Jessa was looking at me with a subtle hint of blame. Wala naman siyang sinasabi, but her body language was screaming at me. I doubt she'd verbally blame me for what happened.

If I punched his crush, well, that was me. She could still swoon over that snooty guy if she wanted to, but that punch was deserved by the one who got it.

It was almost four in the afternoon. The tricycle stopped in front of the iron gate. Jessa and I were walking along the yard of the ancestral house when she spoke after half an hour of silence.

"Magso-sorry na lang ako kay William. Sasabihin kong hindi mo sinasadya yung nangyari kanina," she said, and maybe my ears were betraying me since I heard an ounce of annoyance in her tone.

"Why do you need to apologize? He ignored you and even rolled his eyes on you. You're fine with that?" I asked.

"Hindi niya naman 'yon ginagawa kapag kami lang ang magkausap."

And I was like, WHAT THE FUCK DOES THAT MEAN?!

I looked at her, asking her to take that back, but with those eyes full of accusation, she looked like she really meant what she said.

"You know what?" I crossed my arms. "I doubt he's nice to you kahit wala ako doon. He didn't bother glancing at you. Kung hindi pa ako magsasalita, hindi ka niya titingnan." Then I took back my words when I realized something. "Oh, I think you're right. He's not doing that eye roll stuff on you because he's not looking at you at all. You deserve where you are in his life right now. You chose that."

I walked past her. No plan to tolerate some delusions from a hopeless romantic. My mom raised no martyr. If I like a person, I'll tell them right away. If I'm rejected, then so be it. Next.

Boys play around. They're always after the chase. A girl's an easy game if they're reachable. And an easy game is a boring game. Boys like to play hard. They only love it if it's a challenge. If it's not, it's not love, it's just a pastime.

Jessa is a nice girl, but if a man doesn't know how to talk to her politely, he doesn't deserve her at all. But I guess Jessa didn't mind being ignored by Snooty Guy. Baka nasanay na lang din siya, who knows? Whatever the reason, she deserved all the things she refused to question.

It was another night of staying in my lola's house, and it was getting boring. It was a huge house full of statues and all. No TV, no video games, no other noisy stuff because it equates to mortal sin. If may ghost dito, no surprise. But so far, wala pa akong nakikita or nararamdamang may ghost nga rito kahit creepy ang bahay.

Papa called just to tell me na tapos na niyang ilakad ang death certificate ni Mama, and he spent two weeks processing all the legal papers, which is why he couldn't come home to Laguna for three straight weeks. Uuwi raw siya sa bahay ni Lola by Saturday, and that was tomorrow.

I was finally considering the job he was offering. Kaysa ma-bore ako sa province nang walang ginagawa.

It was another morning. High ponytail, red tank top, and denim shorts were my outfit. I wasn't expecting anything from Jessa at all kaya sure akong hindi ako makakalabas ng hacienda today.

But when I went out of the ancestral house, I found the people working on Inang's house busy with all the chores. There was a long table in the yard, and a dead pig was resting above it. They were showering and brushing the pig's skin with a thick sauce. Busy silang lahat sa paligid.

Mas na-surprise ako nang makita si Snooty guy sa malapit. He was holding an axe and chopping some thick logs. There was nothing on his top apart from his black string necklace with a wooden rectangular charm or something. He wore a black sports watch on his left wrist and a few black leather bracelets on the right. His dark denim jeans were slightly coated with wood strands. Surely, that axe was heavy as fuck, but he was using that to cut through thick woods, as if that weighs a pound.

I hate the fact that I knew where Jessa's admiration was coming from 'cause Snooty Guy looked fine as hell.

"Esther, gising ka na pala." Manang Josie offered me a seat. "Dito ka. Lulutuan kita ng almusal. Walang tao ngayon sa kusina, wedding anniversary ng lolo't lola mo."

I sat on the house's porch. The clear view of the front yard and the sides was focused on my sight. My chair was beside a small end table, and placed my right elbow above it. I could smell the smoke somewhere near and the sauces they were using.

Gaze fixed on Snooty Guy. He was smiling sweetly as he talked to the manong assisting him with the wood chops.

Damn that shit. So he knew how to show a killer smile, but he chose to give us eye rolls and sarcasm yesterday.

Rascal.

"Dito ka ba mag-aalmusal o sa dining na?" Manang Josie asked. She was holding a food tray, and since I didn't want her to roam around the house with that, ipinababa ko na sa table sa tabi ko ang mga pagkain. And besides, ako lang ang kakain sa napakatahimik na dining room? Pass. 

"Thank you, Manang."

"Kung kulang, tawagin mo ako. Dadagdagan natin ang pagkain mo." She flashed a genuine smile at me.

"Manang, I have a question."

"Ano 'yon?"

"That guy"—I pointed to Snooty Guy—"bakit nandito siya?"

"Si Gimo?"

"Yes."

"Nagsisibak lang siya ngayon ng kahoy, pero magluluto na 'yan mamaya."

