Too Classic for Him

IX. Magic

Call it magic, cut me into two

And with all your magic, I disappear from view

And I can't get over, can't get over you

Still, I call it magic, such a precious truth

Dominic just looked at me and I swear that all the butterflies in my stomach could not stop still. He sighed. And that's all I could do not to laugh at his expression.

"Hindi ito Temporary Boyfriend's Bucket List, isa itong malaking kalokahan." Mahina niyang sabi habang kinakamot ang baba.

I just smiled at him. "Bakit dala-dala mo yang papel na binigay ko sayo?" It was folded into four and you could see the crease. Para iyong naluma na sa pitaka niya ng ilang taon. He sighed again.

"Don't tell me you're already regretting it? You signed that paper." I smirked.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Hindi ko alam kung bakit mo ginagawa to pero..."

Gusto ko siyang tawanan— ng sobrang lakas. What?? Hindi pa din niya alam? Was he ever this clueless? Umiling ako. Sometimes we just don't want to accept what's in front of us. Especially if it's not what we expected from the onset.

Hindi nga ba, expectation vs reality? And reality hurts more than expectation.

Naiiling na tumingin siya sa akin at sa mahabang pila ng bilihan ng ticket. Napangisi ako lalo.

"Bibili lang ako ng popcorn at tickets."

Tumango ako.

Pumila siya at bumili ng tickets. Pagbalik niya sa akin, hinila ko siya sa shirt sleeve niya. Napalingon siya sakin. I held my hand out to him. Palms out.

Waiting.

He looked at my hand. I know. This is not something a girl should do. But if we're going to do it, I think we should do it right.

He bit his lower lip in hesitation. Kainis, pa-chicks. Tumaas lalo yung kilay ko. What the heck. Mabilis kong kinuha yung kamay niya. I intertwined it with mine. He stiffened a little then his hand relaxed a little. Walang pakialam na hinila ko na siya.

His hand is warm and a little sweaty. Ayoko siyang lingunin. Because for some reason, I'm afraid I would back out of this... this...

I don't know. I no longer care. I should no longer care. But I do.

Hindi naman ako ganon ka-heartless no. And ka-insensitive. I kept telling myself every day that after the bucketlist... I would move on, move forward, and live my life with no regrets.

At hindi rin sa hindi ako nasasaktan. Because it does hurt a little.

And sometimes I'm lying.

Umaakyat na kami ng hagdan ng binuksan niya ang flashlight ng cellphone niya. He let go of my hand. And I panicked a little. At napalingon agad ako sa likod ko, trying to get used to the dim light of the theater.

I opened my mouth to call out his name when I felt a whisper from behind me. "Nasa likod mo lang ako." And gurl, kinilabutan ako. Ito yung masarap na kilabot na gugustuhing manatili sa dilim. Shocks. What kind of dirty thoughts.

Instead of holding my hand, he put his hand gently on the small of my back and guided me up to the stairs. Habang nakailaw sa dadaanan ko yung flashlight ng phone niya. Hinawakan niya yung braso ko nung muntik na akong madulas. He put his arm around my waist instantly. "Ang clumsy."