Chapter 05

"I won't even take long. Literally 10 minutes lang," I argued with him nung nasa sasakyan na kami.

"Ano ba'ng kukunin mo? 'Di naman tayo magsstaycation don," he replied. Nasa loob na kami ng sasakyan niya pero hindi pa umaandar kasi sabi niya, one stick pa raw. Gustung-gusto ko na talaga siya sabihan na tumigil na siya sa paninigarilyo niya, but alam ko naman na wala akong karapatan na sabihin 'yon. Sabihan pa ako nito bigla na feeling girlfriend.

"Just stuff."

"What stuff?" he asked back. Naka-bukas iyong mga bintana sa sasakyan niya. Naka-patong iyong left arm niya doon at saka nasa labas ng sasakyan iyong kamay niya na may hawak na sigarilyo.

"Girl stuff."

He turned his head to look at me. He used his other hand to reach for my face and caressed my cheek with his thumb. "You're trying to look pretty for me?" sabi niya habang diretsong naka-tingin sa mga mata ko.

This guy... he definitely had his flirting skills perfected!

"H-hindi, ah," I said, trying to avert my gaze kasi hindi ko ata kaya iyong directly na nilalandi niya ako tapos with matching eye contact pa.

"Then let's just head straight to Elyu."

"10 minutes lang naman."

"Then it won't be a spontaneous trip anymore," he argued back.

I wrinkled my nose. "Fine, whatever," I said and made a mental check kung ano ba iyong laman ng bag ko na nasa backseat. I had my usual makeup kit. Meron din akong travel toothbrush at toothpaste doon. Wala nga lang akong dalang damit.

Tsk. Kung hindi ka lang pogi, Luisito.

I waited as he finished smoking. Nung matapos na siyang magsigarilyo ay may inispray siya sa bibig niya... Kaya siguro kahit nagkikiss kami ay hindi siya lasang sigarilyo.

Then he got a pair of sunglasses at saka sinuot iyon. He started his car, placed his hands on the steering wheel, and then looked at me. "Ready?" he asked, looking at me with those eyes that could just hypnotize me and those freaking dimples.

"Yeah, whatever," I replied as I casually could kasi ayoko naman na kiligin sa harapan niya.

Since he was driving and it was his car, I let him control the playlist. Besides, curious din ako sa mga pinapakinggan niya na kanta. I was pleasantly surprised to know that he listens din sa mga popular songs. Although mix kasi may mga indie band din siya na pinapakinggan.

Lui also asked me kung gusto ko bang kumain, but I was still full from the ramen that we had nung madaling araw. Busog pa rin daw siya kaya naman diretso lang iyong drive namin hanggang sa makarating kami sa Elyu.

"What do you want?" Lui asked.

"That one," I said and pointed out sa may San Mig Lychee. Kumuha si Lui ng dalawang can tapos ang kinuha naman niya ay iyong plain lang na San Mig Light. He also asked me kung may gusto ba akong kainin, but I wasn't really in the mood for anything. Naka-sunod lang ako kay Lui hanggang sa makarating kami sa counter. Ewan ko ba kahit wala pa namang five hundred pesos iyong babayaran niya ay kinilig pa rin ako.

I mean, twice pa lang naman kami magkasama pero tuwing may bibilhin na food, siya talaga ang nagbabayad. Never ko pa kinuha iyong wallet ko kapag kasama ko siya. Hindi rin ako nagda-drive kasi siya lagi ang nagda-drive.

Ganito ba iyong sinasabi nila na princess treatment? Because I could honestly get used to this!

I had been to Elyu a couple of times, pero mukhang mas madalas si Lui dito kasi kabisado niya talaga iyong daan. Akala ko ay sa resort kami pupunta, but he stopped in front of what looked like a private area.

"Hindi ba tayo trespassing?" I asked but then stopped when I saw na mukhang kilala si Lui dito. "Wait... do you know the owner?" tanong ko sa kanya kasi kinausap niya iyong older guy tapos pinagbuksan pa kami nung gate.

"Yup," simpleng sagot niya.

The private property was huge. May parang beach house doon tapos ay may private access sa beach. Nagpark si Lui doon sa may parking area. Mukhang wala iyong may-ari kasi bakante lang doon. Nung umabas si Lui ay sumunod lang ako sa kanya. Siya iyong may dala nung paperbag nung mga binili namin.

Lui just kept on walking habang naka-sunod ako sa kanya. Hapon na rin nung nakarating kami sa Elyu kaya naman hindi na mainit. Doon kami sa may dalampasigan. Binaba ni Lui iyong paperbag.

"Are you good with sitting here o kailangan mo ng mat?" he asked, looking at me.

"No, it's fine," I replied kasi malinis naman iyong buhanginan. The whole place looked great, actually. Kami lang iyong tao sa area na 'to dahil private access. Kanino kaya 'to? Kila Lui kaya 'to? Ano nga ang meron sa pamilya ni Lui? I had so many questions that I knew I couldn't get any answers to. Ayoko kasi talagang magtanong. I was afraid that I'd ask one question and he'd decide na clingy ako tapos hindi niya na ako kakausapin ulit.

We sat down. Lui got my beer first tapos ay binuksan niya iyon at saka inabot sa akin. I thanked him and he just nodded at me like it was no big deal. Then he opened his beer. Naka-upo lang kami sa harap ng dagat. Hindi siya nagsasalita kaya naman nanahimik lang din ako. It was... oddly comforting. Just sitting here and listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

I sometimes stole glances. Naka-tingin lang si Lui sa dagat at parang malalim ang iniisip niya. At this moment, how I wished na sana ay magaling akong magdrawing... I would love to draw this exact moment. Him sitting on the shore, holding his beer, and just staring at nothing.

