Scarcity of Chances

Chapter 13

I was too stunned to utter a single word. Eyes widening, mouth gaping, and brain partially malfunctioning, I took a deep breath and just locked my eyes on him.

Kylo probably knew that I was flabbergasted. The next thing I knew was him, laughing at what he just said.

"Never mind. That was nothing..." he shook his head. "Sorry for being weird."

Ang sinabi niyang iyon ang nagtulak sa akin na bumawi sa pagkakagulat. Hindi ko man kaagad na naproseso subalit batid ko ang nais niyang sabihin.

Tingin ko, hindi lang ako ang may kakaibang karanasan.

"No," I finally managed to say. "You're right, Kylo. I felt weird changes too. Just last night."

That caught his attention. Kylo took some steps forward until he was just a couple of inches against me. Our proximity surprised me a bit but I didn't move.

"Really?"

I sighed and lowered my head again as I nodded. "Did you know that my dog died last week? But what's crazy is that I don't even remember her dying at all. Heck, I even saw her days ago!"

"Fuck..."

"And my sisters are weird. We were never close my whole entire life then all of a sudden, they were being sweet towards me. I just... I don't understand what changed."

Kylo grasped the chain of the swing behind me. I looked at his hand and saw it trembling a bit. Hindi ko tuloy napigilang mapatingin sa mukha niya na may hindi maipaliwanag na ekspresyon. Kunot ang noo at mabilis na paghinga, mukhang problemado.

"I left my mother with my siblings in Singapore, Van. You know that, right? We were together on the flight."

I gently nodded because it was true.

"But when I came home, they were..." he repeatedly shook his head again. "T-They were there too. My mom was even surprised after finding out that I've been in Singapore."

Ikinagulat ko ang ipinagtapat niya. Hindi ko mai-imagine kung gaano katindi ang gulat at takot na naranamdaman ni Kylo nang maranasan iyon kagabi. Maybe, he was just as shocked as me, or even more.

Muling nakuha ng nanginginig niyang kamay ang atensyon ko. Bumuntonghininga ako at dahan-dahang inangat ang palad upang hawakan at pakalmahin ang sa kanya.

Kaagad na naramdaman ko ang lamig na nagmumula sa kamay ni Kylo. I felt it tremble. Along with that, I felt a waggling series of electricity flowing from his hands to mine.

It's better to ignore it, though.

I looked at Kylo and saw him looking at our hands too. And to ease him even more, I started caressing his fingers using my thumb.

"You're shaking," I said.

Pumikit siya nang mariin. "S-Sorry. Let me... let me ponder for a sec."

Bumitaw siya sa kadena ng duyan, dahilan upang mabitawan ko ang palad niya. Hindi naman nagtagal ang paghihiwalay ng aming mga kamay sapagkat siya naman ang mahigpit na humawak ng sa akin.

Hinayaan ko lamang siyang gawin iyon dahil sa totoo lang, mas naging kumportable ako nang mahawakan ang kamay niya. Tila ba pakiramdam ko ay hindi ako nag-iisa.

His hand serves as an assurance that I am not alone in this absurd and unexplainable circumstance.

Kylo then motioned the swing. When I didn't move, he held my shoulder using his free hand and guided me to sit on the swing. I obliged and lifted my gaze.

He was looking down at me, eyebrows still arched. I can see his long lashes flaring. Nakakainggit.

We stayed in total silence until he broke it.