Prologue

Prologue

THE FIRST TIME she met him, she felt like she's being swallowed by a tidal wave.

A dangerous tidal wave she should have avoided from the very first second their eyes met, but like a mad sailor in a raging sea, she threw away her fears and let herself drown with all the emotions he could make her feel.

Pinagmasdan niya ang pares ng mga mata nito, at nang mapansin ang isang bagay, hindi napigilan ni Gie ang bahagyang ikunot ang kanyang noo.

His pair of eyes seems to be calling for help. His pools spoke the words she knew his lips would never tell. 

"Love freely now, wild heart..." Even his voice has no trace of softness—deep, a little rough, like it was owned by someone who must be feared... but admired at the same time.

She watched how his defined jaw moved when he tried to speak, how his imperfection in his left cheek showed with just the slightest movement of his thin lips, even how his adam's apple went up and down when he swallowed.

This man...

From his messy dark strands to his thick, manly brows, his long lashes that hide the emotions sketched in his pools, to his aristocratic nose that flares sometimes, down to his tender looking lips that demands full attention from every woman, he is, without a doubt, a work of art.

He moved his hand to comb his hair to the back. Hindi niya napigilang punahin kung papaanong lumabas ang muscle nito sa humapit na manggas. Nang sumandal ito sa upuan, bahagyang bumakat ang tiyan nitong tila hinulma ng langit.

His chest is wide and strong-looking, so as his defined shoulders. Tila ba ang sinumang bumangga ay agad na tutumba. His legs are long and the nerves under his fair skin on his hands and arms made him look more manly.

This man is dreamy...but his background says he's more like a nightmare. A nightmare she should stay away from. Ngunit bakit hindi niya magawang alisin ang buong atensyon dito?

Gie tried to think rationally, but her mind just keeps telling her to focus only on him and no one else but him. Muli niya itong pinagmasdan nang tahimik, hindi maiwasang humanga at mapaisip nang sabay. She wonders how he got his scar on his lower right cheek that extended to the side of his neck. Ngunit alam niya, wala siyang sapat na lakas ng loob upang magtanong.

Pumasok ang isang lalakeng unipormado. Tinawag nito ang kanyang ate kasama si Trojan at naiwan sila sa loob ng kapatid nito. Bago lumabas ang kanyang ate, sinulyapan pa siya at sinabihang huwag matakot dahil hindi raw siya sasaktan ni Gresso.

Gresso. Even his name sounded dangerous, yet the moment she heard it, she knew it's the kind of name she'd probably remember all the time. Gustuhin man niya itong maalala o hindi.

Sumara ang pinto at nilukob ang buong silid ng nakabibinging katahimikan. It was so quiet that she got scared he might hear her fast heartbeat already. Umawang ang kanyang mga labi niya nang hindi sinasadyang magtamang muli ang kanilang mga tingin nang bumaling sa kanya ang malamig nitong mga mata.

It was the second time their gaze met, yet her heart still pounded violently inside her chest. Tila nais kumawala. May nais puntahan. Kung magtatago mula sa lalakeng kaharap o tatalon patungo sa palad nito ay hindi niya alam.

Tahimik niyang nahigit ang kanyang hininga nang hagurin siya nito ng tingin mula ulo hanggang paa hanggang sa muling bumalik ang mga mata nito sa kanyang mukha.

She suddenly felt conscious with his stare. May nagbago roon. Tila naglaro ang kyuryosidad at ang mga kilay ay bahagyang gumalaw. Even his expression lightened up a little, as if he was also curious about her, too.

Nalunok niya ang sarili niyang laway at humigpit ang hawak niya sa upuan nang pinasadahan nito ang ibabang labi ng dulo ng dila. Uminit ang kanyang pisngi nang matutok doon ang kanyang mga mata.

"Are you scared?" tanong nito sa mahinahon ngunit malamig na tinig.

Napakurap siya. Ang mga mata niya ay muling bumalik sa kumislap nitong mga mata saka niya sinara nang mariin ang kanyang mga labi bago umiling. No, she's not scared of him. She's... getting drowned by something he's making her feel.

He smirked, his eyes quenched a little before he cocked his brow at her. Tila naghahamon...o nagbabanta.

"You should be." Tumayo ito kahit nakaposas.

Pinanood niya ang pagsara ng mga mata nito bago pinatunog ang leeg. Nang imulat ang mga mata ay sa kanya muli tumutok. Napahigit siya ng hininga. Bakit tila may nagbago sa kung papaano siya nitong tignan?

Napakunot siya ng noo. Why is he taking his steps towards her? Anong gagawin nito?

Namilog ang kanyang mga mata at napako siya sa kanyang kinauupuan. Sa isang silyang nakasandal sa isang mesa.

His eyes flickered with amusement and the danger in its strands became more evident. Dapat ay matakot siya, ngunit ang kaba sa kanyang dibdib, alam niyang hindi iyon ang dahilan.

Napasinghap siya nang lumusot ang kamay nitong may posas sa kanyang ulo at namirmi sa mesang nasa kanyang likod. Nakulong siya sa pagitan ng mga braso nitong may mantsa ng tattoong hindi niya naiintindihan ang disenyo. Ang dibdib niya ay lalo lamang kumabog nang wala nang isang dangkal ang maging pagitan ng kanilang mga mukha.

His eyes traveled from her eyes down to her lips. Kumurba ang isang sulok ng mga labi nito, ang mga mata ay bahagyang sumingkit kasabay ng pagkunot nito ng noo.

