Muse.
__________________________________________“FUCK…I was so damn jealous. If I hadn't held myself back earlier, baka nakasapak na ako ng kliyente. Tangina… call me selfish or cheesy, but I wanted to gatekeep your coffee.”
"You know you can't just do that, right?" I countered in a low, but firm voice.
He exhaled softly against my nape. "Yeah, I know. Ako rin ang nagsabing makikipag-kompetensya ako sa mga umaaligid sa'yo—fairly. But even though I said that, I couldn't help but be annoyed. That San Gabriel guy was tolerable, but this Ladrizabal… he's different…”
I frowned tightly, but I remained silent and let him keep talking.
“You should be realizing by now—”
“That you eavesdropped on our conversation earlier,” I cut him off, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Hinawakan ko na ang mga braso niyang nakapulupot sa'kin at tinangkang kalasin ang mga ito, pero mas hinigpitan niya lang ang yakap niya.
“Right,” aniya, parang wala lang ang ginawa. “Kaagad kitang pinuntahan dito sa tent nang sabihin ng tauhan ko na nakarating ka na. I was planning to surprise you with something… but I ended up being the one surprised. My good mood soured the moment I saw you smiling while talking to Ladrizabal…” Sandali siyang tumigil, humugot ng hininga as if his next words were hard to say. Lumuwang din ang pagkakayakap niya sa'kin, so I tried pulling myself away, pero mabilis niya akong hinigit pabalik at nagpatuloy. “Even if it was just for a moment, I saw it. The way you smiled while talking to him. That exact kind of smile you stopped giving me. He's closer to you than any other guy who's tried to get near you and it freaks me out. I feel so threatened that if I don't do anything, he'll take you away from me. And I'll just be left here—jealous… bitter…”
I exhaled wearily. “So what now? You'll punch him just because you're jealous, and you think that's enough to win me back?”
He didn't flinch. “I'll be honest. Part of me wanted that to happen… and I'm not really proud of it. But I'd rather you think of me that way than pretend I'm okay with it, because I'm not. I'm not okay with the idea of losing you.”
Mariin akong nagpinid-labi. He's doing it again—dragging us back into the same conversation we'd already had. Before we could go down that path, sa pangatlong pagkakataon, I tried to pull away from his embrace. “Let's end this conversation. Baka makita pa tayo ng mga tauhan mo. Mahirap na, baka kung ano pa ang isipin nila sa'tin. So please let me go—” Replacing my next words, a gasp escaped nang imbes na pakawalan niya ako, ibaon niya ang mukha sa gilid ng leeg ko!
“No, not yet. Don't mind my men. Just… help me calm first,” he whispered softly.
Meanwhile, I clenched my lips shut because while he's saying those, his lips are brushing against my skin in featherlight kisses that send shivers down my spine! Fuck! I hate how, no matter how much hatred and anger I throw at him, he still finds a way to slip past it, always managing to get me. Even when I try to keep my distance, he always finds a way to get near me, to hold me!
“I'm tired. Bukod sa trabaho, nakakapagod din palang magalit buong maghapon…” he said in a tone that suggested he's pouting.
“Then rest,” sikmat ko. I didn't know he was this… bipolar. He was mad one minute ago, and is now acting like a child complaining.
“I'm already doing that. You know… yakap ko na ang pahinga ko,” he murmured softly, and I found myself gasping as I sank even further against his chest when he suddenly sat on the bamboo table behind him, pulling me along! Given his height, the table was just the right height for him to sit there with complete ease. While I was left standing, leaning against him habang parang ahas pa ring nakalingkis ang mga braso niya sa'kin.

BINABASA MO ANG
One Last Time
RomanceAll she wants is to get his elusive love so when the opportunity comes, hindi na siya nagdalawang-isip pa na isagawa ang plano---ang akitin ito sa kahit anong paraan! Pero tila hindi sasang-ayon sa kanya ang kalangitan, dahil hindi magiging madali s...