Chapter 10

"Dito ka nga," he said. I looked at him with a confused face. Ano na naman ba kasi ang sinasabi niya? Half the time, ayoko na lang makinig sa kanya kasi I was like certain na maiinis lang ako sa kung anuman ang sasabihin niya sa akin.

And in true Finley fashion, instead of answering my question, he just rolled his eyes and then pulled me until I was walking beside him.

"What the—"

He just put back his hands inside his pockets and walked like he didn't just grab me! Nakaka-stress talaga siya minsan!

We were walking—scratch that, I was half-running dahil isang hakbang yata ni Finley ay dalawa sa akin. Why was he so freaking tall?! Like I have tall classmates, but Finley's still taller than them. Ano ba ang pinakain dito nung bata pa siya? Nakaka-tangkad ba 'yon? Side effect din ba nun 'yung attitude niya?

I tried to catch a breath. Finley looked back and saw me just standing in the middle of Time Square. He was looking at me with a confused look like he didn't understand that while he's been walking all this time, kanina pa ako tumatakbo alongside him.

"Pagod ka na agad?" he asked like he was taunting me.

I glared at him. "Well, sorry my legs aren't as long as yours."

Umirap na naman siya. "Masakit talaga paa mo?"

Hindi naman masakit iyong paa ko... but for some reason, I wanted to tell him na masakit iyong paa ko. I just wanted to see kung ano ang gagawin niya—if iiwan niya ba ako sa gitna ng Time Square or if he'd be gentleman enough to wait for me until I feel a bit better.

I looked at him and nodded—I even batted my lashes! After I did, I felt cringe because what the heck, Maia?! Why did you do that?! I was bracing myself na for Finley to tease me and to tell me na ang pangit ko or something like hindi bagay sa akin magpa-cute kasi hindi naman ako cute.

"What... are you doing?" I asked when I saw him kneeling with his back turned on me... like he was offering to give me a piggyback ride.

"Bilis na," he replied, still holding that position.

"No."

Lumingon siya. Why is his nose so perfect?! Nagpa-rhino ba siya?! Why was everything about his, at least physically, perfect?

"We're in New York. No one gives a shit," he said like ang concern ko ay may makaka-kita sa aming dalawa. "Come on. My knee will freeze."

Napa-tingin ako sa isang knee niya na nasa sahig. Ugh. Why was he being like this?! So confusing! I was torn na sabihin sa kanya na hindi naman talaga masakit iyong paa ko, but I felt like my lie was too deep na. I drew a deep breath as I got on his back.

"Ouch—" he said when I pulled his hair. He adjusted my position on his back kasi kanina tapos hindi siya nagsabi kaya nagulat ako. Knowing him, the possibility of him just casually dropping me on the ground, while low, was never zero!

"Don't do that kasi—" I said and the I was cut off half-way and my words were replaced with me shrieking because he acted like he's gonna drop me again. "Finley!" I shouted and he was just laughing. He was laughing so hard that I could feel his laughter.

Natigilan ako.

This... was the first time I heard him laughing.

Like... possible pala na tumawa siya?!

Finley probably felt my surprise. He quickly stopped laughing, cleared his throat, and then continued walking.

What the heck was that?!

* * *

We kept on walking around Times Square—I mean, he was walking and I was enjoying the ride.

"I thought you're hungry?" I asked because we've been walking for almost an hour na, but wala pa kaming nabibili na food.

"Wala akong maisip," he replied. "May gusto ka bang kainin?"

"Hmm... The crumbl cookie, but I'm not sure if meron dito and if open pa," I told him.

He was holding my legs with both hands tapos ay biglang isang kamay na lang iyong gamit niya para hawakan iyong legs ko. He got his phone from his pocket. Grabe... I knew he's rich-rich but wasn't he afraid of his phone being stolen?

Finley unlocked his phone. Right in front of my eyes. I'd admit na curious ako! I knew that the right thing to do was to avert my gaze, but why would he do that to me? It's like he knew I was starving, and he'd dangle a donut right in front of me! Of course I'd take a bite!

His wallpaper was just plain black. I thought it'd be something related to basketball. Hindi naman pala completely doon umiikot ang buhay niya.

He quickly went to Google kaya mabilis ko lang nakita iyong homescreen niya. He's got a lot of unread messages—it was something in the thousands! Kanino kaya galing iyong texts na 'yon? Marami din siyang gaming related apps—nothing surprising about that. Meron din siyang meditation app... which he needed because there were probably lots of evil thoughts roaming in that head of his.

