Chapter 12
Bothered
Like what I expected, I was so bored the next day. Nakahiga ako sa aking kama, nakatitig sa puting kisame ng aking kuwarto. My hair is still damped, for I just took a shower after helping the maids clean the house due to boredom.
Parehong wala si Mama at Papa. Mama is at school for the graduation ceremony for this year's batch. Samantalang si Papa naman ay nasa FALCO, he's having a meeting with Tito Emmanuel and other important people in the company.
Nagpakawala ako ng malalim na buntong hininga. I reached for my cellphone at the side table. Tinitigan ko ang numero ni Aedion.
Hindi pa man napipindot ang message button ay tinamaan na agad ng hiya. Binaba ko ang cellphone sa aking tabi bago dumapa at binaon ang mukha sa unan. I groaned a bit.
I was so happy yesterday for having his number, hindi ko man lang naisip na nakakahiya pala ang gagawin ko. He has work everyday! For sure he's tired, tapos guguluhin ko pa siya dahil lang sobrang bored ko rito sa bahay!
Slowly, I turned my head to my left where I placed my cellphone. Ngumuso ako saka unti-unting pinulot iyon. Pero siya naman ang nagsabi na mag text ako, 'di ba? He even told me he'd call.
I checked the time. It's twelve in the afternoon. Maybe he is resting right now after working hard last night. Nakakahiya, baka makaabala ako sa pagpapahinga niya.
Pilit akong naghanap ng ibang puwedeng gawin para maibsan ang boredom na nararamdaman. I went to our entertainment room and watched one of my favorite movie, pero wala iyong naging epekto. Lalo lang ako na bored dahil kabisado ko na lahat ng mangyayari. I've watched it for so many times already, halos kaya ko nang sabayan ang mga karakter sa mga linya nila!
I decided to go back to my room and look for something to do instead.
I went to my walk-in closet, thinking of decluttering my clothes. Kaya lang, hindi na kailangan dahil ayos na ayos na iyon. Maging ang mga gamit ko sa study table at drawers ay maayos din. I groaned in frustation. There's just nothing to do here!
Naupo akong muli. Sandali kong pinagmasdan ang cellphone ko. I sighed. Mabilis kong pinulot 'yon at tinignan ang oras. It's one thirty six, gising na siguro siya ngayon. Does that mean I can text him now?
Kinagat ko ang aking pang ibabang labi. Nagsimula na akong magtipa ng mensahe.
Yuliana:
Hi! Are you busy?
My cheeks felt so hot as I typed those. Halos umusok na ang mukha ko sa sobrang hiya nang pindutin ko ang send button. I quickly buried my face on my pillow and groaned.
Napabalikwas ako nang upo ng marinig ang pagtunog ng cellphone ko. I picked it up and immediately flushed when I realized, he's calling!
I gulped before answering the call. Walang nagsasalita ngunit nasisiguro kong naroon siya dahil rinig ko ang malalalim niyang paghinga. I cleared my throat and spoke.
"Hello?"
"Are you bored, Yuri?" Aedion asked with a hoarse voice that sounded sultry.
I felt more embarrassed. It sounded like he just woke up, naistorbo ko pa ata! Nakakahiya! I bit my lower lips.
"U-Uh, sorry. Were you sleeping? Pasensiya na, 'di ko alam—"
"If I was sleeping, I wouldn't call you. Answer my question. Are you bored?"
Ngumuso ako. "Uh-hmm..."
Uminit ang pisngi, napangiwi ako nang marinig ang napapaos niyang pagtawa.
"Alright. What do you want to do? Do you want to go somewhere?" he asked lazily.
My heart jumped in happiness. I straightened my back, the excitement to finally finding something to do made my heart pound.
We decided to meet up at the mall just near the school dahil iyon ang pinaka malapit na puwede naming meeting place. Isa pa, naroon din ang lugar na gusto kong puntahan. Naalala ko ang matagal ko nang kagustuhang pagpunta doon nang may isang scene sa pinapanood kong penikula kanina na doon ginanap.
Mabuti nalang at naroon na si Aedion nang makarating ako sa napag-usapan naming lugar. I don't really like going to crowded places, especially if I am alone.
Halata ang pagka dismaya ni Aedion nang marating namin ang gusto kong puntahan. My eyes were glimmering in pure happiness while he looked pissed for some reason. He turned to me with raised brow.
