"Black princess!" [2]

Alam niyang paparating na ang mga police kaya't kaagad syang lumabas na tila walang nangyari.

When she come out nakita niya ang lalaking inutusan niya kaninang magbilang at tumawag ng police.

"Sa. .sabi mo tumawag ako ng po. .police pag—"

"Magbilang ka ulit and when they asked what happened here, tell them—"

Anyang may ibinulong rito.

"Blac. .black princess!"

Napaawang ang labi at nanginginig ang buong katawan nito ng marealized kung sino ang kaharap.

"Grim reaper. .Black Princess!"

May mga sabi sabi nuon na kapag nagpakita raw itong sinasabi nilang black princess ibig sabihin nasa malapit lang si Hades at walang sinuman ang nabuhay pag nakakita sa kanilang mukha.

Sophia just casually walked in the lobby alam niyang nasa elevator na ang mga police at ang iba ay nakaabang narin sa ibat ibang bahagi ng naturang hotel.

Sa hagdanan sya dumaan papuntang 16th floor, esakto namang napadaan sya sa dry cleaning cart, she just simply took one of the dress with out looking it saka pumasok sa banyo. 

Sophia immediately removed her gloves and washed the blood stained in her face and hands. Binindahan niya ang sugat sa kaliwa at kanang braso.

Ginamit niyang pantapal sa kanyang sugat ang sanitary napkin. 

She shook her head to maintain her consciousness. Naramdaman na niya ang unti unting paghina ng katawan.

"Not now!"

Pagkatapos niyang bindahan ang sarili, saka niya isinuot ang black evening dress na hanggang takong ang taas habang ang slit naman ay hanggang hita ang tabas, which shows her slender leg.

She was surprised dahil saktong sakto sa kanya ang damit as if it was made for her. 

Inilugay nya ang buhok saka lumabas sa banyo, sakto namang napadaan ang mga police, all of them stop in their track napasipol pa ang mga ito, she smiled on the two of them, flirtatiously.

She deliberately wave her hair and cliff it in her ears, napasinghap naman ang dalawa na tila nakakita ng artista.

"Men's weakness!" 

She told herself.

"Did you see a woman just passed by—do you Copy?"

Anang boses na narinig niya sa radio ng mga ito.

"Wala po kaming—"

Natigil ang dalawa ng marealized ng mga ito ang sitwasyon. Napaawang ang mga labi nilang napaharap sa kanyang gawi.

"We saw a model—"

"What model? you idiot—it was her!"

Bulyaw ng nasa kabilang linya, the two of them chased after her at dahil nauna na sya sa elevator ng kumilos ang mga ito she just wave them goodbye.

"Bilisan mo!"

"Damn!" 

Sophia just realized that it was dangerous for her to be in the lift, paano pag inabangan sya ng mga police sa baba. She could be cornered by them.

Sophia noticed that the lift has a camera, she removed the pad she used as bandage in her wound saka niya itinampal doon. 

It was already in the fifth floor when the lift suddenly open that make her world suddenly stop. 

Sophia was about to run when she saw Leo stood handsomely in front of her with a bouquet of roses in his hands. 

It was as if she saw an angel.

"Lee!"

She called his name softly, hindi niya alam kung lumabas ba ang mga katagang iyon sa kanyang bibig o imahinasyon na nalamang niya.

The lift opposite to her burst open, without a word she grab Leo, hugged him tight as if her life depended on him then kissed him.

Leo gasped in shocked when Sophia kissed him, He's just a man and he had feelings for her kaya't nadala siya ng pagkakataon.

He kissed her back kahit paman nagtataka sya kung ano ang ginagawa ng dalaga doon. 

Sophia stop when she realized it and look into his eyes. Leo felt that she's in her vulnerable state, they stared with each other, no words comes out from their mouth but it was as if their hearts is talking.

Sophia realized that she's not supposed to feel something like this. .

Not in this situation, not in here and not with him! She reminded herself,

But why? 

She's holding her tears and it's melting Leo's heart, dala marahil ng sitwasyon at bugso ng damdamin nila sa isat isa. 

Leo kissed her once again, this time it was him who had a fully control over the situation and Sophia did not resist.

Her hands slowly slid down, habang hawak ni Leo ang kanyang magkabilang pisngi.

