Chapter 33

I probably made myself a little too comfortable during the whole ride. Naka-yakap lang talaga ako kay Lui at naka-sandal iyong ulo ko sa may likuran niya. It was just so comfortable. I was basically just hugging him tightly the whole time. I heard no complaints from his end.

"We're here."

Napa-angat iyong ulo ko nang marinig ko iyong boses niya. Fuck. Nandito na nga pala kami. Masyado akong nag-enjoy sa pagyakap sa kanya.

I got off of the motorcycle. Naka-tayo lang ako doon habang fini-figure out kung paano ko tatanggaling iyong helmet sa ulo ko. Lui saw me struggling. Tumayo siya sa harapan ko at saka tinulungan ako na tanggalin iyong helmet. I was literally holding my breath at every movement that he made.

"Thank you," I said nang matanggal niya na iyong helmet. Lui just nodded at me at saka nilagay niya iyong mga helmet doon sa may handle ng motor. Kinuha niya iyong susi at nilagay iyon sa bulsa niya. I was watching his every movement—every little freaking movement.

Seriously, Italia Reign? Paglalagay lang ng susi sa bulsa, nagkaka-ganyan ka na?

Lui was walking ahead of me, but I was just behind him. Pagdating namin sa may pintuan, he held the door open and waited hanggang sa maka-pasok ako. See? Paano ako hindi magiging delulu, e sa mga ganito pa lang na small gestures, nababaliw na ako?

Besides, so what kung kinikilig ako sa bare minimum? E hindi naman lalaki kaya magbigay ng bare minimum? Case in point—Lance Serrano.

"What do you want?" Lui asked a few minutes after kaming abutan ng menu.

"I have no idea," I told him because my mind wasn't really in the food. I was thinking of ways on how I could break this guy tonight. Should we go clubbing? Kasi nung may nakipag-usap na lalaki pa lang sa akin sa beach ay lumabas na iyong pagiging possessive ni Lui... What more kung may kasayaw ako sa club?

Drastic measures, I know, but I couldn't do this push and pull again! Nagawa na namin 'to before! I needed us to be in a happy place for a freaking change!

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"No, not really."

"You're not allergic with anything?"

"Seafood lang, but it's not that serious."

"Okay. I'll order for us," he said while looking at me like he's waiting for me to agree. I just gave him a small nod.

Nung bumalik iyong waiter, umorder si Lui. I was just watching him as he ordered for the two of us. Nagsasabi lang naman siya ng mga pagkain sa menu, pero para bang nanonood ako ng series kasi tutok na tutok ako sa bawat salitang lumalabas sa bibig niya.

"You want to add?" tanong niya nung matapos na siyang umorder. Bahagya akong umiling. Ibinalik niya iyong tingin niya sa may waiter. "That's all. Terimah kasih," he added.

I slightly arched my brow. "Salita ba 'yon dito?"

He nodded. "Thank you," he replied.

"You know how to speak Indonesian?"

Umiling siya. "I just know the basics—how to say thank you, excuse me, sorry," sabi niya. "Di mo ba ginagawa 'yon kapag nasa ibang bansa ka?"

"Not really... English lang tapos kapag 'di talaga kami magka-intindihan, I type it sa Google Translate tapos pinapabasa ko sa kanila."

Lui and I talked while waiting for the food. It was refreshing kasi 'di kami nagtatalo o kaya nag-uusap tungkol sa law school o kung anuman na related sa trabaho. Ngayon lang ata nangyari 'to.

There's something about the Bali air.

After a while, dumating na iyong food namin. Lui ordered a few skewers and some noodles. I was trying to get the meat from the stick nung mapa-tingin ako kay Lui dahil kinuha niya iyong plato ko at saka nilagay sa harapan ko iyong plato niya. Natanggal niya na pala iyong meat mula doon sa may stick.

"Thank you," I told him. He just gave me a small nod and acted like it's nothing?! Ganito ba siya kapag boyfriend? Like talagang siya mag-aasikaso sa 'yo? Ganito ba siya sa ex niya?!

I tried to eat—like really tried to pero iyong isip ko ay sa kung paano siya bilang boyfriend. I still remember him talking about his girlfriend before. Sila ata all throughout college tapos naghiwalay lang sila nung law school na si Lui... Grabe. She got him during his nursing era? Must be nice.

"Kumain ka nga," he said habang naka-tingin siya sa plato niya pero naramdaman niya ata na naka-tingin ako sa kanya.

"I have questions," I said.

"Ano?"

"Paano ka nung may girlfriend ka pa before?" I asked. Napa-tingin siya sa akin na bahagyang naka-kunot iyong noo. "I mean... curious lang."

"Why?"

"Ano'ng why?"

"Why are you curious?"

I tried to shrug and act casual. "Wala. Curious lang. Naturally curious akong tao."

