BREE’S POV
It’s been a while since we last saw you :( come meet us today. PLEASE?!!!!!
Iyan ang mensahe na bumungad sa’kin pagkagising ko palang. If I’m going to be honest, I was never a social person. Masyado na kong maraming iniintindi sa buhay ko para pa makipag-hangout sa sobrang daming tao.
And of course, growing up as a celebrity and a high-ranking police officer’s daughter, there were a lot of things that I wasn’t allowed to do or get involved in. Kasi nga… you know… it would reflect badly on my parents whose reputations could not be tarnished.
Natuto akong maging mag-isa para walang masabi ang mga tao tungkol sa’kin. Mabuti nang isipin nilang snob ako kay
BREE’S POV“You look like you had a lot of fun,” sabi sa’kin ni Rainer pagsakay ko ng kotse.Pareho kaming nasa backseat.“It feels so good to lie and make people think that I’m actually living in heaven when I just keep getting dragged to hell,” sagot ko sa kaniya.“What did you tell them?”Napatikom ang bibig ko at bigla akong na-guilty. “I may or may not have said a bit too much.”Napahawak si Rainer sa ulo niya.“Bakit?” tanong ko.“Nothing. It’s none
HEATH’S POVKanina, naganap na ang paghuli kay Dante Dinan—ang mafia lord na nauna nang natanggal sa listahan namin ni General Chrysanthe.Pinasa ko ang lahat ng plano sa mga pulis pero pinilit pa din nila akong sumama sa kanila. Maaga na sana ako uuwi pero biglaan na lang akong na-ambush. Pagbaba ko ng opisina, may nag-iintay nang SUV sa’kin.“Do you really have to do this?” tanong ko kay General Chrysanthe.“Malamang. Baka mamaya kami pala ang sinet-up mo do’n.”Natawa ako. “Alam ko namang kriminal ako. Pero sino ba sa tingin mo ang unang makakapatay sa’kin? Kayong mga pulis o ‘yung mga mafia lord na kahit ako nahihirapan a
BREE’S POVI could not imagine my relief when I finally see Heath walking down the stairs. Akala ko kasi hindi talaga siya bababa. Rainer, on the other hand, snorted.“Akala ko sa dining tayo kakain?”“Nope,” sagot ko kay Heath. “I think it would be better for us to actually bond, you know? Over a movie.” Naupo na ko sa sofa. Nasa kaliwa ko si Rainer kaya tinapik ko ang pwest sa kanan. “Sit.”Umikot ang mga mata ni Heath pero sumunod naman siya. I did hear him utter “this is stupid” under his breath but I decided not to call him out for him.“What are we watching?” tanong niya nang makakuha na siya ng slice ng pizza. “Nothing dramatic.&
HEATH’S POV“Lumilipad na naman ang utak mo,” pagkanta ni Eli.I raise my eyes to look at him. “What do you mean?”“You’re not listening, Heath,” sabi niya at pinatong na lang ang folder sa ibabaw ng lamesa. “At dahil hindi ka nakikinig, you get to read the entire document instead of just listening to the summary.”Napahawak ako sa ulo.“What is it?” usisa niya. “Something at home again? Ano na naman ginawa ni Brianna?”“Wala,” sagot ko sa kaniya. “That’s the point. She’s not even doing anything.” I take a deep breath and pus
BREE’S POV“I told you already that you can’t come,” rinig kong sabi ni Heath kay Rainer habang nilalagay ang bag niya sa trunk ng kotse.Aga-aga nagsisimula na naman silang dalawa.“Bakit kasi hindi? General Chrysanthe wants me to be there,” sabi ni Rainer.“Alam ko,” sabi ni Heath at parang ako mismo ang napaso sa pag-dismiss niya. “All the more reason kung bakit ayokong kasama ka.”“I’m doing my job, Heath,” sabi ni Rainer.“I know you are. But why don’t you just take these two days off and get yourself rested?”Gumawa si
BREE’S POVThe afternoon is pretty much uneventful. Nanatili lang ako sa may beachside habang nagbabasa ng magazine at nagpapaaraw. Nag-enjoy ako sa never ending supply ng cocktail.Day drinking? I’ve never heard of it until I became Heath’s wife.Heath’s wife…I watch as Heath resurfaces from the water, flicking his hair on both sides, spraying water. He has taken off his shirt to go swimming.I don’t consider myself as the type of girl who would want someone so fit as their partner. Hindi naman nagm-matter sa’kin kung may abs ‘yung lalaki o wala. It’s not like those muscles has any correlation with the way they are going to treat you.
BREE’S POVPara kaming mga social butterfly ni Heath habang nasa party. Hindi kami nagtatagal sa isang grupo. Kapag napansin na nila ang mga singsing sa daliri ko, mabilis lang namin na sinasabi na “oh, this? It’s nothing.”Like giving them a little tease and letting them think what they want to think. Hindi naman sila tanga para hindi malaman na hindi pa kami kasal ni Heath at this point.Finally, the governor finds us. Inabutan kami ng mga bagong baso.“Should I say congratulations to the newlyweds?” he asks with a nosy smile on his lips. Narinig na niya ang chismis na gumagapang buong gabi.“Thank you,” sagot ni Heath. “You’re actu
BREE’S POV“All you have to do,” panimula ko at hinawakan ang kaniyang tie. Dahan-dahan ko itong inalis sa kaniyang leeg. “Is stop.”“Stop?” he asks with a light chuckle.“Yes. A full stop.”“I don’t get it.”“Stop trying to get me.” I twist on his lap, making sure that my butt grazes that thing being hidden by his pants. I straddle his waist and tilt his head up. “Let me come to you.”“I see,” he says. His hands rested on my hips and I’m going to burn in hell for wanting his touch all over my body.“Tell you what.”“Yeah?
HEATH’S POV If you’re going to ask me why I’m still managing Anino—the mafia, it’s not because of the money. I have plenty enough of that to last me lifetimes. Pero bakit nga ba? It’s more about the constant thought of getting caught. Of living my life always right on the edge. It enables me to live my life to the fullest, every single second of it. You know, that feeling that makes your heart pounds? I want that everyday. Alam ko namang hindi ako tatanda. Well, I have hopes. Pero hindi na ko umaasa. As I’ve said before, mafia lords tend to die young.
BREE’S POV“Bakit ang tagal mong mag-video? Kanina pa tayo nakatayo dito.”Umikot ang mga mata ko sa sinabi ni Rainier. “Sabi ko naman kasi ako na lang mag-grocery eh! Therapy ko kaya ‘to. If you’re so bored, go ahead and wonder around.”“Ano pang silbi ko kung hindi kita sasamahan kung sa’n ka pupunta?”“Fine, just go to the meat aisle. Kitain na lang kita do’n. I know you need your protein.” Masama pa ang tingin sa’kin ni loko bago nagsimulang lumayo. “And get some for Heath, too.”Rainier snorts as he turns his back on me.Finally, some peace. Ayaw kasing umayos ng camera ko ngayong araw para sa vlog. Malapit na kasi akong
HEATH’S POVAng weird sabihin na maayos ang buhay namin nang ilang araw. Tina-try pa din naming i-trace kung sino ang mokong na ‘yun na nag-hack sa system namin. Pero masyadong malinis. Hindi ko alam kung paano namin siya mahuhuli.“You suck at this, Rainier!” reklamo ni Maeve pagpasok ko ng salas.“What?!” tugon naman nito.Nasa carpet ang dalawa at parehong may hawak na controller.“You’re supposed to be good at this,” dismayadong sabi ni Maeve. “Akala ko ba militar ka? Why can’t you shoot at this kind of games?!”Natatawang sumagot si Rainier. “Well, it’s di