"I have a question," I said when the sun was starting to set. Nag-aagaw na iyong mga kulay sa langit. It was so pretty that I wanted to take a photo. "You don't have to answer, tho. Curious lang ako."

Lui just shrugged as he grabbed another bottle and opened it. Hindi pa ako tapos doon sa akin.

"Is there a reason why?" I began asking. "I mean... I heard that you flirted with way too many girls... Did no one pass your standard? I mean bakit wala ka pa ring girlfriend until now?" muling tanong ko. "I mean, no offense."

He took a sip of his beer. "Can ask you the same—bakit wala ka pa ring boyfriend?" he asked. "You even gave your virginity to me who's basically a stranger," he continued and then looked at me. "No offense."

Tinungga ko iyong beer ko. "Fair enough," I said.

Naka-tingin pa rin siya sa akin. "What? Did I offend you?"

Umiling ako. "No," sagot ko. "You asked a sensible question. I just don't really have the answer."

"Why me?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Right place, right time kind of a thing, I guess," sabi ko sa kanya. "It wasn't as if I was waiting for marriage or something like that. Just... no one really made me want to go do it, if that makes sense."

"So... I made you want to do it?"

I turned my head to look at him, too. I arched my brow. "Sir, you're a master of flirting and seduction. Don't play stupid right now," sabi ko sa kanya at saka natawa siya. At least ay aware siya!

"Fair enough," sabi niya sa akin. "Sucks for you, though."

"Why?"

"Anyone else after me will pale in comparison," he said cockily but that just made me feel... sad? Annoyed? Angry? Kasi inisip niya na may susunod pa sa kanya?

For him, this was just temporary?

Of course.

Duh.

For a moment, nabobo ako dahil dinala niya ako rito sa La Union. For all I know, baka maraming babae na siyang dinala dito. At least, nagkaroon ako ng wakeup call from reality. Mabuti na rin 'to.

"Kapal," sabi ko na lang at saka ininom ko iyong beer ko para hindi niya mapansin iyong pagbabago ng mood ko. Bakit pa kasi ako nagtanong sa kanya? I could've stayed silent and heard none of this bullshit.

Naka-tingin pa rin siya sa akin habang ako naman iyong naka-tingin sa dagat. Parang nagpalit kami ng posisyon.

"Still want me to answer your question?" tanong niya. I merely shrugged.

Kinuha niya iyong isa pang beer ko at saka binuksan iyon at iniabot sa akin nung mapansin niya na ubos na iyong beer ko. I just thanked him and refused to look at his face dahil baka ma-hipnotismo na naman ako.

"It's not that no one was interesting enough. A lot of them were really nice and fun to be with," sabi niya. He straightened his legs kaya naman napansin iyong difference sa haba ng mga binti naming dalawa. "I just really avoided commitment."

I still remained quiet.

"The moment I feel someone getting attached, I detach," sabi niya at saka uminom ng beer. "Because I tried that whole being a boyfriend thing... didn't really work out for me."

Hindi pa rin ako nagsalita.

"What? Not curious enough to ask me kung sino iyong naging girlfriend ko?" he asked to my silence.

I shrugged. "Do I know her?"

"I don't think so," he replied. "She's a doctor now."

"Oh..."

"Do you know that I'm a licensed nurse?" sabi niya sa akin. "But don't get in a medical emergency in front of me—higher chance na mamamatay ka lang," dugtong niya na mukhang nagjojoke na. Naramdaman niya ba iyong pagbabago ng mood ko?

I drew a deep breath. He shouldn't know na upset ako kasi temporary arrangement lang 'to. Probably ngayong review season lang. Ewan. Bahala na nga.

"Classmate mo nung nursing?" I asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

He nodded. "It's probably hard to believe, but I wasn't always like this. I was actually a pretty good boyfriend, if I may say so myself. I was loyal and treated her like a princess. Then we went to med school. First year pa lang, alam ko na na ayoko. I wasn't cut out for that shit. I told her that I'd be dropping out and transferring to law school. I thought everything will be fine—she'd be a doctor and I'd be a lawyer. I wanted that power couple type of shit, you know?" sabi niya tapos napa-tingin sa akin na naka-ngisi. "But then she cheated on me."

Napaawang iyong labi ko.

Here I was... dreaming about him tapos may ibang babae na nagcheat lang sa kanya? Kusang pinakawalan iyong pilit kong hinahabol? Life... what a freaking mystery.

"I'm sorry—"

"No, it's fine," sabi niya sa akin. Naka-ngiti siya pero alam ko na hindi pa rin siya okay base sa reaction niya.

"She cheated, but that doesn't mean na lahat ng babae ay cheater..."

"I know that," he replied. "But I just couldn't help but think that I did everything right... still, got cheated on. Ang hirap magtiwala lang ulit."

Wala akong masagot kasi tama naman siya... Ang hirap lang isipin na paano kung may lalaki na sobrang mahal ko tapos binigay ko lahat sa kanya tapos magccheat lang siya sa akin? I couldn't even begin to imagine that pain that I'd feel. Baka magaya lang din ako sa kanya na hindi na magtitiwala.

Suddenly, I felt bad for Lui kasi sobrang bad ng reputation niya pagdating sa mga babae... But now that I think about it, he has been always upfront about not wanting commitment. He said it himself na nagdedetach siya kapag naaattach na. And puro single naman nilalandi niya.

He's just... a guy, I guess.

Malanding lalaki, but not a bad guy per se.

"Does that satisfy your curiosity?" he asked.

I gave him a small nod. "Yeah."

Tumingin siya sa akin at ngumiti. "So, you know, Tali, this is fun and all that... but don't take me seriously," he said while showing me that dimpled smile. 

**

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