He Was My Cousin

Chapter 26

Warning. This is going to be a crappy chapter :) as an apology (char) double update tonight. I'll be uploading 27 right after this. Try ko rin mag-update pa ulit within the week para matapos tayo sa phase na (this hurts me too but they need it) ito agad. Haha. <3

[Update 1 of 2, 07/10]

Chapter 26
Vienne's

"Aya!" Ate Sky squirmed when she saw me. I smiled and raised the box of brownies I bought from Mosh Pastries. Napa-iling na lang si Riyu nang makita iyon. I smiled sheepishly.

"Hey, careful..." paalala ni Riyu kay Ate Sky habang inaalalayan siya nitong bumaba ng hagdan. With their baronial staircase and her empress-cut dress that showed her baby bump, they looked like the royal family descending from their chambers - except Riyu was holding a plastic bag of grapes on his other hand. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of that.

"You should have gone earlier. Tapos na kaming mag-dinner!" sabi ni Ate Sky nang tumabi siya sa akin. She snatched the box of brownies from me right away.

"It's okay. Hindi naman ako gutom. Mama's home so I'm not food-deprived these days." Tumawa ako.

"Si Tito June? Still in Singapore?"

"Yup. Pati si Tito Jay."

Tumango si Ate Sky at dumukwang sa mangkok sa gilid niya. Her eyebrows met as if she were pissed. "Riyuji! Ang kupad mo! Ang bagal mong magbalat!"

Dinungaw ko si Riyu. Doon ko lang napansin na abala siya sa pagbabalat ng grapes. Yes, grapes. Tapos ay kinakain iyon ni Ate Sky 'pag na-ipon na sa mangkok sa tabi niya. Napa-iling na lang ako. I don't know what pregnancy did to her, really. Dati naman ay kahit 'yung hindi seedless ay pinapatos niya nang isang subuan.

She pushed the bag to him. "Tapos 'yang balat, kainin mo 'yan! Sayang 'yan!"

Riyu looked horrified. "Sidney naman!" apila niya. If there's really that one person who's suffering from my cousin's pregnancy antics, it would be this guy. I didn't really know how he could manage.

"Riyuji Garcia, magagalit talaga ako 'pag hindi mo 'yan kinain!"

Riyu looked at me as if seeking for help. I just shrugged my shoulders. Ha. I didn't want my cousin's wrath to be redirected to me.

He surrendered with a sigh. Kinuha niya ang ilang balat. He then pushed it up to his mouth. Hindi ko mapigilang tumawa dahil mukhang awang-awa siya sa sarili niya habang nginunguya niya iyon. Hinampas naman ako ni Ate Sky dahil pinagtatawanan ko raw ang asawa niya.

Ate Sky cocked her head towards my direction again. "Ba't mo nga pala naisipang dumaan ngayon? You should have told me yesterday so we could have prepared something..."

I needed a distraction - that was it. I woke up noon earlier and ate. Matapos iyon ay bumalik ako agad sa pagtulog. All I could felt was the huge billow in my head from my hangover as I remember what I did last night.

Yes, I did not forget what I did last night. Despite all the shots I took after that drunken call, I still remember his heavy breaths. I remember the pounding in my chest. I remember my trembling hands when I threw Ella her cellphone back.

I needed a distraction. I needed a place to escape to. My mind's thoughts seemed too dangerous for me these days.

Ngumiti ako kay Ate Sky. "I promised to come over, right? Noong maaga ako umuwi last time. I just wanted to check on you both," I said to the couple. "And him too," dagdag ko sabay nguso sa baby bump niya.

Ngumiti si Riyu at hinimas ang tiyan ni Ate Sky.

"Nag-spotting nga ako no'ng isang araw kaya napapunta agad kami ni Riyuji sa OB ko kahit katatapos lang ng monthly check-up ko..."