All-Time Favorite: Kiel Part 1 & 2

CHAPTER EIGHT

"HUWAG kang kikilos!" He said in his deep and harsh voice.

Tila may lamig na gumapang sa buong katawan ni Aleya.

"I—I don't intend to."

Mabilis ang kilos ni Kiel at nabuksan nito ang ilawan sa bed table. Subalit ang baril ay nanatiling nakatuon sa dalaga.

Straight at her heart.

"Aleya! Son of a—aw shit!" pagmumura ni Kiel na sinundan ng iba pang litanya ng unprinted oaths.

She winced at the series of curses. But she didn't dare move a fraction. Her hands were on her lap.

"Ano ang ginagawa mo at pumasok ka rito nang ganito at sa ganitong oras?" marahas nitong tanong.

"H-hindi ako makatulog," aniya, ang mga mata'y titig na titig sa dulo ng baril na nakaumang pa rin sa kanya.

"Hindi ka maka—damn!"

"Please, sa iba mo itutok ang baril na iyan. At nagsasabi ako ng totoo. I—I couldn't sleep. I couldn't feel comfortable."

Ibinaba nito ang baril sa lamesita. "How could you be so stupid to come here like this? I could have killed you!"

"I thought about that while I was in my bedroom thinking. A-and this... may sound crazy and it doesn't make sense... but I am not afraid of you, Montañez. I don't think for a moment that you will kill me."

For the life of her, hindi niya alam paanong lumabas sa bibig niya iyon. Pero iyon ang totoo. She wasn't afraid of him. She was terrified of the situation he put her into.

Kiel blinked in disbelief. Of course he wouldn't kill her. Not even a thought of causing her any harm.

"Aleya," wika nito sa tonong isa siyang bata na kailangang pagpaliwanagan. "Paano kung kumilos ako sa instinct ko at pinaputok ko ang baril dahil hindi ko alam na ikaw ang nasa paanan ko? Bakit hindi ka kumatok?"

She shrugged. "I might wake the others."

"Why are you here? What do you want?"

"I find it unfair that you are here sleeping peacefully while I couldn't."

"Unfair?" Inihilamos ni Kiel ang palad sa mukha at pagkuwa'y mabilis na hinablot ang kumot at itinakip sa ibabang bahagi ng katawan. He was only wearing boxer shorts.

Paano kung inabutan ito ni Aleya na walang suot kahit na ano? He usually slept without anything on.

Magmula lang nang dumating sa rancho ang dalaga na natutuhan niyang magsuot ng boxer shorts sa pagtulog. Hindi niya gustong maabala sa pagbibihis kung dumating sa rancho anumang oras si Flavio.

"So you couldn't sleep that is why you crept into my room," he said drily. "Do you want something to help you sleep?"

Bahagyang nanlaki ang mga mata niya. "More drugs?" Mabilis siyang umiling. "No!"

"Then what do you want?"

"I told you—"

"Yes. You find it unfair that I was sleeping and you couldn't. And so what now?"

"H-hindi lang iyon."

"What do you want?"

Mabilis na gumana ang isip ni Aleya sa paghahanap ng dahilan. Hindi niya gustong aminin ditong nais lang niya itong abalahin sa pagtulog.