And Then You

19 / inggo

MAY putanginang plano na si Rinn for Valentine's.

Pumunta si Inggo sa bahay nila kasi may plano siya for them—an escape room adventure, a trip to a pottery studio, tapos may nahanap siyang date place an hour away that he booked for them. Naka-picnic setup na 'yong place with romantic lights and candles and a huge projector for the movie they're going to watch.

Hindi pa alam ni Rinn na mayro'ng ganap na gano'n pero okay lang, spontaneous ang peg, balak niya lang sabihan si Rinn na magbihis at wala siyang choice kasi pupulutin niya siya at ilalagay sa kotse.

Pero may putanginang plano na siya. With someone else.

"Bakit ka nga pala nandito, gago?" tanong ni Migo, scrolling through his phone while waiting for Jiya to pick him up para sa date nila. Sa sobrang excited nitong tanginang 'to, nag-ju-jump na leg niya.

"Sira motor ko, sasabay ako sa inyo," sabi niya flatly. His ears are still ringing from the fact na nagbibihis daw si Rinn sa taas 'tsaka may papuntang gago dito para sunduin siya. "Ano balak natin sa gago."

Alam na ni Migo ibig sabihin niya. "I-co-corner ko siya sa labas, dito kayo ni Mau."

"Ba't ka pumayag?" Inggo snaps in frustration, running a hand through his hair. "Tangina, Migo, alam mo ba kung ano gusto ng mga gagong ganyan tuwing Valentine's? At Valentine's pa talaga?"

"Sino nagsabing pumayag ako?" balik na tanong ni Migo. He glances at him, eyebrows furrowing in obvious defense. "Tangina, bwisit, alam mo ba kung ga'no kahirap maging tatay 'tsaka kuya? 'Di ko alam minsan kung sa'n 'yong line between being protective and being an asshole, kaya shut up ka na lang kasi wala kang alam sa pinagdadaanan ko pagdating kay Mau. Hindi ko siya pwedeng ikulong, putragis ka, papagalitan na nga ako niyan ni Valle sa binabalak ko."

Inggo blinks at him.

Tama nga naman siya. He raises his hands in surrender and mumbles, "Okay, sorry, sorry."

"Problema mo?" tanong ni Migo, hitting him roughly on the shoulder. "'La kang date? Gusto mo maging third wheel? Sorry, 'di pwede, sosolohin ko si Valle, akin siya."

Ang problema ni Inggo is he screwed up.

He screwed up so bad, and now he's scrambling to fix it.

Shit, nag-panic lang naman siya kaya siya umalis, e. Hindi naman niya sinasadya na iwanan si Rinn nang gano'n, putangina. Every night since then, every night, Inggo wishes he stayed.

E 'di sana siya ang ka-date ni Rinn ngayon.

Putangina.

He sighs and rakes his fingers in his hair. "Wala akong prob—"

Parehas silang napatayo ni Migo from the couch nang bumaba ng stairs si Rinn.

Pu. Tang. I. Na.

His head is scrambling to put together what the fuck he's seeing, and his brain focuses on the first thing his line of sight is at level with.

Legs. Legs for miles. Inggo's eyes follow her white sneakers, then her ankles, then her knees, then her thighs, and then finally—a white cloth they fucking call a skirt.

It's short and hugs her hips so fucking perfectly, and it has a slit.

After that, a sliver of her stomach is showing from where the skirt begins and her top ends—that corset top with crossed ribbons holding it together in the middle, ending in between her breasts. The cut is low enough to show enough of her chest, to show off the single, gold necklace she has around her neck. Her dark brown hair is hanging in loose curls over her shoulder as she rummages in her purse for something.