After the Twilight (Iska Series #1)

15

Hindi namin namalayan na hapon na pala nang makabalik kami sa table namin. Sabagay tanghali na rin kasi kami nakarating dito, kaya parang ang bilis lang natapos ng araw. I guess we were all quite tired from the flight dahil konting tampisaw at laro lang ay kitang kita na ang pagka ubos ng energy ng lahat. 

"Here." Napaangat ako ng tingin nang dumating si Ivan na may dala dalang juice at iniabot ito kay Demi. Nasa may tabing dagat kasi kaming mga girls, hanging out by the loungers while the boys were at the table we were having lunch at, having a conversation over some light drinks. 

"Thanks," Demi mutters beside me, taking the drink without even glancing at Ivan. Sinundan ko ng tingin si Ivan habang pabalik ito sa grupo ng mga lalaking puro walang suot na tshirt. Kaya siguro natitiis kaming hindi puntahan ni Leo dito dahil busog na busog siya doon. Napadpad ang tingin ko kay Enzo who is also looking at my direction. 

Nang magtama ang mga mata namin, he winks at me casually as he takes a sip from his drink. Biglang kumalabog ang dibdib ko, ang mukha ko nag-iinit. I bite the inside of the cheek, suppressing my smile as I look away. 

"Kilig yarn?" 

I let out a playful scoff at Demi's comment bago ko siya kinurot sa tagiliran. "Ano ba," I say shyly, sinking back into my seat. 

"Sus, caught in the act. Gwapong gwapo sa jowa, eh," she snickers, sipping the juice Ivan brought her. 

I turn fully to my side and face her. "Tapatin mo nga ako, ano ba talaga kayo ni Ivan?" 

Demi turns to me with her brows furrowed. Si Ada napalapit na rin, trying to listen in. 

"Wala," she trails, "wer---"

"Don't say you're just friends because you guys are clearly more than that," Ada counters, moving to my sun lounger and sitting by the edge beside me. 

"I agree," I say, "you know, with all the kissing despite all the arguing."

Demi rolls her eyes, leaning back on her seat and crossing her arms over her chest. 

"I can't really say," she says, shrugging her shoulders. "And bold of you to say that, Ada. You and my cousin have been eyeballing each other every chance that you get. May something na rin ba kayo?"

Ada clears her throat and mimics Demi, shrugging her shoulders. She stands and returns to her lounger. "I can't really say," she says in a singsong. 

"What about you, Ces?" Ada turns to me. 

"What about me?"

"How did you know Enzo was the one?" she asks, eyeing me. I couldn't help but swallow a lump in my throat, shifting in my seat. "I mean, sa dami dami ng nanligaw sa 'yo---"

"which you all rejected the second they breathed the same air as you," Demi chimes in the middle of Ada's sentence. 

"Yeah that," Ada agrees, "what made you decide on him? Like, what made you take the risk? If you know what I mean."

Of course, I know what she means. Though not entirely similar, we have the same breed of parents, the only difference is that her parents actually care for her and mine cares for their own name. Everything was a risk---every single decision, every mistake, basically everything. 

Kapag nalaman siguro ng mommy at daddy ko na may boyfriend ako, no matter how fake or whatever it is, they'd be fuming mad. Not because they think it's bad for me, but because it's bad for them. Iisipin nila na hindi na ako seryoso sa pag-aaral---they don't want an underachieved daughter, it's bad for their image. 

I also ask myself the same thing on most days. What in the world made me take the risk? And with the rate I am going with him, it is one hell of a risk I am taking. Because maybe before him, I would have never had an answer as to why, because this is beyond my wildest dreams.