Meeting In The Purple Afterglow (Out Of My League Series #1)

Kabanata 11

Straight

Kagabi pa nakauwi si Sylvier sa Monte Real. Maaga siyang pumunta rito sa Casa, hindi para sa trabaho, dahil ayon kay Manang Sonia, nasa kusina raw siya ng mansyon.

Mabilis akong naligo at naghagilap na lang ng puting t-shirt at itim na pambahay na sweat shorts mula sa cabinet dahil sa pagmamadali. Naalala ko na maaga rin ngayon si Tino dahil sa order kong cassava cake. Iyon ang gusto kong almusalin. Hindi pwedeng maunahan ako ni Kuya, baka mamaya, pag nakarating sa akin, lalagyan na lang at wala ng cassava cake.

Hindi pwede ‘yon!

I halted in my steps when I saw his familiar figure. He was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, not the Casa uniform. He stood beside the kitchen island, fixing something there. When he must have felt someone watching him, he suddenly turned to face the doorway where I was standing.

“Hey… I’m back,” he greeted with his arms slightly open and a Duchenne smile on his face. 

I just stared at him.

Inisip ko… 

What does Emris do when one of us is feeling down?

I remembered…

He hugs us and kisses us on the head because according to him that’s what his mom does for him.

I’m not Emris, so I can’t do that. Just thinking about it gives me chills. I'm not into physical touch. But the moment I saw his eyes, filled with different emotions, the longing, happiness, excitement, and relief. 

I wondered how this guy could be so transparent.

Nakakakonsensya siyang saktan, pero mas nakakakonsensya na hindi niya malaman.

Kasabay ng unti-unting pagbaba ng mga braso niya, nabura rin ang ngiti niyang hindi ko sinuklian. Nagbaba siya ng tingin, at kita ko ang pagkunot ng noo niya na tila nag-iisip. 

My feet moved on their own and I slowly approached him. He just stared at me as I got closer. When I closed the distance between us, I pulled him in for a friendly hug. I felt his body stiffen. I gently patted his upper back, trying to calm him, and began to say what I needed to say. 

“I was waiting for you so I could say this,” I sighed, but he remained frozen. “I saw Macey kissing a guy. I know you’re head over heels—”

Bigla kong tinigil ang pagpapaliwanag, nasabi ko na ang dapat sabihin, wala na dapat itong kasunod pa. I'm not the type who sugarcoats words just to make you feel better, even for a little bit. Kung nasaktan ka, nasaktan ka kasi iyon ang totoo. Kung hindi siya maniwala, kasalanan na niya iyon. Labas na ako kung nabulag na siya ng pagkagusto niya sa babaeng iyon. Basta’t sinabi ko ang nakita ko sa maayos na paraan at hindi para siraan si Macey, kung hindi para malaman niya.

I should be feeling chills right now about what I'm doing because this is definitely not me. Osiris Rios would never act this way. I'm not clingy or touchy. Most of the time, it’s my dad, my siblings, my cousins, and my friends who are like this with me. I’m always on the receiving end, always the one getting hugs, kisses, and attention. It’s extremely rare for me to take the initiative, especially when it comes to physical affection because that’s just not really my cup of tea. 

But this. This is an exception. This is the side of me that is maawain, despite being snobbish. I can't bear to see someone cry in front of me. I won't just stand here watching him break down because of a heartache. He likes Macey, and I'm sure he'll cry over that girl, even though she doesn’t deserve his tears.

Suminghap si Sylvier. Tinigil ko ang mahinang pagtapik sa likod niya at napalayo ako, saka siya hinarap sa pag-aakalang umiiyak na nga siya. Magkaparte ang mga labi niya at namumula ang leeg.