Habang bitbit ang malaking basket na naglalaman ng mga pagkain, narinig ni Elijah na may papalapit sa kaniya.

"Is that for me?" sabi ng lalaki sa kaniyang likuran. Base sa baritonong boses nito ay sigurado siyang si Harrison na iyon.

"Hindi," simple niyang sagot at naglakad pabalik sa likod bahay.

He can feel the guy following him, he can definitely hear his shoes clacking the marble floor.

"That's unfortunate, I'm quite exhausted from the trip and I want some cold dessert, mind to share?"

Elijah stopped walking and face the other guy. There is something about him. He seems so calm and that arrogant look on his face is gone.

"Huwag mo nga akong kinakausap, hindi mo na kailangan magkunware, wala naman ang papa mo dito," umirap siya sa lalaki at saka muling naglakad.

Ayaw ng ama ni Harrison na hindi maganda ang pakikitungo nito sa kaniya, kaya sa tuwing may makita itong hindi maganda sa pagitan nilang dalawa ay kaagad nitong pinapagalitan si Harrison.

Maybe that's also the reason why Harrison hates him!

"Well, that's true, but I decided to change and be friends with you. Isn't that cool?"

"Heh! Manahimik ka!" asik niya sa lalaki saka nilapag ang mga pagkain sa mesa.

May maliit na cottage ang harden kung saan pwede mag relax, doon niya nilagay sa maliit na lamesa ang ice cream na ang chef mismo ang gumawa at ang iba pang mga meryenda.

"Oh, so you've been working your ass off all this time?" Harrison seems amused by what he said. Elijah can see Harrison's eyes examining his body until they stopped at his ass.

Can he stop using ass word???

"Oo, hindi naman ako kagaya mo na puma-party lang kapag wala kang trabaho."

"Ouch, you're hurting me, Elijah," Harrison said, placing his hand on his chest.

"OA nito. E totoo naman 'yon ah?"

"Yeah, right. It's because I'm avoiding you," Harrison's shoulders slumped as he admitted.

"Buti naman dahil ayaw rin kitang kausap."

"Hindi mo man lang tatanungin bakit kita iniiwasan?"

"Alam ko kung bakit, dahil ayaw mong may nakikitira sa mansyon mo." diritsahang sagot ni Elijah.

Totoo naman iyon. Alam niyang kaya mainit ang ulo nito sa kaniya ay dahil iniisip nitong mapupunta sa kaniya ang ilan sa mga yaman nila.

Which is totally not true. At kung aalukin man siya, hindi niya tatanggapin no! Baka barilin lang siya ni Harrison pagnagkataon.

"Ouch! Ganiyan na ba talaga kasama ang tingin mo sa akin?" Harrison sighed.

"Bakit, hindi ba?" Elijah said before calling the two gardeners after he had set the food on the table.

Harrison pouted. "Hindi iyon ang rason,"

He finds the pouting Harrison very interesting. Elijah can't lie; the guy is very handsome and cute at the same time. If he weren't mean, he surely would have a crush on him again.

Crush? Kay Harrison? Ew, no! Never again!

Tapos na ang mga araw na hinahangaan niya ito! Ilang taon na 'yon, at ngayon na alam na niya ang totoong ugali nito, siguradong hindi na siya kailanman mahuhulog pang muli dito.

You're probably thinking, how did he know him? Well, Harrison was all over the internet, and he was the most popular guy ever during Elijah's college days. His face was even on the biggest billboard, and every youth knew who he was.

There was a time when their professor asked them to research about business topics, and there he found the most handsome picture of Harrison as the youngest bachelor who dominated the business world. Doon nag-umpisa ang kaniyang paghanga sa lalaki.

Pero natigil iyon nang malaman niyang magiging magkapatid pala sila. Plus turn-off pa ang ugali nitong mas masahol pa sa demonyo.

"Eh ano?"

"It's because whenever I'm around you, I can't help but stare at your magnificent body," he said, his voice catching slightly.

