Beneath His Cold Eyes

Kabanata 23

Promise

My body felt so sore all over.

Halos hindi ako makabangon dahil masakit ang aking gitna pati ang mga braso at hita ko. Tirik na tirik na ang araw ngunit hindi ko sinubukang tumayo. I just feel so weak and lazy. Pumikit ako at sinubukang matulog ulit nang biglang bumukas ang pinto.

Kyzer went in with a tray on his hand. Inilapag niya iyon sa bedside table at naupo sa kama saka marahang hinaplos ang pisngi ko.

"Good morning, baby," he smiled a bit. "I made you some breakfast. You should get up now."

Ngumuso ako at muling pumikit, hindi nakinig sa kaniya. He chuckled as I felt him lying down the matress. He wrapped his arms around me, totally caging me in a warm embrace.

I sighed contentedly.

"Just so you know, my sleepyhead, it's already one pm," he whispered on my ear. I pouted more and inhaled his manly scent. Gusto ko tuloy mahiya dahil sobrang bango at presko niya samantalang ako ay mukhang patatas na bagong gising.

"I'm still tired and sleepy. Masakit din ang katawan ko," bulong ko rin. Lalong humigpit ang kaniyang yakap sa akin.

"I'm sorry. I failed to stop myself last night," he sighed. "Did you regret what happened to us?"

Umiling ako at lalong sumiksik sa kaniya. "Ginusto ko rin 'yon. Hindi ako nagsisi sa nangyari, Kyzer."

"That's good to know. Because I didn't regret it even an ounce, too. It was the happiest night of my life."

I smiled and just hugged him. Ilang minuto pa kaming nasa ganoong posisyon bago kami sabay na bumangon para kumain. Aniya ay mamaya ko na raw ituloy ang tulog ko kapag tapos na kami kumaing dalawa. And true enough, matapos kumain at maligo, we cuddled and slept on his bed.

Hapon na nang magising kami. Maayos na ang pakiramdam ko at hindi na rin masyadong masakit ang katawan ko. We decided to spend the rest of the day outside.

Wearing my summer dress and my sketch pad on hand, I sauntered towards the white sands of the shore. Kyzer is talking to someone on the phone, he is still inside. Sabi niya ay susunod na lang daw siya.

Naupo ako sa buhangin at binuklat ang aking sketch pad. The gentle caress of the afternoon breeze and the ember hues of the setting sun made me smile. I sighed. I stopped flipping the pages of my sketch pad on the house that I drew yesterday.

I just know...that a part of me dreamed this. To design my own house. And this sketch got me attached for some reason. Na wala mang kasiguraduhan, iginuguhit ko ito sa pag-asang balang-araw ay maipapatayo ko ang bahay na ito...para sa aking sarili.

I find it ridiculous to make a draft...of my dream house. Dahil para saan pa? Anytime soon, I know I might disappear in this world. Dahil hindi naman na ako umaasang mabubuhay pa ako ng matagal. Hindi biro ang ma-diagnose ng ganitong sakit. I've seen it first hand because my mother suffered the same illness.

There is a possibility that I might not...survive. My mother died young because of cancer. So it's possible that I might, too.

Kaya ang mangarap ng magandang kinabukasan para sa sarili ko sa kabila ng kalagayan ko...parang nakakatawa at nakakaawa.

A warm hand snaked on my waist that made me stop my thoughts. Hindi ko namalayang nasa likod ko na pala si Kyzer. Nilingon ko siya at pilit na nginitian.

He looked grim and forlorn. But when our eyes met, the gloom in his eyes vanished and his expression softened.

"You seem on a deep thought. Are you okay?" he asked.