Chapter 11

[ LEOX ACHERON SOLACE ]

"I don't believe in love. I don't do commitments. Relationships aren’t my thing. I can offer everything… except those."

I already had a clue that Dal was someone who didn't commit, but I didn't expect him to say he didn't believe in love.

We stared at each other for a long time. He was the one who looked away first, his eyes drifting towards the girls swimming in the waterfall . My mind was occupied with so many thoughts about him, so I said nothing and just sat down next to him.

"I already have too much on my plate," he said under his breath. When he looked at me, his eyes were screaming in sadness. "I also don't want to get you involved."

I don't know what he meant by that. It looks like he's been through a lot. Pero bakit parang may mas malalim pa siyang pinanghuhugutan? That his issue is not really the main reason.

"Don't look at me like that," I said seriously. I mean it. I don't want him to look at me with those sad eyes.

His lips twitched, probably because I was looking at him with intensity. But the sadness didn't disappear. It lingered in his eyes.

"Your eyes are too beautiful to hold this kind of sadness," I whispered and reached for his cheeks. As my fingers touched his delicate skin, I didn't hesitate to give it a gentle massage.

Dal was just looking at me. He didn't move. It was like, he was waiting for what I might do next, aside from touching his face. My hand moved downward, brushing gently against his lower lip.

The urge to taste this soft, shiny lips had risen the moment my eyes landed on it while he was speaking a minute ago.

The sight of that tender flesh felt like an invitation. A thought crossed my mind, and I looked into his eyes with a quiet tenderness.

"Dal can offer everything aside from those three he mentioned," I murmured as I moved my face closer, my voice soft, almost like a breeze. My hand was still caressing his lower lip. "Is touching allowed?"

He didn't respond.

I glanced down at his lips, they were slightly parted now, as if anticipating something.

"How about a kiss?" I asked again, this time in a teasing tone.

The scent of his manly cologne filled my nose, mixed with a trace of mint. It was intoxicating.

"Hmm?"

"May gusto ka ba sa'kin?" biglang tanong niya na hindi umiiwas ng tingin. "Or are you just entertaining yourself...using me as the subject?"

Judging by the tone of his voice, he was clearly annoyed by how I teased him. So I pulled away, though my eyes still lingered on him.

"Uunahan na kita. Liking me isn't a good thing," agaran niyang sabi na may seryosong tingin.

I didn't bother giving it much thought. In fact, I didn't want to think about it at all.

"Well... when there's love, there's pain," I replied, keeping that playful tone in my voice.

"Tss..."

I laughed. He didn't even try to hide how annoyed he was. He rolled his eyes and started making faces.

Cute...

Tinigilan ko na siya at bumalik sa paghahanda ng pagkain. Nabalik na rin ang iba na may dalang mga panggatong. Since our tents were set up in a circle, sa gitna nila inilagay ang mga nakuha nilang kahoy.

While the three of them were busy building the bonfire, I focused on setting up our table.

Aside sa mga pagkain para sa hapunan, nagdala rin ako ng wine. May portable table din kaming dala, pero hindi nito kasya ang mga dala namin. Naglatag na lang ako ng blanket sa damuhan at doon inilagay ang mga hindi kasya sa lamesa.

I was minding my own business when I heard one of the girls call out Dal's name, inviting him for a swim. At first akala ko hindi siya maliligo, pero hindi ko inasahan ang sunod niyang ginawa.

He took off his t-shirt, revealing his slender body, and headed to the water. I could feel the tension within myself while staring at his shirt.

"Hahaha... tignan mo 'yong mukha ni Fae, namumula!"

"Tang'na, makita pa naman niyang naghubad ang crush niya hahaha!"

Jig and Zak weren't that far from where I was, so I could hear their voices loud and clear. From what they were just talking about, it seems like one of the girls has a crush on Dal.

"Baka umamin ang gago hahaha!"

Dagliang kumunot ang noo ko sa narinig.

“Jeric!” tawag ko sa isa sa kanila na kanina pa tahimik.

“Bakit, boss?”

