My Pretend Niece

C 4

CHAPTER 4

NASS

NAKAKUNOT noo ako sa nakikita kong bahay. Hindi ako sigurado kung ito na nga. Malay ko ba na napakalaki pala ng subdivision na ito.

Sakay ako ng convertible car ni Caine.

“Are you sure she’s here, Kisses?” Tanong niya sa akin.

“Sabi niya ito. Look.”

Ipinakita ko sa kanya ang litrato na ipinagsend ni Rechel sa akin via MMS.

“She said blue house.”

Kulang ang sabihin ko na nahulog ang mga panga niya pagkakita sa litrato.

“Blue? Great,” he answered. Ako man ay natawa rin dahil para siyang gigil na tumitig sa akin nang ibaba niya ang sunglass niya.

Lahat ng bahay dito ay blue at iisa ang itsura.

“Sorry na!” sabi kong tumatawa.

Naiiling na lang siya. Ang saya-saya ko na magkasama kami ngayon. Totoo ba ito? I mean, I see his grumpy but so handsome face. He’s just inches away from me. Gusto kong umiyak, deep inside habang tinititigan ko siya.

“Wait here. I’ll knock at that door.”

“Sama na ako sa iyo,” nakalabi kong sabi. Hindi na siya umimik.

I opened the door of the car but he also opened it for me. Nagpatinuna s’ya na pumasok sa bakuran ng bahay. Kasunod niya ako. He looked back at me.

“Stay closer. Baka kung saan-saan ka sumuot.”

“Saan naman ako susuot, sa pants mo?” napahagikhik ako.

“You behave,” he warned me, “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

Nag-door bell siya habang ako ay nagpipigil ng tawa sa may likod niya. I held on his waist while waiting until a lady opened the door.

“Hi,” bati ni Caine at para akong nainis kaagad dahil magandang babae ang nagbukas ng pinto. Nakatitig pa ito kay Caine.

“Hi.”

“Does Rechel live here?”

“Rechel Sandoval,” I said. Pinilit kong huwag umirap dahil parang ayaw ng tanggalin ng babae ang mga mata kay Caine.

I feel so jealous right away. Paano ko kaya nakayanan na hindi siya nakikita ng maraming taon? Well, araw-araw ko siyang iniisip. Minsan, umiiyak ako at pinagkakasya ko ang sarili ko sa phone call. Ganoon lang. I survived, at least.

“Yes. She’s my housemate.”

“I see,” peke kong ngiti. Tiningnan ako ni Caine at nailing na nangingiti siya sa itsura ko.

“I’ll call her,” sagot pa ng babae na may kasamang hagod ng tingin sa akin mula ulo hanggang paa.”

“Ow, thanks,” plastik ko pa rin na sabi at tumalikod iyon, na alam kong may kasamang irap.

Then, I looked at Caine. He was scratching his brows.

“Feeling itchy?” I asked him but he chuckled.

“You’re such a b***h, sweetie. I saw that. Women.”

“Just go back to the car, Daddy Caine.”

“I’ll stay here,” kampante naman na sagot niya saka siya niya ako inakbayan.

I bit my inner lip.

Hindi na ako nakapagsalita dahil bumukas na ulit ang pinto.

“AAAAY!” Tili namin ni Rechel sa isa't isa at sabay kaming nagyakap habang tumatalon.

I pause when I met Caine's eyes. He’s smiling, with his arms crossed over his massive chest.

He looks so delicious.

Kanina pa siya titig nang titig sa akin at naloloka ako sa mga mata niyang kulay green. Habang nagmamaneho siya ay sinisilip niya ako sa taas ng sunglass. I’m totally suffocated with a man's pair of green eyes because my Dad as well as my Kuya Andi has the same eye color, but Caine's gazes are totally different. I mean, yes he sees me as his daughter, but for me, it’s more than that.

“Hoy!” tinulak ako ni Rechel kaya nakita kong lumaki ang ngisi ni Caine.

Kanina pa kasi ako nakatingin sa kanya kaya hindi ko pinapansin ang best friend ko. She had already spat tons of words yet I wasn’t even paying attention, and worse, I never got to understand any.

“Pahalata!” pasimple niyang kinurot ang tagiliran ko kaya ngumiwi ako.

“Aray.” Angil ko sa kanya. “Will you stop that? You know how sensitive I am. Mangingitim ang kurot mo.”

“Oh sorry naman.” She rolls her eyes. Hindi naman sincere ang sorry niya pero ganito naman talaga kaming dalawa simula noong grade school kami.

Except for my Mom, Rechel is the only person who knows my secret. Siya ang nakakaalam ng pagsintang purorot ko kay Caine. She’s the one who used to tell me that I must f**k the fucker.

