After Summer 64 (Old Summer Trilogy #3)

04

"Ugh, I need a drink."

I walked past Lyonelle as soon as I arrived in his unit. I heard him laugh when I handed him my bag and went straight to the kitchen to get a bottle of wine. I made myself feel at home. He wasn't complaining about it. 

"You drink now?" he asked, amused. "I thought you were very strict about your diet." 

"I am going to do what I want," inis na sabi ko at sinamaan siya ng tingin. He put his hands up as a sign of defeat. 

"Yes, Ma'am," he said in a playful tone. 

Kumuha ako ng dalawang wine glass at sinalinan iyon. I was just so mad and frustrated. I wanted to forget everything I was feeling because I didn't know how to deal with those kinds of emotions.

"What's wrong?" he asked after taking a sip of his wine. We were already seated on the couch. He even played some jazz music on the television, so it would be a little bit fancier.

"I don't know... I just want to be able to do the things I want," I softly said. It was almost a whisper because a part of me didn't want him to hear me talking about my personal problems. It just sounded... weak. 

"Why not?" His arm was resting on the couch, just behind my back. He was close to me, so he could hear me. 

"Because... I already grew up like this." I looked down at my glass. "Being told what to do..." I caressed the glass with my thumb while thinking. "Pushed to my limits... I am done. I am tired of it." 

"Do you want to feel free? Is that why you ran away from home?" He raised a brow. "Your mom will go nuts once she finds out that I'm keeping you in my unit..." He subtly played with my hair while staring at my eyes. 

"She won't find out." I looked away from him. His stare was too intense. 

"So... Are you going to sleep here?" he asked a very important question. 

I didn't allow myself to think anymore. "Yes. Where else would I go?" 

I knew my mom would try to go to Nadia's place to find me. I always felt like... she paid more attention to me than my other sisters. Maybe because I was the one competing in figure skating. I was the only hope she got left. I was the one achieving her dreams for herself. 

"You have training tomorrow," paalala niya sa akin. 

"I don't. Coach is going somewhere. Akala ko ba alam mo dapat ang schedule niya?" I raised a brow, and he laughed.

"Well, I didn't know. I never said I had to know. I just happened to know her training schedule," pag-correct niya sa sinabi ko. "You're free to drink tonight, then? I was about to head out when you called." 

Tiningnan ko ang suot niya. That was when I realized that he was wearing an attire for a club party. I looked at what I was wearing. This would do. A sleeveless top and a pair of pants. 

"Okay, then. Let's go." Tumayo ako at inubos ang wine sa baso ko. Sayang. 

I was determined to get drunk that night. Lyonelle called a trusted driver for us so he would be able to drink with me. Doon kami sumakay sa likod ng sasakyan niya. It was not a long drive. When we arrived there, I started thinking if I should have fixed myself more to match the vibe. I was more of a formal wine night dinner type. 

"You're going to be fine," Lyonelle assured me when he saw me checking how I looked using my phone. He put his hand on my shoulder and guided me inside. He had a VIP pass with him, so we just went straight in. 

Everyone was greeting Lyonelle. I didn't realize how many friends he had. It was like everyone knew him. I didn't know how to react. He would randomly hug someone, shake someone's hand, and take a shot from a table while we were walking.