All Falls Down

Veintidós

The late evening air was sharp and cool, ngunit mas lamang ang init na nararamdaman ko ngayon. Nakadagan sa akin si Craig. Ang binti niya ay nakadantay sa buong hita ko at ang kanyang ulo ay nasa aking dibdib. Marahan kong ginugulo ang malambot niyang buhok habang nakatanaw sa buong lawa. Nagkakaroon na ng hamog sa paligid at malapit na kaming maabot nito.

Nag-angat siya ng tingin sa akin. I smiled a little and averted my eyes back to the lake.

I'll never understand a man like him. He is too wild and aggressive for me, that I don't think I will be able to handle him without me breaking. Napanguso ako. I'm too fragile for him.

Hinawakan niya ang baba ko para magtama ang tingin namin.

"What were you thinking?"

"Wala... naman." I trailed off.

"Anong wala?"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko at napasinghap ng pisilin niya ang sensitibong dungot ng aking dibdib. I bit my lip and avoided his gaze.

"Baby... come on, tell me."

"Hindi mo pa rin sinasabi sa akin kung ilang taon ka na."

"Does it really bothering you?" he paused.

He chewed the inside of his mouth. Tumango tango siya at inangat ang sarili para ako naman ang umunan sa kaniyang braso. Niyakap niya ako ng mahigpit, protecting me from the cold.

"Sabagay, kahit ako rin naman nag-aalala sa edad mo." bulong niya sa aking tenga.

Now I'm getting more and more curious about his age. Nagtaas ako ng kilay at hinintay ang idudugtong niya.

"I'm... I'm already twenty six.."

My lips parted, unable to speak.

"Too old for you?" nananantiya niyang tanong.

Kinagat ko ang aking dila at umiling.

"I don't know... I expected that you are more... younger than your age. I.. well," I nervously chuckled. "Tingin ko ay ayos l-lang naman yon."

Really? Are you kidding me? Of course, it does bothers me!

"I'm not convinced," he narrowed his eyes so I smiled sweetly.

Umiling siya at ngumiwi ang labi. "Still not convinced..."

Ugh! Umikot ang mata ko at mas lalo pang pinag-igi ang ngiti.

"Eeeehhh..." pinakita ko pa ang ngipin ko para ipakitang ayos lang. Tinitigan niya ako.

"You're trying hard enough. I'm still not convince, but sure you are pretty..."

Uminit ang pisngi ko. I cleared my throat saka nag-iwas ng tingin.

"I'm a little bit scared of you.."

It's true. He always give me panic attacks whenever I see him but somehow he also made my storm insides calms down. Isa pa dahil pakiramdam ko ay kaya niya akong wasakin anumang oras.
Parang pinipiga ang puso ko sa kaisipang iyon.

"Baby, don't look at me like that. You are the love of my life. Hindi ako gagawa ng anumang bagay na maghihiwalay sayo sa akin."

He kissed me again, bawat mabibigat na paghinga ay walang katumbas na saya. His touch was exquisitely tender. His warm mouth glided over to my jaw, to my collarbone, hanggang sa gitna ng aking dibdib.

I moaned his name when his tounge made its way to my mounds giving all his special attention to both. Napakapit ako sa kanyang balikat at inarko ang katawan.