26. Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Six
Two Flames
SAL
Presently, Dusit Thani Cebu
Bleary-eyed and with eyebrows tilted upward, Harmon considered Sal with a look of sympathy.
Don’t look at me like that, damn it! Sal thought as tears flowed down her cheeks. “You’re Claire’s brother…” she said again, this time not as a question, but as a reality that had sunk in the last minute.
Despite the loud music, all Sal could focus on was Harmon. He took a few steps closer, probably so she could hear him. “Let’s not talk here—it’s too noisy, and I have a headache,” he said. There was something unreadable in his gaze.
His cheeks flushed bright pink. Is he inebriated? she thought.
Then a soft hand cupped her cheek and gently wiped away a tear. “Please don’t cry…” he muttered. His voice was tender and deep.
Before Sal could react, Harmon pulled her by the wrist out of the pool area and into the hotel’s main lobby.
As he did, she noticed he was wearing a black muscle shirt that had a revealing low cut on the side.
She had never seen him wear anything casual.
She didn’t know why her eyes lingered on his taut arms as he led the way, but they were very distracting.
He arrived at the concierge and pulled out his wallet. “I’ll need a room,” he said.
The concierge looked at him and back at Sal, smiled and nodded. “What type of room would you like?”
Sal’s eyes widened. “Wait—”
“Give me the biggest room you have available,” he shot back while massaging his temples, handing over his ID and his credit card.
The concierge nodded and processed the booking, returned Harmon’s cards, and gave him two room card keys. “The biggest available suite, sir, top floor. Do you need any help, ma’am?”
She could feel her cheeks burn. “Oh, I’m not with him. He’s just—”
“Thank you.” Harmon held Sal by the shoulders and led her straight to the elevator as he pressed the button up and the elevator doors closed shut. She didn’t want to join him, but if this was her only chance to get answers, she would take it.
Harmon took a deep breath and rested his weight against the railing on the opposite side of the elevator. “We’ll talk in the room,” he said.
“We could have talked in the lobby,” Sal said, frowning. He was really drunk. She moved closer to him, a bit worried. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked her straight in the eye.
For a split second, the walls of the elevator expanded as the world always did when they locked eyes. “Harmon…I think you need to rest. We can talk about this next time,” she said, eyes transfixed on his.
He broke the gaze. “Nonsense.” He huffed.
Then the elevator pinged, and before she knew it, she stood in a huge two—no…three-bedroom hotel unit with a view of the Magellan Bay.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Harmon vanished into a bedroom and emerged a few minutes later wearing a hotel bathrobe.
“That’s better.” He sighed. “I don’t feel so naked,” he said as he sauntered over to the kitchen, which was impressively well-stocked with amenities, from a Nespresso machine with capsules to pitchers of cooled lemon water which he pulled out from the fridge.
He poured water for Sal and himself and handed her a glass.
She took a sip. “Do you usually book expensive hotel rooms to sober up?” she asked, setting the glass down.
Harmon looked more refreshed as he gulped down water. “Only when I’m very uncomfortable,” he answered in a restrained fashion.
A strange gurgling noise sounded. Sal put a hand on her stomach, embarrassed.
“Let’s get you some food first…” Harmon said. He meandered through the large unit with his glass of water in hand, taking sips. When he emerged again, he was holding a leather folio and handed it to Sal. “Get whatever you like,” he said.
Sal leafed through the in-room menu service. “I’ll pay for this.”
Harmon opened the fridge again to return the pitcher, and she could’ve sworn he rolled his eyes at her for saying she would pay. Had he been more sober, he probably would’ve said something.
When she finished ordering, Harmon was admiring their view of Magellan Bay. He had crossed his arms over his chest and looked deep in thought while staring out the window. Sal sat quietly on the living room couch.
“So, who told you?” he finally said, breaking the silence.
“An old family friend.”
“Mmm…I didn’t want anyone finding out about this though, especially you,” he mumbled, and then walked over to Sal and sat at the other end of the couch.
Her heart raced. “You mean nobody knows, as in, no one?” Sal asked in disbelief.
Harmon shook his head. “No. People only know my single mom raised me. But apparently you and your aunt know.”
