PARADISE OF THE DEVIL (GONCALVES 1)

Chapter 18

I only realized my exhaustion when I arrived home. I should do a half day of work tomorrow and just make up the next few days. I hit the hay as soon as I entered my bedroom and woke up late the next day.

"Oh? Wala kang trabaho?" tanong ni Rach sa akin pagkalabas ko ng kwarto at mukhang kakauwi nya lang galing trabaho.

"Half day lang ako ngayon. Mamayang hapon pa ako may appointment," sagot ko at dumeretso ng kusina.

Binuksan ko ang cupboard sa taas at inabot ang flakes. Wala akong ganang maghanda ng breakfast kaya ito nalang muna sa ngayon. Hindi ko na kailangang lumingon para makitang sumunod si Rach sa akin.

Masama kong binigyan ng tingin si Rach nang bigla nalang nyang sampalin ang puwet ko. Mukhang alam ko na kung bakit sya sumunod sa akin dito. She was aiming for tea.

"Akala ko ay maghahakot ka na pauwi kay Jair," aniya nang nakangisi.

"Hindi," sagot ko at bumaling sa kabilang bahagi ng kitchen para kumuha ng bowl. I didn't like putting milk on my flakes so I grabbed a glass for it.

"Are you now boyfriend and girlfriend?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Jair don't do that stuff."

"What are you now? Fuck buddies? Friends with benefits?"

Nagkibit balikat ako. "Hindi ko alam."

"Huh?" mapang-abot ang dalawang kilay nyang reaksyon.

"It's better not to put a name on what we are," I said as I poured flakes into my bowl.

"He seems to like you a lot," she said, flashing a smile.

I laughed. "He likes fucking me." I paused to recall our mating. "He didn't disappoint me. He's good."

"Did you do your best?" she asked mischievously.

"I think so," sagot ko.

"Ikaw pa... I'm happy that you're back." She smirked when she said that.

"I'm always a slut," I told her.

"But you took a break... anyway... I recommend this new doctor in town. Alam mo na... pag-iingat lang. Ibibigay ko sayo mamaya ang business card."

"Sure," I said and then sat in front of her across the table.

"Baka ikaw na ang gawing girlfriend ni Jair at pakakasalan. He's in the right age and I think that he has changed his mind."

Natawa ulit ako. "You can't just change your principle after a rough bunch of sex, Rach. Jair is strong in his rationale and he's not easily swayed."

"But he's matured," she insisted.

"He's always been mature," I corrected. The moment Jair talked to me about his work, I realized that he was a different person. He was a sucker for lustful things, yes, but he was mature and way better than me when it came to the real world.

I already had my attention on him but he made me drawn to him even more. I thought that he was all about getting it on but I realized that he was something else. He could attract you with his naughty side and he could attract you even more when he was business-minded.

"It's his choice not to," I added.

"If that's the case then you can't expect anything from him," Rach said.

"I'm aware of that."

"Well... wala na akong dapat ipag-aalala sayo," aniya.

"It's nothing I can't handle. May ibang bagay na mas dapat pagtuonan ng pansin."