Chapter 09

I was pretty sure that I looked like I'd just seen the ghost that Chester was talking about dahil sa reaksyon ko. My eyes were wide open in shock and disbelief sa sinabi niya.

"Can you..." I said as I tried to gather myself. "Can you repeat what you just said?"

He averted his gaze. "Alin 'dun?" he asked, trying to play it cool, but I was sure na pareho kaming semi-nagpapanic!

"The one where you said that you like me," I said, my lips slightly trembling. I've had crushes before. I've had crushes who crushed me back. But never did anyone make me feel like this—tanging si Chester lang!

"Ah, iyon ba," he said, still looking anywhere but at me!

"Yes, iyon," I replied. "So... you're confirming na tama nga iyong narinig ko?" I asked. My question was met with silence. "You like me?" I asked. I had to! Hindi ako makakatulog if hindi niya sasabihin sa akin.

Instead na sumagot, tumingin na siya sa akin. Maybe wrong move dahil biglang sobrang bumilis iyong tibok ng puso ko. Before, kahit normal na tignan niya lang ako, it was as if nagkakagulo iyong system ko. But now? Ngayon na tinitignan niya ako? I felt like I was about to explode from everything that he was making me feel! I felt dizzy all of a sudden!

"I do like you," he said while his eyes were staring right into mine.

"Oh, wow..." I replied because honestly, it felt like words escaped me right at this moment! I usually had a lot of things to say at any given instance, but at this instance? I felt like I knew no words!

"Nakaka-shock ba?" he asked, his forehead slightly creased. "I feel like I've been too obvious."

Oh, my gosh.

Nasaan na iyong Chester na tahimik at mukhang perpetually bored?! Why was he so open all of a sudden? Why was he talking about feelings so freely? And bakit ako iyong biglang walang masabi? I felt like nagkapalit kami ng role bigla!

"Hindi mo talaga halata?" he asked.

"I mean..." I said, desperately trying to string the words along. "I mean... I did think so, but I didn't want to be presumptuous."

He gently nodded. Tapos ay ibinalik niya ang tingin niya sa akin.

"So... what now?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I like you. You like me more—"

My lips parted. "Excuse me?!" sabi ko sa kanya kasi bakit biglang I like him more?! Siya 'tong hinabol ako sa room ko! 12MN na kaya! Dapat natutulog na ako ngayon!

He shrugged. His hands were inside his pockets. If the situation was different, I was pretty sure I'd be admiring how cool he looked at this moment habang nakaganyan siya.

"I mean, technically, you confessed first—"

"And you ran after me to tell me that you like me, so what's your point?" I asked, my brow arched and my arms formed across my chest.

He looked at me like he was trying so hard to fight a grin. Ang dali lang kasi na makita sa mukha niya dahil usually ay iisa lang ang expression, so a small change like this felt like a huge one. And I was pretty sure that he was grinning at me!

"Are we together now?" he asked. "Please tell me because I really have no idea how this is supposed to work."

My lips parted. "Are you serious?"

Tumango siya. "Never had a girlfriend—ikaw pa lang."

"Oh, wow, how presumptuous!"

"Bakit? Ayaw mo ba?" he asked.

I just rolled my eyes at him. Nakita ko na naman na pinipigilan niyang ngumisi. He knew that I like him and he's using it to his advantage!

"But seriously, never ka pa nagka-girlfriend?"

"Never."

"Flings?"

Umiling siya.

"Even in med school?" I asked because back in med school, there were flings left and right! Doon ata lumala iyong trust issue ko and iyong promise ko sa sarili ko na never akong magiging side chick because I saw a lot of my blockmates na biglang nagiging single sa school.

Umiling siya. "Busy."

"Bakit? Hindi ka na ba busy ngayon?"

"Busy pa rin," he replied. "Pero isisingit kita sa sched ko."

I hated how that made me feel so freaking giddy! I had to bite my tongue dahil ngiting-ngiti na ako sa sinabi niya na 'yon. How was he doing that?! He's so effortlessly sweeping me off my feet!

"Hindi naman ako nagmamadali sa sagot," sabi niya. "Sabihin mo na lang sa akin kapag nakapagdesisyon ka na."

He took a step back.

I suddenly hated the distance between us.

"Okay, fine," I said.

He nodded. "You know where to find me kapag may desisyon ka na—"

"May desisyon na ako," I replied.

"Ngayon na?"

I nodded. I took a step closer. I fought a grin on my face when I saw him visibly shocked that I went near him.

"If you'll be my boyfriend at this moment, then that means we can kiss, right?" I asked because I'd been thinking about kissing him from the moment that I saved me from that disastrous date.

He gulped. "I.. don't know the rules," he replied.

"We'll make the rules as we go," I said as I took another step.

"Okay," he said, visibly holding his breath as I got closer.

"Will you think that I'm easy if I say that I want to kiss you right now?"

"No, never," he replied. I saw him looking at our surroundings and when he was sure that we were the only two people awake at this time, he cupped my face and I felt his lips touching mine.

Oh, wow...

This was way better than what my imagination could ever concoct.

* * *

I groaned when I heard someone knocking on my door.

"Gracey, tulog ka pa ba? Start na tayo in ten minutes!" I heard someone shout from outside.

"Ang ingay..."

My eyes widened when I saw Chester sleeping beside me. I was about to panic when I remembered that he fell asleep on my bed while we were talking.

