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"Why are you here?" Marlon asked gritting his teeth as soon as he saw Rebekah entered the venue.
Matagal bago nakasagot si Rebekah. Feeling tuloy niya parang hindi siya invited dito.
She let out a small smile while biting her lower lip. Bakit pa nga ba siya pumunta dito kung nandito na naman ang boss niya? She thought he will not come here kaya siya nandito bilang sekretarya nito.
Mas lalo siyang napakagat-labi nang mapansin niya itong pinagmasdan siya mula ulo hanggang paa. Nakasuot siya ng manipis na gown na hapit na hapit sa kanyang katawan at mas lalo nitong pinahubog ang kanyang katawan. It's a low cut gown that revealed her plumped boobs. She looked at him in the eyes. She bit her lower lip again when she saw how he looked so angry. Sino nga bang hindi magagalit pagkatapos siya nitong tanggalin sa trabaho ay nakatayo siya sa harap nito ngayon? Yumuko siya at napakagat-labi pa rin. Pakiramdam niya maiiyak na naman siya. Para sa kanya masyadong masakit ang mga salitang binitawan nito kanina. Tagos sa puso.
Itinaas niya ulit ang mukha para hanapin si Makie na nagpaalam lang na pupunta sa banyo. Gumaan ang pakiramdam niya nang makita itong lumabas sa isang sulok at nagtitingin sa paligid.
Maliit siyang ngumiti at akma na sanang lalapitan ang kapatid nang hilahin na lang siya bigla ni Marlon palapit sa katawan nito na dahilan ng pagka-out balance niya at napasubsob sa dibdib nito.
"Move or I'll kiss you."
Napakurap siya.
Tama ba ang rinig niya?
"H-huh? S-sir, t-teka lang..."
Dahan-dahan siya nitong hinila at isinayaw sa gitna ng mga nagsasayawan. Hindi siya nagtangkang lumayo at sumunod na lang dito.
"Atleast you look pretty tonight." He murmured something but she cannot hear it clearly because of the background music.
"I'm sorry–"
Hindi niya natapos ang sasabihin nang maramdaman niyang natigilan si Marlon. Hindi niya makita kung sino ang nakabangga nila dahil nakasubsob pa rin siya sa dibdib nito. Pero dahil sa lakas ng tibok ng puso nito ay parang alam na niya kung sino.
"Marlon?"
Boses pa lang ang ganda na. Mahinhin at malambing. No wonder he loved her. Or he still love her.
"Roxanne."
She can hear his heartbeat beating so fast by saying her name.
"How are you, Marlon? It's been so long."
"I'm doing fine and I'm happy."
'Liar. I can hear your heartbeat beating so fast right now and your hands gripping my hands tightly'. ani Rebekah sa sarili.
"And you?" Marlon asked and looked to the man beside Roxanne.
"Oh, I think I don't need to ask it because I can see that you are happy.... With him. Congratulations on your engagement."
'Nangangalay na ako dito'. Ani ulit ni Rebekah sa sarili habang nakikinig lang.
"Thank you so much, Marlon. Oh by the way, sorry muntik kong makalimutan." Roxanne smiled sweetly to her fiancee. 
"Marlon this is my fiancee Roger. Honey this is Marlon Dempsey. He was my–"
"Her friend. Nice to meet you, Roger. And I also want you to meet Rebekah."
Rebekah looked at him questioningly when he wrapped his arm around her waist.
"She's my fiancée."
Rebekah's round eyes grew bigger.
"And Rebekah this is Roxanne and Roger."
Walang mahagilap na salita si Rebekah at nagtatanong na nakatingin lang kay Marlon. Kanina pa lang ay sinigawan siya nito at pinaalis sa kompanya nito ngayon naman ay nakangiti na ito sa kanya. But she knew that it wasn't a real smile. He is using her in front of his Ex-fiancee to cover his aching heart.
"Baby?" Malambing na sambit ni Marlon sabay haplos sa kanyang pisngi gamit ang likod ng kamay nito.
"Huh?" Namumula ang pisngi na sagot ni Rebekah.
Marlon chuckled softly.
"Sorry. She was so tired that's why she's feeling sleepy. Are you okay, baby?"
Rebekah slowly smiled at him. Perhaps she just needs to go with the flow.
Para kahit papano man ay mapagaan ang naramdaman ng kanyang boss at baka makalimutan na rin nito ang nasabi nito kanina at pababalikin siya bukas sa trabaho.
"Uhm... Hi... I'm Rebekah. Nice to meet you." She smiled to them and shook their hands. The couple look good together. And Roxanne is just... just perfect.
