Reena's POV
I woke up when I was hearing someone's voice outside my room. Nakabukas naman kasi yung pinto kaya naririnig ko. When I looked at my bedside clock, it's just 3 in the morning.
Tumayo ako at lumabas. It's from the living room and when I got there it's Kev. Sino bang kausap niya ng ganitong oras? He's topless but he's just wearing his pants. Nagkalat yung mga gamit niya sa couch at may mga nakalapag din sa center table na drawings... he's works.
"...that's just so fcking lame. Hindi yan ang plano. It's totally fucking different. Hindi yan ang binigay ko." his voice authoritative.
I just stood there watching him habang may kausap pa siya. He didn't notice my presence yet. Nakakunot yung noo niya. Is he stressed out? He's so workaholic kasi eh, ayan tuloy.
"Fix this... no... ayoko ng gawin ulit yan... refund? What the fck did my fa-" he stopped and realized his words, "Mr. Villarama said?"
"Fck... I'm not going to take that. Give them the refund." and he hung up.
"Hey.." I make my presence noticed.
"Hey.." his frown turned to smile when he looked at me.
"Do you know what time it is?"
He answered me by showing me his phone with the time in it and I roll my eyes.
"You should take a rest. Did you even sleep?"
"And you should still be in bed." he points out, not answering my question.
"Wala ka naman kasi sa tabi ko." malambing na sabi ko as I put my arms around his waist, half-hugging him.
He puts his one arm around me.
"I slept a little earlier, may tinatapos lang akong plano."
"Your work's stealing your time that is supposed to be Reena's time." I pout and he lightly laugh at me.
"Kung hindi ako nagkakamali dapat time natin kagabi but you were just wasted." he tries to lecture me.
And news is on my head again about what I was supposed to tell him. I brush it off and decide to worry about it later.
I smile at his attempt to scold me.
"Don't get mad at me now." I kiss his jaw and nuzzle my head in his neck.
"Well, there's a Reena's way for you to make it up to me." he said and I look at him. He's smirking at me.
"Oh really."
"Yes, really." he grabs my behind that made me yelp.
"You're crazy." I shake my head and laugh at him.
"You make me." and with that, he pulled me to him and crashed his lips with mine.
***
I'm making breakfast for the two of us when he walked out of the room, topless and me with only his shirt and my panties.
He walked up to me with a phone in hand and kissed me before taking a seat on the breakfast bar. He's just intently watching me, teasing me on how I can't make a perfect toasted bread. I answer him by tossing him a piece of untoasted bread.
"May lakad yung barkada mamaya. You wanna go?" tanong niya.
"Don't you have work?"
"I already finished it."
"When?"
"Kanina. So, you wanna go?" he finished his work while I was sleeping earlier. My heart flutters at the thought of him finishing his work so we could spend some time together.
"Sure." I smile at him, "sa'n ba?"
"Birthday ni Bry kaya nagpaparty. It's not formal. It's a party like in a bar." he explained.
"Mm, okay. We can go." I say as I put his coffee in place and the toasted bread that I put some veggies in it to make it a sandwich. I sat in the stool beside him after and had a breakfast with him.
"What time is the party going to start?" I ask.
"It starts at 7 but we can go there by 8." I just nod.
"Babe mall tayo." yaya ko sa kanya at bigla siyang napatingin sa'kin.
"Babe?" he curiously asks me.
"Yeah... babe." I say it again and he smiles at me but doesn't say anything.
I eyed him, "What? You call me baby sometimes." I defend myself.
"Oo nga. Hindi lang ako sanay." sagot niya ng nakangiti pa rin.
"Fine. I'll stop calling you that." I roll my eyes at him.
"Wala naman akong sinasabing wag mo akong tawaging babe eh."
"You were laughing at me." hindi pa rin ako tumitingin sa kanya.
"No. I was smiling. That's different."
"Still." I say at kinuha na lang yung kape ko tsaka uminom.
"Baby." he coos but I don't bother looking at him.
He's humiliating me. I hate it. I took the initiative to call him "babe." That hurts a girl's pride, you know?
Nung hindi ko siya pinansin, tumayo siya mula sa stool and stood up beside me. He made me face him so I did.
"I like it." he said.
"Like what?"
"When you call me "babe." he smiles.
"You do?"
"'course I do." He says lifting his hands to cup my face.
Now I'm just smiling like an idiot.
***
Niyaya ko sa mall si Kev para mamili ng dresses. I just felt the need to. It's not for the party dahil mag j-jeans lang naman ako mamaya dun eh.
We're at F21... Kumuha ako ng tatlong dress to try. A red one that is sleeveless, a white one which is backless and a black one that is a V-neck down to the center of my breasts.
Nakaupo lang si Kev sa harap ng fitting room.
