Fire Exit (Completed)

Chapter 37: Fire Exit

Ari's Point Of View

"W...was it a dream?"

Tanong ko sa sarili ko pagkamulat na pagkamulat ko. What the heck was that? Naaalala ko lang ay may hinabol akong lalaki at nagkausap kami nang saglit, and then I woke up. Here. In my bed. Sobrang nakakalito! I'm pretty sure it was a dream, but fuck, it felt so real.

Naupo ako sa kama at kaunting hinilot ang sentido ko nang makaramdam ako ng kaunting kirot doon. I was trying to remember if what happened last night was real kasi sobrang totoo niya! And suot ko pa rin yung suot ko kahapon which added to the weirdness I'm feeling.

Agad agad kong tinawagan si Eve at pinapunta siya sa bahay namin.

"So? That's all you remember?" Sagot niya matapos kong ikwento ang lahat.

Tumango ako. "Ang weird di'ba? Please tell me it wasn't a dream."

Hinawakan niya ang baba niya at kaunting ngumuso, parang nag-iisip. "The part where you said may hinabol kang lalaki because he felt familiar sounds true, pero it changes kapag sinunod mo na yung part na nagising ka after. Sounds like a dream to me."

Bumagsak ang balikat ko. Para akong natalo sa debate! Hindi ko matanggap. "Pero, Eve! Remember suot ko pa rin 'yong mga suot ko kahapon nung nagising ako kanina. Hindi ba 'yon weird?"

She shrugged. "You must've fallen asleep agad pagdating mo dito sa bahay niyo dahil sa pagod. Don't overthink too much, okay?" She paused for a moment. "Just forget it. It doesn't matter, does it?"

That made me fell silent. Does it matter? It shouldn't. But even if it does, what is it to me? Bakit nga ba masyado ko iniisip 'yon? How silly of me.

I laughed awkwardly. "Alam mo? Forget what I've said. Do you wanna go somewhere today?"

Eve's smile grew bigger. Nako. Parang alam ko na agad ang nasa isip neto.

"May irereto ako sa'yo!"

**

"Eve, alam mo? Walangya ka talaga." Inis na sabi ko sakanya habang inaantay dito sa Starbucks yung "irereto" niya daw sa akin. Nakakahiya! The guy was supposed to be somewhere else but Eve insisted na pumunta siya dito because of me. Nakakahiya diba?!

Bahagya naman siyang natawa. "Gorl, relax! I'm sure Gideon won't mind, he's super nice!"

Napataas ang kilay ko. "Gideon? That's his name?"

"Mmhmm." She nodded.

I was out of words and I didn't know how to react. The name's too familiar that it made me feel nostalgic... and I hate it.

It has been about fifteen minutes of waiting before I saw a guy entering a shop and his face lifted when he saw Eve. Agad agad siyang naglakad palapit sa amin.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Gideon!" Eve exclaimed and stood up to greet him. "No it's fine, really. I should be the one apologizing nga eh!"

Nang matapos ang kanilang mini chikahan ay humarap sa'kin si Eve, "Gids, this is Ari. Yung sinabi ko sa'yo."

The guy shyly held his nape and smiled. "Hi, Ari."

"Hello." I greeted back. "Upo na kayo, uy."

Eve shook her head. "Gideon, you sit down. I better get going. Kayong dalawa, ha! Umayos kayo. Byeeeee!"