ETB #1: Lost in Blank Stares

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Inangat ko ang tingin kay Stefano, nakatayo lang siya sa harap ko, sa isang makitid na hallway. The space was dimly lit by soft, golden sconces that cast long shadows against the walls.

The faint hum of the club's music reverberated through the structure, blending with muffled laughter and chatter from downstairs. Yet, despite the distant noise, the hallway felt eerily intimate, as though it existed solely for this moment-just the two of us.

I swallowed hard, the closeness making it difficult to breathe steadily. "Bakit mo 'ko dinala dito?"

His hand, warm and grounding, rested firmly on my waist as he pulled me just a little closer. "The right question is, why did you follow me here?"

I glanced at his lips, then back at his eyes. "You looked like you'd murder someone earlier. I was just making sure no crime gets committed."

He tilted his head slightly, his lips quirking into a faint smirk. "Ganun ba?"

"Mhm," I muttered, my gaze involuntarily dropping to his lips.

I could feel myself getting intoxicated-not by alcohol, but by him. By his scent, by the way he looked at me, by how his hand felt like it belonged where it was. We really needed to get out of here. My imagination was running wild.

Tinatawag ko na ang lahat ng santo para pigilan ang sarili kong hilahin ang batok niya at alisin na lang ang pagitan naming dalawa.

Stefano noticed where my eyes lingered, his smirk growing wider as he leaned in just a fraction closer.

"Something on your mind?" mapanuyang tanong niya.

I snapped my eyes back to his, forcing myself to focus. "Wala. Umayos ka nga," umatras ako, ngunit nakahawak pa rin siya sa beywang ko.

"Sigurado ka?"

"Oo!" I replied, though my voice lacked conviction.

"Then bakit namumula ka?"

"Mainit lang dito!" I shot back defensively.

His laugh deepened, and the sound seemed to vibrate through me. "Kung mainit, bakit parang nanginginig ka?"

I tried to steady myself, but his proximity was overwhelming. "Wala nga," I muttered, but it was useless. "Are you drunk?"

His eyes were darker than usual, the dim light casting shadows across his face. Mukha siyang nakainom ng kaunti-the lazy smirk on his lips and the faint rasp in his voice betraying a hint of intoxication.

"Drunk?" he repeated, his voice low and heavy, sending an unfamiliar flutter through my chest. "Maybe. But not enough to imagine this moment."

"This moment?" I echoed.

He leaned in closer, his breath brushing against my cheek. "You. Me. Right here." His eyes flicked down to my lips, then back up to meet mine. "Do I need to spell it out?"

Naramdaman ko na ang malamig na pader sa likod ko nang subukan ko muling lagyan ng distansya ang pagitan namin, but his hand on my waist tightened, holding me in place.

Pero sa totoo lang, I wasn't sure kung anong mas gusto ko-lumayo o magpadala.

"Umiinom ka lang kapag may pinagdadaanan, 'di ba? Ano bang pinagdadaanan mo at naparami yata ang inom mo?" liko ko sa topic, hoping to diffuse the intensity between us.

Was he not joking when he said that? Umiinom lang talaga siya kapag may pinagdadaanan? Ano naman kaya 'yun?

I hadn't even noticed him earlier; the girls and I had been dancing and laughing the whole time. Akala ko nasa taas lang siya, minding his own business, not watching me.