The Second Time Around (The Starving Squad #1)

Chapter 25: A Glimpse of the Past

Kumuha siya ng chocolate syrup at butter. "You can never have enough butter," she told him when he raised an eyebrow.

"God must favor you so much. Binigyan ka Niya ng katawang hindi tumataba kahit ano'ng kainin mo."

She beamed. "And I thank God every day for that."

Hiniwa-hiwa niya ang pancake at sinubuan ito habang nagluluto. "Dadaan ka ulit sa shop mamaya?"

He shrugged. "I don't know."

She put down the fork and knife and hugged him from the back. "Busy ka?"

"I have three clients today. May isa akong naka-schedule during lunch. That's her only vacant time, so I had to make adjustments on mine."

She leaned away. "Her?"

He chuckled, bent down, and gave her a quick kiss. "She's a 50-year old woman."

"Oh..." She had to make sure, though. "Is she attractive?"

Tumawa itong muli. He turned the stove off and lifted her up to the counter. She gasped when her butt hit the cold granite countertop.

"She's no way near your perfection," he answered. Hinawi nito ang nakaharang na buhok sa mukha niya at idinagdag, "You don't need to worry about a thing."

Ikinawit niya ang mga braso sa batok nito. "You're so sweet, do you know that?"

His grandmother raised him well. Kahit wala itong mga magulang, hindi ito lumaking may galit sa mundo. Pasensyoso, maalaga, at ubod nang sweet. She scratched his scruffy beard. "Don't shave this, okay? You look hotter with this."

"I'm never shaving again."

Ngumiti siya. "No shaving. Trim lang."

Yumuko siyang muli para hagkan ito. She just couldn't get enough of his lips. They were so soft and smooth. It was supposed to be just a peck, but then, he responded... and things got a little heated. She wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer.

"We're both going to be late."

"Yeah. We should probably stop," he said in agreement.

Pinugpog nito ng halik ang leeg niya.

"We're seriously going to be late," natatawa niyang sabi. But she has no intention of letting go.

"Your fault. You started this."

"You put me up here."

He smirked. "But you kissed me first."

"Gano'n? Porket ako ang nauna, wala ka nang kasalanan?"

Tumawa lamang ito at saka siya ibinaba. "Go take a bath and lock the bathroom door," bulong nito sa kanya.

--

Happiness is a huge understatement. This is really new to her. This is something that she doesn't normally feel. Mona's right. She shouldn't make Richard the basis because what she had with him was nothing compared to what she's having with Bullet.

She's not just happy when she's with him. Masaya rin siya kahit hindi sila magkasama, basta naiisip niya ito.

Nawiwirduhan na sa kanya ang mga empleyado dahil para siyang wala sa sariling ngumingiting mag-isa. She was so cheery at work, but she didn't want to stay there for long. Mas gusto niyang umuwi ng bahay. The period after seven in the evening until before nine in the morning is the best because she's with Bullet.

Kaya naman pagpatak na pagpatak ng alas siete ay nakaayos na ang mga gamit niya. Pagkaparada ni Bullet ng sasakyan sa labas ng shop ay nasa may reception area na siya, naghihintay.

"What's for dinner?" tanong niya pagkapasok ng sasakyan.

"'Yon agad? Walang man lang hello?"

She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "Hello. Now what's for dinner?"

Naiiling itong tumawa. "Whatever you want."

That translated to tinola. Like everything he cooked before, the tinola was yummy. They washed the dishes together and then they spent the rest of the night watching sappy movies.

Bullet didn't like the movies but he endured for her. That doesn't mean that he pretended to like them.

"Why did she agree to be the bridesmaid to her 27 friends? That's kind of pathetic."

"She wants to have her own happy ending. Naniniwala kasi syang mararanasan nya rin 'yong wedding na pinapangarap nya," paliwanag niya.

"Does she need to keep the dresses?"

She slapped his chest. "Kailangan kasi sa story. If she doesn't have that obsession, then the guy won't have something to write about."

Bullet raised his hands. "I don't really get these romantic movies."

But that's not the best part. He has a very decorative vocabulary in describing the heroine in this one Pinoy movie. Tuwing nagmumura 'yong bida, nagmumura rin ito. Masyado raw bitter 'yong babae.

"Syempre, ikaw ba naman ang iwan after eight years."

He rolled his eyes. "Her cursing made me hungry. Order tayo ng pizza?"

On cue, her stomach grumbled. Tumawag siya sa isang pizza place at nag-order ng isang box ng pizza.

--

Nang dumating ang pizza, saktong nasa banyo si Bullet. He left his wallet on the table and told her that he'll be paying for the pizza. Kaya doon siya kumuha ng pera. May nakita siya roong litrato ng isang babae. The woman's probably about her age. Bilugan ang mukha nito, mapupungay ang mga mata at perky ang ilong.

Is this Leila, his ex? But why does he still have her picture in his wallet?

She heard someone clear his throat. Ah, right. The pizza is here. Humugot siya ng pera sa wallet at ibinigay rito. She told the guy to keep the excess. Wala siyang panahong maghanap ng barya.

"Oh, the pizza's here!"

Binuksan ni Bullet ang box na kalalapag niya sa coffee table. Kinalabit siya nito nang mapansing hindi siya kumakain.

"Akala ko gusto mo ng pizza?"

She pulled the picture out of his wallet. "Is this Leila?"

Napatigil ito sa pagkain. "Yes," mahina nitong sagot.

Huminga siya nang malalim, ipinaalala sa sariling hindi siya dapat magalit dito.

"You still have her picture here."

Kinuha nito iyon sa kanya. He didn't put the picture back inside the wallet. Ibinulsa lang nito iyon.

"It's not what it looks like."

"What does it look like?"

"I don't love her anymore, Fresia," diretso nitong sagot.

"Then why do you still have that? I don't mean to sound like an obnoxious girlfriend, okay? It's just... kung rebound lang ako, let me know and I'll try to understand."

He smiled affectrionately. "You're not a rebound. I was keeping her picture for a different reason."

"What?"

Umiling ito. "You wouldn't want to know."

"Tell me," she said indignantly.

Bumuntong-hininga ito. "All right." He paused for a moment, mukhang inihahanda ang sarili. Kung anuman ang nangyari dati, nakaraan na 'yon. Matatanggap niya iyon. They can't move forward with this relationship if he's not being honest with her.

Alam naman niyang hindi pa niya ito lubusang kilala. This is her, trying to get to know him better.

"I kept her picture because I was feeling guilty about what I did to her five years ago. I still feel guilty about it today and until I can get rid of that guilt, I cannot get rid of her picture."

Nagsalubong ang mga kilay niya. "What are you feeling guilty about?"

He couldn't even look her in the eye when he said, "I cheated on her."