Assuaging the Kindled Flames

Chapter 2

𝙏𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙚𝙧

"Putangina!" I muttered as I woke up, the weight of last night pressing heavily on my chest. The heat, the intensity, it all lingered like an unfinished story, haunting my thoughts. Everything I’d learned, all the wisdom I thought I had, vanished overnight. There was something raw, fleeting, yet painfully real about it. I wanted more, but here I was, waking up alone.

My gut screamed trouble. That guy? Probably a scammer. I should’ve stayed with my family in Nueva Ecija for Undas, visiting my grandparents. Pero hindi, eto ako ngayon, entangled in a mess I could’ve avoided. A knock at the door jolted me.

"Ma'am Paula, baba na po sabi ni Ma'am. Kakain na po," Manang Russell called from outside.

"P-Pakisabi pong susunod na lang ako," I stammered, dragging myself to the bathroom. Cold water poured over me, but it did little to wash away the ache pulsing through my head, and the soreness in places I hadn’t expected.

Frustration bubbled up. "Putangina ka," I cursed under my breath, imagining his smug grin.

Pinaiikot lang ako ng lalaking 'yon. I felt stupid, wondering if those moments had meant anything to him or if they were just a game. As I stepped out of my room, every step carried the weight of regret, the echoes of last night refusing to fade. I tried to shake it off, but I knew, I wouldn’t forget this so easily.

"Ang sakit ng ulo ko!" Pagsisinungaling ko nang marating ko ang pool area, kung saan nagkakasiyahan na ang mga kaibigan ko, tawanan at halakhakan na parang wala silang alam. I sank into my chair, clutching my head for added drama.

"That's a lame excuse, gosh," Anrie smirked, eyeing me knowingly.

"Gaga! Ang sakit nga ng ulo ko," I shot back, rolling my eyes, though deep down, I was hoping my face wouldn't give anything away.

"Ulol!" Isla laughed, giving me a playful smack on the arm. "We saw you with Kaliv. Akala mo makakatakas ka sa amin, ha? Kahit saan tayo tumingin, hindi niya magawang tanggalin ang mata niya sa mesa natin kagabi."

Napailing na lang ako, trying to hide the flush creeping up my face. "Baka ikaw talaga ang trip niya, Isla," sabay ngisi para ibaling sa kanya ang usapan.

"Ano ba 'yan!" She sighed, her face dropping like I just crushed her dreams. "All this time, akala ko ako ang dahilan kung bakit siya hindi mapakali! Niloko ko lang pala sarili ko."

I made a laugh, but inside my stomach twisted. They know him? My mind raced as I tried to piece everything together. Ano 'to, set-up? The nerve of that guy, he really is something else. My friends kept going, teasing me like they knew everything, but they didn't have a clue about how that night turned my world upside down. I thought I had brushed it off like last night didn't matter. Pero ang totoo, it left a strange feeling, like something between thrill and regret, looping endlessly in my mind.

"Girl, seryoso, hindi mo ba kami bibigyan ng update? Like, after all the research namin sa socials niya, then ikaw pala ang nasa final report!" Anrie pushed, her eyes glinting with mischief.

"Gaga, wala 'yon," I replied, hoping my face didn't betray me. But deep down, I knew there was something I couldn't shake, a curiosity mixed with a quiet thrill.

Nagpatuloy ang tawanan nila, all while my mind spun with the aftermath of last night, caught in some strange limbo. One part of me wanted to scream and spill everything, pero alam ko namang hindi nila maiintindihan ang magkahalong sakit at sayang gabing iyon. Parang baliw, I sat there, nodding along to their jokes while inside I was unraveling, every little memory tugging at me like it was mocking me.

As they kept bantering, all I could think was, putangina, paano ba ako napunta rito? The question lingered, and I couldn't quite answer it. All that I knew was that I felt like I was floating, halfway between regret and something close to longing, unable to shake the chaotic storm brewing in my chest.