Kabanata 18
1536 Words
I was trying on my swimsuit. It's red. It makes my skin glow. I tried the black one yet I don't feel good about it. This red one's stunning. I like it.
Kydel was already outside, wearing only his swimming trunks under an umbrella. I went out when I was finally satisfied with my look. I brought a towel and handed it to Kydel.
"Hey," he said. He was sitting on the sand, a cooler next to him with an open can of beer on top of it.
"Hi," mahina kong sabi bago iniwas ang tingin. I felt his eyes on me. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang paghagod ng kaniyang tingin sa kabuohan ko.
He chuckled. "You looked great," he said before pulling me closer.
Mabilis kong sinapo ang aking mga pisngi. Umiinit na naman ang mga ito. I don't know why, but even though Kydel and I were in an intimate relationship, I still felt shy whenever he looked at me like I'm the sexiest woman in the world. It always makes me blush.
"You're blushing again," he said when he noticed me blushing. "You looked cute, and sexy at the same time."
That remarks made me blushed more. Pakiramdam ko'y isa akong kamatis na pumuputok ang sobrang pagkapula.
"Stop it," I said in a tiny voice before I rested my head on his shoulder.
I felt him nodding. Ilang sandali ay nakatitig na lamang kami sa kalawakan ng dagat. Tahimik. Walang nagsasalita. Para bang pareho naming ninanamnam ang mga oras na mayroon kami. Mga oras na alam kong matatapos oras na bumalik na kami sa Manila.
I don't know how to tell Kydel about the agreement. I've been planning to tell him. Pero lagi akong pinangungunahan ng takot. Iisipin niyang mababaw na dahilan iyon. But for me it's not. My friendship with Brook is important and I don't want to lose that. I don't want to lose Brooklyn. But I also don't want to lose Kydel.
It sucks.
It's so f****d up. I shouldn't have agreed on that agreement.
But you didn't know Kydel was Brooklyn's long lost brother.
Right. I didn't know. Kung tutuusin, wala namang kaso dapat iyon. Kydel wasn't even there when we had that stupid agreement. I didn't even expect myself to have whatever this relationship is with Kydel. I didn't even plan to fall in love. We didn't plan this. It just happened one day.
I sighed. I don't know what to think anymore.
"We should go swimming now. Hindi na masakit sa balat ang sikat ng araw." Narinig kong sabi ni Kydel na siyang nagpabalik sa aking diwa.
Inilibot ko ang tingin sa paligid. Marami-rami na nga ang naliligo sa dagat dahil kahit papaano ay nawawala na ang haring araw.
I smiled at Kydel when he got up and pulled me. Wala na akong nagawa nang hilahin niya ako hanggang sa maramdaman na namin ang tubig dagat sa aming mga balat.
Kydel went for a dip. He swam around me, like a shark hunting for his prey. I jolted when I felt his hands on my waist. Hindi na ako nagulat nang bigla siyang lumitaw sa harap ko. I giggled when he tried to kiss me.
"Oh c'mon," he said, chuckling.
Muli akong napahagikhik. I looked at him. Slowly, I reached for his face and kissed him on his lips. It was a quick one.
"That's better," nakangisi niyang sabi bago niya ako winisikan ng tubig.
I gasped. "Kydel!"
"What?" Natatawang sabi niya bago muling inulit ang ginawa.
"Stop it," sabi kong napapahagikhik pa rin.
He pulled me and wrapped his arms around me. "Have I told you, you looked sexy with that red swimsuit on?"
"Yeah, earlier." Sabi ko sabay alis sa pagkakayakap niya. "You said it when you saw me blushing. Hindi ko lang alam kung para iyon sa suot ko o sa pamumula ng pisngi ko." Dagdag ko pa bago lumangoy.
Kydel watched me swim. He grinned at me once I was back in front of him.
Oh boy. I know that grin.
"We just did it last night before we left the hotel. We did it this morning. Give me some rest, you beast." I said before I swam away from him.
I heard him laughed. His laughing so hard, that it made me laugh too.
"Yuki, do I look like a beast to you?"
"Yes!" I said loudly since I'm meters away from him. "You're a beast...in the bed."
His grin grew wider. My eyes widen when he swam to get closer to me. I immediately swam away. I tried so hard yet he caught me. We both sunk underwater. I yelped. Then seconds later I felt his lips on mine. Once we resurfaced, we both gasped for air.
