Between the Rainbow (Strawberries and Cigarettes Series #1)

Chapter 14

Prank

I went into the driver's seat and started the engine again.

"Sit at the front," I said.

Hindi agad siya kumilos kaya nilingon ko siya.

"I'm not driving unless you sit here at the front."

Umismid siya sa akin. "Bakit pa? Lilipad ba ako sa langit kung sa harap ako nakaupo?"

Oh good lord...

Huminga ako, gustong magtawag ng santo, na sana ay hindi magdilim ang paningin ko kakapikit sa tuwing nasasagad niya ang pasensya ko.

"Just do it, Shiloh. Stop being an ass," I warned.

Padabog niyang binuksan ang pinto. I calmed down a bit because he listened to me. Kaso sa rahas ng pagkakasara ng pinto, pakiramdam ko iniisip niyang ako iyon.

I cleared my throat as soon as he opened the front door and slipped in. I watched him as he closed the door, pulled the seatbelt to the side, and glared at me.

"What?" I asked innocently and pulled the gear.

Nailing siya at tila ba dismayado sa akin. At ano na namang nagawa ko?

"I told her we'd stop texting. Kung mainit pa rin ang ulo mo kahit ginawa ko na ang mga gusto mo..." I murmured nonchalantly and started maneuvering the steering wheel using my one hand.

"Anong sinabi mo?" he interrogated.

I swallowed hard, afraid that I'd done the wrong thing to piss him off even more.

"My phone broke. It's good for us if we don't communicate anymore," sabi ko habang nanatili ang tingin sa kalsada.

"'Yung sinabi mo kanina," he demanded in his stern voice.

"I... did something that would calm you down?" I arched my brow and slowly glanced at him, and to my eyes back to the front right away after seeing the rage in his expression.

Man...

"Bakit?"

"What? I thought you would like it if we weren't texting? You've been making a fuss about it."

"Sinabi mo ba 'yan sa kanya kanina?"

"I didn't. I just told her that I didn't come to the cinema to actually be with her. The boys were misleading. She might think I like her and she might get hopeful. I don't want to have conflicts with the girls, especially now that she's getting close to our circles—"

"At sinabi mong dahil sa akin?" putol niya, tila ba hindi kumbinsido sa mga rason na inilapag ko.

"I didn't. I just told her I wanted it off. I only want sex with no strings attached, and she wanted deeper than that. I cannot give that to her."

"Kaya bakit nirarason mo sa akin ngayon na dahil sa akin kaya tinigil mo?" he clarified.

Nilingon ko siyang muli. He looked confrontational this time. I could sense it.

"Why? I wanted to keep that to myself. It's between me and you. Why would I even tell that to her?"

Nanliit ang tingin niya sa akin. "At pumunta ka kanina dahil... nandoon ako?"

I nodded. "Yes. I wanted to join the movies. You girls are excluding us from the fun, that's why we invited ourselves. Besides... the boys like it—"

"Pero pumunta ka dahil nandoon ako?" he asked more.

I licked my lower lip and sighed. "Look... I'm sorry. I told you, I won't do it again. Hindi ko na hahawakan ang iPad mo. You can spend time with the girls, call them one by one, and I will let you. Just..."