"Where is she?"

Narinig pa niyang nagpapanic na tanong ng team leader ng mga police. 

Napalingon silang bigla sa papasarang elevator sa tapat nila. 

Pero ang bukod tangi lang nilang nakikita ay balikat ng lalaki na nakikipaghalikan sa kanyang kasintahan.

As soon as the door closed Sophia passed out, nakita rin ni Leo ang dugo na umaagos sa kanyang kanang balikat. 

"Soph. .are you alright?"

Sophia melted in his arms kaya't binuhat niya ang dalaga. Dinala niya ito sa sasakyan and drive off.

Matagal niyang pinagmasdan ang payapang mukha ng dalaga, hindi niya ito dinala sa hospital dahil alam niyang pinaghahanap ito ng mga autoridad.

"Where are we?"

Leo jerked ng marinig ang boses ni Sophia.

"How could you passed out in my arms? paano kung hindi ako—"

"Then he would've a chance to come near me!"

Biglang napatitig si Leo sa kanya habang wala sa sariling naibulong ang mga katagang,

"Why?" 

Na ikinalingon ni Sophia sa kanyang gawi. Sophia knew what Leo meant for asking why? It wasn't for the first statement but rather asking her why would she trusted him that much.

"You know why the eyes of an assassin is the purest among all?"

Sophia asked habang bahagyang napatawa, She might sound rediculous to him.

"They might be a monster to someone else eyes, but when they look into the eyes of someone whom they love and care, it's not their eyes that talks in their heart—"

She paused ng maramdaman ang awkward na tension sa pagitan nilang dalawa. 

"Everytime you stared at me, you've been telling me about your feelings without even realizing it!"

"It seems that you've seen enough of me!"

Leo smiled bitterly.

"What I felt for you is always the same—"

"I'm not rejecting you, Lee. It's just that the two of us stood in the opposite edge, if one of us fall the people that stands between us will collapse—we don't have a choice!"

"I know!"

Leo said in a matter of fact tone.

"How ironic!"

Ani Sophia na natawa ng bahagya ng may maalala.

"I intended to make good memories with you that night, but I ended up being drunk and  forgot everything that happened to us—"

"We kissed on that night!"

Sophia's face reddened in embarrassment, bigla syang napalingon sa kanang bahagi upang itago ang kanyang mukha.

Like what the heck we kissed and all but I could not remember anything? 

"I had a very good memories with you on that night—the night that will last forever in my heart!"

"I will never forget what happened to us—today!"

Napabuntunghingang bulong ni Sophia, bigla nalang bumigat ang kanyang dibdib.

Sophia felt like crying pero pinigilan niya ang mga luha. If she'll cried in front of him, it will make him confused and distracted.

"After this night when we see each other again we'll be enemies!"

"Yeah!"

Leo's voice crooked at napatingin rin ito sa kaliwang bahagi kung saan hindi niya makikita ang mukha nito.

"By the way what are you doing in here?"

"I guess we come here for the same reason!"

Mahina nitong sabi, maya-maya biglang naalerto si Leo ng may sasakyang paparating. Sophia held his hand in a manner of saying "It's ok!"

Napatingin lang sa kanyang mga mata si Leo, he open his mouth and closed it again.

"I have to go!"

Sophia wave him goodbye bago pumasok sa loob ng sasakyan, nakipag usap naman saglit kay Leo si Det. Sembrano bago ito sumunod sa kanya.

They're already out of sight pero nanatili paring nakatanaw si Leo sa kanila.

"I hope we won't see each other again!"

Mapait niyang sabi sa sarili atleast pag hindi na mag kross ang kanilang landas hindi na nila kailangang kalabanin ang isat-isa. 

A kind of fate both of them could never escape!

"Are you ok princess?"

Tanong ni Lance a.k.a Det. Sembrano sa kanya, hindi niya ito sinagot pero mas lalo pa syang napahagulgol ng iyak.

"He told me to give this to you!"

Binabayaan na lamang sya ni Lance at ibinigay nito sa kanya ang punpon ng pulang rosas. 

"I hope we won't see each other again!"

Impit niyang bulong sa pagitan ng paghikbi habang yakap yakap ang mga bulaklak.