Tiningnan ni Elijah ang lalaki ng may pagkalito. Gusto niya sanang tanungin kung ano ang ibig nitong sabihin nang pumasok sa cottage ang dalawang hardenero.

He shrugged off his confusion and helped the gardeners get some food.

***

"Can we talk? A serious talk," Elijah heard Harrison say after he finished putting all the dirty dishes in the sink.

Gusto niya sanang sungitan ang lalaki pero minsan lang itong mag-ayang mag-usap ng matino.

Una ay noong kakalipat lang nilang mag-ina. Pangalawa ay bago ang kasal ng kanilang mga magulang, at pangatlo pa lang nila ngayon.

Ano kaya ang pag-uusapan nila?

Elijah wanted to know, so he nodded and followed the guy to his room.

Why to Harrison's room?

"Bakit dito?" nakakunot-nuong tanong niya sa lalaki.

"This is important, Elijah. I need you to listen to me and understand that I'm always here for you," Harrison said with sincerity, his expression briefly betraying a hint of sadness.

"Bakit?"

Kahit hindi pa alam ni Elijah ang dahilan pero parang kinakabahan na siya sa sasabihin nito. He's having goosebumps. Hindi kailanman nagpakita ng ganitong emosyon si Harrison sa kaniya.

He always wears his strict, arrogant, and stoic expression.

"You know I've been gone for a couple of hours, right?" panimula nito. Tumango lang si Elijah. "I actually went to the hospital to see our parents."

Tears fell from Harrison's eyes, and Elijah could see pure sadness in them. Elijah, who completely get the idea, started bursting into tears as well.

"Elijah, naaksidente ang mga magulang natin bago makarating sa airport. May nakasalubong daw silang ten wheeler truck. They were already gone when I arrived at the hospital," Harrison whispered, his voice breaking with grief. "The doctor told me it was impossible to bring them back to life."

As soon as Harrison finished his sentence, Elijah's body weakened, and he collapsed to his knees, crying uncontrollably.

"I already arranged their funeral before I came home, and we will both see them later," Harrison said, wiping away his own tears as he reached for Elijah's hand to help him stand up. "Come, sit with me on my bed."

"Bakit hindi mo sinabi?!" bulyaw niya sa lalaki. "I was there bago ka umalis papuntang hospital, hindi ba? You could've asked me to come with you! May chance pa sanang makita ko sila." iyak ni Elijah.

He could feel Harrison's hand around his waist, guiding him to sit next to him, but as he was about to, he suddenly felt overwhelmingly weak. The world spun around him, making him feel dizzy.

"ELIJAH!" Harrison immediately catches Elijah before he falls.

He passed out!

"Fuck!" Harrison curses, carefully laying Elijah on his bed.

He knew this might happen, which is why he chose to bring him to his room instead of the library.

"How can I take you there if even a little information can make you pass out? How will you react when you see our parents with those cuts all over their bodies?"

Harrison wipes the tears from Elijah's face before making him lie down comfortably.

"I promise I'll always be here for you," Harrison whispers, kissing Elijah's forehead. "Everything will be alright."

After ensuring Elijah will be okay, Harrison leaves his room and talks to the workers about what happened. Sinabihan na ni Harrison ang mga katulong sa telepono tungkol sa nangyari, pero hindi iyon detilyado. Harrison informed them to distract Elijah and not to turn on the television because the accidents that occurred were all over the news.

"Nakikiramay po kami, Sir," wika ng mga katulong.

"Salamat sa inyo. Please ready yourselves, pupunta tayo sa lamay mamaya," bilin niya saka lumabas sa kusina at nagtungo sa sala.

Tahimik na sumimsim ng alak si Harrison, nag-aalala siya para kay Elijah. Alam ni Harrison kung gaano ito kalapit sa ina at pati na rin sa kaniyang amang si Herbert.

How could all of this happen? What did we do to deserve this?

Fuck!

Due to the exhaustion, Harrison leaned back on the couch and suddenly fell asleep. Nagising siya nang maramdaman niyang may kumalabit sa kaniya.

__________
IANNNXXX | 2024