SHOWDOWN

CHAPTER 42

IVAN? She couldn't believe it. Lalong hindi niya magawang paniwalaan ang ginagawa ng lalaki. He was holding his cock as his hand pumped up and down. Pinapaligaya nito ang sarili habang pinanonood sila. He must have been on the brink of orgasm when she saw him. Hindi kasi itong nakakilos agad. Napaangat pa ang ulo nito, natuon yata ang atensiyon sa masarap na pagsabog nito. Shocked registered on his face when his eyes encountered hers. Agad nitong itinaas ang shorts saka pumihit at mabilis na nagtatakbo palayo.

"Wait!" sigaw ni Lara.

But of course, he didn't heed her call. Nagkumahog siyang makawala sa pagkakapaikot ng mga braso ni Dane sa kanya saka mabilis na inayos ang damit niya. Akma siyang pupunta sa spiral staircase na pababa ng balkon pero hinagip ni Dane ang braso niya.

"Let me go," anas niya rito.

"Sa tingin mo ba ay gugustuhin ni Ivan na makaharap ka kaagad? Bigyan mo man lang siya ng konting panahon para makabawi," anito.

May sense ang sinabi nito kaya napirme siya sa kinatatayuan. And then she realized something. Dane didn't seem as shocked as she is by what she discovered. Ni hindi nga siya tinanong nito kung ano ang nakita niya at naaligaga siya bigla.

She whirled around and faced him. Did he know what Ivan was doing?

"He has a fetish," kalmadong hayag ni Dane. "He likes...he likes to watch people having sex and sometimes he even...participates."

Bumuka ang bibig ni Lara pero walang salitang lumabas galing doon. Kilala niya ang asawa kaya alam niyang hindi ito gagawa ng kuwento para lang manira ng tao. Isa pa, nakita rin ng mga mata niya na pinapanood sila ni Ivan. Naalala niya iyong ilang pagkakataon na pakiramdam niya ay may nakatingin sa kanila ni Dane habang nasa kasagsagan sila ng mainit na tagpo. Si Ivan ba iyon?

Gee, you think? Sarkastiko ang boses sa isipan niya. Naalala rin niya iyong panahong parang nakita niya ito na naniniktik sa mga taong nagtatalik sa kubo.

To say that she is shocked is an understatement. Hindi biro ang nadiskubre niya tungkol sa matalik niyang kaibigan. She also couldn't help feeling betrayed. Pinanood siya nito habang nakikipag-sex siya. How creepy is that? And how disgusting?

"Now that you know his secret, maybe you'd stop idolizing him. Maybe you'd quit thinking he's a saint who could do no wrong. Your hero, your knight in shining armor, has feet of clay," saad ni Dane.

Nanlamig bigla si Lara. Sa sinabi ng lalaki ay may nabuong hinala sa kanya.

"P-paano mo nalaman ang tungkol sa hilig ni Ivan?" tanong niya.

Dane looked away. Parang nahiya ito.

"Paano?" giit niya. Kung siya na napakalapit na kaibigan ni Ivan ay hindi alam ang sikreto nito ay paanong nadiskubre iyon ni Dane?

Huminga muna ito ng malalim. "I...I had him investigated, okay?" bulalas nito.

"Ano?" Nagsimulang umakyat ang galit sa kalooban ni Lara. "How...how dare you?"

"How dare me? I did it for you," ganti ng lalaki. "You had been in love with him for the longest time. You had been pining for him."

"I was not..."

"Huwag mo nang itanggi, Lara. If you would be true to yourself, you would admit to feeling that way. Kahit noong panahong mag-asawa na tayo ay ramdam ko na laging nakapagitna sa 'tin si Ivan. You were too scared to act on your feelings for him but that didn't stop you from having them. Itong pagyaya ko sa iyo, this is my last ditch attempt at getting you back. Alam kong napakaliit ng tsansa ko na mahalin mo ulit, lalo pa kung nandiyan si Ivan, naghihintay sa iyo. So I did what I could. I had someone look into his background."

"Naghanap ka ng duming maipupukol sa kanya. How low is that?"

"I didn't do it just for me. Para sa iyo rin. I mean, if you're gonna choose him over me, then it's better if you know exactly what you're getting into. I was as shocked as you are to discover his secret. Hindi ko akalain na may itinatago siyang ganoon sa pagkatao niya. Iyong imbestigador na inupahan ko, he discovered it by accident. He saw Ivan at a psychiatrist's clinic and he took it from there. Hanggang sa matuklasan niya ang tungkol sa fetish ng kaibigan mo. Still, hindi ako agad naniwala sa report niya. I wanted to be sure if it's true or not. Gusto ko ring malaman ang extent ng epekto niyon kay Ivan. Sina Marj at Wick..."

"No!" anas niya. "Huwag mong sabihin na..."

"They are really not doing research on marine life. They are just a couple I know. Medyo liberated ang pananaw nila pagdating sa sex. They don't mind if...if people watches them. Or...joins them."

"Inimbitahan mo sila rito hoping na maibubuko ni Dane ang sarili niya?" Ang dali para kay Lara na mahulaan ang pakay ni Dane.

"So that I'll be sure of the info I have in my hands." Hindi naman itinanggi iyon ng lalaki. "Marj confirmed that she saw Ivan secretly watching as she and Wick are having sex."

"Eh iyong mga pagkakataon na...na tayo ang..."

"I didn't plan that," mabilis nitong sabad. "Noong malaman ko nga na nanonood si Ivan, ang unang reaksiyon ko ay ang sugurin siya. Suntukin. I hated the thought that he saw you naked and most likely, he would be fantasizing about you while he jacks off. But I guess it served its purpose. Mas lalo akong nakasiguro na sobrang addicted siya sa fetish niya na kahit ikaw na kaibigan niya ay hindi niya palalagpasin ang pagkakataon na panoorin. Had he been a really good friend, he would have tried to stop himself. Kahit out of respect man lang sa pagkakaibigan niyo."