Chapter 4: Open-Up
TAHIMIK na nagmamaneho si Daryl ng sasakyan niya para ihatid si Denise sa tahanan nito, he was really worried for her. Nakita niya ang takot sa mga mata ni Denise kanina habang pinipilit nang lalaking ‘yon. His heart skipped a bit when he saw fear in her eyes. Nawala ang tapang na tinatago ng dalaga. Nakita niya kung anong klaseng tao si Denise, experience made her mature but it made her fear life.
She needs to get used of those things because she is all alone. She fears them yet she needs them to survive.
“Pwede bang huwag muna tayong umuwi?” Denise asked him.
“Iuuwi na kita baka hinahanap ka na ng Mom and Dad mo.” Daryl replied and looked at her.
“Believe me, they don’t give a f**k where I am!” sagot naman nito sa kaniya.
“Your Mom will not put you into this crazy engagement and she doesn’t give an eff for you. She wanted you to change your life to a better one, idiot.” He replied and took a glance on her, he saw Denise smiled bitterly as tears fell in her eyes.
“I was drugged when I was 16, I woke up one morning and I realized that my life is ruined. My Mom and Dad didn’t even notice that their baby girl was destroyed in just a night,” she opened up. Napahigpit ang hawak ni Daryl sa manibela niya at bumagal ang takbo niya. He found himself parking in the nearby space to listen to Denise.
“Lumaki akong pinalaki lang ng mga taong sinuswelduhan nila para bantayan ako. I tried everything to gain their attention, care and love but it was useless. I never had those things and I don’t know why. Maybe because I don’t deserve it at all,” pagkwento niya dito, tumulo ang butil ng luha niya.
Daryl was quiet, ‘di niya alam kung ano ang sasabihin niya.
‘I guess this is the reason why she grew up hard as stone.’
“Simula nung mangyari iyon, every guy that I met would always try to sleep with me at papayag naman ako para makalimutan ko ang lahat. Wala ng nagtangkang rumespeto at magmahal sa akin. I realized I became everybody’s toy.” Muli nitong saad sa kaniya.
“It’s because you’ve let your self down because of what happened.” Sagot ni Daryl sa kaniya. Tumingin si Denise sa kaniya at saka pinunasan ang luha nito na tumulo.
“Don’t let that experience let you down.” Payo ni Daryl sa kaniya.
“We all have our own experience and we just need to look at it as a life lesson. Hindi porket nangyari sa’yo iyon ay hahayaan mong maulit, I admire girls. I admire how God made them so fragile and special, kaya I always treat every girl I knew like that.” Daryl held her hand and again she heard wedding bells, but this time it had a spark. Para siyang nakuryente ng slight dahil sa hawak nito.
“You’ll be fine, Hindi kita iiwan hanggang hindi mo nababawi yung nawala sa’yo nung 16 ka.”
“Hindi mo na pwedeng mabawi ang virginity, Daryl. Nagpapatawa ka ba?”
“Pero pwede mong mabawi ang nawala diyan sa puso mo, I’ll help you heal. Hindi kita iiwan, this is the lightest that I can do for someone who is special as you.” sagot ni Daryl sa kaniya, ngumiti si Denise at saka niya nilapit ang mukha niya kay Daryl.
She kissed him softly and surprisingly, without further ado. Daryl did the same; he kissed her back like a lover enjoying a romantic ride.
Denise smirked as she remembered her mission, a few more steps and I’ll have you in my palm Daryl and I’ll make you into a man that you never thought you could be.
AFTER their hot kiss, things went on differently for Daryl. His intention was to comfort his bitchy fiancé who opened up for him and not to kiss her, he felt like he did a mistake at inuusig niya ng kunsensya niya lalo na kapag magkasama sila ni Maco.
He was afraid to admit that he is starting to like Denise too.