"Dito mo gustong pumunta?" Aedion scoffed.
I flushed. Nakasimangot akong tumango. Aedion turned back to the crowded and noisy arcade in front of us. Ngumuso ako.
I've always wanted to go here ever since High school. Palagi ko kasing naririnig ang mga kaklase ko na nagyayayaan na pumunta dito. They all looked hyped and extremely happy whenever they did. Sinubukan kong yayain sila Rebecca isang beses, they looked disgusted when I did.
"Para ka talagang lalake, Yuri," she commented.
Parang pinipiga ang puso ko sa alaalang iyon. Huminga ako ng malalim upang pakalmahin ang sarili.
Aedion glanced at his wrist watch before lifting his eyes back to me.
"I still have work tonight. Hanggang alas sais lang tayo rito. Let's just go back here some other time," he said nonchalantly.
Hindi agad ako nakasagot. I thought he's going to judge me too. Aedion raised a brow at me. He tilted his head to the side a bit. Ngumuso siya.
"We can stay here until seven. I'll just inform our supervisor that I will be late for a bit,"
Namilog ang mga mata ko. He took out his cellphone which made me panic. I quickly held his forearm to stop him from what he's about to do.
"Hindi na! Ayos lang, bumalik nalang tayo sa susunod," I said.
Sandali niya akong tinitigan bago tumango. A playful smirk painted his lips as he did.
I was so excited when we entered the place. My eyes kept on roaming around, namamangha sa lahat ng nakikita. The people inside were all busy playing kaya hindi ako masyadong naaasiwa. Maliban na lang kapag may nadadaanan kaming grupo ng mga kababaihan na napapalingon sa amin ng ilang beses. Though their eyes are focused on Aedion.
Lumapit ako sa isang bakanteng laro. I pushed the play button but the game won't start. Kumunot ang noo ko. Nilingon ko si Aedion.
"Ayaw gumana,"
Nagkatitigan kami. A ghost of smile played on his lips. I glanced at the game before turning back to him. He sighed.
"Diyan ka lang," aniya bago umalis.
Mabilis siyang nakasingit sa gitna ng mga tao kaya hindi ko na siya nasundan. Like an obedient child, I stood there and waited for him like how he told me to.
Ilang minuto ang nakalipas, I saw him walking back to me. One of the girls who kept on staring at him a while ago approached him. Nakita ko kung paano pinalakas ng mga kaibigan niya ang loob niya sa gagawin.
She tried to block Aedion's way and smiled before offering her hand. My eyes widened in disbelief when Aedion didn't even glanced at her and simply walked pass by her. Ang mga mata niya'y nakadirekta sa akin.
Umuwang ang labi ko. The girl flushed and ran away. Her friends quickly followed her. Dumako ang mga mata ko kay Aedion nang nasa harap ko na siya. I don't know why he looked amused. Napaka suplado talaga!
"Bakit mo ginawa 'yon? Kawawa naman 'yung babae," I said.
"What are you talking about?" he asked. He's even playing innocent!
"'Yung babae kanina, kinakausap ka kaya!"
"I don't know what you're saying. Halika na,"
He held my shoulder as he guided me back to the game that I wanted to play. May nilusot siya doon. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko ng biglang gumana ang laro.
Nawala sa isip ko ang pinaglalaban kanina dahil sa paglalaro. At first, Aedion just stood beside me and watched me play. Pero nang mapansin ko iyon, kaagad akong namili ng ibang laro na pang dalawahan para sa amin.
I lost track of time as we kept playing different games at the arcade. Tumigil lang kami nang isatinig ni Aedion ang pananakit ng kaniyang mga mata.
It was quarter to six when we decided to stop. Kaya 'di rin nagtagal ay hinatid na niya ako sa parking area kung saan naghihintay ang driver ko, bago siya tumulak patungo sa kaniyang trabaho.
We often go out since then. There were days when we can't see each other, kaya sa text nalang kami nag-uusap. And at night, Aedion calls me during his break at work. Minsan ay nilalabanan ko ang antok dahil gabi na rin ang break time nila.
"Sinong kasama mo?" Aedion asked from the other end.
Nakahiga na ako at handa nang matulog. I fell asleep while waiting, nagising lang dahil sa pagri-ring ng cellphone para sa tawag niya. Tumagilid ako at binuksan ang lamp. I placed my cellphone on my other ear before speaking.
