Keep Me Closer

33rd: If It's You

EUSTACE HELPED me prepare breakfast. I was looking at him as he was chopping the herbs and I was getting ingredients inside the ref.

"Matutunaw na ako n'yan," he said, a corner of his lips twitched into a small smile.

"Kanina pa ako natunaw dahil sa mga sinabi mo kanina. And god—" Natakpan ko ang mukha matapos ibigay sa kanya ang mushrooms. "Avie saw us together."

"I didn't know you were on a video call with them in the Philippines."

"You didn't ask," sabi ko sabay tayo sa kanyang tabi. "You were quick to approach me at the counter and then planted a kiss on my cheek."

"You find it uncomfortable?" humina ang boses niya, halatang nag-alala.

Umiling ako agad. "But I almost shiver... in a good way, it was unexpected," saad ko. Thoughts of the sensations that lingered in me when he placed both of his hands on the side of my waist and when his soft lips landed on my cheek covered my mind.

"You are now blushing, Lienna," komento niya na mas lalong nagpa-init sa mga pisngi ko

"How can I not?"

"Right, how can you not..." he mimicked my tone as he stared at me with playful eyes. Eustace has always been good at teasing. "You're smitten to me as I am to you."

My heart thumped in furious yet delightful beats.

After breakfast, we were cuddling on the couch while playing a random online game on his phone. But Eustace was quick to close the space between his arms and chest so I ended up slumped in his stomach, he laughed which caused me to feel vibrations on my stomach that I ended up laughing too.

"Aalis ka mamaya?"

Umiling siya.

"Hmm," I mumbled, napaisip. Ang akala ko, may kailangan siyang asikasuhin sa ospital. Perhaps it has been settled already?

Sana naman gano'n nga.

"Do you have a shift at the grill today?"

Umakto akong nag-iisip pero malapad na ngumiti pagkatapos. "Today's a day-off. "

"Fate must have favored us," he said as he smiled back. "Can I take you out on a dinner date then?"

Even when I tried squinting my eyes to hide the excitement in me, I failed.

"Seems to be a good proposition..." I mumbled then I moved. Humiga ako sa kandungan niya. I could feel the softness of his stomach near my cheek as I was laying my head on his thigh.

Dahan-dahan niyang kinuha ang cellphone niya mula sa mga kamay ko. "I'll work on some online documents back at my unit. You can spend time with me in there if you want."

"I have to do my laundry."

Pinisil niya ang tungki ng ilong ko.

"You can visit me afterward. You might want to check up on me if I was breathing for you."

"Aba't may balak kang mambabae?"

"That's like a henious crime," natatawa niyang sabi, umiling-iling.

"Malamang," naningkit ang mga mata ko. 

Bumangon na ako at umupo sa tabi niya sa couch.

He left my unit after leaving me a peck on my lips. Ilang minuto akong nakangiti sa parehong puwesto kanina bago siya umalis.

I did the laundry and cleaned my unit. I was also occasionally dancing to the music that I was playing on the speakers. Matapos maglinis ng bahay, naligo na ako. Hindi ko namalayang nakatulog pala ako matapos i-blower ang buhok.