For His Entertainment

Chapter Seventeen

Nasilaw ang mga mata ko dahilan para bumukas ito. Mabilis ko rin ito sinara dahil sobrang liwanag. I turned to my side and my head was pounding. What happened?

I opened one eye and saw an unfamiliar room. This isn't my room. This is a hotel.

Binuka ko ang parehong mata and inspected the whole room. There's nobody. I tried to recollect memories of last night, and that made my eyes water again. Bakit ba kailangan pa maging sober? Hindi ba pwede lasing na lang lagi?

Kinuha ko ang phone sa side table at nagulat sa dami ng missed calls from Kuya Steven. I sat down on the bed, and... who brought me here?

Nagulat ako nang pumasok si Theo sa kwarto with a tray of tapsilog and coffee. He looked so disoriented, like he hasn't slept the whole night.

"What... what happened?" I rubbed my eyes.

"Good morning," he smiled at me and placed the tray on my lap. "Breakfast?"

"Theo, what happened?" I asked again.

"Kumain ka muna tapos sasabihin ko sa'yo."

I agreed. Uminom agad ako ng tubig because I feel so damn dehydrated. I can't believe I didn't get the peace I wanted. Liquor is overrated. Panandalian ka lang nakakalimot, tapos dodoblehin yung sakit pagkagising mo kasama ng sakit ng ulo.

"Asan tayo?"

"Tagaytay," he said and went out with my glass. Pagbalik niya, may laman na ulit iyon at may dala siyang gamot pati gatorade.

"Pano...?"

"Mabuti na lang may byahe pa ng gan'ung oras. Ally, I was dead worried." He sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm sorry. Naabala pa kita." Kinagat ko ang labi ko. "Hindi ko matandaan kung paano mo ko nahanap, but I appreciate the effort you went through for me. Really."

And I really do. Sobrang hassle for him lalo na't wala siyang sasakyan.

Humugot siya ng malalim na hininga. "Ubusin mo muna 'yan."

Lumabas muli siya and didn't return until my food was finished. I felt better pero ininom ko pa rin'yung gamot.

This is awkward. Gusto kong malaman kung ano ang nangyari pero takot ako sa maririnig. Takot ako sa kung ano man ang sinabi ko sa kanya. He has been nothing but good to me, and all I do is bring inconvenience right at his doorstep.

"What you said last night..." He said seriously. "Can you tell me that again?"

"What?"

"I wanna hear it when you're sober." Tumingin siya sa malayo. "I have never wanted someone like this in my life. Sa totoo lang, I was scared when I confessed. I've been keeping this inside me for long simula nang pumasok ka sa Entablado, I thought about this a lot. I didn't want to risk our friendship, but I also didn't know a thing. All I know is this just feels right. It feels so natural. Yung parang hindi mo responsibilidad? Na parang gagawin mo lang kasi gusto mo."

Napalunok ako.

He scoffed. "Hindi ko alam kung bakit ko 'to sinasabi, it feels pathetic. But I want you to know that you're not a failure. Not to me. I want you to know that someone here is looking up to you, admiring you for how strong and beautiful you are."

Oh my God. He intertwined our hands. I didn't know what to say.

"You can tell it to my face," he said, his expression softened. "You can tell me that you like someone else. I can take it. I just want to hear it when you're sober, so I know it's serious."