ZWCS#7: Back To December

Chapter Thirteen

"Wow, you're eating. That's new." Nagulat siya nang marinig ang baritonong tinig ni Atticus, nang lingunin niya ito ay malawak ang pagkakangisi nito sakanya habang tinutungo ang double door fridge.

"Stop grinning, nudnik." Irap niya dito bago ipagpatuloy ang ginagawang pagkain. "When did you arrive?"

"Before sunrise." He shrugged and started drinking the beer straight from the can. "I missed you for two weeks, Gift. Did you miss me?"

"It's too early for beer, Atticus." Puna niya dito. "And no, I didn't. I was actually thankful you're not around."

She heard him faked an ouch. Well, she's being honest. It's two weeks since her last encounter with Travis and in that past two weeks she did nothing but imprison herself inside her room. Halos maubos na rin niya ang stock ni Atticus sa unit nito and she's even planning to go to the nearest grocery store for their needs. But now that Atticus is back, she's sure he'll take care of it.

"Come on, Gift. At eight in the morning you should be proud, that I'm already a hero for saving a beer trapped in a can." Humahalakhak nitong sagot.

"What a dipstick." She shook her head a little. "Blanche is back, have you seen her na?"

"Not yet, but I heard it from Lexus." Naupo ito sa upuang katapat niya. "Nag-date daw kasi sila ni Thiago noong isang araw."

"You're not affected, are you?" Pananantya niya.

"I'm not." Humalakhak ito. "Si Blanche, papasang member ng AMO yon eh."

Tumango-tango naman siya at nag-patuloy sa pagkain, ito nama'y tila aliw na aliw na panuorin siya. Nakapangalumbaba pa ito habang nakamasid sakanya.

"Atticus, what's with your eerie act?" Hindi niya makapagpigil na tanong.

Sumipol naman ito bago sumandal sa upuan ng hindi inaalis ang tingin sakanya maging ang pagkakangisi sa labi nitong tila nakapaskil na doon. "Oh, nothing. I just miss seeing your face and I feel like I'm really gonna miss seeing you around..."

She faked a sweet smile. "Oh, a crackpot that you are."

Malakas itong humalakhak bago sumimsim ng beer. "I'm not kidding, Gift. I'm serious."

Hindi na niya inintindi pa ang mga pinagsasabi ni Atticus kahit pa nawiwirduhan din siya sa ikinikilos nito. Why every time she looks at him, she'll catch him watching her. Not only that, he's grinning like a kook.

The whole afternoon, she stayed behind the door of her room and watched movies on Netflix. After two movies she fell asleep and soon as she opened her eyes her mind is weirdly screaming for another good sleep. Which is very odd, it feels like no matter how long she sleeps in a day wont be enough for her satisfaction.

Ayaw man niyang bumangon at lisanin ang kama ay wala siyang mapagpipilian. Hunger is consuming her, she's so hungry she can eat a horse.

Nang makalabas ng silid ay nadatnan niya si Atticus na may kausap sa cellphone nito. Eavesdropping isn't her thing but she didn't mean to hear a glimpse of their conversation anyway.

"Basta Alexus, ayusin mo yang trabaho mo. Husayan mo. Alam kong yang bata mo gigil na, itong sakin nalang ang gigigilin natin." He even chuckled as if what he said is something really funny. "Oo, ako na ang bahala. This will work. Oo nakausap ko na si Aquish, oo pati sila Thiago. Yeah, yeah-"

He stopped when she accidentally made a little noise stepping at the maple flooring. Agad itong bumaling sakanya, Atticus did a great job hiding his shock to see her there because he grinned again.

Inirapan niya ito at nagpatuloy sa pagtungo sa kusina. She opened the double door fridge and checked what's in there to eat.

Twitching her lips, she's eyeing the food like a lion eyeing a caribou. Or a vulture willing to eat anything.