I Could Fall

Chapter Eighteen

Ali Santiesteban
Video Messenger

Sobrang kinakabahan ako! I've never been this nervous before. He's the only person who can make me feel this way and I feel like it will always, always be like this. All of my senses automatically heighten whenever he's around.

I swallowed down my anxiety and pressed the accept button. My heart jumped and a smile stretched widely on my lips when I saw Ali's face plastered on the screen.

I'm beginning to think that maybe my heart is a magnet and it's not really skipping whenever he is around. Maybe it wants to cling to him. And to be honest, I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet in the most literal sense.

"Hi," I shyly greeted and brushed my hair over my ear. It was an unconcious gesture. Nang matapos gawin ay tsaka ko lang napansin na ginawa ko 'yon.

I nearly fainted when he smiled. Lubos na nakakapanghina. Paanong hindi? His eyes gets tender and a little sleepy whenever he does and he looks very... tempting.

"You were in another call," he began.

Tumango ako sa kanya at umayos ng upo para kumportableng sumandal sa kama. "Atticus called to greet me."

Sumeryoso ang mukha niya at matapos ay tumango. I took that time to observe him. His background looked like a living room. Hindi ko masyadong kita dahil sa anggulo ng phone.

He's wearing black sleeveless shirt, like what he usually wore on their basketball trainings before. He looked lively, like he'd been awake for an hour or so.

I cleared my throat when I realized that I was staring too much and that he knows that I'm staring too much because he was quietly staring at me, too.

"B-Bakit ka pala tumawag?" Nag-init ang mukha ko sa hiya.

Naalis ang pagiging seryoso niya. Now he's back to the playful looking Ali. Kapag ngumingiti siya nang ganito ay nakikita ko ang resemblance nila ni Atticus. Maybe because he looks younger when he's in a cheerful mood?

"I wanted to show you something."

Kumunot ang noo ko pero hindi mapigilan ang mapangiti. "Ano 'yon?"

He moved. The camera angle changed again. Hindi na siya nakatingin sa screen pero nakatutok pa rin sa mukha ang phone. I think he's walking because the background

Hindi niya ako sinagot. Bumaba ang anggulo ng camera pero kita pa rin ang mukha kahit may pagkalayo.

He was looking at something in front of him. I can see his other arm moving. I heard something click. His mouth twitched into a smile but he stopped it by biting his lip.

It got me even more curious but I kept quiet and watched him in amusement. He finally glanced at the camera and lifted it a bit to his face.

"Ready?" he asked.

I nodded.

Nahuli ko ang pagngiti ni Ali bago huminto ang screen at lumipat sa rear camera. My eyes widened when I saw an ombre of gray and blue circular cake with ruffles. It has a few decorations of glittery white flowers. It looked beautiful and expensive. A lit up candle was placed on top.

"Happy Birthday, sweet Hyon," he huskily said and chuckled after.

Hindi ako makapaniwala. Nakatitig pa rin ako sa cake. My mind wasn't processing what I was seeing.

"You bought me a cake?"

Nanatili lang ang camera sa harap ng cake kahit nang sumagot na siya, "I saw it last night and the color reminded me of you in that silver dress."