Grant's Revenge

Chapter 24

Grant

Nagising ako nang maramdaman ko yung malamig na telang dumadampi sa braso ko.

I opened my eyes only to see Jen gently giving me a spongebath. Anong oras na ba? Akala ko pupuntahan nya ako ulit kanina pero pinadala nya na lang yung dinner ko.

"You're burning. Have you taken your antibiotics?" Sabi pa nito.

Napangiti na lang ako. She's worried. She is worrying about me right now and it's making me happy.

"I'm burning in need to be with you again, Princess. Why don't you sleep here beside me?"

Imbes na mapikon ay pinitik nito yung ilong ko.

"Stop with your jokes for now, Grant. Sleep. You should rest."

Tinapik ko naman yung bakanteng side ng kama ko.

"Sleep here, Jen. Death is lurking just near me again."

"I'm here. So he better run his ass off here."

I chuckled at that. She's really good at making me feel so safe. I feel so safe beside her. Safe and scared. Hindi ba ganoon iyon? Usually what makes you safe is what scares you the most too? It's absence is scary.

"What's with your unusual sleeping habit, Grant?" Takang tanong nito na ikinapangiti ko.

So she saw me under sheets.

I usually sleep naked. I don't know why. But since Jen dated Jayden, I always do this. Wherever and whenever I am sleeping. Kahit may katabi man ako o wala. But I am just sleeping beside my friends. Yung mga babaeng kinukuha ko naman pinapaalis ko din agad pagkatapos.

"Are you waiting for your harem to crawl up on your bed?"

"Jealous?"

"Just curious. You can answer it or not. Your call."

She's really not that interested on me.

"Of course not." sumusukong ako na din yung unang nagsalita.

"So? You just like your nakedness against the sheets? Okay."

"You're always on my mind, Princess." Mahinang sabi ko pa. "Usually naked. Uhm, no. Always naked. So it's some sort of sleeping beside you with no clothes on. It makes me feel so safe."

Umiling lang si Jen. Halatang hindi nito nagustuhan yung sinabi ko. Was it because of Jayden?

That I should not give her any innuendos dahil mas gusto nitong magluksa para sa boy toy nito? The guy who just died like that without fulfilling his promise. A weakling. But he still has Jen's heart? C'mon. That's pathetic.

Death has been chasing me but I am not giving in yet. Because I want to keep my promise. Samantalang ito, he just chose the easy way out. He died taking all the credits, being the hero in everyone's eyes. So ako? Ano ba ako? Hindi ba at lumalaban din naman ako. Maybe not just as expressive as his way. But I am. In my own way. In silence. That's why no one is even seeing all the efforts I've been exerting. It's true that there's no points in unseen effort. That sucks!

"I didn't kill him. I swear on my mother's grave that I did not."

"You shot him, Grant."

"I did. But I did it to wake him up. He can't just die like that. You were waiting for him. And.." Napayuko na lang ako. Epekto ba ng gamot to? "I promised you that I'll bring him back to you. I meant to keep it. But he ruined everything by just dying."

Ipinagpatuloy lang ni Jen yung pagpupunas sakin. Matapos sa kanang braso ay yung kabila naman.

I am not accustomed to being touch. But Jen's gentle brush on my skin has a calming effect in me. Just like before, she's befriending the beast in me so she could tame it. She's not fighting it. She's controlling it.