One Wild Night | ✅

18: Home

IT STARTED WHEN she said, 'I wanna be with you'. Napangiti nanaman siya habang naaalala ang nangyari noong isang araw. For all those times na itinago niya ang nararamdaman, sa halos tatlong taon na pagpipigil na aminin ang nararamdaman niya para kay Leo, she finally did. She finally told him that she loves him. She loves him, para nanaman siyang tanga na napangiti. Iisipin na ng mga taong nasa kapareho niyang pila na baliw siya dahil sa random na pag-ngiti niya.

***

"What sweetie?" He asked, her heart melting more dahil sa tawag nito sa kanya. "You can tell me, Tiger. May iba ka pa bang kailangan? If you don't wanna stay in my unit, I can book a hotel or-"

"I'll take the leap," she smiled and placed her cold hands on his cheeks. "I wanna be with you."

Batid sa mukha ni Leo ang kakaibang gulat dahil sa sinabi niya, she just practically confessed at mukhang namatanda pa ata ang lalaking to. "H-ha?"

"Ayaw mo ba? I mean, akala ko kasi ready ka na kaya sinabi ko na din sayo. I was just waiting for the right moment." She smiled, still holding his face on her hands. "Pero alam ko naman na medyo shocking kaya take your time."

"You want to be with me?" He asked. Ganun ba kahirap na paniwalaan ang sinabi niya? He was so eager for her to open up pero parang gulat na gulat naman ito ngayon. She wanted to laugh at his silliness, ang cute pa nitong magtaka.

"Oo, matagal na." Still smiling. "The moment you came that night when Grant was sick in your old shorts and mismatched slippers. I knew na it was the right time to finally allow myself to feel again. Hindi ko na alam kasi kung saan pa ako makakahanap ng lalaki na katulad mo."

Niyakap siya ng mahigpit bigla ni Leo. She wanted to be in his arms for the longest time, at least ngayon time okay na ang pangarap na yun. Ayaw naman niyang maunahan pa siya ng iba. Tanga na lang siya kapag hinayaan niyang mangyari yun. Ginantihan niya ang yakap nito, ipinalibot niya dito n sa katawan nito ang mga braso niya at niyakap ito ng mahigpit, three years worth of emotions in that one bear hug.

"Sandali, hindi naman to panaginip diba?" Para itong bata na excited na excited sa nangyayari.

Mabilis niyang nilapat ang labi niya sa labi nito bago muling tiningnan ang lalaki at nginitian. "Oh, ayan. Panaginip pa ba?"

"Oh hell no, this is better that any of the dreams I ever had." He smiled. "Thank you."

"Baliw, ako dapat na magpasalamat sayo kasi love mo ako, love mo kami ni Grant." The world around them stopped moving and it's as if she wants to frame this exact moment or film it for future reference. She wants this moment to last forever.

"So," he fumbled on his words. "Tayo na?"

"Ayaw mo ba?" She giggled. Kanina pa niyang niloloko ito, not that she isn't serious pero ayaw niya lang maging overly dramatic ang atmosphere between them. "I will wait naman kapag ready ka na."

"No more waiting." He said. "We've waited long enough."

Aliw na aliw siya when Leo took her hand and she watched as their fingers intertwined. This man is such a sucker for the romantics. She could only hope that they stay this way for a long time. There's only a beginning in her head, ayaw niyang isipin muna ang posibilidad na matapos din ito. Noong pinili niyang buksan ang sarili niya muli sa pagmamahal ay pinangako niya sa sarili niya na iiwan niya ang takot, hindi naman pupwede na si Leo lang ang invested sa kanilang dalawa diba? If he jumps, she jumps in too, holding his hand.

"I love you Veronica," he caressed her cheeks.

"Leo," she said, thinking if an 'I love you' would embody what she feels. Huminga siya ng malalim. Ready na siyang sabihin na mahal niya din ito pero pinigilan siya nito. Kinunot niya ang noo niya.