Painggit siya eh. She kept on talking dirty about his ex boyfriend and kept on telling stories how they f****d each others' brains out – in perfect chronological order. And after, she'd tell me that orgasms were breathtakingly awesome and I must try it in no time – with Caine.

I am ready for that, pero hindi si Caine kaya naman hindi ko na lang ipipilit. I already made up my mind yet I am still waiting for the right time when to tell him all about what I feel.

“Join us in, Tito Caine.” Rechel said with a glint of smile plastered on her face, but she was still eying me.

When I looked back at Caine, he was carefully scanning the entire building. Then, he takes his steps toward us.

“Nice place, kid.” He spits and smiles then winks.

Kid? Kung kid si Rechel sa edad na 20? Ano pala ako sa edad na 18?

Rechel is older than me. She was diagnosed with leukemia when she was still 6 but luckily, she survived and nailed those cancer cells inside her body.

“But…” he looks at me and touches my cheek. “I guess I have to leave my little princess here for a while. I have an emergency call from my training school. The new swimming instructress just—” he said but I cut him off.

Instructress?

“You meant what? Instructress?” kumulo ang dugo ko.

He looked so confused and was even halted, but I didn’t care.

“Yes, honey. Do we have a problem with that?” he carefully asked me.

Alam niya na mag-aalburuto akong parang bulkan oras na mali ang salita at tono na lumabas sa bibig niya.

I pout and frown. I look away and clasp my arms over my chest. “You will just f**k!” I said frankly.

“Jesus!” he laughs and rumples my hair. “No baby. This is pure business. Come on now, brush that frowning face away. I’ll be quick.” He smiles and glances at my lips.

“Because you’ll be having a quickie!” I spit and march toward my friend.

“Jesus Christ, Nassadra!” He chuckles one more time and he looks so really handsome. “Where did you learn those shits?”

“Dalaga na ako kaya alam ko.” I roll my eyes but what comes next is the heating of my own cheeks when his eyes roam across my body.

He smiled and pressed his lips together as he glanced at me through his thick lashes. “Indeed, baby. But, I’m damn quite serious. This is pure work. I have to see the applicant and see if she really passed all of my given orders. Need not to be jealous. I’ll fetch you before you know it, one hour.”

“Don’t you dare betray me, old man! Kakalbuhin kita!” angil ko sa kanya sabay duro ko pa kaya tumawa siya nang husto.

“I bet.” He raises his right hand.

I purse my lips and nod but he puts his hands over my neck to do the traditional kiss. Caine kissed the other corner of my lips, the other one and then the center if my lips.

Oh s**t! Naiihi ako! Parang bumuhos lahat ng dugo sa sanitary napkin dahil sa simpleng halik na iyon.

“I’ll pick you up after an hour.” He winks at me and smiles at Rechel.

“Bye, Tito Caine.” Sabi ni Rechel sa kanya, na hindi naman pahalata.

“No f*****g!” I yelled but he just put his forefinger across his lips, mouthing me, Sshhh, be good and I love you.

Natameme ako sa I love you. Hindi ko in-expect na may karugtong na ganoon bago siya pumasok sa kotse.

“No f*****g. Just f**k me.” Rechel mimics the way I said those words so I glare at her, a deadly one.

“Bata bata, ang kulit.” She giggles as she puts her arm around my neck. “Namiss kita, bunso.” She kissed my cheek.

“I miss you, too.” I leaned my head against hers' and started to walk with her.

“Nakapag-enroll na ako. Ikaw?” sabi niya sa akin na ipinagkibit-balikat ko lang.

May imposible ba sa Daddy ko?

“Yeah. Daddy did. I planned on enrolling myself but what else could I even do? He’s Jamie Rix de Lorenzo and he has power and authority. Kahit na nga yata nakapikit pa ay kaya niya akong i-enroll kahit na sa pinakamalayong University pa.” I sigh.

Dalaga na ako pero si Dad, kumikilos na para pa rin akong five-year-old. I want to be like my Mom. She’s independent and she makes the world revolves round her fingertips . She’s my Dad's baby, the first one before me but she can do things on her own and she isn’t even afraid to try sort of things on her own. I want a life like that. Not a life that was actually being manipulated by my father. He’s so overprotective at wala na halos akong maexperience sa buhay ko na ako ang gagawa. Like what he did. Papasok na lang ako sa University at uupo. Ni hindi ko man lang naranasan na mag-enroll.

But he’s my Dad and I still love him for what he is. I guess I just have to get myself even more used to it. And he’s not alone; Caine is so overprotective, too.

I remember when I was still a kid. Whenever he’s home, I can't play, I can't even run. When he sees me running, he'd come and carry me in his arms and lock me inside my room with him. Pinaglalaro lang niya ako ng mga Barbie dolls tapos ay patutulugin ako.

Hay naku, ganoon sila ka-overprotective sa akin.