12 : Afterwards
JULIAN
The night after the festival felt like a dream, and when I woke up, I wasn't sure if it had really happened. But the warmth on my lips, the quiet memory of Damien's gaze, and the faint glow in my chest told me it wasn't just my imagination.
I lay there in bed, staring at the ceiling as sunlight filtered through my curtains. Everything felt... different. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero parang ang gaan ng pakiramdam ko. Parang kahit ang simpleng pagbukas ng mata ko ngayon, mas makulay.
Ito ba ang sinasabi nilang epekto ng first kiss?
My phone buzzed on the bedside table, pulling me from my thoughts. As soon as I saw Damien's name flashed on the screen, my heart jumped—just like yesterday night when we... when we...
Damien:
Morning, Julian. You alive?
I rolled my eyes, unable to hold back a smile. Typical Damien.
Me:
I'm alive, unfortunately. Bakit?
Damien:
Unfortunately? Wow. And here I was, planning something fun today.
Damien:
Guess I'll cancel.
I chuckled softly, staring at the screen longer than I should have before typing my reply.
Me:
Fun? With you? Doubtful.
Damien:
You liked last night. Don't deny it.
The memory of the kiss came rushing back, and I could feel the heat creeping up my face. Baliw talaga siya. Pinaalala pa!
Me:
Anong meron?
Damien:
I'll pick you up. Just be ready.
Pagkabasa sa huling reply niya ay awtomatikong nanlaki ang dalawang mata ko at nagmamadaling tinanong kung seryoso ba siya sa t-in-ext niya. Sapagkat hindi siya sumagot pagkaraan ng ilang minuto ay napatampal na lamang ako sa aking noo.
Why did I even let him know my place?
An hour later, I found myself sitting on the front steps of our house, waiting. The crisp morning air filled with the hum of distant traffic and the chirping of birds. Sa bawat minutong lumilipas, mas lalo akong kinakabahan. Ano ba kasi 'tong pinasok ko?
"Julian!"
I looked up to see Damien pulling up on his bike, his ever-present smirk lighting up his face. He waved dramatically as if we hadn't just seen each other the night before.
"Seryoso ka ba jan?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as he handed me a helmet.
"What? Too cool for a bike ride?" he teased. "Come on. It's fun."
I hesitated, eyeing the bike warily. "I'm not sure this is a good idea."
"You trust me, don't you?" he said, his voice softer now.
I wanted to say no, but the way he looked at me—so confident, so sure—I found myself nodding.
"Good. Hop on," he said, patting the seat behind him.
***
The ride was both exhilarating and terrifying. The wind whipped against my face, carrying with it the scent of the trees and the faintest hint of cologne from Damien. I held onto his jacket tightly, my heart racing for reasons I didn't want to name.