“Kumusta na yung kaibigan mong nabastos sa bar?” Maco asked Daryl. Maco was always there for Daryl, simula nang marealize nitong kabilang siya sa federation ni Lady Gaga. They have a solid friendship and a nakakakilig lover relationship for almost a year.
Hinihintay na lang ni Maco na aminin ni Daryl sa kaniyang mga magulang ang relasyon nila para makalipad na sila sa Canada to get married. Maco feels like Daryl was his soulmate and that they are destined to be with each other.
“She’s fine, she went home okay. Natakot nga lang s’ya,” sagot ni Daryl at saka niya ulit nasabunutan ang sarili niya mentally sa mga iniisip niya.
“Are you sure that she’s just a friend?” Maco asked him, muli ay tumango si Daryl. Hindi niya pwedeng sabihin na fiancé niya si Denise, he can’t just hurt his lover who trust him so much.
“Huwag kang mag-alalala Maco, I know my limitations.” Sabi ni Daryl sa kaniya. Mahinang ngumiti si Maco sa kaniya at bumalik na ito sa ginagawa niyang office work. Maco and Daryl are working in a private recruitement company as an HR representatives, sabay silang nag – graduate at parehas sila ng work kaya kilalang kilala na nila ang moods at contemplations ng isa’t isa.
Binuklat ni Daryl ang drawer niya at nakita niya ang singsing na binili niya para kay Maco. He doesn’t know kung bakit parang naghehesitate siyang ibigay ito sa lalaking mahal niya. After a few days, pumunta si Daryl sa dinner na naiset ng Mom niya para sa Wedding nila ni Denise.
Daryl had made up his mind na iwasan si Denise para sa ikalilinaw ng isip niya, he can’t forget their kiss kaya gagawin niya ang lahat to fully forget this kind of temptation.
KINAHAPUNAN, Daryl left early para pumunta sa pre wedding dinner daw ni niset up ng Mom niya para magkakilala na ang both sides at mapag-usapan na ang detalye tungkol sa kasal. In this dinner, Daryl will meet the famous Gustavo Aguilar, isa sa pinakamagaling na businessman sa bansa na ama ni Denise. Naisip nito na ang perfect na sana nila bilang pamilya pero nagkalamat ito dahil sa nangyari kay Denise.
Hindi mawala sa isip niya ang inopen up ng dalaga sa kaniya, tungkol sa napagdaanan nito. Kung ilalagay man ni Daryl ang sarili niya sa sapatos ni Denise baka hindi niya iyon kayanin.
All these years naman kasi na nagtatago siya e alam ng Mom niya ang secret niya. May kakampi siya but Denise doesn’t have, he wants to be someone that she can have for the rest of her life and that gives him confusion right now.
Tahimik lang si Daryl buong dinner, mga magulang lang nila ang nag-uusap. He tried to pretend that he is not interested with the wedding thing pero napapakinig talaga siya at gusto niyang mag-suggest ng mga caterer na pwedeng gamitin sa kasal kaso lang ayaw niyang isipin ng Mom niya nag babago na ang orientation niya nang dahil sa wedding.
“How about you Denise, anong gusto mong gawin sa kasal?” the 4 star general asked her, Daryl’s father General Herald Ocampo liked her to be his daughter In law. He finds her perfect for his son at kapag nalaman ng mga kumpadre niya na ganito kaganda ang asawa ng anak niya. Mawawala ang mga tsismis tungkol sa pagiging bakla nito.
“Si Daryl po ang gusto kong gawin sa kasal,” sagot ni Denise at saka ito kumindat. Daryl felt like that wink was punched straight in his eyes.
‘Oh my God bakit ganito ang naiisip ko. Daryl, bakla ka okay? You are inlove with your boyfriend and there’s no way that you’ll be attracted with this girl. ‘
“Excuse me Dad, magpapahangin lang ako sa labas.” paalam ni Daryl sa dad niya.
