Dying Embers

Chapter Five

Chapter Five: Pwede Ba?

ᯓ★ play this while reading: ILYSB (stripped) - LANY 𝄞 ⋆ˎˊ-

"Pwede ba akong pumasok sa loob?"

Parang na-freeze ang buong mundo sa tanong na 'yon. My chest tightened, my pulse thundering as if it wanted to escape. Hindi pa ako nakakabawi sa sinabi niya kanina. Pero ngayon, ramdam ko na naman ang init na gumapang sa balat ko, the kind that comes with unbearable anticipation. Bakit ba lagi siyang may ganitong effect sa'kin? Ugh.

"Hey, Nieve."

His voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts.

"H-Huh?" I turned to look at him. I heard him the first time, pero wala akong maisagot.

His pitch-black eyes sparkled with amusement. We were already in front of JV's apartment, and his car was parked.

"I asked if I can come inside your apartment?" He raised one eyebrow, calm but almost teasing.

That close-up view of him stirred chaos inside me. I didn't even know what to hold on to — my racing thoughts or my racing heart. Kahit simpleng tanong lang, parang binabaliktad ang mundo ko. Every time he was near, my chest tightened in ways I couldn't understand.

"Nieve, okay ka lang?" May bahid ng pag-aalala sa tono niya.

Napakurap ako, forcing myself to breathe.

"I'm fine. Sure, if you want." I hurriedly unbuckled my seatbelt, opened the door, and stepped outside. The heavy rain had finally softened into a faint drizzle, misting the cool evening air.

"I should've opened the door for you."

Nasa labas na pala siya, closing the space between us. He reached for my hand — so naturally, as if it belonged to him — and guided me forward. Since when did I say yes to this? The nerve. And yet, I didn't pull away.

"Which way?" tanong niya agad, his gaze briefly flicking to my face.

Namula ang pisngi ko. His hand was still wrapped around my arm, firm yet gentle. "Second floor, third door."

Pumasok kami sa ikatlong pinto habang hila-hila pa rin ako. Sunod na inakyat namin ang hagdanan patungo sa second floor. Doon niya lang binitiwan ang braso ko. Umirap ako sa kawalan bago ko kinuha sa lalagayan ng halaman ang susi ng pinto ko at binuksan 'yon.

"Come in—" My voice trailed off when he walked right past me, straight to the couch, and sat down like he owned the place.

Napangiwi ako. "Wow. I envy such thick face."

He only chuckled, unbothered. Tumayo siya ulit, at akala ko may mahalaga siyang gagawin. Pero diretso pala siya sa TV, plugging it in with practiced ease, then grabbing the remote. A few clicks later, the screen flickered to life, and he settled back onto the sofa, utterly at home.

I crossed my arms, leaning on the doorway, studying him. His hazelnut hair was still damp from the rain, strands falling carelessly across his forehead. His eyes — dark, sharp, but softened by focus — were glued to the TV. Then, without warning, his lips pouted slightly, like a child concentrating too hard, and I had to fight the smile threatening to form on my own.

After a beat, he glanced at me and broke into a wide grin. Just like that, all seriousness melted into lightheartedness. His smile — warm, sweet, ridiculously disarming — spilled over into a soft laugh. "Pwede manood?"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Hindi ba dapat magtanong muna bago magbukas ng TV? Tsaka, why would I even protest? Nanonood ka na nga diyan eh. Make yourself at home, why don't you?" My voice dripped with sarcasm as I turned toward the kitchen.