Ren's POV
"Ate ilang taon ka na?" After that disaster, Riley did not let go of my hand when she took me here in the rooftop of the bistro. Thankfully, we're the only customer here.
She's not asking me about Morph and about the girlfriend thingy.
"What an out-of-nowhere question Riley." she laughed and then offered me her drink. "Baka gusto mo ate?" I just nod at her, grabbed the can, and took a sip.
"I'm 24." I said. She gasped. "What's with the reaction Riley? Do I look older?" I finished her drink.
"No ate... nagulat lang ako na you're younger than ate Nita, ate Tin, and Doc Tristan eh mag kaka batchmate kayo."
"How did you know?"
"Na kwento ni ate Nita at ate Tin." I noticed that her cheeks were red.
"Marami ka ng nainom Riley?" I asked. "Kagagaling mo lang sa sakit diba?"
"Thanks for the concern ate but I'm okay na." She stood up to look at the view but she lost her balance.
"See, you're drunk already," I said while helping her to get back on her seat.
"Hilo lang ate but I'm not drunk yet." she gave me a smile.
"Riley, why are you not asking about it?" She looked at me. "Can I?" she said. It seems like she's waiting for me to give her permission. She is very considerate.
"I already drag you into this mess so yeah, you have the right to ask." She moved closer and faced me. I can see her honey-brown eyes and flushed face.
"Pano yun ate if he found out na we're not really girlfriends?" I know she will ask this question.
"I'm actually planning to file a temporary restraining order before we go to Quezon because he's been following me everywhere lately. I never thought that he will end up being a creep." I should've done it earlier.
"Oh, okay. But ate... are you okay?" She gently touched my arm. "Kasi oh namumula parin."
"I'll be fine." I pat her head. "Yun lang tanong mo?"
I'm not expecting this one. I only expect questions that concern her.
"Do you love him?" I've noticed that Riley is the one who usually breaks the eye contact between us but now she's not. She's looking straight into my eyes, waiting for my answer.
"I used to love him but now... he's just my friend." I'm not even considering him as my best friend anymore.
"No more unresolved feelings na?" she said still not breaking eye contact. I answered yes.
She nodded and said "sana all, share tips naman ate Ren haha" tips? What?
"Why? You also fell in love with your best friend?" I asked. Another thing that we have in common I guess?
"Anong fell in love ate? She became my girlfriend! Then boom, she disappears." I'm seeing the pain in her eyes but she's masking it with a smile.
We just went silent. She's just looking at the sky and I'm watching her. I don't want to ask her more questions but honestly, I want to know more about her... about Riley.
"Ate..." she said, breaking the silence. I looked at her but she was still looking at the sky. "Umm?" I'm waiting for her to speak but she didn't. Say it, Ren. Say it.
"You wanna talk about it?" there, finally.
She turns around and I stare into her eyes. It looks dead and empty. It seems that I saw another part of her.
"Ate, I want to see her again. I don't love... or even like her anymore but I want to see her again. I just want to know why things just suddenly ended." she is not crying. I can't even see any reactions on her face so I don't know if what she's feeling right now is longingness or hatred. I did not say anything but I am intently watching her. She continued,
"She was there when my parents died. When I mourn she was there. She knows everything about me pero alam mo ba ate? I only knew a few things about her. It seems like she only stays because she pitty me. She's an orphan so she probably knows what it feels like.."
"Sa tingin mo ate... will I get better?" Again, she's not crying.
"Why are you not crying?" I asked.
"Napagod na siguro ako ate kakaiyak dahil sa kanya?"
"I'm not sure Riley pero baka hindi ka napagod, it probably means that you're getting better. That you crafted, and still crafting, the better version of yourself after she left. It seems that you already processed the thoughts and feelings you associated with her and you just want answers."
"Oh... processed. Oo nga, the thought of her leaving me doesn't hurt me anymore..." she said while nodding, "it's just that, I want answers..." she looked at me and said,
"Makapag salita ka ate para kang psych major."
"I am a psych major though?" I saw shock and confusion all over her face. Cute.
"Weh?! Akala ko BSBA major in HRDM ka?"
"I'm not. I guess maganda lang ako and I don't have the psych major vibes?" she just laughed at me. Well, it's good to see that.
"Ate Ren off-topic question, it's about ate Nita..." Yeah, her crush. "alam mo ba kung may kapatid siya?" Of all the things that she wants to know about Nita? She's asking about her siblings?
"Yeah, meron. Why?" I'm quite confused.
"Ilan? Babae po ba or lalaki?" she added. I can see that she's really way more curious about Nita's sibling than Nita.
"As far as I know there's only two of them? It's only Nita and her older brother." she looks so disappointed. She did not ask more questions. That's it?
"That's the only thing that you will ask about your crush? Are you not interested in her hobbies? Past relationships?" you suddenly talk a lot, Ren.
"Crush lang naman ate, no romantic feelings involved. If I want to know her more, I'm the one who will make the first move. Besides, I have a lot of crushes and... you're one of them." Well, I knew about that. So I just nod and said okay.
"How come you're not shocked?"
"I knew about it Riley, narinig ko kayo ni Jenna nag uusap nung nag lunch out tayo." I laughed because she gave me a dramatic head turn and a meme-worthy shocked expression.
"Stop laughing." she's now sulking.
"I'll never forget that meme face Riley,"
"Never forget daw eh you even forgot how I responded to your ki-" What?!
"Responded to what Riley?" I waited for her answer but she was just acting like she did not say something about the kiss. She is not looking at me so I held her chin to move her head to face me. "You may not want to hear it ate Ren so tara na punta na tayo kila ate Nita." she said.
She was about to stand up but I pulled her back to her seat. "Riley, what do you mean responded?" I said in my serious voice. "It was just a peck."
"It's not, ate Ren." she is now staring into my eyes.
"You're joking, right?"
It seems like she's not because her face says so.
"I'll help you remember."
She held my nape and drew me closer to her, then she locked her lips to mine. I tried everything I could to resist her, but I couldn't. I returned her kiss. We started with a soft kiss and are now doing a hard one.
I can taste the alcohol in her mouth. I feel like I'm getting drunk, not because of the alcohol, but because of her lips. She's a good kisser.
Since I already failed at resisting myself, I cupped her face to deepen the kiss. I slid my tongue and she let me in. When Riley wrapped her arms around my waist I pushed her. So this is why her touch seems familiar to me.
While she was catching her breath, she stares into my eyes and then at my lips. "You remember now Ren?" where the hell did you get that boldness, Riley? I did not answer her as I'm trying to process everything. "I guess not," she said and grabbed my neck again for another kiss.
I just let her. I kissed her more aggressively, expecting her to push me away, but she didn't. She allowed me to bite her lips. I pushed her slightly to gain access to her neck, and she just let me. I want to mark her but I didn't. When I heard her moan, I stopped.
We're both catching our breath. I looked at her but she is looking down. I searched for my bag to get some tissue to remove the lipstick smudges around her lips. Then I asked her,
"Riley, can you please check if I have lipstick smudges on my face?" she raised her head a little bit to check my lips, but she is not looking at me.
"M... meron ate." she said shyly, still not looking.
"Paki punasan? Please?" then she wiped my face using the same tissue that I use on her.
"Okay na." she said and then she stood up, "Balik na ako ate, bye."
She did not even bother to look at me before leaving.