Keep Me Closer

26th: The Trip

An hour away from Livonia and the surroundings just became green and calmer. I could feel exhaustion slowly drift away from my mind, as my lips stretched into a smile while appreciating the beauty of the scenery in front of us.

"We should have lunch if we see a restaurant near here," ani Eustace sa tabi ko. He settled in the passenger's seat while gazing at me from his sunglasses. The first two buttons of his shirt were opened and it was being blown by the wind, like my hair, revealing a portion of his chest. Which I really really tried not to gaze at.

When he caught me giving him a confused look, his smile even grew bigger. Nang-aasar.

"Eyes on the road, Lienna," aniya.

Ngumiwi ako. "Oo naman."

"Puwede mo naman akong titigan pagkarating natin sa cabin."

"Hoy, bastos 'to! Magkaiba naman tayo ng room sa cabin dahil mapaghinala ka."

Inalis niya ang sunglasses na suot at isinabit iyon sa harapan ng kanyang shirt. Nagkatitig na tuloy kami directly sa mga mata ng isa't-isa.

I don't know kung dahil ba may kasama ako ngayon at natatawa paminsan-minsan, pero pakiramdam ko kontento na ako sa kung ano'ng nangyayari. Ngayon na sinusubukan kong kumita on my own, while also enjoying the little moments of life with a friend—si Eustace, na katulad ko ay siguro wala ring ibang magawa kaya ayaw umayaw sa gala.

Kaya heto kami ngayon.

Biglang tumango-tango si Eustace. Parang may napagtanto at kailangan iyong ibroadcast. "I can't be sure why you've been staring at me since earlier."

"'Wag ka mag-assume."

"I am making use of facts. You have been staring at me."

"Luh," I gripped the steering wheel with my right hand and the other covered my lips.

"Lienna, do you see something wrong with the way I look?"

Umiling ako agad. "No, Eustace. Hindi sa ganoon."

"I looked for a shirt that could somehow match yours," aniya tapos ibinalik ang tingin sa harapan, his voice came out low with a hint of shyness. "I was bad at trying that, should have just worn jeans and a leather jacket."

Sa unahan ay namataan ko ang highway, for sure my i-ilang restaurants kaming madadaanan doon.

"Eustace, you don't look bad or strange or funny," saad ko. Bakit ba iba ang naiisip niya?

Bumaling siya sa akin pero hindi nagsasalita.

"Yes, I must have been staring at you. Okay, I admit." I gulped. I couldn't help but admire how cool he was with the way he carried himself from the moment he followed me to the car with a smile on his lips even when his eyes were covered with sunglasses.

My heart seethed with emotions I couldn't name; siguro I am just grateful for his company. Yes. I am grateful that I have someone to laugh with in moments when the friend that I had been really close to is caught up with her own life.

Danica and I talked, but she was somehow distant—maybe ashamed too, for keeping it a secret from me that she had been arranging plans with Rhyl behind my back.

Huling pag-uusap namin ay iyong nagpaliwanag siya para sa akin tungkol sa trabaho. I want to be there for her but I felt like she wanted to deal with things alone, and so I accepted that.

Hindi ko inakalang makakahanap ulit ako ng isa pang kaibigan kay Eustace.

"We'll have lunch at the first resto we will find," aniya, parang hindi satisfied sa isinagot ko sa kanya kanina.