"Sila Tita at ang pinsan ko," I answered.
We're talking about the party that I am going to attend tomorrow with Tita Kuja and Kuya Eliron. I'm still not sure if Kuya Sam is coming with us cuz he's been very busy these days.
Aedion hummed. I felt guilty. He filed a leave so we could have more time tomorrow. Huli na nang ipaalam sa akin ni Mama na isasama ako nila Tita kaya 'di kami matutuloy bukas. Bumuntong hininga ako.
"Sorry, hindi ko kasi alam na isasama ako nila Tita, e. Puwede naman siguro akong hindi sumama,"
"It's alright. Go with them,"
Sumimangot ako. "Sayang naman 'yung pag file mo ng leave,"
He chuckled lightly. "Dalawang araw ang leave ko, Yuri. We can go out the day after tomorrow,"
"Paano bukas? Anong gagawin mo?"
He chuckled again. Why does he always sound amused with everything I say? Ano bang nakakatawa?
"Sa bahay lang, Yuri. Magpapahinga."
Ngumuso ako at tumango-tango.
Silence stretched between us for a little while before he spoke again.
"What do you usually do during parties?"
"Huh? Uh..." I trailed off as I think. "Wala naman masyado. Madalas ay nakasunod lang ako kanila Tita para bumati sa mga kakilala. I stay at our table most of the time. Minsan sumasayaw kapag may nagyayaya,"
"Sumasayaw ka?" tunog gulat iyon.
Uminit ang pisngi ko sa kahihiyan. I shifted my body, nagising na dahil sa kahihiyan na nararamdaman. I cleared my throat.
"O-Oo, minsan. Slow dance lang naman, 'tsaka umattend ako ng dancing lessons noon kaya marunong ako," sabi ko, parang hindi kasi siya naniniwala na sumasayaw ako, e.
"Who do you dance with?"
Kumurap-kurap ako. "Mga family friends. Sometimes, the other guests who asks me to dance with them,"
Napakurap-kurap ulit ako nang hindi siya nagsalita matapos iyon. I glanced at my cellphone's screen to check if he was still on the line.
Kumunot ang noo ko. Hindi ko alam kung bakit biglang pumasok sa isip ko na baka ayaw niya akong sumayaw kasama ang iba. My heart pounded on that thought. I swallowed hard.
"S-Sorry. Ayaw mo ba?" my cheeks heated rapidly. I quickly regret asking that.
I heard him sighed. "It's fine if you want to,"
"P-Puwede naman akong tumanggi," I don't know what I'm saying anymore.
Marahang tumawa si Aedion. Hindi ko alam kung bakit bumagsak ang balikat ko nang marinig iyon.
"Ayos lang, Yuri," he assured me.
Oh...
For some reason, our conversation that night lingered in my mind. It gave me a hard time sleeping, at sa araw ng kinabukasan ay patuloy iyong bumagabag sa isipan ko.
Aedion texted me like usual. I replied like usual too, even though it felt like I was only forcing myself, for I don't feel like replying to him.
Nang mag alas dos na ng hapon, nagsimula na akong mag-ayos para sa a-attend-an na party. Bumaba ako at tumungo sa guest room kung nasaan ang make up artist that Mama hired for me for tonight's party.
After that, I went back to my room to change. Sinulyapan ko ang aking cellphone na sinadyang iwanan kanina. Na-guitly ako nang makaramdam ng kaunting satisfaction nang makita ang dalawang mensahe ni Aedion halos kalahating oras na ang nakakalipas.
Mabilis ko iyong pinulot at agad nagtipa ng mensahe.
Yuliana:
Sorry. Inaayusan na kasi ako. I forgot to bring my cellphone downstairs.
Kinagat ko ang aking pang ibabang labi. Mas lalo lang na-guitly dahil nagsinungaling pa.
Aedion:
It's alright. Have fun tonight.
I let out a deep sigh. His message made me feel disappointed. What am I disappointed of anyway? Napabuntong hininga ulit ako dahil sa kaisipan na iyon.
Ang hindi maipaliwanag na nararamdam na iyon ay naglaho nang tumulak na kami patungo sa venue ng party. Sinundo ako nila Tita Kuja at Kuya Eliron sa bahay kaya sabay-sabay kaming nakarating doon. Tito Emmanuel couldn't attend with us cuz he had to fly to Singapore to take care of some important issues sa branch ng FAAD doon.
