Stuck in Love

Chapter 19

Meeting the relatives.

Agad-agad? Walang abiso?

We had our dinner with SJ’s grandma, Lola Ida, and some relatives. They were all teasing us.  We would just reiterate that we’re just friends. If they only knew. The dinner went fine and they were all very accommodating and warm, perfect for the cold weather.

 

“From the looks of you, I know you don’t drink. But would you share a few bottles with me?” invited SJ as he raised a bottle of beer.

 

“Sure,” my quick response. “I can drink. I just do it very occasionally. And I don’t drink much.”

He laughed as he opened the bottle of SanMig Light for me. “Ever got drunk?”

“Yeah, I think with vodka. But never wasted.”

We walked through the terrace and had a couple of beers. We sat on top of the cemented porch. He’s drinking Red Horse and I was having the lighter one. We had a great conversation, talking about a lot of things—Australia, high school, my work, his studies (he’s specializing in Internal Medicine and Biology was his pre-med), our love for music. I could not believe we’re also sharing our dreams and goals to each other.

 

I wish we had videoke sessions but we could not afford to disturb the sleeping city. So we just played the music on his iPod and connected it to the speakers. We could have party somewhere but we chose to get up close and personal in the tranquility of his home at the heart of Cavite.

 

I already had four bottles of SanMig Light and I was getting kinda dizzy and a little more talkative than I really am. I shuffled the playlist so songs went from club to slow. Matchbox Twenty’s Unwell played on the background. Oh, I remember something about that song: first year high school, me sitting in front of a cassette while listening to the song, SJ entered the scene and sat beside me then sang, then a friend of ours teased us, at kinilig ako. So that song was memorable, apart from my favorite song…which was also because of him.

 

“I think I’m drunk,” I said as the words slurred on my mouth.

 

“What? You only had four light beers.”

“I told you I’m not used to it. But don’t worry, I’ll still accompany you. Cheers to my fifth beer!” I raised another bottle.

I moved to my side to face him that I could almost fall from the platform.

Sandro was quick to grab my arm. If not for him, I must have broken my skull.

“Careful.” He got the beer bottle from me. “’Wag mo nang pilitin kung ‘di mo na kaya. You can take a rest, I’ll take you to your room.”

“But I don’t want to sleep yet.” My head was starting to float on air and my body, heavy.

I went down of the platform and laid on the net cradle. He faced me. “Hey, SJ.” He took a sip from his bottle and raised his eyebrow. “Why don’t you still have a girlfriend? You’re a playboy, right?”

 

“You think I’m a playboy?”

“Hmm…you look like one, even wayyy back in high school.”

“Really…it’s just not my priority right now.”

“Sayang. I bet a lot of girls are falling head over heels for you.”

“Why you said so?”

I turned my head to him and stared at his face. Suddenly, all the adjectives I ever thought of him ever since I met him, slurred out of my mouth one by one like the falling stars in Meteor Garden.

 

“Well…you’re tall. You’re smart and artistic. Musically inclined. You’re spontaneous and…free-spirited, very adventurous, too. Despite you being annoyingly arrogant and a hardheaded bastard, you have a very good sense of humor. You are completely funny and great to be with.”

 

“That’s it? You forgot something.”

“What?”

“Pogi ako.” He winked at me. Oh my God, I melt.

It was supposed to be another joke but… “Yeah, you’re gorgeous…with your mysterious and somehow deceitful little eyes and fluffy cheeks I would love to pinch when you get too cute. And contagiously carefree laugh and maangas bad boy gestures. Who would not fall for you?”

I was stunned for a few seconds. Good thing my inner thoughts were not that drunk. Liz, what the hell did you just say? You’re too fucking obvious!

“Of course, I’m lying.” I said then I laughed.

 

But he didn’t. He was seriously looking at me. Oh God, I need to get out of here right now.

“I’ll just get a glass of water,” I said as I tried to stand up. I was already on my two feet trying to walk straight then… “Ahh!” I almost slipped. And he was again quick to save me from falling.

 

He helped me stand up and there was the terrifying eye contact. Yes those eyes would always terrify me because they would mesmerize me and haunt me even in my dreams. I felt like I could just faint right there. Can you also catch me…for falling in love with you?

“I love this song,” he spoke referring to the slow music playing on the background. How could it be so on-cue when that song was all I needed to describe that night—Lady Antebellum’s Just A Kiss.

 

He raised my hands and put them on his shoulders as he put his hands around my waist. And we danced and that night seemed forever. If only time would stand still…

 

Amoy-alak siya…at nilalasing niya ang buong pagkatao ko. Oh how I wanted to kiss him.

I cocked my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes to savor the moment—the moment I thought I had waited for.

Just the two of us under the night sky, under a full moon, on a frigid weather, hearing just the music and our breath and my heart beat. I was shivering not because of the cold but because I wanted to feel that it was real…from my skin prickling to my bones and my blood to my heart. The fieriness of our bodies against each other was getting into me.

 

All I was waiting was a kiss, if he would and could give me that. I stared at him again and got myself a little closer to his face. I looked into his eyes to his nose. He leaned his face closer to mine until our foreheads and the tip of our noses touched. I could inhale the warmth of alcohol from his breath. Just one sweet kiss. I closed my eyes and slowly, I could feel his lips almost touching mine but he was careful not to lock them. He was not pressing his lips…they just lingered for a while.

 

I was so ready for the sweet little kiss that would stop my world from turning but then he whispered, “I’m sorry.” Then he gently pushed me away from him, like how I imagined him doing if he knew I was in love.

 

Two words. Just two words to awaken my senses. It was real and the dream was almost within my reach. Then the song ended. I realized I was just inside an illusion that he would actually kiss me or fall for me.

 

I was drunk but the alcohol could not drown me more than what love could do. I was drunk in love…with him.

 

And Happy Valentine’s to me, by the way.

***