Hindi nawala ang kunot sa noo ko. I'm pissed.

“Maliligo ka?” malamig kong tanong sa kanya. Kita ko ang pagtataka sa mukha niya.

“Hindi, bakit?”

“Continue this… I’m going for a swim.”

I immediately left everything to Jeric and went into my tent to change clothes. Since Dal chose to undress, then so am I.

The moment I stepped out of the tent, I could feel the glares and stares from everyone outside.

“Yohoo! May panlaban din kami!” sigaw ni Zak habang nakaturo sa’kin. “Kung kayo may gwapong photographer, kami may hot na hot na artista, model, at businessman!” Sinabayan pa niya ito ng palakpak at nakisabay na rin si Jig sa tawanan.

“Meron din kaming gwapong soon-to-be engineer,” dagdag ni Jig habang naghubad ng shirt.

“Huh! Ayokong magyabang… but we also have a gentle tattoo artist in our group,” sabat ni Zak habang pinapakita ang mga bahagi ng katawan niyang may black ink tattoos.

Before I went to the water, I could already hear the not-so-subtle reactions from their cousins. I just shook my head while laughing softly.

But my smile instantly faded the moment I turned to their side.

The first thing my eyew caught was Dal—laughing, obviously enjoying a conversation with Fae.

And they weren't just talking. Fae even playfully slapped  his chest, and Dal didn't even complain.

The fuck!

Dammit!

I didn't waste a second. I went straight to them and—without a care—positioned myself right between the two of them, pretending to listen to their nonsense conversation.

"Nakapunta ako one time sa isang shoot mo sa San Demartino, pero matagal na 'yon. I remember mahaba pa hair mo no'n eh," Fae said with that annoyingly sweet smile that just wouldn't fade.

Hah! Required ba ang ngumiti ng ganyan ka lapad?

But she mentioned Dal had long hair... why does it bother me so much that she remembers him like that while I don’t?

“Ahh, it was a brand shoot. We were shooting jewelry at that time, and it was chaotic because it suddenly snowed. We were literally panicking since we were outside,” Dal said, clearly enjoying the conversation.

He’s so chatty with other people, but when he’s with me, I feel like I have to force him to talk about himself. It’s like there’s this invisible wall between us, and I can almost feel it.

He's being unfair. Tsk!

“Pero hindi ba may shoot ka rin dito sa Lessburg?” Fae asked, almost too casually.

“Yes, it was for a certain product for a commercial advertisement,” Dal replied, still smiling like nothing was off.

Why the hell does she know so much about his activities? Is she a stalker?

“Talaga? Isa kasi ako sa mga extra noon. Napagtripan lang kasi nalaman ko na ikaw ‘yong photographer.”

Sus... as if.

Dal’s still smiling from ear to ear, while I’m the complete opposite. I didn’t even bother hiding the boredom on my face. I just kept staring at him, silently hoping to catch his attention.

“You also ha—”

“Wow! You knew a lot of his works?” I cut her off with a fake smile, making sure to throw in a little extra sweetness to mask the venom.

I saw how her smile faded, quickly replaced with an  irritated one. I couldn't help but smirk in response

"Too bad you were born way too late," I said, patting her head in mockingly affectionate way.

"Aish! Dili sad ka bet niya no!" asik pa nito gamit ang sariling dialect.

When I looked at Dal, he just stared back at me, clearly confused. He didn't understand what Fae had said.

"Are you sure about that?" nanunudyo kong tanong.

"Buret sad! Di mo same ug lahi!" she replied, getting more annoyed.

I couldn't hold back a laugh at what she said. Fae, you're so wrong. This man you're flirting with is definitely not straight. 

"Just wait... mahibaw-an na ra nimo puhon," I said confidently.

"Tsk! Sumbong kita kay tito!" she threatened before turning to walk off, leaving us behind.

Dal and I just stood there, watching her retreat.

"Did you scold her? Bakit umalis siya?" nagtatakang tanong ni Dal.

"I didn't," I replied flatly, turning to face him with a sharp gaze. "Was she flirting with you?" I asked, tone sharp, almost demanding an asnwer.

