Roommate Romance

Chapter 35

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

I DIDN'T understand a thing.

Pagkatapos ipaliwanag sa akin ni Eliseo ang lahat ng nangyari kagabi, wala pa rin akong maintindihan. Although I clearly remember now what happened last night because of his detailed storytelling. Hindi ko lang talaga maintindihan. O pwede ring ayaw ko lang intindihin.

"Then what'll happen to us now?" I wondered.

"Nothing special, Chie. We'll just become roommates," he casually replied.

"Bakit? Bakit . . . ba natin kailangan pang maging roommate?"

"Because the contract —"

"Bakit din natin kailangan sundin 'yang kontrata o anuman na 'yan?" I cut him off. "Isn't it just for fun?"

"This is not for fun, Chie," he responded in a serious tone. "We didn't sign that contract just for fun."

"But I didn't actually sign it!" depensa kong sambit. "I mean, wala ako sa katinuaan that time."

"Chie . . ."

"Isa pa, tapatin mo nga ako, Eliseo," sabi ko habang nanliliit ang mga mata. "Is that your way para paalisin ako rito?"

"What?!"

"Because if that's the case, pwede mo naman sabihin na lang sa akin ng diretso. Kahit papaano naman kasi, may sapat na ipon na ako para makahanap ng maliit na apartment," litanya ko. "At malaki naman na rin ang naitulong mo sa akin kaya kung papaalisin mo na ako rito okay lang naman."

Naisip ko lang kasi na wala namang ibang dahilan para ipagpilitan niyang tumira ulit siya rito sa condo niya kasama ako, 'di ba?

Baka nahihiya lang siyang direktang sabihin sa akin kaya kailangan niya pa talagang gumawa ng eksena. Insert: that roommate contract.

"Chie, what are you talking about?" he asked, creasing his forehead. "Hindi kita gustong paalisin dito. In fact, the reason why I'm insisting to be your roommate is because I want to know you more."

"Um, what do you mean by that?" I asked him slowly. Nanatili pa ring nakakunot ang aking noo dahil sa mga pinagsasabi niyang hindi ko lubusang maintindihan.

"I like you, Chie."

My eyes automatically widened after hearing what he said. Now, he's totally confusing me.

"Chie, when I say 'I like you,' I really do mean it," he uttered, "I'm not the type of person who only say those three words just for fun or when they need something from you. If I tell you I like you, it means that I am completely into you; and it also means that I want you to stay."

"E-Eliseo . . . A-Ano ba 'yang mga pinagsasabi mo?"

"I know people come and go, Chie, and that's life. But I'm going to be honest," he continued, "I want you to stay in my life. At sana gano'n ka rin. Sana mag-stay ka rin sa buhay ko."

Say what?!

***

I think I'm the only one who felt awkward after his . . . unexpected confession two hours ago.

Kasi, normal pa rin naman ang ikinilos niya after. Habang ako, naging abnormal ata ang buong sistema sa mga narinig mula sa kanya na talaga namang hindi ko inaasahan.

Dalawang oras na ang nakalilipas pero hindi pa rin nawawala sa aking isipan ang lahat ng sinabi niya kanina. Pati na 'yong pag-uusap namin pagkatapos non, paulit-ulit na nagrerehistro sa aking isipan. It's already 12:45 AM, and here I am, drowning myself in the sea of my whys.