Pagkarating namin sa bahay ng mga magulang ni Grayson, a lot of people are already there. There were people who—I think—were the same age as me. I saw a couple who's also there together with their child, which I think is three years old.

"Hey, pare!" pagbati ng isang lalaki kay Grayson bago nakipag-fistbump. "Kumusta?"

Ngumiti si Grayson. "I'm fine alone." He chuckled. "How's Manila, Hugo?"

The guy shrugged. "Boring as usual." They laughed before the guy turned to me. "And you are?"

I smiled and extended my right arm for a handshake. "I'm Ruth."

"Wow, what a beautiful woman you are with, Grayson!" He chuckled before accepting my handshake offer. "I'm Hugo. Pinsan ni Gray. Are you his girlfriend?"

Napalingon ako kay Grayson. Lumunok siya at nag-iwas ng tingin sa pinsan. Ibinalik ko ang tingin kay Hugo. "No, I'm just his friend."

Tumawa si Hugo. "Ohhh, that's good."

Napakunot-noo ako nang natatawa. Magtatanong pa sana ako nang naramdaman ko ang kamay ni Grayson sa palapulsuhan ko, saka pinagbitiw ang kamay namin ni Hugo.

"What the hell?" Hugo laughed again.

"Ipapakilala pa kita sa kanila."

Tumango na lang ako at sumama sa kan'ya. Ipinakilala niya ako sa mga pinsan niya na nadaraanan namin. They were all welcoming me with a warm hug like I'm already a part of their family. Hanggang sa nakarating na kami sa kusina kung nasaan ang parents niya.

"'Ma, 'Pa, this is Ruth."

Nag-angat ng tingin sa akin ang babaeng may puti na ang buhok. Binitiwan niya ang hawak na bowl na may lamang pagkain bago ako hinawakan sa magkabilang braso.

"Napakaganda mo naman, hija!" masayang pagbati niya sa akin matapos makipag-beso. "Is my son treating you right?" dagdag na tanong nito nang nakangiti.

Napaawang ang bibig ko pero pinanatili pa rin ang ngiti dahil nakakahiya naman kung bigla kong ipapakita na naguluhan ako sa sinabi niya. Tumango ako nang ilang ulit bago sumagot. "O-Opo. He's a . . . very good friend to me."

Yup . . . a very good friend. I think he's good at making out too, ma'am.

"Friend?"

Tumawa si Grayson bago ako hinila at dinala sa papa niya na nagtitimpla ng juice. "Hello po."

Ngumiti sa akin ang papa ni Grayson. "Kumusta, Ruth? I hope you're enjoying your stay here in Bohol!"

He went closer to me for a beso too.

Why does his parents seems like they know about me . . . already?

Tumango ako habang tumatawa. "O-Opo, I'm enjoying my stay!"

Ngumiti ito sa akin at sinabing maupo na raw kami. Hawak ako ni Grayson sa baywang habang naglalakad kami papunta sa long table kung saan nakaupo na ngayon ang mga pinsan at iba pa niyang kamag-anak. They were noisy like they're catching up. Mukhang galing sila sa iba't ibang lugar, ah?

Pinaghila ako ni Grayson nang upuan saka ako pinaupo, bago siya naupo sa tabi ko. I was about to ask him some questions regarding my talk with his parents when, suddenly, someone pulled the chair and sat beside me.

"Hey, Ruth!"

Napalingon ako ro'n at nakita si Hugo na nakatingin sa akin habang nakangiti. I heard Grayson's deep sigh but I didn't mind it anymore. "Hey, Hugo!"

He smiled again as he sat more properly. "Where are you from?"

"Ohh, I'm from Manila."

"Really?" masayang sabi niya. "I'm also living in Manila! Can we go back together?"

"No."

Napalingon ako kay Grayson sa pagsagot niyang 'yon. Nakangiti lang siya kay Hugo pero seryoso ang mga tingin niya na parang wala siya sa mood makipagbiruan.

"She's going to stay here longer."

Tumango nang bahagya si Hugo bago tumawa. "Then, I'll stay here longer too."

"No. You can't. You have a job that's waiting for you there—"

"And Ruth might have too—"

"She resigned before she went here."

Hindi ko na alam kung kanino ko itutuon ang atensiyon ko dahil paulit-ulit lang ang paglingon ko sa kanilang dalawa. Mukhang may debate, ah?

Teka, may sama ba sila ng loob sa isa't isa? Bakit ba ako nasa gitna nila?!

"You seemed to know a lot about your friend. What kind of friend is she to you, Marc?"

Napakunot-noo ako. This is the first time I heard someone call him that and in a sarcastic way pa. Maybe Hugo has some bad blood with him.

"Ruth is more than a friend to me. Does that answer your question now, Hugo?"

Napatingin ako sa ibang tao na nasa lamesa. They became silent as they watched the two fight with their words. Some are smiling too like they're all used to it.

Damn, what the hell is happening?

"What kind of more than a friend, Marc?" He smirked.

Napailing na lang ako bago nagsalita. "Will you, two, please stop? They're watching you fight, can't you see?"

Grayson looked at me. His eyes softened as he smiled a little. "Sorry."

