Damn it, Maria! (Squad Series 1)

42 🌈 Caleb, The Loser

Ihanda ang sarili sa chapter na ito. uwu

~Ellena Odde 💖

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Wala silang imikan pag-alis. Caleb just held Maria's hand, as he gently dragged her put from the suite, to the elevator, out of the hotel.

Hindi nila pinansin ang mga kakaibang tingin ng staff at kliyente sa suot ni Maria na pajama at bitbit nitong pizzabox. Habang hinihintay ang sasakyan niya, hindi parin niya ito binitiwan.

Then, from her wrist, he moved his hands to capture her palm and intertwined their fingers. Hindi ito nagkomento.

When the valet drove his car near the entrance, si Caleb pa mismo ang nagbukas ng pinto sa harap, pinapasok si Maria. Siya na rin ang nag-ayos ng seat belt nito at walang salitang nag-drive.

"How are you feeling?" tanong niya sa wakas, binasag ang katahimikan, habang nagmamaneho.

"Okay... kumain na ako ng pizza at ice cream."

"They're not medicine."

"Syempre naman..." anitto, ang paos na boses ay unti-unting sumigla, "pero alam mo Mon-Mon, ang sarap ng chocolate... vanilla rin." Binuksan nito ang box at kumain. "Gusto mo? Subuan kita. Masarap."

Sa pagkakataong iyon, hindi siya galit kung mangamoy pagkain ang sasakyan niya. Instead, he was angry for a different reason.

"Maria, stop lying..." Sigurado siyang iba ang panlasa ng may sakit. Kahit ang masibang katulad ni Maria ay ganoon rin.

"I'm not lying."

"You are!" He swerved his car on the roadside, screeched to a sudden stop. "Maria, please... stop lying..." Kahit siya ay hindi makapaniwala sa pagmamakaawa sa tinig. "It's okay. If you're sad, you're weak... it's okay, no need to hide it."

Noong una, rinig niya ang mahihinang tawa nito, pero tinitigan niya ito ng taimtim, tinging hindi naniniwala at mapanuri.

Ang tawa nito ay nahilaw, hanggang tumigil. Ibinaba nito ang pizza, at tukad ng isang bata at inosenteng nagtanong, "Halata ba?"

Hindi siya sumagot.

She now faced ahead. "Mon-Mon, alam mo, kumain ako ng fried chicken kanina. Hindi na masarap."

"It's fine, when you get better, you'll eat a lot soon."

"Alam mo rin, sabi ni Daddy, sa isang araw, at least twenty times tayong ngumingiti. Pero... sa araw na 'to, hindi pa ako umabot ng twenty."

She smiled again, but it was painful. Nangilid ang luha sa mga matang nito. "Mon-Mon... hindi ko na alam ang gagawin. I can't smile for real..." At nag-unahan ang pagtulo ng luha nito. "Something is really wrong with me."

Nagpigil si Caleb, muling binuhay ang makina. "There is nothing wrong with you. Nothing."

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Pagdating sa bahay, muli niya itong hinila sa kwarto nito.

"Sleep," he commanded then left.

Nahablot nito ang lalaylayan ng T-Shirt niya. "Dito ka lang," bulong nito, unti-unting itinaas ang tingin. "Dito ka lang please."

For a moment, he was taken aback. Caleb felt attacked. He realized how dangerous a weak Maria could be. She looks so cute, her cat eyes, looking up on him, batting her lashes, like an innocent angel.

She was never cute. She was never an angel. Iyon ang isinaksak niya sa isip. For him, she was never anything adorable.... until now.

Napamura siya sa isip, pero nagpatianod na rin. Matapos humugot ng malalim na hininga, hinila niya ito sa kama, pinahiga at tumabi.

"Just sleep. We have an hour left before you drink medicine."

"Okay," at isiniksik nito ang ulo sa dibdib niya.

Panandaliang natakot si Caleb, baka marinig ni Maria ang biglang paglakas ng tibok ng puso niya.

In his mind, he cursed one more, raised his hands and embraced her little body. She was warm. Her hair smelled like shampoo, something fried and sweet. Gamit ang daliri, sinuklay niya iyon.

He realized what he's doing and pulled his hand away, but continued anyway. Hindi rin iyon ang panahon para sa mga tanong. It can wait.

"Mon-Mon..."

"What?"

"Seventeen..." she heard her muffled voice. He can feel her hot breath against his chest.

Caleb gulped. "What seventeen?"

"Nakangiti na ako seventeen times."

"Let's make it twenty."

Inilayo niya ang mukha nito sa kanyang dibdib. He held her chain and raised her head as he lowered his, and gave her a quick kiss. Sa sandaling iyon, wala siyang pakialam sa posibilidad na mahawa sa sakit.

Automatically, she smiled once more.

"Hala, ang virus, mahahawa ka."

"Eighteen," he said, now, pulled her closer, for another short kiss.

"Nineteen," he said, looking at her smile grew bigger. Higit din itong namula, sigurado siyang hindi lagnat ang dahilan.

"Twenty!" sigaw nito, at ang nagpatiuna ng smack.

He mirrored her smile. "Twenty."

Ilang segundo silang nagkatitigan, naglaho ang mga ngiti. Sa isip ni Caleb, inililok niya ang mukha ni Maria. He then pulled her for a hug, stayed like that until minutes later, he felt her even breath.

Nang masiguradongahimbing ang tulog nito, maingat niyang ihiniwalay ang kamay at paupo na bumangon sa kama.

Naisuklay niya ang kamay sa buhok.

She annoys him in different ways. What frustrates him is she never showed weakness in front of him. Pagdating sa kanya, lagi itong nakangiti. No openings. No weakness.

All the while, it wasn't him who have his defenses up. It was Maria who built a wall around her, a smiling mask of invicibility. While his defense is slowly crumbling down.

And now, that he saw her weakness, it was already too late to use it against her.

Pinagmasdan niya ito, tinanggal ang hibla ng buhok na dumikit sa pisngi nito. "Sh*t..." he whispered, "too late..." and kissed her forehead.

He lost. 

The Montreal Monster was tamed.

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