The Boy Next Door (Ikalawang Pinto)

Chapter 36

It was difficult to completely ignore Drake, especially during work hours. I had to communicate with him kapag may trabaho.

I needed to act professionally and separate work from personal stuff.

Pero kung walang trabaho, I made sure na maramdaman niyang hindi ko nagustuhan ang ikinilos niya dati. I made sure that he knows I'm annoyed at him. That I don't want to associate myself with him anymore.

Muntik pa niya kaming mapag-away ni Raphael. Buti na lang talaga super understanding and trusting ni Raph.

Hanggang sa nasa airport na kami, hindi ko pa din siya kinakausap. Si Mara lang ang lagi kong tinatanong kung may kelangan ako.

When we arrived at Manila, Raph booked a Grab car for me. He needed to do something important and I told him na unahin lang yun. Magkita na lang kami sa unit ko or somewhere in the city after ng appointment niya.

I arrived at my unit and found that it's super clean na. Raph said he just cleaned up a bit pero parang nag general cleaning na siya dito!

Nakita ko na rin ang mga labahan kong nakapack na't all fresh. Buti na lang talaga naka-separate ang laundry bag ng undies ko at di ito nakita ni Raph. Nakakahiya if ever!

Ayoko pa naman ding pinapalaba lang yung undies. Aside sa nakakahiya, I don't think it'll clean them much.

Kaya naman, wala na akong ibang magawa kundi magrelax pagkatapos kong mailigpit ang dalang gamit mula Cebu.

Hay, walking green flag indeed ang isang Raphael Villareal. He really attends to the smallest things. Hindi ko naman siya sinabihan na magligpit at maglinis ng condo ko. And I won't command him to do that either. He just took initiative. He's that thoughtful.

Hindi ko na talaga pakakawalan to si Villareal. He's such a good guy.

My good guy.

Narinig ko namang may nagdoorbell habang nagliligpit ako ng mga dala kong gamit.

It must be Raph already.

Hindi ko na tiningnan sa peephole kung sino ito since I already assumed that it's Raph. Napagkasunduan naming dito na lang magkita. Although parang ang aga niya naman kumpara sa expected kong time na dadating siya.

Oh well, baka miss na niya talaga ako kaya nagmadali siya. Naks.

Pero pagkabukas ko, ang nakakabadtrip na pagmumukha ni Drake ang nakita ko.

He looked so devastated. He was soaking wet. Umuulan pala sa labas.

"Why are you here?!" Automatic na tumaas ang boses ko.

"Jaz, I just....I just want us to talk, please."

Grabe, ang kulit niya!

"I noticed you're not talking to me simula nung...nalock tayo sa CR."

"Oh alam mo pala. Ramdam mo palang ayoko nang makipag-usap sayo. Bakit ka nandito?" I sounded so harsh.

He sighed na tila ba nahihirapan. "I want to apologize."

And that's only when I noticed that he looked like he was crying. Hindi naman na basa ang mga mata niya pero medyo maga ang mga ito.

"Please?" he pleaded.

To be honest, nakakaawa siyang tingnan ngayon. Para siyang basang sisiw na nangangailangan ng masisilungan. I've never seen Drake this awful and...pitiful, honestly.

I sighed. "Get inside. I'll go get you a towel."

I left the door open para makapasok siya. Kahit inis ako sa kaniya, it's still the humane side of me that prevailed. So I let him in and went to my room to get a new towel.