Martini Kisses (epistolary)

n a r r a t i v e 🔞

"You're leaving?"

Milly whips around to the source of the voice. Kai's walking toward her, his eyes briefly drifting to the cigar currently tucked between her two fingers before cutting back to her face.

She takes a lazy puff and blows a cloud of smoke into the air. "Just finishing this."

"Because I'm here," he says like it's a question. "You didn't even bother greeting Evander."

She gives him a look of disbelief. "Seriously? You're starting with that?"

"Is this how it's going to be? You asked me not to avoid you, but now you're the one avoiding me?"

"I asked you to stop avoiding WYLD, correction," Milly says with indignation. "And in case you're forgetting, you're the one who insinuated I'm making you feel uncomfortable so you chose to disappear for a month."

It's not accusation, but her words come out more biting than it should.

Kai opens his mouth to answer, but Milly turns away, takes another puff, and walks off to the trash bin to throw the remainder of her cigar.

Kai releases a frustrated sigh. He waits for her until she's in front of him again.

Milly crosses her arms over her chest. "What do you want? I'm giving you the space you wanted. Why did you follow me here?"

"Are you punishing me?" he says right off the bat.

"What?"

"I'm asking if you're punishing me."

Confusion forms a frown on her face. "Punishing you?" she repeats. "Where's this coming from?"

Kai doesn't flinch. "I've seen you flirt around with three different guys the last time I saw you. Earlier, you were with my friend again. And now you're avoiding me. Are you punishing me?"

Milly gives a derisive scoff. "I'm leaving WYLD to give you space and you're accusing me of punishing you? What, were you actually expecting me to lay down a red carpet for you everytime you'll choose to appear?"

A beat of silence stretches between them. It's a Tuesday night. Almost a dead night for WYLD and the chains of bars in this strip, so there's no one but the two of them in the parking space, except a couple standing a few steps away.

The tensed silence continues until Kai breaks it with a conflicted sigh, running a hand across his face.

"Why do you make things so hard for me?" he's murmuring. "Kahit wala ka namang ginagawa. Why do you frustrate me so much?"

"I can ask you the same thing. What do you want, Kai? Be clear with me, so I'm not second guessing where we are. If you want to draw a line, fine. We can do that. That's what you want, isn't it? So why are you acting like this now?"

"Stop avoiding me," he says in a clipped tone and she sees the battle raging beneath in his eyes. His jaw is taut, his knuckles clenched tight at his sides. "Stop playing with men when I'm around, Milly. Stop testing my patience. Stop frustrating me. Stop teasing me. Just stop. I'm already so close to my limits."

Irritation flashes through her as her temper takes over.

"Really, Kairos? Really? Well, fuck that. I'm frustrated too, okay? Tingin mo ba ikaw lang? It's always you and your 'stop doing this and that' crap. Make up your mind because I'm getting tired chasing after you. What, so I can't have you, but I can't have anybody else? You've been frustrating me all month long, so cut me some slack, please. If you won't let me have you, then at least let me have whoever the fuck wants me back. Tutal you don't want this with me..." she says in an accusing tone. "...right?"