"What's your name, sweetcake?"

"V--Virgielyn." She gulped. "Gie. T--They call me Gie."

"Gie..." He asked in a breathy way. Tumindig ang mga balahibo niya sa batok sa simpleng sambit nito ng kanyang pangalan.

Bakit...napakagandang pakinggan?

Lumawak ang kurba sa mga labi nito, lumabas ang perpektong mga ngipin. "And why aren't you scared, Gie?"

Their eyes met once more. Namungay ang mga mata niya nang matitigan ito. Tila ba hinihigop ng makahulugan nitong titig ang kanyang katinuan, nilalasing siya sa mapanganib na sensasyong dulot nito sa kanyang sistema.

"B—Be Be—"

"Be be be." He chuckled like a mad man before he went closer. Halos magtama ang dulo ng kanilang mga ilong. Ang mga mata niya ay lalong nanlaki at ang dibdib niya ay marahas na nagtaas-baba. "What's with the stutter, hmm?" He licked his lips before he smiled playfully.

"Am I...starting to scare you?" Now his voice is gentle, but it sounded even more dangerous.

Lumunok siya at umiling. "M—My sister said you can't hurt me."

He laughed. Tila naaaliw na paglaruan siya. "Ah, Bella and her unbelievable belief in people like me." He made a series of tss sound. "Why would you even believe such lie?"

Sinubukan niyang kalmahin ang kanyang dibdib, ngunit nang magtama muli ang kanilang mga mata, trinaydor lamang siya lalo ng kanyang sistema.

"Why?" His eyes playfully quenched. "I can see it. You're scared."

Sinara niya ang kanyang mga labi at umiling, ngunit nang hampasin ni Gresso ang mesa ay suminghap siya sa gulat at ang mga mata niya ay muling nanlaki.

Tila naaliw ito sa nakitang reaksyon niya. Tumaas ang isang kilay at mahinang natawa bago nito tinapat ang bibig sa kanyang tainga. "Ahh, I knew it. You're so easy to scare away."

Kumuyom ang mga kamay ni Gie nang tumindig ang kanyang mga balahibo. "I—I'm not...supposed to."

"But you are." Muli siyang tinitigan, tila pinaaamin. "You are just like everybody else."

Hindi alam ni Gie kung bakit nakadama siya ng pakla sa tinig nito. Lumambot ang kanyang ekspresyon nang dumilim ang mga mata ni Gresso.

Is everyone always scared of him that's why he's trying to see if she's just like the rest?

She pursed her lips for a moment. "You are the one who's scared."

Naningkit ang mga mata nito, mayamaya'y unti-unti itong humalakhak.

"I've been one with the devils, sweetcake." Tumalim ang tingin nito sa kanyang mga mata. "Nothing can scare me anymore."

"There is. According to medical studies, no man has no fear they are afraid to face. Yours is probably so—"

"What are you? A doctor, hmm?" He cut her off, nanatiling nakaawang ang kanyang mga labi.

"Well, I—I'm not. I mean, not yet but I will be someday. I'm already taking—"

"So you're gonna be a doctor someday. Why would you even want to be one?" Naging mapaglaro ang titig nito. Tila nais na sagutin niya ang tanong nito.

She sighed. Nilabanan niya ang namuong takot at tinitigan ito nang may paninindigan. "Because sick people need help. Either they're asking for help or not."

He chuckled softly and it just made her feel tickles on her spine. "Why would you even help people who aren't asking to be healed?"

"Because I don't believe people like that exist. Everyone wants healing. Everyone deserves to be saved. Be it from their physical pain or not."

His eyes twinkled with amusement. "Ah, what a poetic doctor we have here, hmm?"

Umangat ang kamay nitong nasa mesa patungo sa kanyang panga. Humaplos ang dulo ng daliri sa kanyang balat dahilan upang mahigit niya nang tahimik ang kanyang hininga.

Her hair on her nape stood to its ends as he stroke his rough fingertips on her jaw, until he finally pushed the strands of her hair to the back of her ear.

Napakurap siya. Bakit... Bakit niya ginawa iyon?

His now smoldering eyes stared at her parted lips. Sandali itong hindi kumibo, ngunit nang gumuhit ang multong ngiti sa mga labi nito, halos mabasag ang kanyang rib cage sa lakas ng pagwawala ng kanyang puso.

"Why don't we live your dream, hmm?"

"W—What do you mean?"

Lumawak ang kurba ng labi ni Gresso at ang mukha ay lalong lumapit sa kanya dahilan upang halos hindi na niya pakawalan ang kanyang hininga. Uminit ang kanyang pisngi at nang magtama ang kanilang tingin, tila nagwelga ang mga paru-paro sa kanyang sikmura.

"Pretend to be my doctor." He moistened his lips as his brows furrowed in a playful way. "Hey Doc. I think there's something wrong with my lips. Can you check if it's tender?"

"W—Why are—"

Her eyes opened widely when his soft lips finally met hers. Hindi marahas ngunit wala ring pag-aalinlangan. He moved and sucked her lower lip. Jolts of unpermitted and foreign sensation struck her whole system, and when the door opened she was already lost in pure bliss.

May mga gwardang humatak kay Gresso palayo ngunit ang mga mata nito, nanatiling nakatitig sa kanya. Napalunok siya nang matitigan ito pabalik. What just happened?

Umangat ang sulok ng mga labi nito. "Get your license and come back." He smiled in a meaningful way.

"Treat me, Doc. I'm going to wait..."