Inuna ko yung red and he just nodded okay. Next is the white one and I saw him slightly curse when I turn my back at him.
"Choose an occassion when to wear that." he comments.
I smiled at my reflection nung sinuot ko yung black. I removed my bra because this dress doesn't require one.
Nung lumabas ako... inofferan nung saleslady si Kevin ng baso ng tubig which he took and drink from it when he looked at me.
Nabuga niya bigla yung iniinom niya at napaubo siya.
"Are you okay?" lumapit ako sa kanya ng nakatawa. I pat his back.
"Jesus. What the hell are you wearing?" tanong niya nung nalagay niya na yung baso sa table beside him.
"It's a dress." I state.
"Yeah that shows your fcking breasts. You're not getting that." he points out and push me inside the room habang tumatawa pa rin ako.
Hindi naman nakikita yung breasts ko eh, I just wanted to tease him when I decided to try it on pero hindi ko naman talaga kukunin. He's so cute.
So yung red at white na lang yung kinuha ko saka ako nagbihis at lumabas ng fitting room.
"You're teasing me." sabi niya pagkalabas ko.
"I'm not." I lied and smiled at him and walked past him.
He slaps my behind on my way to the counter and I slightly yelp.
"Kevin." I reprimand him but he just smiled at me. This guy.
Binigay ko na sa saleslady yung pinamili ko tsaka yung credit card ko.
"I'll pay for it." Kevin interjected and handed his credit card instead.
"Nope. I will." I don't want him paying for my personal things.
"Reena."
"I said I will. Okay?" at nakipagtitigan pa siya sa'kin bago niya bawiin yung credit card niya at lumabas ng shop. Tignan mo to.
Nagbayad na lang ako.
"Thank you ma'am." the saleslady said and I just nodded.
Lumabas na ako and I saw Kevin standing outside the shop.
"Hey..." tawag ko sa kanya.
"Tara na." sabi niya lang at naglakad na. Frown is written all over his face.
What's his problem now?
Hinabol ko siya at pumantay sa lakad niya.
"May problema ka ba?" I ask him pero hindi niya ako sinagot.
"Kevin." tawag ko sa kanya pero wala pa rin. Inulit ko pa ng dalawang beses but he's keeping his straight face.
"Bibili pa ako ng groceries. Mauna ka na kung gusto mo." I'm losing my patience. If he doesn't want to talk with me then fine.
Here I am, looking forward to having a nice day with him. We started it right and now here he is ruining it again. Lumiko na ako dahil nasa tapat ko na yung Savemore.
Nagsimula na akong mamili ng mga stocks na kailangan ko sa condo. Beers na nauubos na ang stock sa bahay. I'll need more kung kasama ko na nga si Kev, canned goods, stock of chicken and pork at marami pang iba.
Naglagay ako ng maraming junk foods, soda, juice at marami pang iba sa cart.
"You don't need that." sabi ni Kevin na nasa likod ko na pala at isa isang binalik sa lalagyan ng junk foods yung mga kinuha ko.
"Hey. Stop that. I need those." sita ko sa kanya pero hanggang sa counter nagbabangayan kami kung bakit niya ba tinatanggal sa cart yung mga pinapamili ko. Gaaaah.
I was on the counter nung nasa likod ko si Kev at binigay sa counter yung credit card niya. And when I looked at him parang sinasabi niyang wag na akong umangal dahil kung hindi baka magkagulo pa dito. I just let him pay for it tapos siya nagbuhat nung malalaking plastic tsaka ako naman yung ibang hindi malalaki.
Bumaba na kami sa parking tsaka niya nilagay sa likod ng sasakyan niya yung mga pinamili namin including my dress in a paperbag.
"Are you mad?" tanong ko nung nasa freeway na kami pero hindi pa rin niya ako sinasagot.
"Fine. Pero wag kang magrereklamo mamaya pag ako na yung naubusan talaga ng pasensya." I roll my eyes and looked out the window.
"I'm trying here." biglang sagot niya.
"What?" pabalik na tanong ko nung tinigil niya yung sasakyan sa gilid.
"I don't know how to fcking do this Reena. I'm trying here and you're messing it up. I'm doing this in simple ways and it will really mean a fcking lot for you to just let me." he looks into my eyes,.
"Is this about me not letting you pay for my things kanina?" I realized.
"Yes. It's about that." he didn't hesistate to answer me before pulling into the traffic again.
"You're being childish." I tell him because it's the truth.
"I'm not." he denies before rolling his eyes at me and keeping his eyes on the road.
Dukutin ko mata niya eh. Bwisit ha? Hindi na niya ako pinansin ng dahil lang dun but I try to rationalize with him so fine.
Maybe we'll learn to compromise when it comes to things like this.
