Te Quiero (hiatus)

15 - The Sudden Visit

The paper bag almost hit my face as soon as I opened the gate. With a soft frown flickering onto my face, I swiped it away with a flick of my wrist and immediately saw his laughing face once the offending object was out of my sight.

Ah, now there's that laidback smile I hadn't seen in a while. Couldn't say I missed him—it hadn't been that long—but it was always nice and pleasant to see a friend.

"Food delivery for the Makati person," Rhys greeted with that affable tone and the same carefree smile that was starting to grow on me.

Come to think of it, he was that kind of person. The kind to grow on you despite your best effort not to get attached.

I narrowed my eyes at him, gave him a chiding look, and grabbed the paper bag from his hand. I stole a look at the food he ordered from Early Breakfast. Hmm. Looked delicious. As expected from the lone traveler, he doesn't disappoint.

"We didn't see each other in weeks and the first thing you'll do to greet me is wipe my face clean," I told him with a fake berating tone, flicking my eyes back to him and stepping aside to let him in. Despite myself, I found myself absorbing the light energy he was oozing and a smile inadvertently slid into my features.

Rhys ruffled my hair as he stepped inside our property. "Sorry, dumb-dumb. I just missed that face."

I swatted the even more offensive hand away from my head, stepping back to fake an annoyed look. "Please, I know you're taller than me, but stop using your height as a leverage to treat me as your baby sister," I told him as I locked the gates. I knew I said I wanted to be platonic, but that wasn't a free pass to start treating me like I was a baby sister who needed coddling. I've had enough of that from Joaquin and Noah.

Rhys arched his brows, placing his hands into the pockets of his black jacket. "When did I do that?"

"Just now."

He began to laugh. "Ruffling your hair is treating you like a sister? My cousins have sisters but they strangle each other, not ruffle their hair."

Actually, he had a point because that was exactly the summary of my relationship with Kuya Cairo before we shifted to a more civil, less violent family relationship. But he was my blood kasi. Sa mga friends ko, like Joaquin and Noah, they usually show their affection by messing my hair (to annoy me) or by bringing me everywhere. I had come to associate the gesture as a brotherly act.

"Basta don't mess with my hair na lang. I don't like it when people are needlessly touching my hair or my stuff," I told him, walking ahead of him. Then I gently reminded, "Don't make a sound, ha. I don't wanna wake Kuya Cairo."

He tagged along after me. "Will I get in trouble if he suddenly sees a guy at your place? Is he the violent type?"

A smirk was beginning to take over my lips. "Why, feeling nervous? Shouldn't you have thought of that before you decide to come to a girl's house in the wee hours of the morning?"

He clicked his tongue, taking big strides so he'd keep in pace with me. "Isa pa 'yan. Dapat ba kitang pagalitan? Why are you inviting a guy over at shady hours, huh?"

I paused for a second to throw him an are-you-for-real look. "You insisted to eat. You must know, food is sacred in my family. In this house, we don't say no to food."

"Still, it's not a good habit to keep. 'Wag mo nang uulitin."

"Wow naman po. The pot is calling the kettle black. You're the one coming over. If anything, we're both at fault. But more you, if you try to pull anything."

"You're safe with me but I can't vouch for the others. I'm just worried for you, dumb-dumb."

I snorted at the petty nickname. I never thought he's the type to call people names.