Ci Vediamo

04

C H A P T E R 4

CAVI WAS LYING on the couch by the window, finishing up some work on his laptop and waiting for Matt to come back home. Unfortunately, his laptop turned off a few times and he kept forgetting to have it fixed. So he decided to use Matt's laptop instead, and when he opened it, a message from Denice on messenger caught his attention. It read, "Can you come over again at my place?"

He couldn't help but feel curious and started to overthink things. "Again?" he thought to himself.

Just then, his phone buzzed with a message from Matt saying, "I'm on my way."

Cavi replied, "Okay, take care."

DENICE PULLED OVER in front of Matt's apartment building and turned off the car engine.

"Alright, this is gonna be the last time na ihahatid mo ko, okay? I don't wanna owe you any favors," Matt said.

"Don't worry, I'm the one who offered to give you a ride. Ang choosy mo, Ikaw na nga 'tong ihahatid," Denice replied, giving Matt a smile.

Matt was about to get out of the car when Denice also stepped out. "Hey, Matt!" she called out, causing him to turn around. He noticed the sadness in her face and walked towards her.

"About my message earlier?" Denice asked.

Matt was confused because he didn't remember receiving any message from her. He checked his phone and saw her message, "Can you come over again at my place?"

"Again? I haven't even been to your place yet," Matt replied, puzzled.

Denice said, "I miss my mom," as she hugged Matt.

And Matt felt sorry for her, so he let Denice hug him.

AFTER WAITING FOR about an hour for Matt to come home, Cavi noticed two figures embracing in the distance when he looked out the window. As he moved closer to take a better look, he recognized that it was Matt and Denice.

This sight stirred up a mix of emotions in Cavi, leaving him feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do or think. Questions began to swirl in his mind: Was Matt keeping secrets from him? Was there something more going on between Matt and Denice?

Cavi found himself struggling to sort through his feelings and figure out how to approach the situation.

DENICE ARMS WRAPPED around Matt, "I'm feeling lonely. Would you mind staying with me, just for tonight?"

Matt gently removed her hands and said, "No, my Cavi would be mad and I want to be with him."

Denice looked disappointed, "What about me?"

"Sorry," Matt said as he headed inside.

EVENTUALLY, Matt returned home. They sat down to eat together. Cavi tried to act normally, but inside, he was seething with anger and hurt. He knew he had to confront him about this.

"How's the project you've been working on? Is it done?" Cavi asked, attempting to maintain a sense of normalcy.

"Yes, finally." he replied, relieved. "Denice really helped me out with it. And you know what, love? We have some time off now since we finished the project early."

He went on to talk about how kind and helpful Denice had been throughout the project, and it only made Cavi feel more hurt and jealous.

"Tapos alam mo ba everytime n-"