"Let's not fight about this anymore, please?" I tell him in a soft voice, pleading with him because I don't wanna ruin the night pero hindi naman na niya ako pinansin. Lalaking to, sarap batukan para lang mapansin niyang hindi ako invicible eh.
***
Gaya nga ng napagusapan namin, nagpunta kami ng party ni Bry. Dumaan pa kami ng condo ni Kev para makakuha siya ng damit at binanggit na naman niya dun na bakit daw kasi hindi na lang kami tumira sa iisang bahay dahil mas practical at mas convinient daw pero syempre hindi ko na lang pinatulan.
Nung makarating kami sa bahay ni Bry, marami ng nakaparadang kotse sa labas ng gate niya. Wala naman kasi siyang kapitbahay kaya walang maaabala kahit na sobrang lakas na ng sound system.
Pumarada si Kev sa isang open space para free daw kaming umalis if ever. As planned, I just wore jeans, tank top with one of my fashionable boots and Kev with his usual attire, white v-neck shirt and black jean with his sneakers.
Kev led me through the way kasi medyo marami na ngang tao. Nakita lang naming nakaupo sa couch sa living room sina Bry kaya dun na kami nagpunta. May nakapaligid pa talagang mga babae ah. Ayos. Pero wala pa si Carlo.
"Hey, happy birthday." I greet him and give him a hug and I noticed Kevin's grip on my waist tightened but I don't mind it. Pumagilig ako to give access for Kev to greet him too.
"Thanks." Bry smiles.
"Happy birthday ungas." greet ni Kev and they half-hugged.
"Salamat gago." sagot naman ni Bry and they both half smiled.
Umupo si Kev sa available na space sa couch. Uupo na sana ako sa tabi niya nung hilain niya ako para umupo sa lap niya.
"I'll get you a beer." sabi ko sa kanya at tumango lang siya tsaka ako nagpunta ng kitchen at bumalik din agad. I sit on his lap again and we just talked about random things...
"Oh my god, stop that!" sita ko sa kanila. Mga walangyang lalaking to kung ano ano napagkwe-kwentuhan. Well... hindi naman sa pagiging close minded but I'm a girl and they are guys.
Pero hindi ko mapigilan makitawa sa kanila kaya bago pa ako masiraan ng bait dito...
"I'll go and socialize with the other girls." paalam ko kay Kev.
"I'll go with you." he offers.
"No. You should stay here. We spend everyday together anyway." I smile.
He hesitates for a second but says, "Okay. I'll catch up with you later."
And with a nod, I go at the backyard. Konti lang yung taong nandito so I decided to seat on the dench surrounding a round table. May dalawang girls na nakaupo rin.
The one is chubby and the other one is petite and short.
"Hi." I greet them.
"Hello," they both smile.
"I'm Reena." pakilala ko sa sarili ko.
"Hey, I'm May," the petite one said. "And I'm April." the chubby one replies.
I nod, "Related kayo?" tanong ko sa kanila.
"Yep. We're twins actually." sabi ni Ms. Petite.
"Eh?"
"Yeah. We know." Ms. Chubby laughed and I just smiled.
"Anyway, pinsan namin si Bry."
"Oh. I'm his friend."
"Friend, friend?" -Ms. Petite. I frown and it took me time to realize what she meant.
"Oh! No! We aren't friends like that. My boyfriend is his friend." paliwanag ko.
"Yeah? Who?" she asks.
"It's Kevin." I smiled and just like wind blew her mood away. Even Ms. Chubby's mood turned sour or something?
"Uhm... is there something wrong?" tanong ko but before they can answer me someone grabbed me by the waist and not wondering who.
"You should go back inside." his voice is cold and authoritative.
"Why? Is something wrong?" I ask.
"Well... look who's here." Ms. Chubby interjected and I frown.
"Tss. Reena, let's go." he led me to stand but I refuse to leave.
"April, stop it." suway ni Ms. Petite.
Okay? What is this?
Ms. Chubby scoffed, "No, I won't. May gana pa talaga siyang magpakita pagkatapos kang gamitin ng lalaking yan."
The mood is shifting and I know I'm not going to like this.
Hindi nagsasalita si Kev but he's forcing me to go back inside.
"April, just drop it. Don't make a scene here. Birthday ni Bry to." pangungumbinsi ng kambal niya.
"Fine but we're not yet done Kev." sagot pa ni April.
I didn't say anything because I felt like I shouldn't have heard any of that. Without hesitation, I went back inside with Kev, forcing myself to trsut him with this and wait until we get home for him to explain to me what the helll just happened.
A/N: Haha sorry sa ms. Chubby and ms. Petite. Di naman kasi sila character na dapat i-memorize so ayun. VOTE and COMMENT guys. Suggestions? I accept! :)