Capitulo Sisenta y otso

"What are you talking about? Of course I'm Lucas. Who else could I be?" kunot-noong tanong nito. May bahagyang pagtataka sa gwapo nitong muka.

"I don't know.." she shrugged her shoulders. "Maxwell, maybe?" tanong niya sa nanunuring tinig.

He suddenly went stiff and his body became tense. His face pale and his eyes widened in surprise. Bumukas at sumara ang bibig nito na tila isdang nawala sa tubig.

"Your mouth slipped last time. You don't expect I'll just shrugged it off right?"

Matagal-tagal din siyang nag-isip tungkol sa bagay na ito na gumugulo sa kaniyang isipan simula pa noong muli silang magkita. The changes in him was glaring. Although she tossed the doubt at the back of her mind, but recently clues keep filing up. And now she was almost certain.

"Ikaw si Maxwell, hindi ba?" tiim ang labing tanong niya. "I saw your wounds heal faster than normal when you were beaten up." ang tinutukoy niya ay ang nangyari sa tahanan ng kabesa de baranggay. Maraming pasa at sugat ang lalaki sa muka subalit napansin niya ang mabilis na paghilom noon, hindi iyon makakalampas sa mapanuri niyang mata.

Only the age- freezing drug can do that to human bodies. At ang mga taong naging sakay lamang ng Andromeda ang maaaring maturukan ng miracle drug na iyon.

Nanatiling tahimik ang lalaki subalit hindi nito iniwas ang mata. Mataman itong nakatitig sa kaniya na para bang binabasa ang laman ng kaniyang isipan. Nakakuyom ang kamao nito at nakatiim pa din ang mga labi. Nararamdaman niya ang makapal na tensyon sa pagitan nila. Nananakal, nakakalunod at nakakatuliro.

Matagal silang nagpalitan ng malamig na titig at binalot sila ng nakabibinging katahimikan hanggang sa lumipas ang mahabang sandali at tila wala ni-isa sa kanila ang nais bumasag noon.

Ang mga mahihinang kahol ng kanilang mga aso, huni ng mga ibon sa paligid, ang tunog ng pagkahig ng manok sa malambot na lupa, ang malayong iyak ng mga baboy sa parang at maging ang musikang dala ng hangin ay patuloy na pumapasok at lumalabas lamang sa kanilang pandinig.

"I told you, susunod ako kung saan ka man magpunta." ang sinabi nito ang bumasag sa makapal na tensyon sa pagitan nila. Malalim at matigas ang pagkakasabi nito na walang halong takot o pag-aalinlangang malaman niya ang katotohanan.

Isa pang tinig ang narinig niya sa kaniyang isipan. Tinig ng isang lalaking nasa ibang lugar at ibang panahon.

"Then I'll come with you. I'll follow you wherever you goes..."

Pakiramdam ni Kallyra ay may malakas na pwersang bumundol sa kaniya, nanlambot ang kaniyang tuhod at napaatras siya at muntikang matumba.

Ang sinabi nito ay nagpapatunay lamang na tama ang kaniyang hinala. Mariin niyang pinikit ang mainit na mata. She press her closed fist to her throbbing chest, she can't breath, binuka niya ang bibig upang suminghap ng hangin.

'What happened to Lucas?'

'Nasaan na siya ngayon?'

'They can't exist in the same world right?'

Her eyes starting to water. Ang mga tanong na iyon ay unti-unting dumudurog sa kaniya. Suninghap siya ng panibagong hangin. Naramdaman niya ang paglapit ng binata subalit hindi siya umiwas sapagkat kailangan niya ng makakapitan. She was shaking.

Mahigpit itong yumakap sa kaniya na tila ba mawawala siya sa sa oras na luwagan nito ang kapit. "Look at me Lyra." he whispered. Marahan nitong pinatakan ng halik ang kaniyang mata upang tuyuin ang namumuong luha.

His eyes red and wet, she could feel the loud beating of his heart inside his chest. Muli nitong pinatakan ng halik ang kaniyang noo bago marahang inilayo at ikinulong ang kaniyang muka sa dalawang palad nito, his gentleness is making her heart tremble.

"Do you remember your friend Ashton? Archeologist siya hindi ba. His team discovered a ship wrecked in the middle of the ocean. They found a freezing human body na nasa loob ng isang bloke ng yelo. It was perfectly preserved...I was that human artifact Lyra."

