Midnight Stalker (Completed)

Midnight 40 - Twisted

Midnight (40)

I woke up alone on my bed.

Humikab ako at kinusot ang mga mata bago nag-stretch. I lazily looked at the time on my clock. Halos lumuwa ang mata ko sa nakita.

8:21 AM.

Mabilis akong tumayo at nag-panic. Shit. 8:00 AM ang sign in ko! Hindi ko na inayos yung kama ko o tumingin man lang sa salamin. Lumabas agad ako ng kuwarto para maligo.

Pagbukas ko palang ng pinto, nakita ko agad si Ash. He was calmly sitting on my dining area while using his laptop. His hair was still damp and he was already wearing his polo shirt and black slacks. He was also wearing his office glasses today. 

His side profile is what you call... a view.

"Don't panic. I've already signed you in," he said without looking at me.

"What?"

"Turned off your alarm so you can sleep more."

"Ha? Bakit?"

"Sobrang himbing kasi ng tulog mo." He still wasn't looking at me.

Umupo ako sa isang upuan katabi niya. "Kahit na. Bakit 'di mo ako ginising?"

Hinarap niya ako. Poker face na siya ulit.

"Kasi alam kong hindi ka nakatulog ng maayos kagabi."

I froze at that. 

"P-Paano mo nalaman?"

"Kasi..." his jaw clenched. And then he looked at my hand. And just by the sight of him looking at my hand, I suddenly remembered that incident last night! Yung aksidente kong nahawakan! Ang aga aga, umakyat agad ang dugo sa mukha ko!

"No! D-Don't continue what you're going to say. I-It was an accident. I don't want to talk about it." Umiling ako.

"Good. I don't wanna talk about it either," sabi niya bago niya binalik ang tingin sa laptop niya.

Silence...

"Pero thank you... for signing me in. You didn't have to do that, but thanks."

He just nodded.

"I ordered breakfast for us. Should be here any minute from now," he said.

Oh.

"Wow... thanks."

Matipid siyang ngumiti bago binalik ang atensyon sa kung ano man ang ginagawa niya. Gusto ko siyang tanungin kung bakit dito siya nagtratrabaho sa apartment ko kung pwede naman siyang pumunta na sa office niya. Pero ayaw ko naman na isipin niya na pinaaalis ko siya. I like him here, anyway.

"Ligo lang ako," I said instead.

Mabilis lang naman talaga ako maligo pero pakiramdam ko, hindi nakaka-babae yung sobrang bilis. Kaya binagalan ko. I ended up scrubbing myself twice. Inikot ko muna ang tuwalya ko sa aking ulo at sa banyo na rin ako nag-suot ng LIAM uniform.

Saglit kaming nagkatinginan ni Ash paglabas ko. His adam's apple moved up and down as his eyes glanced on my neck, where some strands of my wet hair are visible. 'Di nagtagal ay binalik rin niya ang mga mata niya sa screen ng kanyang laptop. Umupo ako ulit sa tabi niya.

"7:30 pa ng gabi ang class mo, 'di ba?"

Tumango lang ako.

Hindi na ulit siya nagsalita. He just kept on typing something. I took that as an opportunity to fix my hair. Inalis ko ang tuwalya na nakapaikot sa aking buhok, at pinatuyo ko ang buhok gamit ang tuwalya. Mamaya pa ay biglang pumikit si Ash ng mariin habang naka-kunot ang noo.