Kabanata 13- Quits

Love.. I’ve never imagined that I will be so in love with someone someday that I will want them only for myself. I feel so clingy and sad when I saw Matthew’s message saying that he will be gone for a week because he needs to do some gift-giving in some secluded area in a province.  I pouted and took a selfie before clicking the sent button to our conversation.

Stefan who is bothering me again in my room laughed at what I did and shook his  head in disappointment.

“ I’ve never pegged you to be this lovesick fool,” natatawa niyang turan bago kunin ang gitara sa tabi ng kama ko at nagsimulang tumugtog. I laughed because of his remarks and watch him struggle doing the guitar.

“ Wala ka lang girlfriend!” I teased him back earning a death glare from him.

“ Ikaw…”

“ Huh?” nagulat kong tugon dahil sa biglaang sagot niya and it feels like he didn’t know that he said it allowed kaya pinagtakpan niya ito ng isang malakas na halakhak. I’ve creased my brow because I can’t understand his answer but then I just shrugged it off and walk towards him.

Inagaw ko ang gitara at kinuha ang camera ko sa isang cabinet bago ko hinila si Stefan palabas sa bahay. He mentioned na nagtatampo siya dahil magmula daw ng makilala ko si Matthew ay I’ve been seeing a less of him kaya naman ngayon ay naisipan ko na magpupunta kami sa dagat.

I watched how his eyes grow wide when he saw my new car just in our garage. It is a black jeep wrangler na maagang regalo sa akin ni daddy..

“ Holy shit!”

I grinned at his reaction before opening the car and motioning him to drive. Apparently, I don’t have a license and courage yet to drive kaya siya muna ang gagawin kong driver. My schedule for driving lesson will be in next week but pero gusto kong pumunta ng dagat and we don’t have any available car as of the moment.

“ Ipapagamit mo sa’kin?!” I laughed at his reaction when I nodded dahil parang bata siyang tumakbo sa drivers seat at pagpipindutin ang mga button doon. I saw how he slide his hands in the leather sit as if he cannot imagine that he will be driving this today.

“ Saan tayo love?!” he excitingly asks starting the car. Inilabas ko ang cellphone ko at binuksan ang gps para may guide kami sa pupuntahan namin. I picked the nearest beach na 2hrs away lang mula dito sa lugar namin.

“ I don’t have a spare clothes!” he looked at me in disbelief when he saw where we are going. I just laughed at him and told him na doon nalang kami bibili ng damit para may mapagpalitan.

We both stared at my cellphone when it rings and it flashes Matthew’s phone number, tinignan ko muna si Stefan bago ito sagutin .

“ Hey,” he casually said in the other line but I can hear some voices behind him.

“ How are you?”

“ Good love, I’ll see you next week!” I replied then the line went off. Noong una ay nagtaka pa ako but then I remembered that he mentioned that he will be hard to contact with once he will go to the secluded area.

“ Tara! Tara!” hyper na sabi ko kay Stefan bago niya paandarin ang sasakyan. It took us almost three hours drive bago makarating sa pupuntahang beach dahil sa gulo ni Stefan sa pagdridrive, he keeps on talking and shouting na para bang akala mo ngayon lang siya nakahawak ng ganoong sasakyan when in fact he owns a Porsche.

“ Napakainit na tuloy!” reklamo ko sa kanya matapos naming dumating sa isang private villas at ayusin ang mga pinamili naming damit sa isang cabinet. Knowing Stefan, I am sure that we will spending a night here dahil nakita ko kanina kung paano niya tanungin ang isang empleyado ng resort kung mayroon ba silang night parties.

Tinignan ko ang cellphone ko at sinubukang tawagan si Matthew para magpaalam, I feel like I need to atleast let him know what I am doing ngunit tulad kanina ay hindi padin siya sumasagot sa tawag ko.

“ Kanina ka pa tumatawag sa biyahe,” Stefan said when he saw how I sighed and looked at my phone.

“ Magpapaalam sana ako kay Matthew,” I said at him but I feel stunned when I noticed an unfamiliar emotion that flash in his eyes.

“ Ako lang naman kasama mo ba’t magpapaalam ka pa?!” maktol niya bago pumasok sa isang banyo at magpalit ng damit pang-swimming. I shook my head in disbelief habang sinusundan siya ng tingin papasok. Is he jealous?! Or nagtatampo lang siya?

I waited until he is done before I walk towards him and check his face. He keeps dodging my hands at iniiwas ang titig niya but I am persistent to check if what he’s up to.

“ Are you jealous?!” I exclaimed because of his action.

“ The fuck?!” he cursed at me disbelief in my conclusion before getting his towel and walking outside. I tried to run after him to really check his eyes but he runs hanggang sa makarating kami sa gilid ng baybayin.

“ Wait up!” I shouted because he keeps running away from me. Parang bata kaming naghahabulan dito kahit sobrang taas ng sikat ng araw. I laughed when he starts to slow down his pace dahil siguro sobrang pagod niya hanggang sa mahuli ko ang isang kamay niya at iharap siya sa akin.

“ Nagseselos ka ba kay Matthew?!” I laughed at my question because I’ve never thought things about Stefan. I watched how he looked at me and how he breathe before answering my questions.

“ As long as you’re happy.” He said before tugging me closer for a tight hug. I don’t know what to feel because I felt like he didn’t really answer my question directly. I just let him hug me under the rays of the sun not until we heard someone clapped his hands and whistled behind us.

“ What a sight!” Matthew’s brother said before smirking at us as if we’ve done something to satisfy him.

“ Kuya,” nagulat kong tugon at mabilis na humiwalay sa yakap ni Stefan pero mabilis niyang hinawakan ang kamay ko at inilagay ako sa likudan niya na para bang prinoprotektahan niya ako mula sa Kuya ni Matthew.

Sumilip ako mula sa likod ni Stefan at ramdam ko ang bilis ng tibok ng puso ko dahil sa paraan ng pagtawa ng taong nasa harapan namin ngayon. He laughed and advanced his step before tapping Stefan’s shoulder.

“ Don’t worry, I won’t tell.” He said to Stefan before cracking his neck to look at my eyes. I feel how my hands trembles because of his sight.

“ Quits lang kayo ng kapatid ko.” He remarks before laughing and walking away.