Chapter 14

"Alys," Dane called out my name. Hindi ko siya pinansin and I slammed myself on the sofa. God, Drake! You're exhausting me too much!

Resting my head while closing my eyes, I asked Dane. "Why?"

I suddenly felt someone kiss my cheek. Binuksan ko yung mata ko. "Hi, Panget," he uttered with that familiar boyish grin that I missed.

"Tripp!" I said in glee and hugged him. "Bakit nandito ka na!" and I continued to wrestle him and pin him down. 

Tumatawa siya habang pinupukpok ko siya sa dibdib niya. "Chill, Perez. Wala bang kiss muna?"

"Bwisit. Kainis!" sabi ko tapos hinalikan ko siya sa cheek niya. 

I heard someone cough then I looked at Dane who looked utterly disgusted with me and Tripp. Oh, my baby brother. "You're both disgusting." And then he stormed off.

Umiling iling na lang si Tripp habang inaayos yung buhok niya na nagulo ko kanina nung niyakap at pinukpok ko siya. "Ayan, natakot tuloy si Dane sa'yo. Grabe naman kasi, Zy. Mahal na mahal mo lang ako. Tsk. Nakaka pressure, ha."

Kinagat ko yung labi ko para pigilan kong matawa pero hindi ko talaga kayang pigilan! Sobrang nakakatawa yung sinabi ni Tripp. Para bang nappressure siya sa 'sobrang pagmamahal ko sa kanya.'

"So, tinatawanan mo na ako ngayon?" sabi niya sa akin nung hindi ko na mapigilan yung tawa ko.

"Hahaha! Kasi naman, Panget, arte much? Akala mo naman hindi mo ako mahal! Sobra pa nga, di ba?" I said and then winked at him.

Kinuha niya yung kamay ko then hinalikan niya. "Oo naman, Zyril. Sobra pa sa sobra."

And then, I just can't help but smile. Ito na yun, e. This is the kind of love I wanna have, and this is not the kind of love that you can have overnight. This love... takes time. But it's constant. And I love consistency.

I pulled him back into a hug and kissed his cheek. "Gutom ka na ba?" I asked him, mukhang kakadating niya lang kasi. Amoy airport pa 'tong lalaking 'to! Kulang na lang airport tag, papasa ng bagahe!

"Luto ka naman, Panget. Miss ko na, e."

Nagsmile ako sa kanya then sabay kaming pumunta sa kusina para magluto. Buti na lang wala si Mommy and Daddy, solo ko 'tong lalaking 'to. One month kaming hindi nagkita, e! Miss na miss na miss ko na si Marco.

Tinignan ko yung laman ng cupboard at ref, well stocked naman. "Anong gusto mong kainin?" I asked him kahit na hindi naman siya particular sa kinakain niya. 

He shrugged habang nakaupo sa stool dun sa island. "Pinoy food, Panget. Sawang sawa na ako sa pagkain dun," reklamo niya.

Natawa naman ako sa itsura niya. Siguro puro pizza at Chinese takeout ang kinakain nito dun! Kakawa naman. Tsk. Busy kasi masyado sa trabaho, e. Pati mag isa lang siya sa apartment kasi pinasama niya si Tofer sa akin sa Paris. 

Kumuha ako ng ingredients for adobo and soup. "Hindi ka kumakain dun, no? Tsk."

"Kumakain ako," sabi niya.

"Liar. You look thin," I stated. Pumayat siya, e. Ang payat ng face niya. Hindi talaga dapat to pinapabayaan mag isa, e. Tinatamad kumain. Bad, bad Marco.

Busy ako sa paghiwa ng potato ng yakapin niya ako from behind. "Ano na naman?" I asked him kasi nakasandal yung ulo niya sa balikat ko. Ang bigat pa naman ng ulo niya!

"Inaantok ako. Patulog muna," sabi niya.

"Ano! Nagluluto ako! Tsk."

"Sssh. Halos one day akong bumyahe. Tutulog muna ako, Panget," he said as he nuzzle the crook of my neck. 

I 'tsked' and then continued with what I'm doing. Hindi naman siya natutulog, e! Nung sinubukan kong lumakad, lumakad din siya. Tignan mo nga naman yung tama ng lalaki na 'to!

"Di tayo matatapos dito, e," I said. At this rate, baka gabi na, hindi pa din ako tapos magluto.