“If I had known you were Claire’s half-brother, things would have been different.”
Harmon frowned. “I don’t think so. You would have still challenged me, and I would still have accepted.”
“Maybe…” Sal lowered her eyes, her heart still pounding with what she was about to say. “But I would’ve been kinder…”
Harmon blinked, looking surprised. Then, almost in a flash, he hardened. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you. I don’t need your sympathy, Sal.” He looked away, elbows on his knees and hands gripped tightly together.
“I don’t pity you,” she retorted. “But I want to hear your side of the story.”
Harmon turned his head slowly to Sal, and again, she met his gaze. His soft, dark eyes that looked through her and not at her stared back. She saw his grip soften and his body relax. “Okay, then…” he said, breathing out as he rested against the sofa.
Sal adjusted her position, facing him.
“I had only wonderful memories of my father. He was my idol, and he was all I wanted to be. As a kid, I was so devastated each time he’d go on long trips back to the Philippines.
He said it was because that was the nature of his work, and that he’d make more time for me and Mom soon.
” Harmon paused and ran a hand through his hair.
He seemed to ground himself before he continued, “Then one time, I heard him and my mom arguing, and the last image I had of him was his face drenched in tears, telling me he loved me and saying that someday he hoped I’d forgive him.
Of course, I was only twelve, so I didn’t understand any of it.
Until the days turned into weeks, and months turned into years, and I just accepted that he wasn’t coming back.
I didn’t know why he left…so I ended up confused and resentful. ”
He sighed, clasped his hands, and then spoke again.
“Life was tough after that. Mom had to get two jobs to make ends meet, and I studied hard so I could get a scholarship. When I saw him again, I must have been fifteen. I was in New York getting groceries for my mom during Christmas. I was shocked when I saw him buying from one of the hot dog stands. So I ran after him… until I saw him with a girl who was my age. My dad was still my dad, just older and with graying hair, and he looked at the girl like he loved her a lot. I knew, just then, that all this time I had a sister, and that he chose her. He had…” Harmon cleared his throat, then with a husky voice said, “he disowned me.”
His lips formed into a tight line as if he was forcing himself not to feel the sting of being rejected by a parent.
Harmon took another deep breath. “I wanted to talk to him that day, to ask him why. But I was a coward. Maybe because I was afraid he’d choose her again, even after knowing the damage he caused me and Mom.
So I just walked away…I never cried that much in my entire life,” he disclosed, head bowed.
“It was stupid. I thought maybe if I got the scholarship and showed him he didn’t need to support us financially, that he’d come back.
I’d work up the courage to find him, show him all the scholarships that I was awarded, and ask him all the questions I’ve been meaning to ask.
It took me a year, but by the time I was ready, he had already passed away—they said it was heart failure.
” His hands shook as he clasped them together tightly.
Sal imagined he was pushing himself to finish his story.
“I attended the funeral alone without my mom knowing. That’s also where I officially met Claire for the first time…
” He inhaled sharply. “My sister didn’t know who I was...
so she introduced herself to me. Back then, I hated her because I thought she was everything my father left me for.
Claire shared with me that Dad had saved up enough money to afford college tuition for her in the US.
Knowing that our dad was willing to shell out that much for her but not for me was the kind of hurt I wasn’t prepared for.
It wasn’t about the money. It never was.
” Harmon gripped his hands until his knuckles turned white.
“In the end, I just bawled like a loser in front of her. She comforted me, even if she didn’t know who I was…
” He let out a long exhale. “Somehow, her mom saw me, and she told me to leave and said if I ever showed my face again, she’d have me arrested.
When I resisted, I was thrown out…out of my dad’s own funeral.
All I wanted was just…” His voice hitched. “I just wanted to say goodbye.”
Sal’s chest tightened. She wanted to embrace him and tell him it wasn’t fair, that he didn’t deserve it. But all she said was, “Oh…Harmon.”
Harmon took a deep breath and fought back tears.
“Mom got sick a few years after that. She needed to have multiple surgeries, and because she was so sick, I had to work and take night shifts in between my school hours. It became unbearable, and I got desperate. So I went to Mrs. Liang and begged for some of my dad’s money.