"Ha? Paanong naging flirty ang pakikipag-usap? At isa pa, why are you asking like a jealous boyfriend?" Dal asked, amused but puzzled.

Umiwas ako ng tingin. Ako dapat ang galit, hindi siya.

"Wow! We've only known each other for three days and you're already acting like that," he said, almost in a whisper, yet I still heard him.

Hindi na ako sumagot pa. Ayokong magkaroon kami ng conflict sa isat-isa lalo na at ramdam kong unti-unti na niyang binubuksan ang sarili sa akin.

We stayed submerged in the water for a few more minutes until I noticed that the two of us were the only ones left swimming.

I silently scanned the area and noticed a small gap between the rocks and the flowing water. Before checking the spot out, I glanced at Dal, who was busy playing with his hair, then I quietly slipped into that gap.

It was dim inside, and people on the other side of the falling water weren’t visible from where I was. The space wasn't that big, but two people could definitely fit inside. The water was colder here, and the only sound you could hear was the steady, soothing flow from above.

When I decided to come out, I suddenly grabbed Dal and pulled him in. His eyes widened in surprise, but I quickly signaled him to stay quiet so the others wouldn't notice.

"What the fuck is going on in your mind?" he asked angrily, both hands gripping my shoulders tightly, as if trying to break free from my hold.

"Have you lost your mind? You're just pulling people without warning!" he shouted.

"Shhh."

I hushed him and placed my index finger gently on his lips to silence him. It lingered for a second, then slowly slid down, making his lower lip fold slightly. I felt his grip start to loosen.

"I asked Dal earlier if touching was allowed… hmm?" I said in almost a whisper.

I leaned close to his ear and spoke again.

"I also asked Dal if kissing was allowed too."

My hand moved to the nape of his neck, gently caressing it as I brushed my thumb over his lips.

"Hmm?"

Dal remained silent, but his eyes—God, his eyes—burned with desire. I saw it. I felt it. So I wasn't the only one affected? I wondered if he was also holding back, trying to suppress his own intrusive thoughts from taking control.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" he asked, his voice low, challenging.

"Hmm... I haven’t done anything yet, but your body’s reacting a little too much. Is that why you're asking if I’m trying to seduce you?"

While one of my hands continued to play with his tempting lips, the other freely explored his body—tracing every line of his torso, sliding lower until I reached his bottom. I didn’t hesitate. I slipped my hand inside his taslan shorts and grabbed one of his cheeks.

"Hmm..."

I felt him flinch, clearly surprised. He was trying to hold himself back.

"I’ll take that as a moan."

I didn’t give him a chance to speak. Instead, I closed the distance between us, letting our wet bodies press against one another.

"For someone who doesn't believe in love, you seem much more open to skinship than commitment," I whispered, lips grazing his ear.

He didn’t answer. Not with words, at least.

Fine. If he won’t speak, I’ll make him.

I licked and sucked on his earlobe, trailing kisses down his slick neck. My hands still firmly gripped his buttocks, pulling him tighter to me.

A soft gasp escaped his lips. Barely audible.

"Is that all I get?" I teased, and without warning, captured his half-parted lips in a kiss I had long fantasized about—rough, unrelenting, and fierce. I didn’t leave him room to breathe or time to think.

And then he kissed me back.

With equal hunger, his hands slid to my jaw, drawing me in deeper. We devoured each other. The kiss, once wild and desperate, gradually slowed, gentler, sweeter, as we tried to breathe through the fire we’d ignited.

When I pulled away, thinking it was over, he surprised me again.

Dal gripped my hair, yanked me back, and planted a kiss on my lips...quick, firm, and starving. It was just a smack, but something about it hit different. The way he pulled me, like he needed that one last taste, left me breathless.

Both of us were panting, our foreheads resting against each other’s. No awkwardness. Just heat… and that lingering kiss still burning on my lips.

"Should I expect more of that?" I asked, still catching my breath.

"Don’t overthink things, Acheron."

I chuckled, touching his face again.

"Don’t forget my contaminated water theory, Dal."

- B M -