Behind Curtains

Kabanata 25

Kabanata 25

First and foremost

I can be a snob. Although I am relatively considered polite by many, I was still also a very private, prideful person. And there was no denying, that I easily get irked at the smallest blow against my ego. That, even when I was already falling at the cusp of my crumbling self-esteem, I can still manage to classify strangers within my horizon based on my impressions of them.

I may look approachable, but I was really not fond of all types of personalities.

I was a 6, but my mentality was built with an 8's hotness scale. Therefore, it shouldn't come as a surprise that I couldn't care less whoever it was that I have come to abhor. Whether they were directly related to me by blood or by family. Whether they were close mutuals of friends I deeply care for, wala akong pakealam.

Regardless whether it was a joke, if you stepped on my pride and I perceived you as somebody unworthy of doing such, I won't ever like you. And if I really did not like you, I can go out of my way just to ignore you.

But if I sincerely did, I found I was the type who'd be more than willing to spread myself thin... just to keep you.

"Are... all your dresses... short?"

"Bakit? Hindi ba bagay?" humarap akong muli sa full-length mirror ng kwarto. 

Huling gabi na namin dito at babalik na kami sa syudad kinabukasan.

My online classes will start the day after tomorrow habang si Sir Killian naman ay didiretso sa kanyang opisina, pagkarating. So, to commemorate, we finally decided to take on the dining reservation we've been putting off since two nights ago. And since we were going somewhere fancy, ay nag-ayos nanaman ako.

Deciding what to wear did not become a problem. Iisang cocktail mini dress lang naman iyong na-empake ko.

"Bawal ba 'to?" I asked him again, through my reflection as I checked myself out.

I was wearing a white ruffle sleeveless dress, which I only had to accessorize with my usual plain gold earrings and medallion necklace, since the a-line frock was already cute as it was.

"Masyado bang... simple?" nilingon ko na siya.

My make-up was only a tinted sunscreen, a bit of cream highlight and my go-to terracotta rose lip shade. Anything more than my everyday do, was a look I'd only go for on specific occasions.

I thought I already looked presentable with just this, but the silence from Sir Killian made me doubt it. I frowned at him. Dahil imbes na sagutin ako, he just silently made his way towards me. Eyes hooded, staring back at me, like I did something wrong again.

Nakaramdam ng agarang panlalamig sa paraan ng kanyang paninitig, iniwas ko agad ang sarili at patay-malisyang tumitig nang muli sa salamin. Walang kahit na anong ekspresyon sa mukha. Walang kahit na anong klaseng kahinaang ipinapakita.

But that did not at all stop him from coming closer. 

And when he slowly snaked his arms around my waist, I had to fight my face from heating up at our visual proximity. 

My body temperature depended on him now. Wala na yata akong hawak doon. It liked to fluctuate everytime he was within my space. Like he had full control of my senses, even his earthy scent is now almost physically capable of encapsulating my brain.

And the way he was bluntly squeezing me against him while looking at the two of us in the mirror, made the embrace feel more intimate than it's supposed to be.