Hardest to Lose (Villaraza Series #4)

38 | Bumabalik

38 | Bumabalik

_______________

Markus came to me without anything. Wala siyang pera at lalong wala siyang dalang pamalit. Kaya wala akong ibang mapagpipilian kundi patulugin din siya sa hotel room ko.

He was a fucking burden.

“Sa makalawa rin ang uwi natin, ‘di ba?” he asked the moment he went out of the bathroom.

Dahil nga wala siyang kadala-dala, I had no choice but to lend him my clothes. He was wearing my loose gray pants and my hot pink croptop. He looked like that cartoon character except that his croptop wasn’t red.

Pigil-pigil ko ang mapabulanghit ng tawa. He looked ridiculous! I thought he would insist in buying a new set of clothes. Even if my budget was tight, I could have let him if he was persistent. But he didn’t even protest when I gave the clothes to him, except that he might not be able to breathe properly with the fitted top.

Wala talaga siyang hiya-hiya.

“Oo,” tugon ko at umaktong inaayos ang nagusot na kama.

He hummed and fixed his hair before the mirror. “Anong oras kayo matatapos?”

“Maybe four p.m. Why?’

“We could hangout after.”

I scoffed. “You couldn’t even pay for your own hotel room. Tapos gusto mo pang gumastos?”

“Pinadalhan na ‘ko ni Tita ng pera. I’ll encash it tomorrow. If this situation annoys you so much, I’ll pay you for everything you shouldered.”

“Dapat lang.”

I caught how he rolled his eyes and it was harder to stifle a chuckle.

After that awkward conversation, everything went back to normal. Markus had always been expert in cornering me and acting like nothing happened after. It was all I needed so I had no complaint.

He was firm in his belief that I was in love with him. I didn’t have to guess what he would be doing next.

He wanted me to be honest with my feelings.

“Kumusta na pakiramdam mo?”

Hinawakan ko ang aking noo. “I feel better.”

Lumapit siya sa akin at walang sali-salitang hinawakan din ang noo ko. “Hindi ka na masyadong mainit. Bukas, okay ka na.”

Tumikhim ako at kabadong inalis ang pagkakahawak niya sa akin. “Are you sure you’ll be comfortable in that sofa?”

He glanced at the furniture and nodded. “Oo. But if you want me beside you, hindi rin ako magrerekla—“

Hindi niya na natapos ang sasabihin nang batuhin ko sa mukha niya ang nahawakang unan.

In the end, we had a peaceful night. I knew he had a lot in store for me. Pero dahil pagod siya sa pag-aalaga sa akin, idagdag pang galing siya sa biyahe, ilang minuto lang matapos niya akong biruin na huwag siyang hihipuan ay humihilik na siya. As for me, after reporting to my parents my whereabouts, saka rin ako nakatulog.