He chuckled and then lifted his head off of my shoulder. "Isang kiss pa," sabi niya and then umalis na siya papunta sa receiving area, I think. Matutulog muna yata. Pinabayaan ko na since inaantok pa talaga siya.

--

"Marco, Marco," I called out his name and lightly tapped his cheek. "Mahal ko, kakain na po tayo," sabi ko sa kanya.

He quitely stirred and then opened his eyes. "Hmm?"

"Kakain na tayo," I said.

He stared at me for blank seconds and then he grinned tapos tumayo na siya. Problema ng isang 'to? "Tara na, Panget," sabi niya then he offered his hands. Sabay kaming naglakad papunta sa dining room. 

Matagal din akong nagluto kasi gusto kong matulog muna siya. Gumawa pa ako ng foam cake and nag squeeze pa ako ng orange juice. Ang dami ko yatang niluto, ang payat naman kasi nitong lalaking 'to! Ginugutom yata yung sarili niya dun sa New York.

"Salamat," sabi niya sa akin.

Nagsmile lang ako. Eto ba? Wala pa 'to sa lahat ng ginawa para sa akin ni Tripp. Sa mga gabi na lumabas siya kahit nagssnow para lang puntahan ako sa dorm, sa pagtulong niya sa akin sa projects ko nung halos mamatay na ako sa sobrang dami at sabay sabay, sa pag una niya sa akin kahit na may iba siyang ginagawa, and mostly, for not giving up on me when I was at my worst. He picked me up when I was at my lowest and helped me pick up the pieces. 

Pinagmasdan ko lang siyang kumain while I contented myself with a glass of orange juice.

"Why are you here, Marco? I thought you'll arive the day after tomorrow?" I asked.

"I missed you, Panget. Not reasonable enough?" he asked. 

Nagsmile ako sa kanya then rolled my eyes.

Pinabayaan ko siyang kumain and then I felt my phone vibrate. 

From: Cristine Stinson

Can we meet tomorrow?

I quickly composed an sms telling her that I can't. After what happened earlier today? I just can't face her, and Drake. 

"Anything interesting?" Tripp asked.

(Earlier that day...)

"That's preposterous, Drake," I said. "You're ploying again. Tama na, okay?!" I exclaimed and then pushed him away from me.

He captured my hand and pulled me towards him. His face is just an inch from mine. S-hit, Drake. Ano ba! 

"I love you, Alys. Can't you f-ucking feel it? Because me, I feel it too much and it's killing me," he said through his teeth. His eyes were tired but intense.

I stared at him with equal intensity and mocked him. "Oh, please, Drake. Fine, mahal mo ako. Do I need to love you back? Ganun na ba ngayon? Just because you love me, I'm supposed to love you back? Because if that's the case, it's still a no. I won't love you. Not now, not someday. I loved you before, Drake. I loved you way too much, way better than I love myself pero ano yung ginawa mo? You broke me into tiny, little pieces. You devastate me beyond repair. You crushed every hope I had inside my body, Drake. Ngayon, please, ibalato mo na sa'kin 'to. I don't want you now. I don't want to want you. Loving you is toxic, Drake. It's exhausting every good thing I have in my life."

Then I saw pain in his eyes. I don't want to hurt him even though he pained me so cruelly before but I need to do this. I need to show him that we? We can never happen. Not now, not someday. Ayoko na. 

When girls fall in love, they fall hard. They give way too much, care way too much, invest way too much. But when they get hurt and move on, you just can't appear out of nowhere and take them back. No, not after they withstand every pain and agony. That's just not how it is. Once you left a person who loved you a great deal, getting her back is a suicide mission. 

"Please, Drake. Move on, okay? Maybe you loved me before, but you need to move on. Live in the present, Drake. Maybe we're just not meant to be..."

Binitawan niya yung kamay ko and took a step backward.

He shook his head. "This is the present Drake, Alys, and he's very much in love with you. The future Drake will be in love with you... not just like this but way more in love. You started this ploy, Alys. You played seducing Drake Palma when you were in high school. Now, face the repercussions because I'm here to stay."

(present...)

I shook my head and gave him a smile. "Nothing. After mo jan, uwi ka na, ha? Matulog ka na," I said. 

"Pinapauwi mo na ako?" he asked, faking a hurt.

"Baliw. You'll see me tomorrow. You'll be seeing a lot of me, Marco. For now, matulog ka muna. You look freaking tired," I stated.

You will need all the energy you can get, Marco. Drake won't leave us alone.