"Seryoso! Hindi ko talaga alam! Kaya pala hindi niya ako hinahalikan ng maigi. I mean, sure. He would kiss me pero sobrang babaw lang palagi and sobrang saglit lang. And I thought he was just being a perfect gentleman dahil ganoon ko naman siya nakilala, eh."
I took a long chug of my beer, the coolness settling the laughter bubbling in my chest as I set my eyes on the darkened sea. Sa tabi ko ay si Icen na tumatawa-tawa sa kuwento ko. After dinner, we'd decided to take a walk along the beach, too full to do much else. Now, we were both sitting on the sand, a couple of beers in hand, payapang pinapanuod ang pag-uunahan ng alon sa dalampasigan.
"So, let me get this straight... you thought the guy was just being polite because he wouldn't kiss you deeply?"
"Oo! Iyon talaga ang akala ko! Bakla pala!"
He smirked, leaning closer, his voice dropping to a teasing tone. "And how exactly was this 'boyfriend' kissing you, then? Maybe I need a demonstration to really understand what you mean. Para rin alam ko kung paanong hindi mo agad nahulaan."
I shot him a glare, rolling my eyes as I hugged my beer bottle closer. "Nice try, Icen, but I'm not that drunk to fall for your tricks."
He chuckled, leaning back on his hands, his gaze fixed on me, completely unbothered. "Come on. I'm just trying to get a clearer picture here."
I raised an eyebrow, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Sure. Purely for 'research purposes,' I bet."
"Absolutely," he said with a laugh, raising his bottle in a mock toast. "I'm a thorough guy, after all."
I couldn't help but laugh, hindi ko alam kung dahil lang ba sa nainom kaya ganito kapalagay ang loob ko kay Icen o ano, eh. I took another sip, staring out at the ocean, the waves crashing softly against the shore. There was a calmness to the night, a simplicity I hadn't realized I'd needed so badly.
"What happened with you two? I mean, once you figured it out?"
I shrugged, tracing a line in the sand with my finger. "It wasn't exactly an easy conversation. But once he came out, it all kind of made sense. I think he just needed time to admit it to himself first. We ended things on good terms."
Bumaling ako sa kaniya, sakto naman lingon niya sa dagat. "Well, you sound like you handled it pretty well. Not everyone would've."
"Yeah, well," I said, staring down at my half-empty bottle, "I'm kind of used to it now. My dating history is basically a long list of men who... well, don't prefer women."
Parang siya...
"A curse or a superpower?"
I grinned. "Depends on the day."
Kung saan saan pa napunta ang usapan namin ni Icen. Hindi ko alam pero habang lumalalim ang gabi ay lalong napapalagay ang loob ko sa kaniya. He was in the middle of telling me a ridiculous story about a mishap with a jet ski when I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Parang ngayon lang ako nakatawa ng ganito sa loob ng mahabang panahon. I lay back on the sand, watching the stars, letting my mind drift in the calm of the night.
When I glanced back at him, I caught him still sitting up, staring out over the water. His broad shoulders silhouetted against the moonlight, and for a moment, I simply watched him, captivated by how at ease he looked. The sea breeze blew gently, lifting the hem of my dress a little, revealing my bikini bottom beneath.
Agad na napalingon roon si Icen, akmang aayusin sana ang bestida ko nang matigilan. His eyes traveled up shamelessly, stopping at my inner thigh, a curious expression flickering across his face. I quickly reached to adjust my dress, feeling a flush rise to my cheeks, but his hand shot out, gently stopping me.