I heard Hugo talk. "We have always fought since we were younger so they are all used to it. Don't worry. And sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable," he said as he lightly tapped my temple.

Tumango na lang ako at ngumiti sa kan'ya. Napalingon ako kay Grayson nang hinawakan niya ang kamay ko. Napakunot-noo ako habang nakatingin doon bago nag-angat ng tingin sa kan'ya. He slightly shook his head like he's stopping me—but—from what? Tumango na lang ako at hindi na nagsalita. Ilang sandali pa, naupo na sa tabi ni Grayson ang mama niya habang ang papa niya ay sa kabisera ng lamesa.

The lunch started with the noise from all the catching up that they're doing. It seems like it was one of the few moments where they are reunited like this.

Some of his cousins are talking to me too, asking me questions about my life, my job, how Grayson is treating me or if I am enjoying my stay here.

"Of course, I am." I smiled.

"Then, how long are you going to stay here, anak?" Grayson's mom asked.

I gulped as I glanced at Grayson. He's eating like he didn't hear anything so I opened my mouth to answer but he looked at his mom and answered the question for me, instead.

"She's going to have an indefinite stay here . . ." He looked at me. "Right?"

Napalunok na lang ako at tumango nang marahan. Ngumiti ako bago nagsalita. "I-I only bought a . . . o-one way ticket so I might really stay here l-longer."

"Ohh, so where are you staying?" Hugo asked.

"She's staying with me. Why?"

"Ohh, I thought she's staying in a hotel. I was thinking of asking her out since friend mo lang naman siya, 'di ba?" Hugo smirked at him once again.

"And since she's staying with me, you can't lay a finger at her. Don't add her to your list of women, Hugo. She's different."

Hugo laughed. "Yeah, right. She's different but just a friend."

Hindi ko na sila pinansin pa. Napainom ako sa kaba at pressure na naramdaman ko nang dahil do'n. I wanted to be angry at Grayson for lying to his mom and Hugo. He should've let me answer. Tutal, ako naman ang tinatanong nila. Why is he being like this?

Nagtuloy ang kwentuhan habang kumakain sa hapag-kainan. Hindi ko na pinahalata na nawala ako sa mood dahil sa sagutan nilang dalawa ni Hugo. I want to exclude myself from their disputes but it seems that I just became a part of it now.

Nang matapos ang lunch, kahit papaano'y nakahinga ako nang maluwag dahil nagkaroon na ako ng pagkakataon na maalis sa pagitan nila. Hindi na ako sumama muna kay Grayson. Nakipag-usap na lang ako sa pinsan nilang babae na si Alyssa. And she revealed to me that one thing that started all of the misunderstanding between Hugo and Grayson.

"May ex-girlfriend si Gray na pinakilala niya sa aming friend lang noong high school kami. You know, teenagers can be really playful at times. That ex-girlfriend was hurt, of course. Ito namang si Hugo, he took advantage of the girl's weakness. Nilandi-landi niya 'to kino-comfort since Hugo found out that Gray didn't like the girl much. And they ended up cheating behind Gray's back."

Ohh . . . that's why Grayson always looked irritated at the sight of Hugo, huh?

"Gray didn't mind that the girl cheated but it mattered to him because she cheated with Hugo—his cousin." Alyssa laughed. "It was very funny back then kasi lagi silang nag-aaway kapag naghahanap simula noon hanggang ngayon. But they already settled their issues long ago after nilang magsapakan. Ngayon na nga lang namin ulit nakitang mag-away kaya na-enjoy namin, eh. And I'm not even wondering why." She shrugged.

Of course, halata naman sa palitan nila ng salita na ako ang pinag-aawayan nila. Grayson, maybe, felt threatened that Hugo might do it again. After all, the latter is flirting with me. Tapos ito namang Grayson, kaaamin lang sa akin ng feelings niya a week ago.

Now, I'm not wondering why, too.

"Summer . . ."

Lumingon ako kay Grayson. "Yes?"

"Let's go."

Humalukipkip ako. "Why? Where are we going?"

"To watch the street dance."

"Kadarating n'yo lang, ah? We're still enjoying her company, Gray. Don't be silly." Kate chuckled.

"Oo nga, nag-uusap pa kami, oh?" panggagatong ni Alyssa.

I chuckled and didn't have to talk anymore.

"Babalik din naman kami mamaya," giit ni Grayson.

"Sosolohin mo lang siya, eh," pang-aasar ng Lea habang karga ang anak.

"And so what?" Grayson answered that made everyone laugh. He took my hand. "Let's go."

Pumunta kami sa mga magulang niya para magpaalam na aalis sandali. Siya na ang nagpaliwanag na babalik din kami kaya naman hinayaan na nila kaming umalis. I wasn't talking to him hanggang sa nakarating kami sa kung saan naka-park ang motor niya.

Grayson put the helmet on me. He was about to lock it but I did it myself. He looked frozen at my action but I'm still really pissed. Bahala ka d'yan.

Nang sumakay siya ng motor, sumakay na rin ako. I didn't hold on to him. Instead, I held onto something behind me. He looked at me but didn't talk anymore. He started driving away from his parents house.