Camille Syanna
We were both silent on the drive. I had no idea where we were going and was afraid to ask. I looked outside the window and stared through the darkness. ZA didn't say another word. He just drove.
I slipped off my stilettos as my feet were tired. If he wasn't going to talk to me, then be it. Ipinikit ko ang aking mga mata upang magpahinga. Wala naman mangyayaring masama sa akin dahil si ZA naman ang kasama ko. He would always take care of me, galit man 'yan o hindi.
"You have a boyfriend now, huh," sabi niya.
Napamulat ako ng aking mga mata. Hay, I was sleepy pa naman. I rolled my eyes and turned to him. "Meron, you."
His eyes remained on the road. "Tss,"
"Don't tss me!" Annoyed kong sabi. Muli ko siyang tinalikuran para sana mag-sleep, pero he speaks again.
"Ang tagal niyo pa nag-date,"
I frowned and looked at him again. Naiinis na talaga me. "Eh, why did you wait kasi?"
"Ah, so dapat pala hindi na?" His jaw set.
God, this man is a piece of work. "Ikaw, decision mo naman 'yon. And I didn't know naman na you were waiting outside pala."
"Oh," he sneered. "How would you know? Busy na busy ka sa kasama mo,"
Unbelievable. Instead makipag-argue sa kanya, I reached for the bucket of doughnuts Zanti gave me and ate na lang, mas magiging happy pa ako with food.
His lips drew back in a snarl, glancing at me.
"Do you want some?" Alok ko sa kanya. I'm mad, but I'm not madamot.
Lalong tumalim ang kanyang tingin sa akin.
I shrugged, bahala siya if ayaw niya. Magsungit ka lang, ZA, hanggang gusto mo.
He kept glancing at me from time to time. What? Gusto niya ba? ZA didn't say anything naman. The whole trip to his condo was filled with silence. Hindi rin ako naka-sleep because nga kumain ako ng doughnuts. And it was already too late when I realized I almost empty the bucket! Mga four na lang 'yung natira when I finally felt satisfied. If I wasn't mistaken, twelve ang laman ng noon. Ah, who cares? I'm pregnant!
Hindi pa rin nagsasalita si ZA kahit nang makapasok na kami sa loob ng unit niya. I looked around and smiled faintly. I missed this place. The thought of never going to be here ever plunged me into despair.
Nothing had changed since I last went here. I stopped by the foyer, holding the bucket tightly to my chest. ZA and I hadn't talked yet, so I was hesitant. I wasn't sure if I was still welcome here. Sure, he brought me here, but I was clueless about his intentions.
"Your things are where you left them," he finally spoke with his back to me. "Freshen up. I'll fix us dinner."
He didn't wait for me to react and strolled into the kitchen. I sighed. I was still walking on eggshells here because I had no idea how he really felt about being around me.
ZA's bedroom was the same as how I remembered it. He changed the sheets but not the curtains. I picked those out for him. My bones ached as I walked into the closet, only to find out he didn't touch my stuff. They were exactly how I left them. I couldn't tell if my pregnancy was to blame for my sudden burst of emotions, but I missed being here.
I took a quick shower and changed into a burgundy satin negligee. Then I went to the kitchen only to catch ZA inspecting the bucket of doughnuts I nearly emptied. He quickly stood up and proceeded to fix the already set table.