He was still looking at me like he's telling me that he's not buying whatever lie I was selling. Bahagyang naka-arko iyong kilay niya. He's so sassy sometimes.

"So... paano kang boyfriend? Ano'ng love language mo?"

"What?" he asked like he's confused sa tanong ko.

"Like physical touch ba... Words of affirmation? Quality time? Acts of service? Gift-giving?"

Lui was still looking at me like I just spoke in an alien language. Seriously, he's such a guy sometimes.

I sat there and explained each concept to him. I was trying my best to explain and he just sat there and listened to me. Feeling ko seryoso siyang nakikinig kasi naka-tingin lang talaga siya sa akin all throughout and sometimes, he'd laugh but then he'd quickly stop himself and then purse his lips together.

"So?" I asked after I was done explaining each concept. "Ano 'don ang love language mo?"

"All of the above," he replied while his eyes were directly looking at mine. "I mean, she's my girlfriend, right? Why wouldn't I want to give her everything and more?"

I could literally hear my heart beating. I hope he couldn't hear it kasi nakaka-hiya.

"Physical touch? That's a fucking given. Words of affirmation? Yes. Quality time? Definitely. Acts of service? Absolutely. Gift-giving? I like spending my money on my woman."

Goddamn, Luisito Ruiz Valladares!

I reached for the glass of water dahil ramdam ko iyong panunuyo ng lalamunan ko. Nag-iwas ako ng tingin dahil ramdam ko rin iyong panonood ni Lui sa akin habang umiinom ako. I didn't even need to look to know that he's amused.

"What about you?" he asked, his head slightly tilted to the side. "What's your love language, Italia Reign?"

Kahit kaka-inom ko pa lang ng tubig ay ramdam ko na ang panunuyo ng lalamunan ko ulit. I drew a deep breath and straightened my back.

"Secret," I said.

Naka-titig lang sa akin si Lui. I was counting the seconds in my head while the loud beating of my heart was in the background.

"Fine by me," he replied. "I'll just have to find out myself."

Seriously, why the hell did I even think that I can break this man when a single sentence like this already broke me?

* * *

Lui paid for the dinner. Nothing surprising about that. Kapag magkasama kami ay wala naman talaga akong binabayaran. Iyong ex niya kaya—

Ugh.

Baka ma-obsess ako sa ex nito kaka-isip sa kanya.

"Thank you," I said when he handed me the helmet. "Inaantok ka na ba?" I asked.

"Why?"

"Punta tayong club," I told him. Naka-tingin lang siya sa akin. 'Di ko na naman mabasa iyong nasa isip niya. "I won't get trashed, I promise. I just want to dance."

Hindi nagsalita si Lui, pero 'di din naman niya sinabi na 'di kami pupunta. I hopped in the motorcycle again tapos ay muling yumakap ako sa kanya. This was quickly becoming my happy place.

Doon kami pumunta sa club na nadaanan namin kanina. Ang daming naka-parada na mga motor. Rinig na rinig ko agad iyong lakas ng tugtog. Reggaeton music was blasting from the speakers.

"Seriously?" he asked when I handed him a mint. I just rolled my eyes at him and popped a mint myself. I have plans tonight. Hindi ako uuwi hanggang 'di ko nahahalikan 'tong taong 'to.

I was about to take a step closer to get a good look of the club, pero mabilis ako na napa-hinto nung hawakan ni Lui iyong braso ko. Lumingon ako para tumingin sa kanya.

"Stay close," he said. "Maraming tao."

Hindi ko alam kung mas malakas ba iyong tunog nung speakers o iyong kabog ng dibdib ko.

"Okay," I managed to reply.

To say na maraming tao would be a massive understatement. Nagtipon ata dito lahat ng tao mula sa Kanluran. Halos wala akong makitang Asians dito. It was a bit weird to feel like a minority in your own damn continent.

Naka-sunod lang ako kay Lui habang naglalakad siya. It was like he was clearing a path for me. I like it that way. It like it a little bit too much that I'm refusing to go back to Manila without an official title.

May sinabi si Lui sa akin. Kumunot ang noo ko. "What?!" sigaw ko dahil hindi ko marinig iyong sinasabi ni Lui dahil sa sobrang lakas ng tugtog dito.

I almost got my breathing cut off when Lui leaned in and was basically whispering right at my ear.

"What do you want?" he asked.

Agad na nanlaki iyong mga mata ko. Have I been voicing out my inner most thoughts? Narinig niya ba iyong plano ko na akitin siya ngayong gabi at gawin siyang boyfriend ko na talaga bago kami umuwi sa Pilipinas?!

Oh, god.

Panic crept through my system. I walked away and was quickly sucked in by the crowd. Everyone was dancing and having fun and then suddenly, someone was grabbing me and I saw a random foreign dude trying to dance with me. He tried to spin me around and it was so packed that I just let him do that dahil kung hindi ay baka mabali iyong braso ko.