"Sshh," I said habang tinatakpan ko iyong bibig niya. "Okay! I'll be there in ten!" I answered before they get suspicious. Nung mapatingin ako kay Chester, his eyebrows were creased habang nakatingin sa akin. My hands were still covering his mouth and his nose. I forced a smile. "Good morning."

I could definitely get used to this view in the morning!

I quickly sat on the bed while he was still lying down. After we kissed (or maybe madeout was the right term?), we talked about med school. Apparently, we attended a lot of the same events! I seriously question myself bakit ngayon ko lang siya napansin. At around 3AM, he was already yawning. He said na babalik na siya sa room niya. I told him if he wanted to sleep here, he could do so. His eyes widened. I immediately told him that I wasn't inviting him to 'sleep' with me! As in literal na sleep lang. Ewan. Clingy kasi ako. Now that we've established that we both like each other, I wanted to be physically around him all the time... but I knew that I should reign this in because it's not possible in the job that we have. I couldn't always see him the same way that he couldn't always see me.

"I'll be the lookout kapag lalabas ka na," I said.

"Bakit may lookout?" he asked with his forehead creased.

"Kasi baka may makakita?"

"So?" he replied without a care in the world.

"Mabilis ang chismis," sabi ko sa kanya.

"We're not breaking any rules," he said.

"I know but—" sabi ko tapos napahinto.

Bigla siyang naupo. Tumingin siya sa akin. "Fine, if that's what you want," sabi niya tapos ay tumayo na siya.

"Galit ka ba?" I asked.

Kumunot ang noo niya. "Bakit ako magagalit?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Hindi ako galit," he replied. Tumingin siya sa relo niya. He clicked his tongue. "Wala na tayong breakfast."

I pouted. "I'm sorry. We overslept."

"May granola ako sa bag," sabi niya. "Abot ko sa 'yo mamaya."

I nodded. Naglakad na siya, but even before siya makalabas sa pinto, he paused. Tapos ay tumalikod siya at naglakad pabalik. My eyes widened when he leaned in and planted a kiss on my lips.

"Good morning," he whispered before he went out of my room. Oh, my gosh... What a rush!

* * *

The whole day, we finished with the check-ups. I kept on stealing glances kay Chester. Ewan ko if masyado na talaga akong may gusto sa kanya, pero for some reason, mas naging gwapo siya sa paningin ko. Tapos super attractive lalo kapag nageexplain siya sa mga patients niya. At one point, naiinggit na ako sa mga pasyente niya.

Nung gabi na 'yon ay may mini-party since bukas na iyong uwi namin sa Manila. Naggawa sila ng bonfire and there were drinks and meron din na barbeque and other pulutan. Mayroon din na nagpplay ng guitar—honestly hindi ko alam kung saan nanggaling iyong gitara. I excused myself and told them that I was tired and I would like to retire for the night.

"You're drinking?" I asked nung makasalubong ko si Chester. His face was red and he smelled like beer. I took a step back.

"Pinainom ako," he replied.

"Nino?" I asked kasi bakit kailangang pilitin painumin? People don't need alcohol to have fun or be fun.

"Dr. Alvarez."

"Drink water na lang," sabi ko sa kanya kasi naiintindihan ko naman na hindi siya makatanggi since higher in terms of rank sa amin si Dr. Alvarez. I wasn't a big fan of hospital politics, would rather that it's gone, but I understood that it's there.

"Hindi ko naman naubos iyong isang bote."

"Okay."

"Okay," he said. "Di ka galit?" he asked.

"Bakit naman ako magagalit?" I asked back because I knew that although we're together, I couldn't dictate what he could and couldn't do.

He shrugged. "Kapag kasi may ganito, lagi ko naririnig sila na nagpapaalam sa girlfriend o asawa nila," he said.

"Oh..." I said as I showed him a smile. "There's no need."

Sabay kaming napatingin sa likuran niya nung marinig namin na may tumatawag sa pangalan niya. Hindi ko alam na close pala sila ni Dr. Alvarez. Mukha kasing lone wolf si Chester sa hospital.

"Matutulog ka na ba?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Pagod ako buong araw saka two hours lang iyong tulog ko," I said as an excuse as I yawned again.

"Okay," he said. "Good night."

"Good night," I replied with a smile. "Enjoy," sabi ko because I didn't want him asking more questions. Today began as a great day and I wanted to end it that way. Besides, it's only our first day. We had other days to talk about this.

"Grace," pagtawag niya habang naglalakad na sana ako pabalik sa room.

I stopped and tumingin sa kanya. "Yes?"

"Hindi na ako iinom pagbalik ko 'dun," sabi niya. Kumunot iyong noo ko. "Pwede sa tabi mo ulit ako matulog?"

My lips parted. Instinctively, my heart began to quicken its pace inside my chest. Suddenly, it was as if air was knocked off of my chest. And it was like I struggle to maintain my balance.

"O-okay..." sabi ko.

Bahagyang kumunot iyong noo niya. "Okay ka lang ba?"

I forced a smile on my face as I nodded. "Yup," sabi ko sa kanya. "Balik ka na don, tinatawag ka na," I added.

He didn't move, but he just looked at me. His name was called again. He still didn't move. "Here to listen if you want to vent or talk if you want to talk," he said. I nodded. He didn't make a move. He maintained his distance. "I'll see you tomorrow," he added before he stayed there and watched me walk back to my room. 

**
This story is already at Chapter 14 on Patreon (patreon.com/beeyotch). Subscription starts at 100php per month for all stories.

If you're having any problems with your payment or if you want to pay via GCASH, you can email [email protected] for assistance.