Kallyra gasped, tinakpan niya ang bibig gamit ang isang kamay at nanlaki ang kaniyang mata. Napailing-iling siya. "No..." Unti-unting tumulo ang luha niya. "T-That's impossible!" she mutter in disbelief.

"Nang sumakay ako sa barkong lumubog na iyon ay umaasa akong mahanap at makita kang muli and I found you, in another place and time." dagdag pa nito. May kinang sa mata at may munting ngiti sa labi. Mas humigpit ang yakap nito sa kaniya.

She was all choke up and she can't find words to say. She can only stared at him in total disbelief. She was amaze, astonish, astound.

He kissed her lips briefly. "I'm still your Lucas." he smiled but there were tears in his eyes. Marahang sinusuklay ni Lucas ang kaniyang mahaba at malambot na buhok.

There was a peaceful silence between them after his revelation. But he break it again after a few moments. "It hurts, everytime you say goodbye. You're good at that you know?" he suddenly said, para itong batang nagsusumbong ng mga hinanakit nito sa kaniya. He squeezed her waist and scowled.

She pucker her lips and decided to avoid his question. "N-nasaan ang totoong Maxwell?" she asked instead

"Maxwell died after 5 years of coma. Hindi ko alam kung papaano ako nakilala ni Mr. Sarmiento. Nagising na lamang ako bilang si Pierce Maxwell at mayroon akong asawang

kinamumuhian ko." he answered, still scowling. There was a furrow in between his brows and his face crumpled but then it change to sadness and remorse.

Isinandal nito ang noo sa kaniyang balikat. "I'm sorry if I hurt you and I'm sorry for taking all your company." mahinang anas nito. She raise the corner of her mouth up but didn't speak. Bahagya nitong inangat ang muka at marahang hinalikan ang leeg niya pataas hanggang sa marating nito ang malambot niyang labi. "You allowed him to kiss you." he complains in between his hot and wet kisses.

Kumunot ang kaniyang noo. She tried to ignore the tingling sensation he induced, it started running through her spine down to the sole of her feet making her shudder in bliss. "Who?" tanong niya ng may bahagyang panginginig. Wala naman siyang naalalang hinalikan niya bukod dito.

Inilayo nito ang mukha sa kaniya at matalim siyang tinitigan. His face is grim and he purse his red lips. "Maxwell! In your world, you allow me to kiss you and you flirted with me all the time." he accused hotly.

She coudn't stop her smile and then she was shaking with laughter. "Nagseselos ka sa sarili mo?"

Nagsalubong ang makakapal na kilay nito. "Hindi mo naman alam na ako yun that time." He look so adorably handsome at gusto niya itong pupugin ng halik sa muka.

"Well... my heart knows it was you." palusot niya. Pero siguro nga ay iyon ang nararamdaman niya noon.

"Tss..." umingos ito at umiwas ng tingin subalit hindi pa din inaalis ang yakap sa kaniya. His cheeks are red as well as the tip of his ears.

She smiled and hug him back just as tightly. "I love you..." she whispered softly.

She felt his muscles suddenly tensed. His head whipped faster than the bullet. "Y-you what?" he was breathing faster and heavier in every seconds. "Say that again." he whispered, and tinig nito ay nag-uutos, nakikiusap at tila nagmamakaawa. His eyes held so much emotions. Shocked. Disbelief. Delight. Love.

"Ang sabi ko, mahal kita." nanginginig ang labi niya habang inuulit ang mga salitang iyon. The raw emotions she saw in his eyes was a reflection of hers.

She saw him opened his mouth to catch his breath and felt him shivered a little. His eyes now blurred while staring at her.

"Are you crying?" hindi alam ni Kallyra kung mangingiti o mahahawa sa nakikitang reaksyon nito. She smiled and gently wipe the teardrops on his cheeks. "You're like a baby." natatawang anas niya.

Hinuli nito ang kaniyang kamay at dinala sa labi nito pagkatapos ay inilapat sa malapad nitong dibdib. "I love you too... I love you more than you probably know."

He hugged her tight and they stayed like that until the sun goes down and the sky turns dark.

"Lucas?"

"Hmmm?"

"I love you with all my tummy."

"All your what?" he chuckled.

"I would say with all my heart, but my tummy is the most precious part of my body right now, can we continue hugging each other later on your bed so we could eat first, what do you think? I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."

Kumalam ang tiyan niya sa gutom at malakas namang tumawa si Lucas.