A Lover of Rain

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

As soon as the music started, memories flashed in my mind even if they were unwanted. Two years had passed, yet I could still feel the grip Kylo had on my hand and his touch on my waist as we danced under the moonlight with this song playing in the background like no people in the world mattered except the two of us. My breath started shaking when I heard his soulful voice sing this song for the first time. My eyes stayed close while watching flashes of our memories in my head; afraid of what I might see once I opened them. This song gave me hope, yet it was also the same song that broke me when he used it to dance with Claud in his welcome party. As Kylo sang the lyrics: 'wag nang magtagu-taguan, kita naman sa liwanag ng buwan. Ang lihim na pagtingin, kailan aaminin? My eyes suddenly had a life of their own. I opened them slowly, only to catch Kylo already staring at me as he sang these lines with sincerity–like he's speaking from his heart.

He continued singing, his eyes never leaving mine. And even if my brain was telling me one thing, my heart wanted to relish this moment as I stared back in his deep brown eyes that's only looking at me. I don't know what to do or feel. "Kailan sasabihin? Kailan aaminin?" As Kylo ended the song without breaking eye contact still, the grip Julian had on my shoulders slowly loosened. There was a part of me that wanted to know why since he's the type that doesn't want to let go, yet the other half that was telling me to focus on Kylo won. Julian grabbed one of the beers before taking a huge gulp as a result. A deafening sound of applause took over the food market, even making our friends stand up to give him a loud cheer. "Tropa ko yan!" Jae shouted while raising his bottle of beer.

The singer that let Kylo have the stage climbed up while clapping her hands. She lets out a few wows before giving Kylo an interview like he's applying for a job all of a sudden. He shared a few details of his life like he's a Music Major and wanted to be a music producer in the future. I wasn't minding all of their questions to him that I already know the answer to until they picked the one I was hoping for. "Parang feel na feel nyo po yung kanta, ano. I was wondering... habang nakikinig kanina if it's for someone special."

Kylo touched the back of his neck as his face showed hesitation. I grabbed the bottle of beer in front of me but it was empty. God... my throat suddenly became dry. I snatched the bottle in front of Jae that still has some beer inside. This question got me sharing a bottle with someone I hate, that's how you'd know I'm nervous on the inside that my lips touching the bottle Jae was drinking didn't faze me at all.

"Hey!" Jae protested but he was too late. I was already chugging his alcohol.

"Are you okay?" Julian asked, making me nod.

"Just... feeling thirsty."

When I looked back on the stage, there it was again. The stare in Kylo's eyes that made me fall in love with him in the first place. The noise mellowed down in my ears, making my heartbeat the only thing I could hear all of a sudden. The silhouette of people walking from my peripheral vision blurred out as my eyes focused on him while waiting for his answer. As his mouth opened to give a reply, there was a glimpse of hope in my heart that turned into confusion when I heard his answer.

"Yes." Kylo simply replied before putting down the microphone so he could leave the stage. He didn't give a name. If I said I didn't expect him to call out my name then it would be a lie. Lihim will always be the song that reminds me of him. It will always be our song in my head. The thing is, he did use this very song with Claud as well. So which is which? My head kept asking if it was me he called someone special, but then I am not his girlfriend. I am his best friend and nothing is special about our relationship. Some of the people were still cheering for him, making it hard to hear his conversation with Jae suddenly. I excused myself to Julian who was just quietly assessing the situation. I grabbed a full bottle of beer from the other table as I followed Markie outside the market. She was standing on the side of the street, puffing out a cigarette in her green bodycon dress looking like a cover of an album from a distant perspective. Some men who caught a glimpse of her while passing by were taken aback by my friend, but she didn't care. Not even once.