see him genuinely care.

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"I wasn't able to experience prom during high school, and I'd like to think this is close to that," I said, smiling at that thought. "Thank you for being my date tonight and having this dance with me, Keno. I mean it."

Nanatiling tahimik si Keno nang ilang sandali. Naramdaman ko ang paghigpit ng hawak niya sa aking bewang.

"Tell me more," he said with a slightly hoarse voice.

"Huh?"

"Tell me all the things you haven't experienced back then. I'll do them with you."

For a moment, I was struck and dumbfounded by his words. My eyelids fluttered while I tried to look at him straight in the eyes and confirm if he meant what he said. However, as I was in the middle of figuring it out, I felt cold drops of water trickling down my face.

Sabay kaming napaangat ng tingin ni Keno sa langit. Umaambon. Maliit ngunit mabilis ang pagpatak ng tubig. At that pace, I was so sure it would rain any second now.

"Iuuwi na kita. Uulan na," sabi niya at bumitiw sa paghawak sa aking bewang. "Cover your head with my suit."

Although it would be a smart choice to head home before the rain fell, I wanted to stay longer. Ayaw ko pang umuwi. Gusto kong sulitin ang pagkakataon. I didn't want this to end.

I pulled Keno's arm to stop him from walking away and smiled sweetly as he turned to me with a confused look. "I don't want to go home yet. Dito muna tayo."

"We can stay here some other time. It's about to rain, Hari. Magkakasakit ka."

"Ayon nga ang gusto ko! Ang umulan!" I couldn't control my excitement.

"What?"

"Hindi ko pa nararanasang maligo sa ulan, Keno," sabi ko sa kanya, at napaawang ang kanyang mga labi nang maintindihan ang nais kong sabihin. "Can you brave the rain with me?"

Keno looked so conflicted. Mukhang gustong-gusto niya akong isilong, but he also wanted to fulfill my request and keep his word. Nagtaas ako ng kilay at ngumisi upang hamunin siya.

"Five minutes," he said after a heavy sigh. "I'll give you five minutes."

As soon as he gave his permission, the rain poured hard, like a cue. My eyes lit up. Mas lalo akong napangiti. Binitiwan ko siya't ibinalik ang kanyang suit saka lumayo upang mas damahin ang ulan. I spread my arms wide and faced the sky, welcoming every drop that fell on me.

I have never felt this free. Na pakiramdam ko'y kaya kong gawin ang lahat... Na para akong bumalik sa pagkabata. But with Keno, even when I was constantly under his nose, I felt free and liberated.

Unti-unti kong ibinaba ang ulo at tumigingin nang diretso kay Keno. Nakababa na ang kanyang basang buhok. His undershirt was soaking wet that I could almost see his abs.

He seemed to be enjoying the rain, too. There was a ghost of a smile on his lips while he was watching me. And there goes my heart again... beating like crazy... beating like it fell for his smile... beating like it will stop once he's gone.

I think...

I shook my head to stop my train of thought and smiled back at him. "May isa pa akong hindi na-e-experience."

Keno shot a brow up. "What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, I closed the gap between us until I was only a step away from him. He didn't bat an eye as he watched me approach him with little steps.

"One thing I haven't experienced is... dancing in the rain." I lifted my arm and offered my hand to him. "Puwede bang ituloy natin 'yung sayaw kanina habang umuulan? I think I still have three minutes left."

I stood there in anticipation as I waited for him to make his decision. I thought I was scared of getting rejected again, but I didn't know where I had the guts to try my luck again. I couldn't stop trying when it came to him. Basta ang tanging nasa isip ko lang nang mga oras na 'yon ay natatakot akong maubusan pa lalo nang oras at gusto kong sulitin ang bawat segundong natitira kasayaw siya sa ulan.

And just when I thought I was asking too much from him, Keno dropped the drenched suit to the ground before taking my hand. "Two minutes left. Baka magkasakit ka na."

Masaya akong tumango at ibinalik sa dating pwesto ang mga kamay ko sa kanyang balikat. Keno did the same thing, holding my waist with his massive hands.

Two minutes is more than enough. That's all I need. Even a second of dancing with him in the rain would suffice.