After the Twilight (Iska Series #1)

11

Napangiti siya, shaking his head as he sets the book on the coffee table before he leans back on the couch to join me. 

"Ganyan ka siguro sa mga girlfriend mo," I say turning to him. He only smiles and shrugs his shoulders, crossing his arms over his chest. 

I push myself up, angling my body towards him so I am facing him. 

"Bentang benta ba ang mga galawang iyan sa mga girlfriends mo?" I ask him, nanunuya. 

"I don't know," he says, "I've only had two girlfriends before. Yung una hindi pa seryoso."

My curiosity creates an itch that begs to be scratched, kaya naman I inched closer. I never had boyfriends before, so there's really none to talk about, but I'm sure he had girlfriends before. I'm not sure if being a "fake girlfriend" grants me the privilege to dig deep into his past, but I can't deny that I am a bit curious. 

"Really? Just two? I find that hard to believe." He only chuckles, leaning his head back, hooded eyes staring straight at me. 

"Hindi seryoso ang isa, so basically you just had one girlfriend?" I ask him, trying to milk just a bit more information. Pakiramdam ko kasi naihain ko na buong pagkatao ko sa kanya, and I barely know the surface of his. 

He looks at me and lets out a breath bago siya umayos ng upo, angling his body towards me. 

"I guess you can say that," he says. Nang tinaas ko ang kilay ko to urge him to share more, napatawa nalang siya, shaking his head. "Fine," he breathes out, "The first one was in highschool, hindi naman seryoso, very childish, very toxic. The next one, was my best friend."

Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi niya. "You dated your best friend?"

He nods. "For two years, in college." 

"Bakit kayo naghiwalay?"

He shifted on his seat, tilting his head. "Hmm, let's just say we decided to go back as friends. She was leaving for the States too, and we both decided that it was better for everyone that we remained just friends."

Napakunot ang noo ko. "That's it? And do you still talk?"

"Not really. We both live different lives now."

"Do you still love her?" Hindi ko alam kung bakit parang bigla akong kinabahan nang tinanong ko iyon. I suddenly became uneasy, my mouth going dry as I bite the inside of my cheek while I wait for his response. 

He lets out a small breath, "I do," he says and for some reason hindi ko naiintindihan kung bakit parang may nalalasahan akong mapait. I just bite the inside of my cheeks harder, trying to maintain his gaze on me. ", but only as a friend. Kaibigan lang." 

I let out a breath, biting my bottom lip as I nod. Parang wala akong masagot. 

"What was her name?" I manage to say, my curiosity still having a tight grip on the wheel. 

Parang nag-isip pa siya kung sasabihin niya, pero kalaunan bumigay din naman. 

"Elliana," he says, "Eli."

"Hmm," I hum a response, nodding my head as I look away. 

With a breath, he turns to the table and reaches for the book back. "Sige na, where were we?" He says, inaabot ang highlighter. 

Nang kunin niya muli ang libro ay nahila rin pati ang ID kong nasa mesa, dahilan kung bakit ito nahulog. Agad naman itong inabot ni Enzo, pero imbes na isauli ay tinitigan niya muli ito. 

"Para mo namang hindi pa nakita 'yan," I say as I try to take it from him, bigla kasi ako nahiya sa picture ko diyan. I try to grab it, but he only moves it away, staring at it longer.