And then I felt someone's hands on the sides of my waist.

I froze.

The fuck.

Was I being—

But my thoughts were quickly interrupted when I was spun around and suddenly, I was face to face with Lui. He was holding me steady by my waist. Naka-tingin lang siya sa akin at kitang-kita ko na hindi siya masaya.

His mouth was saying something but I couldn't hear him. He leaned in and fucking hell... he smelled so good at parang trained na iyong ilong ko sa kanya dahil alam na alam ko iyong pabango niya kahit nandito kami sa gitna ng dance floor.

"I told you to stay close," he whispered in my ear.

Hindi ako nakapagsalita.

We were so close that I was a hundred percent certain that he could feel the beating of my heart. Did he know that he's causing that? He must know by now.

Lui was looking me in the eye while his hands were still on my waist. Nagsisigawan at nagsasayawan iyong mga tao sa paligid namin habang naka-tingin lang kami sa isa't-isa na para bang may sariling mundo kami.

God, I so badly want to kiss him right now.

Hindi ko alam kung gaano kami katagal na naka-titig lang sa isa't-isa nang biglang may bumunggo na naman sa akin. The guy looked so trashed. Lui quickly pushed him away from me. The guy didn't look offended but he did look at me closer and said, "Fuck, you're hot."

Agad na napa-tingin ako kay Lui. I saw his jaw clenching and his shoulders rising and then falling like he just drew a deep breath.

Tapos ay bigla na lang akong hinila ni Lui. We were walking in the middle of a very crowded dancefloor. Naka-sunod lang ako sa kanya hanggang sa makarating kami sa isang gilid na hindi ganoon kasiksikan kumpara sa gitna nung dancefloor.

"You can dance here," Lui said as he whispered in my ear once again.

I frowned at him. "Mukha akong tanga ditong sumasayaw mag-isa."

He tilted his head to the side as he was looking at me. "I'll dance with you."

We probably looked like fools because we were slow dancing while everyone around us were hyped as fuck. Nasa bewang ko iyong mga kamay ni Lui habang naka-palibot sa leeg niya iyong mga kamay ko. We were staring at each other's' eyes like we were in some competition at walang gustong magpa-talo.

I want to kiss him...

But I want him to want to kiss me...

So, I did nothing even though every fiber of my being felt like burning with the need to kiss him.

I was looking at his eyes... and then stared at his lips.

"Don't do that," he whispered in my ears.

"Do what?" I innocently whispered back.

"That."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stare at my lips."

"Bawal ba?"

I felt him gripping the sides of my waist tighter.

And then with a little stroke of luck, someone bumped against me.

"Someone's excited," I whispered in his ears when I felt him against my stomach.

"Italia Reign," he said like it was some reprimand. I hugged him tighter and I felt him getting bigger. "What are you doing?" he asked, sounding like he's in pain at this point.

"Nothing," I replied. "Can't you see? Masikip talaga dito sa club."

"Don't play this game with me," he said.

"Play what?"

"This," he replied as I felt him grabbing my ass. Agad na nanlaki iyong mga mata ko. "Because I can definitely participate."

Ramdam na ramdam ko iyong bilis ng tibok ng puso naming dalawa. At this point, we're just both playing chickens. I was dead certain we both want each other so badly... so why won't he take the leap and go after me for a fucking change?!

I took a step back and started to walk away. I knew he was following me dahil narinig ko na tinawag niya iyong pangalan ko. Diretso lang ako sa paglalakad hanggang sa maka-labas kami sa club. Napa-hinto ako nung bigla kong maramdaman iyong kamay niya sa braso ko.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked, looking straight into my eyes like he had no fucking clue.

I stared back. "Do you want me?" I asked him.

"Was I being too fucking obvious?" he replied quickly like he was equally mad now, too.

"Well, I want you, too. Now, what?" diretsong sabi ko sa kanya.

Lui was staring me down. He took a step forward that made me take a step back until I realized that I was backed against the wall. He put his left hand on the side of my face and his other hand on the side of my waist.

"I'm not kissing someone who's not my boyfriend," I said while my heart's beating quickly in my chest.

"Is this your way of asking me to be your boyfriend?"

I tried to push him away, but he didn't even budge. In fact, he even smirked at me—the audacity of this man.

I felt his thumb tracing patterns on the skin of my waist. Naka-tingin lang siya sa mga mata ko. I had long memorized every angle of his face, but I would always be mesmerized by him.

"Can I be your boyfriend, Tali?" he asked, looking straight into my eyes. "I promise I'll be good to you."

I knew I should answer... but goddamn, I just reached for his lips and there we were, making out outside the club like some teenagers in love. 

**

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