Never Our Fault

087

CASHMERE MADISON VERSIGLIA.

"Hey. . ." His smooth baritone voice enveloped my ears while his hand was reaching out to me in hopes to escort me out of the van. "You okay, Cash?"

I was pulled back to reality after being dazed for a while.

I smiled, as a storm slowly subsided inside me. "Okay lang po ako." Kinuha ko ang kamay niya at inalalayan niya akong lumabas ng Grand Starex na hiniram pa namin kay Kuya Finn at sa SEMICOLON.

Simple as he looked, Graham was undeniably breathtaking of all sorts. He sported a black polo partnered with nude khaki shorts and gray beanie attire, with his hair looking wet underneath. The woody aromatic freshness oozing from him was unfurling its captivating trail on my sense of smell for quite a while now. If fragrances are a person, Graham might as well have embodied the figure of independence with strength and elegance coming along with it.

I could feel him tightening his grip on my hand as he stared at the vastness of the cemetery. Tumingin ako sa kamay namin, bahagyang nabigla sa ginawa niya.

"Cashmere," he called for my attention.

"Po?" I'll pretend I'm never hearing my heart beat just when he mutters my name. I glanced at him. "Bakit po?"

"Ang tahimik mo," sabi niya sa akin. His eyebrows knitted. "Why aren't you asking me anything?"

I tilted my head a bit, not getting what he meant back there. I wasn't one to ask questions if necessary. And he looked like he really cherished this Alora-or whoever that girl is.

"Asking? For what po?" I secretly crossed my fingers and prayed he wouldn't notice how nervous I am while I'm feeling his warm fingers slowly intertwined in mine as his ferocious gaze bore on me. I continued flashing a smile for him. "Graham? Are you okay po? Is there something wrong with my face?"

He glided his tongue against his inner cheeks as he looked far away from me. "If. . . you're ever curious about Alora, just ask me, okay?"

"P-Po?"

I am confused.

Bakit naman ako macu-curious kay Alora?

I have never even met her before and Graham here looked like he was attached to the idea of her. If I dare say, I might as well add that he's nervous. Kaya hindi na ako nagtatanong dahil. . . malay ko po ba kung former girlfriend niya pala siya. . .

He rustled his fingers on my hair. "Sabihin mo sa akin kung masakit ang ulo mo, ah? Aalis tayo agad."

I don't know if he's playing word games with me again or was he really being serious. But as I was caught up looking at his opulent eyes that held universes within its darkness, a side of his lips quirked as he suddenly bumped our foreheads to break our sullen eye contact.

"Tell me right away when you're not okay—"

"Hoy, kayong dalawa! Ba't may pa-holding hands pa, e nasa sementeryo tayo, hindi mall?!" Napaigtad kaming dalawa nang marinig namin ang boses ni Hans.

Para kaming napaso ni Graham sa isa't isa nang tanggalin namin ang pagkakadugtong ng mga daliri namin kanina. Hindi na niya natuloy ang sasabihin niya dapat sa akin.

Ngayong magkalayo kami, 'tsaka ko lang na-realize kung gaano kami kalapit sa isa't isa kanina. Napahawak ako sa mukha ko at tumalikod sa kan'ya. Ang init pala ng mukha ko!

Hans was already eyeing Graham as if he did something unspeakable to me while she scooted over to myself and clung to my arm. Valentine was flashed a smirk as she whispered something to Sean's ear while her eyes were on Graham. Their other friend, Killian, wasn't able to join us because Hans kicked him out herself.