The PAST MISTAKE

Chapter Thirteen

James now knew who she was. The woman Monique reminded him of. It was her, the woman from long time ago. The one who had been haunting his dreams most of the night. It was her. At hindi siya nagkakamali. Si Monique at ang babaeng iyon ay iisa lamang. Imposible namang kamukha lamang ni Monique ang babaeng iyon. They were very the same.

The moment he led Monique into his room, the minute he stripped her of all her clothing and the second he let his eyes beheld her glorious nakedness, a pang of déjà vu swept over him again. Noong una ay hindi niya pinansin iyon, ngunit nang pumaibabaw siya sa babae, doon na niya napansin ang pagkakahalintulad nilang dalawa.

Of course he couldn't forget the sexy moan that girl had made. It sounded just like how Monique made it when they were making love. The small gasp Monique made in between his thrusts... the way she panted for breath and with the way she clung to his shoulders... the way her black hair was wantonly spread against his white pillow... the way she looked at him as he drove inside her for the last time until he came into a million pieces... They were very much the same.

Now that Monique was stripped of all her clothing and glasses, and her thick hair unbound, he couldn't be mistaken as to who she really was.

Monique was her--the girl he had been looking for but couldn't be found.

Pinilit niyang hanapin ang babaeng iyon dati dahil gusto niyang humingi nang tawad dito. At dahil na rin sa kanyang sariling kuryosidad. He wanted to know her better, find an answer as to why he felt something towards her that he couldn't exactly explain what it was. Or why he felt it in the first place.

At hindi niya man lang matandaan ang pangalan nito, hindi ito nakatulong sa kanyang paghahanap. Kahit pa ang investigator na tinawagan niya ay sinabing wala rin siyang magagawa dahil kahit ni first name man lang ay walang pinanghahawakan si James. Kahit sa CCTV sa loob ng Bar ay naging mailap ang mukha ng babae. At ayaw namang ilabas ng building ng condong kanyang tinutuluyan dati ang kanilang mga videos dahil kailangang dumaan muna ito sa tamang proseso.

He let go of the idea of finding her. Kung mismo ang pagkakataon na ang nagsasabing hindi niya dapat hanapin ang babae, baka hindi talaga nakatadhanang makita niya ang babaeng iyon noon.

Pero ngayon, nakita na niya ito. And she was working right under his nose!

Damn! Bakit kailangan pa ni Monique na magbalat-kayong bilang ibang tao? And was Monique even her real name?

Magkatabi pa rin silang nakahiga sa kama ngayon, ang likod ni Monique ay nakaharap sa kanya. Alam niyang gising ito, ngunit hinayaan na lamang niya itong manahimik.

Why? Why did she do it? Why did she hide her real identity from him? Maaaring dahil nahihiya ito sa ginawa nila years ago? Dahil akala ba nito na kapag namukhaan niya ang babae ay sisisantehin niya ito? Or was there something else?

Si Monique ang unang bumasag sa kanilang katahimikan. "Akala ko ba ay magbabago ka na?"

Hinawi niya ang buhok na tumatabing sa likod ng leeg ni Monique. "I guess you were just too irresistible."

"Hindi dahilan iyon. Papaano kapag kasal ka na nga talaga? Ganito rin ba ang gagawin mo? Ang lokohin ang asawa mo?"

"Monique–"

"Bakit? Bakit nagawa natin ito?"

"Monique this was a–"

"A mistake? Isa ba itong panibagong pagkakamali, James?"

Bumuntong-hininga si James at hinapit papalapit si Monique sa kanya. "Look, what happened between us was not a mistake. What happened was something special, and I will never, ever forget it. I... I think the reason why this happened between us is because we felt something for each other, an attraction perhaps."