"Kydel!"
"Let's get something to eat." He said while caressing my tummy. "And I have something to ask you. A very important one."
Hindi ko alam pero bigla akong nakaramdam ng kaba pagkatapos niyang sabihin iyon. Kaya naman tumango na lamang ako.
Pagkaahon namin ni Kydel ay kaagad na kaming dumiretso sa aming cottage. Saglit lang kaming naligo pagkatapos ay naglakad na kami papunta sa restaurant ng resort. It's five in the afternoon. Hindi na masama kung maaga kaming maghahapunan.
I was wearing a floral dress. Kydel was wearing his shorts and a white shirt. He's holding my hand while we're walking. Once we're in the restaurant, he told me to find a table at siya na raw ang bahala sa pag-order ng aming pagkain. Minutes later, Kydel was marching towards me with a tray of drinks in his hands.
"What did you order?"
"Seafood paella," sagot niya habang inilalapag ang inumin sa harap ko. "They'll serve it after fifteen minutes."
Tumango lamang ako bago sumimsim sa aking inumin.
Kydel cleared his throat. Kaagad na napaangat ang tingin ko sa kaniya. Hindi na ako nagulat nang makitang nakatitig siya sa akin. Kaya naman marahan akong umupo ng maayos.
"What?" I asked nervously.
His eyes went on my lips. He stared on it and then shifted his gaze on his left; at the beach, at the sun that's now setting.
"Why aren't we together?" He finally asked.
"We are together."
Muling dumako ang tingin sa akin ni Kydel. I tried to hide my nervousness, but I couldn't. I couldn't meet his eyes. I looked down on my drink.
"You know what I mean, Yuki," mahina niyang sabi bago ipinatong ang mga siko sa lamesa. He brushed his hands on his face. After that he brushed his hair with them. I can see his frustrations. "I remembered you telling me you'll explain everything. Yet you never once tried to tell me."
"Kydel..."
Our order came. Parang gusto kong hilingin na sana'y huwag nang umalis ang waiter para hindi na muling magtanong pa si Kydel, pero hindi naman pwede.
A minute of silence enveloped us.
"I always find you spacing out. I knew you were thinking something. Something that's troubling you. Something that I know is about me, about us."
I bit my lower lip. I heaved a sigh. "Mahirap kasing ipaliwanag sa ngayon."
"Then when are you gonna explain?"
I didn't answer. I was thinking. I was thinking so hard and he mistook my silence for an aswer that maybe I don't want to tell him about it.
Tahimik na nilagyan ni Kydel ng pagkain ang aking plato. He told me to eat, yet I didn't have the strength to lift my spoon and took a bite.
I sighed again.
"Forget about it, Yuki. Forget about me asking you about it." He said with a hint of smile on his lips. Mabilis niyang pinisil ang baba ko bago ako tinaasan ng dalawang kilay. "Eat, baby."
"Alright."
Matapos kumain ay muli kaming naglakad pabalik sa cottage. Malapit na kami sa cottage na inuupahan nang muli akong bumuntong-hininga.
"Yuki..."
"It's because of an agreement with your sister." I said, finally.
Kydel's brows furrowed. "What do you mean? What agreement?"
"We agreed not to date a member of our family. I mean, I'm not allowed to date you. She's not allowed to date my brother, or any of our friend's brother. It's an agreement in our circle of friends."
"That's stupid."
"I know," I said brushing my face with my hands. "It's so stupid yet it's still an agreement created with trust. And I'm already crossing the line. I betrayed your sister."
"I'll talk to her."
"No."
"But—"
"It's not that easy. It'll ruined her trust to me. Masisira ang pagkakaibigan namin."
"I won't let that happen."
"Kydel, hindi ganoon kadali iyon." May diin sa boses na sabi ko sabay hawak sa magkabilang pisngi niya. "She'll hate me. I know her, Kydel. She'll hate me forever."
Kydel's eyes became cold. "She won't."
"I know her more than you do." What I said hurt him. I can see it in his eyes. "She'll hate me, and she'll hate you too once she finds out I slept with you. That's how she valued that damn agreement."
Kydel didn't say a word. He just looked at me. He took my hands away from his face. "Let's get inside. It's getting cold, here." He said with a cold voice. I shivered.
- Writer