"And now... may I call Roger and Roxanne–"
"Oh, excuse us." Paumanhin ni Roxanne sa kanila at masayang hinawakan ang kamay ng fiancée nito saka bahagya pang tumakbo papunta sa stage. Halatang masayang-masaya ito sa kinakasama.
She smiled as they looked so happy walking to the stage.
Natigilan siya nang makaramdam siya ng mainit na hininga sa gilid ng leeg niya kaya napalingon siya at doon lang niya napagtanto na nakayakap pa pala siya sa baywang ng binata. Mabilis niyang binawi ang kamay at yumuko agad nang magkatinginan silang dalawa. Napakagat-labi siya nang makaramdam siya ng panginginit ng mukha.
"Ah... uhm..."
"I told you not to move or I will kiss you."
"Ah–ha? S-sorry po." Napakagat-labi ulit siya.
"F*ck." he cursed and kissed her suddenly.
Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Rebekah. It took her a minute to open her mouth and move her lips. They said even if it's your first time, you will know how to kiss if the person you're kissing with is a good kisser. And now, she believes it.
"Have you seen Rebekah?" rinig niya sa kung saan ang boses ng kapatid niya kaya bigla siyang natauhan. Humiwalay agad siya kay Marlon at tumakbo palabas. Muntik pa siyang masubsob sa pinto nang matapakan niya ang sariling dulo ng damit sa sahig.
"Did you see Rebekah?" tanong ni Makie kay Marlon nang makalapit na ito sa kanya.
Doon din natauhan si Marlon at napatingin na lang sa direksiyon kung saan tumakbo ang dalaga.
"W-what? Ah... tumakbo siya– I mean... what? She's here? I didn't see her. A-at saka... why would she be here? I already fired her." Utal-utal niyang sagot sa nakakatandang kapatid.
Oh f*ck. He just remembered it. He fired her this morning. He really did that?!
"Bro, okay ka lang ba? Bakit parang wala ka sa sarili? Siyempre nandito siya pagkatapos mong sinabing ayaw mong pumunta. Hindi ko alam na pupunta ka pala."
Marlon didn't answer. He came here to congratulate his ex-fiancee. Baka sabihin pa ng iba na nasasaktan siya sa hiwalayan nila three years ago. Truth is, wala naman talagang nangyari sa kanila. They just went out on a date because of their family. Kaya noong sinabi ng dalaga na tatapusin nito ang relasyon nila ay pumayag agad siya.
"Nagka-usap ba kayo ni Roxanne?"
"H-ha?" Maang niya na kinataas ng kilay ni Makie.
"What happened to me?" He murmured to himself.
He cleared his throat and smiled at him.
"Yeah. We talked and I also met Roger."
"It's okay. That's life." Sabi ni Makie na may halong pang-aasar kaya napangiti na lang siya.
Makie patted his shoulder as if he really looked so hurt.
"Come on, let's have a drink."
Sumunod siya sa kapatid. He needs something cold to loose his body heat. Who would've thought that Rebekah would kissed him back? And for Pete's sake, it was good but something is odd. Why does he think it was her first? Or was he just being into it and think it was?
'But if it's her first... didn't they kiss...' Aniya sa sarili.
He looked at his brother Makie beside him. He looked kind of worried as he watched him searching for her over the crowds.
Should he tell him? That she already went home in 'their' home after he stole a kiss from her?
Marlon knew they live together. He knew that when Makie won't go home to their mansion. He stayed to there homenwith her. He knew all. And thinking about that now makes him mad. He can't help it. It's hard falling in love with your brother's girlfriend. And what makes it more hard is that he respects him and it's hard for him to tell him the truth. Makie already suffered when he was young. He lived alone so poorly with only his mother around. Hindi niya kayang agawin si Rebekah mula dito na tanging nagpapasaya sa kapatid.  Lumaki itong mag-isa at walang ama. At siya naman ay lumaking kompleto at may masayang pamilya.
"What's wrong?" tanong ni Makie sa kanya nang sunod-sunod niyang inumin ang tatlong tagay ng alak.
"Nothing, Kuya. I just want to go home." Sagot niya sabay tayo at inayos ang suit na suot.
"Oh, okay. Ipapahatid na kita."
Tumayo din si Makie.
"No, it's okay. I'm not drunk." sagot niya sabay tapik sa balikat nito at niyakap bago nagmamadaling naglakad palabas.
Nang makapasok siya sa kotse ay agad niyang tinanggal ang neck tie at huminga ng malalim. He looked at his pants and clenched his jaw. He got more hard everytime he thinks about their kiss earlier.
"F*ck you, Rebekah. What did you do to me?" He murmured gritting his teeth before he drove away.