“Gano’n ba? Isama mo na rin ang anak ko parang kanina pa siya naiinip e.” Sabi naman ng Dad ni Denise sa kaniya.
“Oo nga! Cupcake isama mo na ako so that we can about our sweet kiss,” sabi ni Denise at saka siya kumindat dito.
‘Humigash, enebeyy be teng gerl ne ete, Im going to kill her. ‘
“Sige po.” He replied and he faked a smile. Tumayo na si Denise at agad na lumambitin sa balikat ng binata, lumabas sila ng restaurant at saka namasyal sa maliit na parke sa harap nito.
“Daryl,” tawag nito sa kaniya. Lumingon si Daryl at nakita na naman niya ang malungkot na mukha ni Denise.
“Hoy, bitchesa hindi bagay sa’yo ang nakasimangot kaya huwag kang magpabebe sa harap ko.” Aniya at hinila niya ito sa tabi niya.
“Pasensya ka na ha? Hindi ko dapat kinuwento sayo yun kaso lang pakiramdam ko kasi ikaw lang yung pwede kong pag-kwen…” natigil sa pagsasalita si Denise ng sungalngalin siya ni Daryl sa bunganga.
“Aray!” atungal ni Denise.
“Daldal kasi sabi ngang shut up na lang kasi naiinis ang bangs ko e.” Daryl said.
“Kailangang sunangalngalin ako gamit ang kamay mo? Pwedeng lips naman na lang gamitin mo para magkiss ulit tayo?” tanong ni Denise sa kaniya at saka ito nagbeautiful eyes.
Napaikot ulit ng mata si Daryl dahil do’n, ‘Kailangan ba siya mawawalan ng hope ha? Hindi ba niya nakikitang official member ako ng federation ni Lady Gaga, buo pa rin kasi ang loob niya to turn me into her lover. Ano ba ang pumasok sa utak ng babaeng ito?’ tanong n’ya sa kaniya isip, sumasakit na ang ulo n’ya sa pagkalito.
“Pwede bang tigilan mo na ang paghabol sa akin?”
“I will never stop, you promise to give me your heart and love me in exchange of your dark secret. You can’t leave me like this; I don’t want to go back on being alone.” Denise said as her voice started to crack.
No, he can’t leave. He’s the only one that I have; he’s the only one that made me feel this way. Making him fall for me just made me love him madly.
“Denise pwede bang huwag kang maging selfish ha?” Daryl asked him.
“No, I’m not. Daryl hindi mo naiintindihan e. Gustong gusto kita, I can’t let you go with another man!” sigaw ni Denise sa kaniya at hinawakan ito. She was never desperate for someone’s love and attention kasi iyon ang bagay na hinding hindi niya makukuha pero ngayon, hindi niya hahayaang mawala si Daryl sa kaniya.
“Denise please, don’t make this hard for me. Just stop this nonsense and let’s break off that wedding. Hindi tayo pwedeng maging mag-asawa kasi hindi kita kayang mahalin.” Those words broke her heart in an instant.
“Hindi mo ba akong kaya mahalin kasi ganito ako?”
“Denise hindi ka mahirap mahalin, kung matino ang isang lalaki. You will be one of a kind, because you are innocent when it comes to love pero kung ako ang gusto mong magmahal sayo bilang lalaki, I’m sorry. I can’t. I can only love you as a friend,” he retorted.
Nanghina si Denise sa mga sinabi ni Daryl sa kaniya but it was the truth that he knows and he wanted to believe. Daryl
tried to hold her hand and talk to her once more.
“I’ll still help you forget you past before leaving the country. Nangako ak--”Denise removed her hand at saka umiling.
“I can’t let you leave me alone.” Sabi niya at saka siya nagtatakbo paalis ng lugar na iyon. The Dinner ended up early because of Denise, she left the vicinity without any notice. It made Daryl confused and a lot more tensed.
Pakiramdam niya mali ang ginawa niyang pakikipag-usap kay Denise.