Three Seconds ✔

32

I shut my eye with all my best, still anticipating his warmth against my moist skin. Nagkatitigan kaming dalawa, dahilan para makaramdam ako ng pakiramdam na ilang taon ko na ring 'di naramdaman.

Feeling how butterflies strike in my stomach, my hands automatically hook around his neck. With that moment, he gulps, then looks away, but his eyes eventually come back to my face. While just staring at each other's eye, my world stops, and my systems shakes.

"Ano'ng ginagawa mo!" sigaw ko kaagad sa kaniya matapos n'ya 'kong ihiga sa tiles. Naglibut-libot naman ang mga mata ko at nakita ang tinginan ng mga tao. "Isa kang something! Para kang something!"

"Use this," he smiles a little, but I can see the humor behind it. "Nald." His voice turns more sweeter, it sounds like a music in my ears, "you should not do this again, it scares me. And at the same time, there's no need to grab my attention. Pinakaba mo 'ko." He gulps, but then continues. "You don't have any idea how I became nervous just seeing you in that kind of situation."

Suddenly, his face becomes darker. The straight line in his lips is the concrete proof that he really is serious now, that his words are all true. "Understand that?" I am tongue-tied especially when his right hand travels up to my head, and due to my instinct, I close my eyes, lullaby playing beautifully in my mind. Napatango-tango ako sa kaniya, na tila ba alipin na ako ng mga salita niya.

"Okay," I whisper. By that, he smoothly smiles and doesn't give me a hint that he will going to carry me in a very intimate position. Ano'ng ginawa ko? Why does he know I was trying to get his attention? Am I that obvious? I gulped.

"P'wede mo na 'kong ibaba," I whisper, head leaning in his broad chest, silently inhaling the mixture of expensive perfume and manly smell from him. "Ibaba mo na nga 'ko."

He doesn't say any words still, but I am sure my voice is loud enough for him to understand.

"Where is your room?" he just casually asks, forgetting my words.

Adrenaline rushes in my entire system, so I do everything to make myself free from his warmth. I gulp. Sa wakas ay nakababa rin ako. Mabuti rin naman at 'di na siya umangal pa.

"About what you said while we were in... " I can't finish my own sentence. Well, I wasn't that fully conscious when he was saying those words, but something inside me wants a confirmation. I don't want to jump in any conclusions anymore.

"Ahh..." Napatango-tango pa 'ko, nasasaktan na naman ang dibdib. "Sigurado akong 'di mo naman sinadya na sabihin ang mga 'yun. Siguro'y nadala ka lang ng emosyon, 'no?" Mapait akong napangiti. "Don't worry, Cy, hindi rin naman ako mahilig magseryoso."

Nagtanguan kaming dalawa. At akma na sana akong tatalikod nang tinawag niya ang pangalan ko. Nilingon ko siya, pilit pa ring pinipigilan ang sariling emosyon.

"You should eat after taking a bath," he reminds me sweetly, leaving me to migrate my eyes off him. This is one of my problem, even if I already know he is the kind of person who is caring and kind, I still misinterpret his words and actions and convert them into something romantic. Nakakagaga lang talaga.

"You too," I smile. "And by the way, where's your wedding... R-ring?" Words come out of my mouth unexpectedly, and in this moment, I am really doomed. I shouldn't have said that! I sounded like a jealous mistress.

"What ring?" he asks, breathing heavily. "What are you talking about?"

Nasabi ko na ba na medyo naninibago na ako sa kaniya ngayon? Before, he was used at speaking Tagalog, while now he is already fluent in saying English Language. I can't blame him regardless. He had gone in a University abroad, and that explains why he sounds intimidating now.