ZWCS#9: Playing with Fire

Eight

Umahon si Trinity mula sa infinity pool matapos mapagod lumangoy. A towel was immediately handed to her and when she looked up she smiled at the person in front of her.

"When are you coming home?" Sage asked her while helping her to stand up.

"Next week," she answered and strode her way to her breakfast table. She's enjoying her free time in California after her intense training with the Stanford Cardinal Women's Volleyball Team. Seven months ago, she was recruited by Stanford to join their team, of course it comes with a scholarship.

Her parents were close enough to even throw her off the plane just to accept that scholarship but she stood her ground and said no not until that one last encounter with the man who broke her.

Malakas na itinapon ni Trinity sa ere ang mga litratong kuha niya mula sa hotel nang saktong pagbuksan siya ni Steven ng pintuan. Matapos niyang sundan ang mga ito sa hotel, tyinaga niyang maghintay na halos anim na oras para lamang kuhanan ang mga ito ng litrato. When she was snapping photos of them, the tears were gone and all are replaced by her wrath and desire to get revenge. They made her look like a fool, nobody dared to do that to her, si Steven lang.

Diretso siya nang pasok at iniwan si Steven na isa-isang pinupulot ang mga nagkalat na mga litrato. Dumiretso siya sa kitchen at kinuha ang isang bote ng alak at nagsalin sa baso. Sumandal siya sa kitchen counter at sumimsim sa hawak niyang baso ng alak habang pinagmamasdan si Steven na dahan-dahang lumalapit sakanya. Mahigpit ang pagkakahawak nito sa mga litrato at mariing nakatingin sakanya. She can't distinguish if it was guilt, fear or anger she's seeing right now on his facial expression, but whatever it is she doesn't care at all.

"Mag-eexplain pa ba ako o nakapagexplain ka na sa sarili mo?" he asked. Marahan niyang nilagay ang mga litrato sa kitcher counter at tumayo sa harap niya na may sapat na distansya sa pagitan nila.

She smirked. "You can explain. Let's hear what crap of a story you made this time."

Malaks na bumuntong-hininga si Steven. "I never thought you will have to hire someone to follow me."

"I didn't, Steven," mabilis niyang sagot. "I trusted you enough to believe that you and Rebecca are just pretending but I saw you two so sweet at the school's parking lot that I had the urge to follow you. Alam mo ba na habang sinusundan ko kayo, habang naghihintay ako na lumabas kayo jan sa hotel na iyan, may katiting na hiling pa rin sa loob ko na sana kasama ito sa pagpapapanggap ninyo. But I had enough."

"Mahal kita, Isla. It's just that.."

"Mahal mo din siya?"

Hindi nakasagot si Steven kaya malakas na tumawa siya at inisang lagok ang natitirang alak sa baso niya bago magsalin ulit ng panibago.

"What a joke," she muttered after emptying her second glass.

"Did you have sex with her? Was it fun? Was it thrilling and exciting too?"

"Isla.." pigil sakanya nito.

She placed her glass on the counter and just drank straight from the bottle of alcohol. "No, tell me. I want to hear it straight from you."

"Mahina tolerance mo sa alcohol, akin na 'yan."

Malaks na tinabig niya ang baso sa counter kaya malakas na pumailanlang ang pagkakabasag nito sa sahig.

"Isla!"

"Tell me! Did you have sex with her?! You owe it to me Steven!"

Umigting ang panga ni Steven pero sa huli ay bumagsak ang mga balikat nito at napayuko.