Unrequited [HSS #4, Completed]

Chapter 37

"A little."

"North, hatid ko lang kapatid mo sa kwarto ─"

"Ihahatid lang. Don't sleep on her room."

"Pero ─"

"Not on my watch, Jade."

I shook my head when I saw Jade pursing her lips in displeasure pero wala naman akong nakitang pagkontra.

Hindi nagtagal ay umalis din sila at kami na lang ang naiwan, I even heard the doorknob clicked, it was now locked. Nagkatitigan kami at nagkangitian na parang ewan.

"Cute ni Jade ma-in love." nasabi ko na lang.

"She is. So I'm glad they're finally able to do something about their feelings." She chuckled. "It's cute, you know, how all of us are involved with a woman."

"Yung kambal din?" Napatango siya. She tapped the space beside her so I found myself scooting close to her. Lumunok ako nang gumapang ang braso niya sa baywang ko. "Seryoso?"

"They're so cute, I just didn't realize we're all the same. I mean, I don't really think that I'm not straight, I've never liked anyone else except you." Humalik siya sa pisngi ko. "One of West's friends, Valeen, opposed me when I said that I'm straight. It's funny and scary, lakas ng gaydar niya, if ever that really exists."

"Ayaw mo bang umamin?"

Natawa siya. "I still find them cute. I want them to be surprised once we come out."

Hindi ko maiwasang maaliw sa kanya. Para kasi itong bata na nagp-plano manggulat ng kalaro. She's really cute sometimes, you'll never expect how teasing she can be if she wanted to.

"I've been wondering for awhile..." Natigilan ako nang maupo siya sa hita ko at iangkla ang braso niya sa balikat ko. She was real close to me, with her fingers gliding and playing with my hair. Parang iba kasi ang dating ngayon ng haplos maging ng titig niya. "Since when did you realize that you're in love with me?"

Napahinga ako ng malalim at napaiwas ng tingin. Ito na nga... Parang biglang nanuyo ang lalamunan ko sa tanong niya. Somehow ay nag-expect ako na magtatanong siya, pero hindi ngayon. "Uh...no'ng 4th year college tayo, when we were about to graduate."

Tumaas ang kilay niya. "And Seth? You really loved him?"

Marahang umiling ako. "Ano, bale...I just asked him to pose as my boyfriend? Although at some point we tried to take it seriously, then we realized that we were just really friends."

"And it went on for three years?"

Nahihiyang tumango ako. Paano pa kapag sinabi kong on the spot lang yung break up eme namin ni Seth no'ng time na nakita niya kami sa cosplaying event? That Seth did the liberty of setting me up just for me to stand up and claim my feelings.

Hindi siya mukhang galit o ano, pero hindi ko rin naman malaman kung anong nasa isip niya. Her eyes were so penetrating it's drowning me, I can feel her warm breath on my lips like she's trying to lure me so I can kiss her. Her hands didn't help either and the proximity between us.

She breathed through her mouth and it sounded like a sigh. Ibinaon niya ang mukha sa leeg ko at parang may gumapang na kung ano mula sa batok pababa sa aking likuran nang bigyan niya ako ng mumunting halik sa leeg pababa sa collarbone ko. That's when I realized that I was already holding her bare legs, tracing it up to her waist, then travelling down again.

"That's a sly move," she whispered.

"Sorry." Parang gusto ko ring saktan ang sarili ko dahil sa katorpehan ko. Sagad na sagad kasi. Alam ko naman na mali ako sa part na 'yon and hindi ko maiwasan makaramdam ng pagkapahiya para sa sarili ko at sa kanya. That was too low of me but it already happened. I can only learn from it but never redo the past. "Galit ka ba?"