But all she did was curse me and have me thrown out again.
That winter, my mom died. And I was all alone with a mountain of debt.
I remember being so angry at my life, at my father, at my mom for leaving me, and at Claire.
I told myself I would get back everything that was rightfully mine and I’d make something of myself.
They denied me everything, even though I had done nothing wrong.
I was a good son, so why? Why did he choose her?
I even outlived Claire; but all my dad’s money still went to her and then to you…
and you’re a fucking stranger. I was his son,” he said through gritted teeth, his face twisted as if he was trying to control his emotions. His shoulders quivered.
His words were painful to hear, especially when he mentioned Claire’s passing. But Sal knew from the way his shoulders were slumped and how his voice sounded that the last thing on his mind was to sound polite; this was more of a release.
“Claire didn’t know she had a brother,” Sal muttered.
“If she had, I’m sure she would’ve helped you,” Sal wept silently.
Instead of comforting Harmon, she ended up crying.
God, she was such a crybaby. Then she felt the cushion of the couch dip at his weight, and once again, a warm hand cupped her cheek and wiped away her tears. “Why are you crying?”
Without thinking, she said, “Because, finally, I see you.”
Harmon blinked, and a sudden hunger sparked between them.
Steadily, he closed the gap, satisfying an unknown yearning when their lips finally met.
Sal felt a strong static course through her system, and she couldn’t help herself.
He left little space for either of them to breathe.
His hands traveled to the small of her back, and she could feel herself giving in.
She let out a soft whimper against his lips to protest, but he pulled her closer.
It was overpowering—he was overpowering.
Heat rose from her core, and the same electricity she felt when she first saw him ignited as she tasted him.
She had never felt this way with Rafa. Yet she was engaged, and this shouldn’t be happening.
At that thought, Sal pushed him back. “Harmon…” she said breathlessly.
Harmon tried to kiss her again, but she turned away. “I can’t…” she sighed.
Harmon just rested his head gently on her temple so his mouth was against her ear. “I know…” he exhaled, his voice low and gruff, his breathing shallow. His grip had loosened on her waist, but he didn’t move his hands.
Then there was a loud knock on the door, followed by a doorbell that echoed through the unit. It was enough for Sal to stand and move away from Harmon. Harmon gathered himself and walked over to the door. “Who is it?” he asked coolly.
“Room service, Mr. Moon.”
What the fuck just happened? Sal asked herself. In her panic, she grabbed her belongings. “You can just eat the food instead,” she blurted as she hurried out. There was no way she would be alone in the same room with Harmon again; she couldn’t trust herself with him after what happened.
“Wait…Sal!” Harmon attempted to chase after her, but she had already bolted to the elevator.
The last thing she saw was his confused face as the elevator door closed.
She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief.
In the silence that followed, she touched her lips and realized they were still warm.
PING!
The elevator door stopped on the ground floor, and she had half a mind to find Willow and drag her back to the Airbnb. She walked out of the elevator and into the hotel lobby and then heard a familiar voice.
“Sal!”
Her heart leaped. “R-Rafa?” she gasped.
“Surprise!” he said, scooping her into a tight embrace.
“How did you find me?” Sal asked, confused but elated, and still in his firm embrace.
“Willow and I have been coordinating my arrival. She helped me keep it secret for days. I wanted to catch you at the party, but I got lost on the way here.”
Sal closed her eyes, she couldn’t believe he was there. It had been too long. His embrace, his scent, his salt-and-pepper hair. How he quelled her chaotic spirit.
Her eyes fluttered open at the chime of the elevator. Over Rafa’s shoulder, she saw Harmon as he rushed out of the elevator. He was back in his muscle shirt and board shorts, breathless. It took a few seconds, but their eyes finally met. His face hardened at the sight of Sal with Rafa.
“Have you had dinner yet?” Rafa asked, unaware.
“No,” Sal responded, watching Harmon’s eyes follow them as they walked away. He stood his ground, placed his hands in his pockets, and squared his shoulders. Harmon put his armor back on, and Sal could not turn away from the fragile, wounded, and captivating man that lay underneath.