Like usual, I followed Tita Kuja as she greets the other guests and of course, the reason behind the party. The Claveria family, bagaman hindi ganoon kalapit sa amin, they invested in some of our family's projects so we had a connection with them.
Kitang-kita ko ang pagkislap ng mga mata ng dalawang nakakatandang kapatid na babae ni Teo, na siyang may kaarawan ngayon, nang makita nila si Kuya Eliron. Their family still follow the old way of marrying for convenience. Kaya siguro ganito na lamang ang reaksyon nila nang makita si Kuya Ron. Too bad for them though, our family doesn't follow that anymore.
After the formal greetings, we settled down at our table. And not long enough, the program started. I shifted on my seat, suddenly feeling uneasy. Lalong lumala ang kaba na nararamdaman ko nang sa kalagitnaan ay binuksan ang dance floor.
I swallowed hard and turned around, tinalikuran ang banda ng stage at pinako ang tingin sa pagkain na nakahain sa aming lamesa. Si Kuya Ron na akala ko'y bigla nalang maglalaho sa gitna ng party ay nakaupo pa rin sa kaharap ng aking puwesto. Kanina pa siya nakatutok sa cellphone niya.
He slowly lifted his eyes to me. The side of his lips rose. Napakurap-kurap ako.
Agad kong naintindihan iyon nang may maglahad ng kamay sa gilid ko. I flinched a little. Dahan-dahan ko iyong nilingon. I gulped when I saw who it was.
Teo smiled boyishly. "Hi, Yuliana. Would you like to dance?"
My heart pounded loudly. I fought the urge to shook my head. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero ayoko. But I can't just turn him down, right? I mean, this is his party and it's his birthday!
Umuwang ang labi ko. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang maaari kong sabihin para hindi ko siya mapahiya o masaktan. He looks a nice person, and I don't feel uncomfortable with him. Kaya hindi ko alam kung bakit ganoon ko na lang siya ka gustong tanggihan—no, I think I'll turn down anyone who will ask me for a dance tonight! What the hell is going on with me?!
He tilted his head to the side. He smiled more when our eyes met.
"Huwag kang mag-alala, hindi tayo sa gitna pu-puwesto kung nahihiya ka,"
I felt more guilty. He even considered my feelings. Samantalang heto ako, nag-iisip kung papaano siya tatanggihan. Yumuko ako.
I turned to Kuya Ron when he suddenly held my arm. He looked at me for a second before drifting his eyes to Teo.
"Sorry, my cousin is not feeling well tonight," he said.
Namilog ang mga mata ko. Kuya Ron glanced at me again before looking back at Teo.
"Oh, is that so?" bigo niyang sinabi. "Okay then, do you need anything?"
"Ako na ang bahala sa kaniya,"
"Ah, sige..."
Sandali pa akong tinignan ni Teo bago tuluyan kaming iwan at nakihalubilo sa iba niyang panauhin. I let out a sigh of relief.
Hinagod ni Kuya Ron ang likod ko, dahilan kaya bumaling ako pabalik sa kaniya. He was looking at me intently.
"Ayos ka lang?"
"Uh, oo,"
"Oh, bakit ayaw mo?"
Bahagyang nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa tanong niya. I blinked. He blinked too, though I'm sure he copied me on purpose. A playful smirk curved on his lips.
"Hindi ka naman tumatanggi noon, ah? Bakit biglang ayaw mo na ngayon?"
Tanging paglunok lang ang nagawa ko. Lumawak ang ngisi sa kaniyang labi.
"Is this because of your suitor, Yuri? Pinagbawalan ka ba?"
Uminit ang pisngi ko. I purposely furrowed my brows.
"A-Anong sinasabi mo, Kuya?" nauutal kong sabi.
"Narinig ko kay Tita Hestia may manliligaw ka daw, e. Dahil ba sa kaniya kaya ayaw mo? Seloso ba?"
I felt like all my blood went up to my face, for it felt so hot. I shook my head a couple of times. Parang tambol na ang puso ko sa sobrang bilis ng pagtibok nito.
"W-Wala akong manliligaw, Kuya! M-Mali si Mama ng iniisip!" utal-utal kong giit.