HEATH’S POV“System breach,” bungad sa’kin ni Eli paglabas ko ng elevator. “I think they are trying to get information that they could possibly leak.”“What’s happening now?”Pumasok na kami kaagad sa opisina ko.“No other threats?”“None as of the moment,” sabi ni Eli habang nakatingin pa din sa tablet niya. “Matindi ang IT team nito. Ang nakakapagtaka lang, kung nabuksan nila ang system at kaya nilang pabilisin ang pagkuha ng data natin pero…”“Pero ano?” tanong ko pagkaupo ko.“Pero hindi nila tinutuloy
BREE’S POV“I can come with you if you want,” ang sabi sa’kin ni Heath nang sabihin ko sa kaniyang pupunta ako sa bahay ng daddy ko.“It’s fine. I can handle it,” lang ang naging tugon ko. Sinamahan ako ni Rainier.“You’re quiet,” obserba ko sa kaniya. “You’re giving me the feeling that you don’t really agree with what I’m doing.”“Your dad is my boss. I don’t speak against my higher ups. Besides, it’s a family matter. I can’t comment on it.”Some part of me is wishing that he would say something. Na parang ma-comfort ako na tama ‘tong ginagawa ko. I hardly go against my father’s wishes. A
BREE’S POVIsang oras din ang tinagal ng byahe namin bago kami nakarating sa presinto. Nang makita ako ni Maeve, ni hindi manlang ako binati nito. Malamlam at antok ang ekspresyon ng mukha.“Where the hell were you?” tanong ni Heath kay Seth. “You were supposed to keep an eye on her.”“Nasa bahay na siya kagabi,” depensa ni Seth na mukhang aligaga din dahil napapagalitan siya ni Heath. “Hindi naman siya nagsabi na lalabas siya.”“Ano ba nangyari?” tanong ko.Ngayon ko lang nakita nang malapitan si Seth. Huli ko siyang nakita may mga dugo pa sa balat niya dahil doon sa palaro sa Anino. Ang laki niya pala talagang bata. ‘Yung tipong gustuhin nga tala
HEATH’S POVAlam mo ‘yung pakiramdam na ang sarap lang mang-asar ng mga taong madaling mabwisit? Gano’n lang naman ang plano kong gawin kay Brianna. I like it when she gets annoyed because of me. Usually, hindi naman ako ganitong tao, pero ewan ko ba. There’s some satisfaction that I get whenever I get a reaction out of her.Akala ko nga masaya na ko sa gano’ng reaksyon mula sa kaniya. Na kapag nainis na siya sa’kin, solb na ko.Hindi ko naman inakala na may mas ikaliligaya pa pala akong makuha maliban sa inis niya.I bite on the inside of my lips as I keep the grin on it.I remember every second of last night.I doubt that you could
BREE’S POVKahit naman hindi ako sobra-sobrang nalasing kagabi, gumising pa din ako nang may sakit sa ulo. Pungas-pungas pa kong nag-inat hanggang sa lumabas si Heath mula sa banyo na may towel sa kaniyang bewang.Natigil ang paghikab ko nang magtama ang aming mga mata.“Great, you’re awake,” sabi niya lang sa’kin at kinuha ang kaniyang bag bago bumalik sa banyo.Binaon ko ang mukha ko sa unan.Shit. May nangyari nga pala kagabi.Anong gagawin ko?Talaga bang hindi ko papansinin kung anong naganap?I clea
BREE’S POV“All you have to do,” panimula ko at hinawakan ang kaniyang tie. Dahan-dahan ko itong inalis sa kaniyang leeg. “Is stop.”“Stop?” he asks with a light chuckle.“Yes. A full stop.”“I don’t get it.”“Stop trying to get me.” I twist on his lap, making sure that my butt grazes that thing being hidden by his pants. I straddle his waist and tilt his head up. “Let me come to you.”“I see,” he says. His hands rested on my hips and I’m going to burn in hell for wanting his touch all over my body.“Tell you what.”“Yeah?