Hold Me Close (DeMarcus 1)

Chapter Ten

EVELYN DeMARCUS

To: Third

Answer my calls please. Need nating magusap.

To: Third

!!! Please answer your phone !!!

To: Third

Third please!! Hindi ako naka-unli ngayon!

To: Russell

Papasa ng load pls?

From: Russell

??? ok.

To: Third

Where are you? Puntahan kita. Just text me. Please.

To: Third

Love please... I need to talk to you.

I groaned and hit my steering wheel. Dalawa lang 'yan, e. Either tulog siya o talagang ayaw niyang sagutin ang mga tawag o texts ko. Knowing Third, it's probably the latter; but seeing that he was out drinking last night, hindi na ako magugulat kung hanggang ngayon ay tulog siya. He was an unfortunate soul who experiences hangover like a car crash.

Imbes na magisip ng kung ano-ano, I decided to just go to his condominium. Sigurado naman akong doon siya kapag nalasing nga siya masyado kagabi.

When I got there, the whole apartment reeked of alcohol. Napangiwi ako dahil sa lakas ng amoy ng beer. Shit!

He was on his stomach, snoring away on his bed. Hindi ko alam kung matutuwa ako na andito siya o maiinis na ang dami niyang nainom. But I can't really do much. Tapos na. Besides, I'm sure he will wake up with a horrible hangover!

While he slept, I tried to ease the adrenaline in my veins by cleaning up his mess. Napapangiwi nalang ako sa dami ng bottles na nainom niya and I figured I'd just drain them. There's no point in him drinking excessively.

I was busy dumping a bottle of Jack Daniel's down the sink when I heard his door open. Napangisi ako nang marinig ang ungol niya. It was not of pleasure, it was of pain.

"Shit! I'm never drinking again—Fuck!"

I rolled my eyes and faced him. Hindi parin niya ako nakikita. He was too busy looking down and holding his head. Hmm.. Ganon kasakit ang hangover?

"You know," at my voice he looked up like a gaping fish, "people always say that, pero maglalasing lang din ulit."

Nakanganga parin siyang nakatingin sa'kin. I even giggled when he slapped himself pero napangiwi din sa sakit.

"C'mon, I have orange juice for you and breakfast," aya ko. When he didn't move, lumapit ako sakanya. Kinabahan pa ako sa paninitig niya but I pretended like everything was normal. Na hindi kami nagkasakitan a few weeks ago.

"Evelyn?"

I grinned at his proper pronunciation. Inangat ko ang mga kamay ko at minasahe ang gilid ng noo niya. I used my thumb to ease his headache a bit. Kahit na normal ang pang-akto ko, kakaibang pamimilis ng tibok ng puso ko ang nararamdam ko dahil sa titig niya. He was staring at me as if I wasn't real. Na parang 'di parin siya makapaniwala na andito ako sa harapan niya.

I smiled softly. "Ang pogi mo talaga 'pag nakasimangot, love," puno ng lambing kong sabi.

Now that everything was not as complicated, pakiramdam ko ay p'wede na ulit kaming bumalik sa dati. I missed being so intimate with him and having such a comfortable relationship with him. Nagiging emosyonal parin ako tuwing iniisip ko 'yung mga nagdaang linggo. I was ready to accept the fact that he will never be mine. Pero heto na... He was here and I can finally be with him. Wala nang hadlang.