Kuya Ron raised an eyebrow. "Bakit ayaw mong sumayaw kasama si Teo, kung gano'n? Knowing you, siguro pumayag ka na agad lalo na't birthday niya ang dinadaluhan natin ngayon,"
I swallowed hard and looked away. Hindi masagot ang kaniyang tanong.
Nang matapos ang party, agad na din kaming nagpaalam. Napagalaman ko na sinabi pala ni Teo kay Tita Kuja na hindi maganda ang pakiramdam ko kaya nagmamadali na itong umuwi.
Kuya Ron's question kept on bugging me while we're on our way home. Hanggang sa makauwi't makapaglinis na ay iyon pa rin ang naglalaro sa aking isipan.
Bakit nga ba ayaw ko? Tama naman si Kuya Ron, I wouldn't normally turn someone down like that. Not just that, I was feeling uneasy the whole time at the party, lalo na noong magkaroon ng formal dance.
I checked my cellphone and saw a message from Aedion just a few minutes ago.
Aedion:
Goodnight, Yuri.
Sumimangot ako. I texted him earlier to inform him that I got home. This was his reply. Ito lang.
Bumuntong hininga ako at nilapag ang cellphone sa side table. I turned my back to it and covered my body with my comforter.
I closed my eyes, forcing myself to sleep, kahit na nakakaramdam ng kaunting iritasyon. He didn't even asked anything...
My eyes widened as soon as I opened it once more. Napabangon ako at napakurap-kurap. Sandali akong tumitig sa kawalan, binabalikan lahat ng bumabagabag kanina.
Suminghap ako. I quickly laid back down on my bed. This time, I covered, not just my body, but even my head using my comforter. I shut my eyes tightly and forced myself to sleep kahit na alam kong imposibleng mangyari 'yon dahil sa napagtanto at sa mabilis na tibok ng puso.
I'm just overthinking. I told myself over and over again.
I wasn't sure how long I stayed up that night. Pero nasisiguro kong kulang ang tulog ko dahil panay ang aking paghikab kinabukasan kahit na tinanghali na ako ng gising.
Nagmamadali akong mag-ayos pagkatapos kumain ng agahan. Mabuti na lang at tanghali ang napag-usapan naming pagkikita ngayon ni Aedion. Though I didn't had enough time to prepare. Iyon din ang dahilan kaya nang nasa kalagitnaan na ng biyahe, saka ko lang natandaan ang dahilan kung bakit nahirapan ako sa pagtulog kagabi.
I flushed. My heart quickly picked up its pace. Mas lalo lang itong nagwala nang marating ko na ang lugar kung saan kami magkikita. Kinailangan ko pang mag stay ng ilang minuto sa loob ng sasakyan para pakalmahin ang sarili.
Guni-guni ko lang 'yon. Tama. I think I just over analyzed things kaya gano'n ang naging konklusyon. It's not true! It couldn't be!
I felt so nervous as I was walking to our meeting place inside the mall. My heart jumped inside my ribcage when I caught a glimpse of him, not to far from where I am.
The urge to run away and create random excuses for not showing up today filled my thoughts. Pero kung gagawin ko 'yon, para ko na rin inamin na totoo nga ang naisip ko!
Calm down, Yuri. Kinakabahan ka lang dahil sa naiisip mo. My mind is just playing tricks on me, that's for sure!
Gustong-gusto na patunayan sa sarili na hindi totoo ang naiisip, I walked fast and went near Aedion. Hindi pa man ako tuluyang nakakalapit ay napansin niya na ako at agad binalingan.
"H-Hi!"
I bit my lower lips. I wanted to greet him just like normal, pero bigo ako dahil hindi pa man nakakapagsalita ay nanginig na ang aking labi.
Aedion smirked at me, looking all boastful as always.
Noon, natatawa na lang ako tuwing tila nagmamayabang siya. Pero ngayon, parang napapaso ang mga mata ko. Uminit ng todo ang aking pisngi. I averted my eyes and swallowed hard.
It was almost time for lunch so we decided to eat first before going somewhere. Panay ang pag-inom ko para magkaroon ng excuse para hindi siya tignan. When the waiter handed us the menu, I purposely took a long time choosing what to order, for I know once we're left alone, wala na akong maiisip na puwedeng excuse para iiwas ang tingin sa kaniya.
