PLEASURABLE RESTRICTIONS ✔️

Chapter Twenty Eight

Three years later....

I TIED my hair in a ponytail as the weather in Rome, Italy is getting hot. Mid-summer ngayon sa bansa at ramdam ang mainit na tirik ng araw dito sa Trevi Fountain. Kanina pa ko nakaupo dito habang inaantay ang kaibigan kong si Evo na nakilala ko noong nasa Pilipinas pa lang ako. He's kuya Cain and Regan's co-worker, as they introduced, and he's keeping me company ever since I arrived here in Italy. Alam ko naman na inutos ni kuya Cain na bantayan ako nito at kahit hindi ko gusto ang ginawa ni kuya ay wala din naman ako nagawa. Eventually, Evo and I became good friends.

Napatingin naman ako sa paligid na napupuno ng turista galing sa iba't-ibang bansa. Tourist attraction ang lugar na 'to at hindi nawawalan ng tao dito kaya naman medyo masikip dito sa kinauupuan ko. I was eating a gelato when Evo arrived and gave me a kiss in the cheek.

"Ciao, bella." He greeted me.

"Ciao. How's the trip here?" I smiled. He sat across my seat and sighed deeply.

"Oh, it's a freaking mess. Mabuti na lang talaga at maaga akong umalis sa bahay kung 'di ay naipit na ko sa traffic." Sagot niya habang hindi mapinta ang mukha na kina-ngiti ko.

Ezra or Evo as how he wants to be called was just a year older than me. He's an Italian but because of his job, he was sent to Philippines to work on something that's why he learned how to speak tagalog. Ka-edad niya sila kuya Cain at madalas siyang tumambay sa apartment ni kuya kapag wala siyang trabaho. He was hitting at me at first but I told him that I only want to be friends and he has nothing to gain from me. Tumigil din naman ito sa mga sweet gestures niya sa'kin at hindi na umulit lalo na nang bantaan siya ni kuya Cain.

"Why don't we go somewhere?" I asked him, arching a brow. "May bagong bukas na gelato shop malapit dito. Can we stop there?"

Napa-iling naman siya. "What's with you and gelato?" he chuckled. "All right, bella, we will go there."

"Thank you." I said sweetly. Bella means beautiful in Italian and Evo was calling me that ever since because he told me that my blue eyes are beautiful. Nag-umpisa naman kaming lumakad ni Evo papunta sa gelato shop dahil malapit lang naman 'yun sa kinaroroonan namin.

"Ah, why don't you like me, Adina? Pogi naman daw ako at mabait pero ikaw lang 'yung kaisa-isang babae na hindi ako pinatulan. I mean, you're definitely my type and you're hot though you're freaking off limits." Tuloy-tuloy niyang saad at napabuntong hininga na tila nawawalan ng pag-asa. "Damn that Cain."

Natawa naman ako. "You're a good man, Evo. I know someday you'll find the right woman for you."

"Hmm. I heard you're close with Regan. Is it true?" intriga niya na kinakunot ng noo ko. "Usap-usapan kasi doon a headquarters na may nakakita kay Regan na may kasamang babae last week sa Vatican Museums. Hindi ba't last week ka din pumunta doon?"

Tumango ako. "Yes. Why?"

"He's with you?" he asked and I nodded with confusion. Bigla naman itong tumigil sa paglalakad at hinarap ako. "Oh God, Adina. Regan never went to shitty places like that. I meant never ever. And you, of all the women he fucked, you Adina Elinzano, nasama mo siya doon? Fucking hell. Are you guys dating?"

"First, Regan and I didn't...you know. Second, hindi kami nagde-date. Third, he's in a day off from work that's why he drove me in the museum. Hindi ko naman siya inaya na samahan ako doon, eh. Kusa siyang sumama sa'kin."

Saglit na katahimikan naman ako namayani kaya nagtatakhang tinitigan ko si Evo na kapwa nakatitig din sa'kin. He's looking at me strangely, like I have five heads.