"Why him? Wala ba tayong ibang cook?"

Nahihiyang napakamot ng noo si Manang Josie. "Siya ang magluluto ng gulay para sa lola mo. Ang Inang mo kasi, gusto talaga ang luto ni Gimo. Saka kasi naaalala nga raw niya ang unang nobyo niya diyan sa binata ni Cresing."

"Nobyo?" I asked, confused. What's nobyo?

"Ay, hahaha! Unang boyfriend ng lola mo."

Yuck.

"Itong lolo kasi ni Gimo sa mama niya, dating nobyo 'yon ng lola mo. Sundalo 'yon, si Guillermo Claveria. Hindi lang sila nagkatuluyan ng lola mo dahil iba ang gusto ng lolo mo sa tuhod para sa Inang mo at iyon ang napakasalan. Iyon ang Lolo Onofre mo. Wedding anniversary nila ngayong araw ng lola mo. Iyon ang pinaghahandaan natin."

And Inang wanted her ex's grandson to cook for her during the celebration of her and her husband's wedding anniversary?

That shit was crazy.

I was eating my breakfast and enjoying the view when I saw Jessa holding a glass of cold water. I didn't have to use my brain cells to know what that glass was for. She was smiling from ear to ear as she approached Snooty Guy.

The devil in me wished for another rejection so she could learn her lesson well. But Snooty Guy accepted the glass of water and drank it straight, emptying it.

Jessa, Jessa, Jessa . . . my sweet summer child.

Snooty Guy returned the glass to her. I thought that was it, but Jessa was mouthing something. That pesky guy creased his forehead and looked around. It didn't take him long to see where I sat. I was meters away from them. He was saying something to Jessa while keeping his eyes on me, and that was all. She left afterward.

Snooty Guy didn't want to leave his gaze on me, and neither did I.

I crossed my arms and raised a brow at him. He raised his head and slightly tilted to the side. He could have been nice to me, but he chose the opposite, so I would choose violence then.

After I finished my breakfast, I went to the kitchen to wash my hands. Wala ngang naiwang tao sa kitchen, nasa labas silang lahat. Wedding anniversary ng grandparents ko, and everyone was supposed to celebrate that.

In the middle of draining the water in my hands, my senses alerted when someone gently rolled his hand on my high ponytail. I instantly raised my head when that person pulled my hair upward with a slight force.

"Agh—" That escaped as a forced moan from my lips.

The corner of my eye caught the culprit, and it was Snooty Guy and his warm body behind me.

"May atraso ka pa sa 'kin," he huskily whispered in my ear, and that made all the hair in my body stand up.

"You deserved that punch, Rascal!"

I let out a gasp as he pulled me harsher and threw my back against the hidden kitchen wall. That part was behind the huge wooden cupboard of old China and silverware.

"Bago ka lang dito pero ang tapang mo na."

"You look so evil for a man so holy, Rascal." I spat at his face, and my saliva landed on his cheek. I pushed him on the shoulder, but he suddenly caught both of my wrists and pinned my hands above my head.

My mouth was prepared to yell at him, but it only gave him clear access and devoured my lips hard.

It stopped my brain from processing for a moment.

I fought back and attempted to escape from his grasp, but that shit only made my body feel hotter as he tightened his grip. I'm a sucker for this. Instead of feeling the threat, my body was reacting to the thrill and excitement of fighting back, keeping me in place. His tongue reached its way into my mouth and lapped my lips.

I fucking moaned as he played his tongue in my mouth. Heat ran down south. He invaded my space, and I had no plan to make him feel that he was dominating me—I kissed him back, harder than he did, even if I was the one raising my head to reach him. I bit his lower lip and pulled it with my teeth.

We were both panting when we let go of the harsh kiss, lips so wet, exchanging sharp glares.

"Ilang kilo raw ang kukunin ni Kagawad?"

We both looked at the small gaps in the cupboard. Manang Terry was already in the kitchen. 

Shit.

My whole body was beating erratically, and I suddenly regretted being trapped here.

Fuck. What if may makakita sa 'min dito?

Snooty Guy let go of my wrists and brushed off his cheek.

"Ito na ang sangkalan! Huwag na 'yan, basag na 'yan! Naku, ayaw pang makinig."

I slowly breathed and followed Manang Terry as she walked out of the kitchen, two large knives in her hands.

This guy in front of me walked backwards, eyes still on the kitchen doorway. When the coast was already clear, he walked casually across the kitchen while I was still hiding behind the cupboard, watching his movements.

"Gimo! Nasa labas na lahat ng gulay. Naglabas na rin ako ng kutsilyo," Manang Terry said, and she went back to the kitchen.

"Sige ho, Ante. Doon na lang ako sa labas magluluto."

"Sa labas na lang ba? Ayaw mo rito sa loob?"

"Sa labas na lang po."

"A, sige, ipalalabas ko roon ang kawali."

Damn that rascal. How could he walk out like that as if nothing had happened?