Gaya nga ng kinatatakutan ko, once the waiter left us, I had no choice but to look at Aedion. Hindi naman puwedeng uminom ako nang uminom ng tubig at baka hindi pa man nakakarating ang order ay busog na ako.
I slowly lifted my eyes to Aedion. Napalunok ako nang maabutan siyang nakatitig sa akin. Lalo akong kinabahan.
"How was the party?" he asked.
I cleared my throat. "O-Okay lang..."
"Did you dance with anyone?"
Natigilan ako doon. Despite the nervousness, nakaramdamam ako ng pait sa tanong niya, kaya nagawa kong sumimangot.
"Hindi," I couldn't stop myself to sound bitter.
His brow shot up. "Bakit parang galit ka? Dahil ba walang nagsayaw sa 'yo?"
He's only teasing me just like how he used to, pero tila hindi nasanay, I glared at him before looking away. Aedion's eyes widened for what I did. He chuckled, which made me frown.
Dumating na ang aming pagkain kaya natigil doon ang pag-uusap. We were both quiet as we eat, though I could feel Aedion's frequent glance at me. Lalo akong sumimangot.
Hindi ko siya masisisi kung nagtataka siya ngayon. Madalas kasi ay kung anu-ano ang kinu-kuwento ko sa kaniya tuwing kumakain kami. I was never this quiet before. Ngayon lang.
Natapos kaming kumain nang ganoon. Nilabas ko ang wallet ko nang magbabayad na. Napansin ko kasi na medyo mamahalin ang napili naming kainan. Isa pa, I just realized that whenever we go out, it's always him who pays for everything! Nakakahiya! Ako ang maraming pera pero siya ang pinagbabayad ko!
"Uh, ako na ang mababayad," I told him when the waiter handed us the bill.
"Ako na, Yuri." he said coolly.
Nagtiim bagang ako. "Ako na lang. Ikaw na palagi ang nagbabayad. 'Tsaka mahal rito,"
He looked pissed when he turned to me. Tinaasan niya ako ng isang kilay.
"So? I'm working, Yuri. I can pay for this." giit niya.
Kinuha niya ang bill. Tutol na tutol ang loob ko na siya ang pagbayarin. So, instead of letting him pay for it, I spoke again.
"Hati nalang tayo!" I bargained eagerly. "Please,"
Umangat ulit ang mga mata niya sa akin. He was looking at me darkly that made my heart pound. I pursed my lips. Gustong-gusto man umiwas ng tingin ay hindi ko ginawa. My cheeks heated so bad.
Aedion sighed. "Fine..."
Sumilay ang ngiti sa aking labi. Mabilis akong naglabas ng pera upang mapaghatian namin ang babayaran. Nakaukit ang matinding pagtutol sa mukha ni Aedion sa ginawa naming iyon. Bumuntong hininga siya.
He sighed again when he stood up from his seat. I put my wallet inside my pocket before standing up as well.
"Ang hirap mo palang ligawan..." he said and sighed.
I froze. Unti-unting namilog ang mga mata ko. Halos umusok ang mukha ko sa sobrang init. What did he just said?
Aedion frowned at me, while I couldn't even move a bit. Belwildered for what I just heard.
"H-Ha?"
Aedion only hissed.
"A-Anong sinabi mo?" I asked again.
Halos wala na akong marinig kundi ang malakas at mabilis na tibok ng aking puso. My face felt numb, lalo na nang titigan ako ni Aedion na may bahid ng iritasyon sa kaniyang mukha.
"Ang hirap mong ligawan," ulit niya na para bang wala lang iyon sa kaniya.
My jaw dropped. I panicked a bit. I then stared at him with widened eyes. Tears slowly formed in my eyes due to embarrassment. I'm sure my face is already red as tomato right now.
The irritation in Aedion's face became more evident when he saw my reaction. He clicked his tongue and looked away.
For a fleeting moment, we stayed that way. Until Aedion turned his head back to me. Nguli siyang bumuntong hininga.
"I almost forgot how slow you are..." he mumbled but I was able to hear it.
I gritted my teeth. Akmang magrereklamo, naunahan ako ni Aedion at nguling nagsalita.
"If it's not obvious to you yet, then... I'm telling you now..." he trailed off and licked his lower lips. "I'm courting you, Yuri."