Finley typed Crumbl and then looked at the maps.

"It's still open," he said. "Do you want to go?"

"Ang layo," I told him when I saw that it's like 20 minutes walk.

"Ikaw ba naglalakad?" pilosopo na sabi niya.

"What? You'll carry me all the way?" Instead of answering, he just gave me his phone. I arched a brow. "Ikaw na magnavigate. Mahiya ka naman sa 'kin."

"Fine. Whatever," I said as I held his phone.

I was tempted to go check his phone but I stopped myself because that's like dipping in the creepy territory.

"Are you friend-less?" I asked because there's no notification whatsoever in his phone.

"What?"

"No notifs."

"I turned them off."

"Psycho."

"At least I'm not chronically online," he said like he's accusing me of being one!

"Excuse me, I am not!"

"You are," he replied. "Sometimes, you say shit I don't understand. I always need to Google the terms you use."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, sorry, grandpa, that I have friends my age."

"We're the same age," sagot niya. "Kahit pang senior citizen na yata 'yang tuhod mo," he said. "Seriously, what do you even do in the gym? Take selfies and call it a day?"

I gasped. "Excuse me!"

"What? Bakit pagod ka na agad? We walked a few blocks."

Ugh. I shouldn't have lied about my feet hurting. I was being accused of not exercising. Could I just take it back? But no! Finley wouldn't let me live! He'd forever tease me and probably come to the conclusion that I lied about my feet hurting, so I could score a piggyback ride from him. As if!

"I'm not arguing about this," I told him. "Turn left."

We continued walking. I mean, it was like half-walking and half-bickering. Sobrang nag-away lang kami na hindi ko napansin na nakarating na pala kami doon sa may place. I thought Finley would put me down pero pumasok kami sa loob with me still on his back.

What was this?!

I was so close to asking him what are we?!

"What do you want?" he asked habang naka-tayo siya roon sa may iPad where you'd put in the order.

"Everything," I told him... just because. I just wanted to see if he'd buy the cookies just because I told him to.

I chewed on my lips when Finley held my legs again with one hand and used his free hand to select all cookies. Then he got his wallet and got his black credit card. Ugh. So jealous!

"Stop showing me your card. I'll memorize your details," I said, joking.

"I did offer this before," he said, waving it in front of my face.

"Ugh. So annoying."

I felt him laughing. "Seriously, my parents won't notice."

We were standing while waiting for the order to be prepared. Finley was casually carrying me like I weighed nothing. Magaan lang ba ako or malakas lang si Finley?

"Aren't you tired?" I asked him. "I can walk naman."

"It's fine," he simply replied.

I didn't know what got into me, but I rested my head on that cozy space between his neck and shoulder. I felt Finley freeze. I ignored that.

Ugh, Maia?! What the heck?!

"Order for Finley," the staff called.

Para kaming sabay na binuhusan ng cold water ni Finley. Inalis ko iyong ulo ko roon while Finley walked towards the counter like his feet were on fire. Mabilis na kinuha niya iyong order namin.

I didn't know what happened exactly... but the whole walk back to the hotel was awfully quiet. At one point, I wanted to apologize to him because maybe he was just being nice... tapos biglang ginawa ko 'yon? He probably felt awkward with me. He probably thought that I was still that girl who has a crush on him... He probably felt like he was leading me on.

I wanted to just fall asleep to escape these horrible, horrible thoughts.

"I can walk from here," I told him when we're two blocks away from the hotel. Thankfully, he did as I ask. Inabot ko rin sa kanya iyong phone niya.

I looked at him. I drew a deep breath.

"Thanks," I just said because really, what was there to be said? We continued walking—this time, I was walking ahead of him. But even if I was ahead of him, it was like I could feel him boring a hole on the back of my head.

Gosh... did I really just make things more awkward between us? Because we were already doing so good!

"Uh..." I trailed when we were finally back in the hotel. "Next time you wanna break curfew, just ask one of your friends. I don't wanna get in trouble," I just said because this was a bad, bad idea. I really didn't know how I'd face him again.

Finley said something but I was so embarrassed that I almost ran towards the elevator, quickly pressed close, and prayed for everything that has happened tonight to be forgotten. I wish him temporary amnesia! 

**

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