Hideaway [Completed]

Chapter 5

They arrived in a posh building at dire-diretso ang kotse ni Aspen doon papunta sa basement kung nasaan ang parking. All cars lined up were luxury cars.

"Hindi mo na ako kailangang dalahin dito," Katrina firmly said.

"You can stay here with me for the meantime. I'll bring you to the doctor myself for a checkup. Magpapa-schedule na rin tayo para sa mga tests na kailangang gawin sayo," dire-diretsong wika ni Aspen habang nagpa-park. "Besides, I have to be sure na walang ibang makakaalam ng tungkol rito. And I can't be sure that you'll seal your mouth shut completely if I can't see you."

"What do you mean?" tanong niya sa binata.

He turned off the engine. "If you haven't figured out yet, Katrina, I'm an Alcaraz."

"Ipinapamukha mo na naman ba ang pera mo sakin?" inis at iritang tanong niya dito.

He just shrugged. "Kind of. But more than that, I'm supposed to take over my family's hard-earned company. I can't let anything ruin my image for my dad and my family."

Natigilan si Katrina sa sinabi nito. "And you think I will ruin your image!"

"How old are you?"

"What do you mean?" 

"I'm asking how old you are. You said nag-aaral ka pa, hindi ba?"

Katrina couldn't meet his eyes and nodded. 

Napahampas sa manibela si Aspen in frustration. "Fuck this! I can't believe I did something like this. Please tell me you're not a minor or else I'll be forced to kill myself firsthand rather than let my dad know about this. How old are you?"

"Nineteen," she managed to squeak out.

"Damn it," mahinang mura ni Aspen. "You're not a minor but you're still so fucking young! I'm nine years older than you. Do you know that? How can you just say yes to me outside that bar months ago?"

At hindi na napigilan ni Katrina ang sarili. She felt like he was already insulting her. Kaya hindi niya napigilan ang mga kamay ng sampalin niya ito. "I needed money. Hindi ko gagawin iyon kung hindi ko kailangan ng pera. And don't blame me for everything! It was your fault as much as it is mine."

Nakahawak lamang sa pisngi niya si Aspen. "Did you just slap me, woman?"

Hindi na sumagot si Katrina. She just tried to open her door para makalabas. 

Aspen sensed her frustration kaya may pinindot ito at nabuksan ni Katrina ang pinto. She went out quickly and so did Aspen. Mabilis siyang nahila ng binata bago pa siya makalakad papalayo.

"Let me go!" hila niya sa kanang kamay niya na tangay-tangay ngayon ng binata.

"No, you're staying with me because you're not capable of making wise decisions by yourself."

"We're strangers. Hindi mo ko kilala! Hindi kita kilala!"

"But what if that baby is mine?" seryosong tanong nito. 

"What if? Ni ayaw mo ngang akuin ang bata kanina tapos ngayon ipinipilit mo?"

They faced an elevator at pinindot ni Aspen ang button sa tabi nito. It opened and he shoved her inside. "Consider this charity habang hindi ko pa alam kung talagang anak ko ang batang 'yan. I'm just a person who wanted to help a helpless teenager like you." He spat out the word teenager like it was worse than being a prostitute.

*****

They arrived in a posh two-floored unit in white and gray. It screams male and minimalist. All of the furniture inside screamed luxurious. And Katrina was not comfortable with that.