The One Who Stares Behind

KABANATA 17

"What's this noise all about?"

Xandrev and I turned to see Isaac, who was rubbing his eyes and looking at us sleepily. I pulled away from Xandrev's embrace.

When Isaac saw us, his eyes widened in disbelief at what he was witnessing.

"Why are you here, Zafh?! I thought you were one of his whores!"

"Shut up!" Xandrev and I answered.

"Who cares anyway?" I snapped back at him.

I turned away and sat down on the sofa. It’s a good thing I managed to convince Xandrev not to go back to the basement. He almost lost it when he saw the cut on my neck and the bleeding. He just cleaned the wound and applied medicine. And now, I am feeling much better.

Napapikit ako sa pagod nang biglang bumukas ang pinto at sa sandali ring iyon ay nagtama ang tingin namin ni Eli.

"Siann?" humarap naman ako dito at nahihiyang ngumiti.

"Eli.." I whispered his name softly.

He smiled, placed his helmet on the table, and sat next to me, still smiling. Eto na naman ang hindi maipaliwanag na pakiramdam sa dibdib ko.

Lintik na ngiti yan Eli baka tuluyan ko ng makalimutan na nandito pa si Isaac at Xandrev sa mismong harap namin.

"How was your race, El?" Xandrev asked.

"It was great, as always. I won, of course."

That's my man. I mean, not mine.

"Sus! So cocky as ever," Isaac commented.

"Ang bitter mo, Isaac. Palibhasa lagi kang natiticketan ng enforcer."

Natawa naman si El at Xandrev sa sinabi ko.

"Napaka-supportive mo talaga sakin, Zafh. Just put sarcasm on it."

El and I exchanged glances and smiled. When I glanced at Xandrev, he gave me a meaningful look. Catching sight of Isaac, I noticed his eyes widen in disbelief.

Why was he giving me that weird stare? It wasn't just directed at me; he kept looking back and forth between El and me.

"Hey, did I just misunderstand something?"

Nagkatinginan kami ni El bago tumikhim si Drev.

"Halikana, matulog na tayo, Kupal." Walang sabing hinila nito ang kwelyo ni Isaac at naglakad palayo.

"Pakihatid si Zafh sa labas pagkatapos ninyong mag usap." dagdag pa nito.

Tumango dito si El bilang sagot.

"Hey Xandrev! Hands off!" inis na sigaw dito ni Isaac bago tuluyang pumasok sa kwarto nito.

I smiled at them. I am more than lucky to have them both in my life. I just have to deal with their perverted words most of the time.

"Xandrev is really amazing." He really is. I want to thank him for giving me this moment.

"Uhm..." I smiled even more as El couldn't look me straight in the eye and kept looking away. Cute.

This gave me a chance to take in the entirety of his face. His long lashes, pointed nose, clean-cut hair... and those attractive lips. God, it made me tremble inside! This isn't good. I was about to look away, but it was too late. His perfect eyes met mine.

"Are you done checking out my face?" he asked, wearing a playful smile.

"W-what?! Ofcourse not!" Pagtanggi ko dito at binato ng unan sa kanya.

"Damn it Siann! I might lose myself right now." He frustratedly said.

I laughed, which made him laugh too.
I didn't realize he had taken my hand and was guiding it along his own.
I could feel the electricity running through us, connecting our souls as one.

His eyes were now full of adoration. It felt like he was melting my heart, and I was close to giving in. I just hoped it wouldn't be now. But it was too late; I already felt it when he pulled me closer to him. I rested my head against his firm chest.

The room filled with silence.

"Feel that? My heart doesn't even beat normally right now. It only happens when I'm with you. There's no one else who has ever made me feel this way... just you."

My heart almost jumped at his words. I secretly smiled. Does he know what it feels like to hear those words? It's something I can't quite explain, because I never expected to hear them, especially from the person I like the most.

"You don't have any idea how you make my heart beat twice as fast as yours, El. We're just even then."

The corner of my lips voluntarily curved and a smile escaped from my lips. Hinarap ko ito at sinalubong niya ako ng isang mahigpit na yakap.

"Goddamit Siann. Just.fuck.what.they.say."

Mixed emotions filled me; the happiness and the questions that turned everything into confusion. What now Eli? We can't stay like this for long. You are not mine and truth sucks.. hard.

"Don't think about something else right now," he said as he pulled himself from me and face me instead.

Bigla ay naguluhan ako sa sinabi nito ngunit simple lamang itong ngumiti.

"Ako muna ang isipin mo." He whispered before he totally closed the distance between us.

Before I could react, I already felt his lips touched mine. I smiled bitterly but his kiss make all those thoughts fade away like he always did.

I close my eyes as I respond to his kisses. I don't care about the circumstances anymore. I can hear his gasps between pur kisses which made me shivers even more.

God, El.

I encircled my hands around his nape and pulled him closer. I just let his hands to carress my back. He has no idea what he's doing to me. He's stirring up so many emotions. I don't even know what I'm supposed to feel.

I don't want to get my hopes up, but it doesn't make sense. He's just making things more complicated for me.

I pulled away.

"It seems like you're quite addicted to my kisses," I said, teasing him.

Umiling ito.

"No." He simply said.

Am I not that attractive? Wala sa wisyong napasimangot ako.

"Hey, don't be mad." At nakuha niya pa talagang tumawa ha? Nakakatawa bang mainsulto ako?

"I knew it, Eli." Sabagay, iba't ibang putahe na rin naman siguro ang natikman nito.Sigurado yun. At nakakapaginit ng ulo ang isiping iyon.

"Ikaw lang ang babaeng hinalikan ko, Siann. At binabaliw mo ako sa mga halik mo."

You never fail to make me smile, Eli. You only make my feelings for you stronger.You're making me fall in love with you even more. I hope my heart can handle this.

When I looked at him, his gaze was serious. Mabilis ko itong dinampian ng halik sa labi at mabilis na tumakbo pabalabas ng kanilang kwarto.

Now, it's time to smile. Got you El.

"Siann!" rinig ko pang tawag nito sa akin ngunit mabilis lamang akong tumakbo pabalik sa aming dormitoryo at dahan dahang pumasok sa kwarto namin.

There's so much happiness tonight that I'm not prepared to face tomorrow.

I smiled widely before closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep.