Gerald closed his laptop after sending the design, for his secret room, (referred to in the last chapter) that he was working on for the last hour.  He checked the time and decided he has to head for the airport soon or else Matt and Rayver might think he already forgot about them.

“Mom?”

“I’m here in the kitchen, RJ.”  Mommy Vangie was putting the last of the dishes she cooked in microwavable containers before placing them inside the refrigerator.

“What’s all that?  I thought you were only going to cook tuna rolls so we could have some snacks before I leave for the airport,”  Gerald asked before picking up a piece of tuna roll and placed it in his mouth, the remnants off his thumb and pointer finger.  “Mmmm…I really missed this.  So, what are those?”

“Uhm, RJ, your dad called.  He’s already in Manila and he asked me to join him there.  He checked-in at Hotel Rembrandt this afternoon.  Would you mind if I go ahead and just meet you at Vista Real on the 31^st?”

“Are you kidding?  Of course, I don’t mind!  Wow!  This is one of the best gifts you’ve given me this Christmas, mom!  Thank you, thank you, thank you,”  Gerald hugged his mom and repeated his appreciation over and over again.

“Well then, these are cooked meals you can re-heat in the microwave in case you and your friends want to eat.  It’s good for one army.”

“Since you cooked food good for at least 3 more days, does this mean Joven is coming with you to Manila and Ali isn’t coming back here before I leave?”

“Yes, Joven’s going back to Vista Real ahead of you so he could clean up a bit before your New Year’s eve party.  Ali is already in Manila, but is staying with his brother.  He will be coming home on the morning of the 31^st, but I’m sure he’ll be there before you arrive.”

“Ah…ok.  So, are you packed?  Would you like me to bring you to the airport?  I’m picking up Matt and Rayver anyway.”

“Sure thing, honey.”

“Just let me get my bags and see if Joven’s ready.”

Once everything was loaded inside his mom’s van, Gerald handed the keys to Joven and sat beside Mommy Vangie at the back.  It was mid-afternoon and the traffic was lighter than usual.

“Uhm, Joven, can you watch out for a Fedex delivery for me?  I ordered something for Kim and it’s bound to arrive tomorrow.  And DON’T you open it.  Don’t even tell Kim, ok?”

“Yes, Boss,”  Joven teasingly saluted Gerald before picking up Mommy Vangie’s things and his backpack.

“Bye RJ, see you on the 31^st!”

“Bye, Mom!  Take care.  Say hi to dad for me!”

In half an hour, Mommy Vangie and Joven were on their way to the departure area and Gerald was off to find his friends, Matt and Rayver.

As soon as they have settled inside the van , Matt started complaining how hungry he was.  “Pare, let’s eat first.  Gutom na talaga ako.  I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast, awa mo na.”

“Don’t worry, pare, mom cooked a lot of food for us.  But if there’s anything you want, we can drop by the supermarket before we go home.”

“Sa 7-11 na lang, bili tayo ng beer,” Rayver said, secretly poking Matt whose back was on his face.

“Oo nga pala,”  Matt seconded, “masarap uminom after eating, para ma-relax naman tayo.”

“Isn’t it a bit early for that?”  asked Gerald.

“It’s ok, kakain naman muna tayo eh.  Maybe you can have some grilled tuna delivered from Tuna Grill,” was Matt’s reply.

“Ok, sinabi nyo eh.”

An hour later, the boys are already halfway through with their second case of beer and Gerald’s eyes were starting to droop.  “Two bottles more and you’re out, man!”  Matt exclaimed, but he seemed more happy than anxious over his friend’s state of awareness.

“Nah.  I’m not drunk.  Just a bit tipsy,”  says Gerald.  “Wait, I’m going to get us some more tuna.”  He stood up, walked over to the kitchen counter, got another clean plate and placed a big chunk of grilled tuna on it.  He turned to go back to the living room when he felt a bit dizzy.  Putting the plate down on the counter, he tried to steady himself while calling out to his friends.

“Matt, Ray…nahihilo ako.”  And everything went black.

“, pare, ano’ng nangyari?  Lasing na ba ‘to?”  Matt was talking more to himself than to Rayver as he looked on while the latter knelt beside Gerald, trying to wake his friend up.

“Hindi naman sya nagpa-pass out before, nakakatulog, oo pero never pa sya nag-pass out ng ganito,” was Rayver’s worried reply.  “Ang mabuti pa, maghanap ka ng ammonia or white flower sa medicine cabinet dun sa restroom.  Dalian mo, darating na si Kim!”

Matt ran to the bathroom and found a small bottle of white flower inside the medicine cabinet.  He hastily went back to where Rayver was still trying to revive Gerald’s consciousness.  He opened the bottle and offered it to Rayver who immediately placed it under Gerald’s nostrils.  A good five minutes have passed before he stirred and his friends were able to heave a sigh of relief.

“What happened?  Bakit nasa floor ako?”  Gerald instantly realized what happened.  He held on to Rayver’s outstretched hand and weakly stood up.

“You tell us,” chorused his friends.

Gerald sat on the nearest armchair while contemplating whether to tell his friends about his condition.  He looked at their worried faces and decided that if there were two people on earth to whom he could entrust his life with, it would be these two.

“Matt, Ray, I’ll tell you something very important, but promise me you won’t tell anybody, not Mel, not Kim, not Shaina or Maja.  Nobody, you understand?  This is just between the three of us, ok?”

“Ge, you’re freaking us out, pare,” answered Matt.  “Ano ba ‘yun?”

“Basta promise nyo muna.”

“Promise,”  his friends answered simultaneously.

Gerald gave them a brief but concise account of his medical condition.  By the end of his explanation, his friends were already shedding silent tears.  They hugged him, not able to say anything, and hoping their hugs would tell Gerald how much his trust meant to them.

“Ge,”  Matt finally came back to his senses.  “Bakit di mo sabihin kay Kim?  She needs to know.”

“Bakit pa?  I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“Eh ano’ng plano mo?  Don’t you think she deserves to know?  After all, girlfriend mo s’ya.  And whether you like it or not, if something happens to you, masasaktan at masasaktan din si Kim.”  Rayver tried his best to persuade Gerald to tell Kim about his AS.

“Hindi na.  It’s best na rin siguro that she doesn’t know.  At hindi ko na rin sya kukulitin na aminin sa public ang status namin.  That’ll be like adding insult to injury.”

“Bahala ka, whatever you do, basta andito lang kami.  Sabihin mo lang if you need anything, as in anything, ok?”  Matt was having a hard time accepting what was happening to his friend.  But he didn’t want Gerald to see how affected he was.  “Pare, magpahinga ka muna.  Kami na ni Ray ang bahalang mag-ligpit ng kalat dito.”

“Sus naman, ok na ‘ko.  Don’t treat me differently, please.  I don’t want to be constantly reminded of my condition.  Mas nakaka-depress yun.”

“Pare, tama si Matt. Magpahinga ka muna.  It’s not because of your condition that I’m asking you this, but since Kim will be arriving in an hour, mas ok siguro kung hindi ka na amoy alak at naka-rest ka na para di maulit yung scenario kanina.”  Rayver quipped, trying to act indifferently in front of Gerald.

“Ok, sige.  Magsa-shower lang ako, and then maybe snooze a little.  Sure kayo, ok lang kayo dito?”

“Oo naman, sige na.”  Matt was gently pushing Gerald towards the door of his room while Rayver started picking up their mess.

Once Gerald was out of earshot, Matt dialed Mel’s number, staying as far away from Gerald’s door.  He explained very briefly what Gerald told them, but asked his girlfriend not to tell anybody.  He also told her that Gerald made them promise not to tell her and Kim.  But since he and Rayver felt so helpless about the situation, he thought maybe Mel could help them out.  Before they hung up, Melissa promised not to tell anybody, but she would think of a way to ease Gerald’s burden.

“Matt, pano ‘to?  Darating na si Kim.  Dalian mo!”  Rayver was already in a state of panic.  He was picking up plates and bottles at the same time, juggling them to the kitchen, making sure nothing would fall off his arms.

After all empty bottles have been placed in the cases, Matt and Rayver took turns in taking a shower in the other bathroom.  They were already lounging on the two couches at the lanai when they heard a car stop in front of the house.  Soon enough, they heard the doorbell.  Matt stood up and walked over to the smaller gate to see who it was.  Finding Kim at the opposite side of the gate, just about to press the bell once more, Matt hurriedly opened the gate, kissed her on the cheek and hugged her, bags and all.

“Uy, Kuya Matt, kelan pa kayo?  Andyan ba si Ge?”

“Dumating kami ni Ray kaninang mga 1pm.  Halika, pasok ka.  Naliligo ata si Ge eh.”  Matt took all of Kim’s belongings as she walked up the path to the lanai where Rayver was standing, and closed the gate behind him.

“O, Ray, kumusta?”  Kim kissed Rayver on the cheek and sat wearily on the couch he was occupying earlier.

“Uhm, Kim, ipapasok ko lang sa isa pang guest room ang gamit mo ha?  Why don’t you check if Gerald’s already finished?”

“Sige kuya, thanks ha?  Dyan ka muna, Ray?”

“Yap, go ahead.”

Matt took Kim’s things to the room right across Gerald’s and went back to the lanai where Rayver was already getting ready to nap.  He positioned himself on the couch across the one Rayver occupied and got ready to snooze as well.

“Baby?”  Kim called trying to hear whether the water in the bathroom was still running or not.  Hearing nothing, she tried the door and found it unlocked.  She peeped inside head first and saw Gerald half-lying on the bed, his head anchored on a pillow resting against the headboard, his right leg stretched out and his left bended but not touching the bed, with only his boxers on, and his eyes closed.

In her surprise at finding Gerald almost , she instantly pulled her head out of the door and stood with her back on it.  She swallowed hard, feeling undescribably hot all of a sudden.  Then, taking a deep breath, she swallowed harder trying to calm her nerves.  She smoothed her hair and her dry lips before silently turning the knob again.

Gerald was still in the same position he was in when she first peeked inside his room.  She gently approached him, trying not to make a sound.  She placed her clutch on the carpeted floor, followed by her maong jacket.  She was wearing a spaghetti-strapped tank top and matching maong short-shorts.  She took off her sandals, placed her right knee on the edge of the bed for support and slowly lowered her head to kiss her sleeping prince awake.

Gerald didn’t open his eyes.  He was dreaming that Kim was kissing him, slowly, seductively.  Teasing his mouth to open wider, searching for his tounge with hers.  Gerald opened his eyes in surprise as he felt an arm circling around his neck and the kiss he was dreaming of deepened even more.  He held her on the shoulders and slightly pushed her from him, not breaking the hold.

“Kimmy…”

“Hi, baby.”  Kim was now half-sitting, half-lying on the bed, facing Gerald, her chest almost touching his.

“I thought I was dreaming.”

“Talaga?  Of me?”

“Of course!  Who else would I dream of but you?”

“Bolero…but seriously, I really missed you, baby.”  Kim hugged him, moving closer and resting her head on Gerald’s chest.

“I missed you too.”

“Hindi ka na galit?”

“Never naman ako nagalit sa ‘yo eh.  Tampo lang siguro, pero wala na ‘yun.  Sabi ko naman sa’yo, I just need a breather.  Ok na ko.  Kahit isang milyong beses mo pa ulit ako i-deny sa public, ok lang.”

Kim suddenly sat up straight, looked at Gerald intently, both surprised and a bit hurt by his response.  Suddenly, she remembered Melissa’s story about a girl named Zo-wee.

“Pinalitan mo na ‘ko?”  She asked Gerald, getting teary-eyed already.

“Ha?  Teka, ano na naman ‘yan?  Kimmy naman, ngayon lang tayo nagkita, aawayin mo na naman ba ako?”

“Eh bakit ok lang sa’yo kahit mag-deny pa ‘ko ng mag-deny?”  She was already holding back her sobs.

“Wow, labo, di ba ikaw ang may gusto nun?  Tapos ngayon magagalit ka pag sinabi kong ok lang.  Teka, may problema ba tayo?”

“Hmp!  Siguro nga may Zo-wee ka na kaya ka ganyan.”  Kim slightly turned away from Gerald, pouting her lips as a single tear fell from her eyes.

“Ha?  Sino’ng Zo-wee?  San galing yang tsismis na yan?  Look, Kimmy, I haven’t met anybody.  As far as I know, I’m still your boyfriend, that is, unless you’re breaking up with me and that’s why you’re making up this story about me cheating on you.”

“O, o, kita mo na.  Ako pa ngayon ang may kasalanan.”  Kim started sobbing with both her hands on her face.

          Gerald embraced Kim and brought her to his chest without letting her go as he resumed his earlier position.  “Ikaw lang, Kim.  Alam mo yan.  You can open up my heart and there’s only one name you’ll find.  Since the time we were at Big Brother’s house, there’s been no one else but you.  Maniwala ka sana.”

          “Eh sino nga yung Zo-wee?  Narinig din kita, tinawag mo sya kanina nung nasa airport ka.  Magkausap tayo sa phone.”

          “What ---- ?”  Gerald was puzzled.  He tried to recall what happened while they were talking and upon remembering, he suddenly laughed.  “Aysus, baby naman, sana bago ka mag-selos, magtanong ka muna, ha?”  And he couldn’t stop laughing, until Kim got annoyed at his freshness and pinched him in the stomach, just the way she did during the aalog sitcom.

          “Gerald ha?  Napipikon na ‘ko!”  She was already blushing like a tomato by the time Gerald had the chance to explain what happened.  She almost laughed at herself when she suddenly remembered what Melissa told her.

          “Hindi eh, meron talagang Zo-wee, alam din nina Matt at Rayver.  Tanungin mo pa sila.”

          “Later, baby.  Mag-rest muna tayo ha.  I missed you terribly and I just want to stay like this with you for a while.”

          They lay beside each other, hands intertwined, just listening to each other’s breathing.  From where they lay, Kim could see the skies turning from its orangy tint to a twilight hue, giving just enough light to recognize Gerald’s face just a few inches from hers.  She longingly stared at every feature of her beloved Gerald.  When Kim couldn’t stand it any longer, she her side to face him.  She naughtily trailed her pointer and middle fingers on top of Gerald’s chest, as if reenacting the scene from their honeymoon in Tayong Dalawa.   When her fingers reached his lips, she caressed it slowly and softly, as if teasing it to follow her fingers.  Gerald turned his face toward Kim, meeting her eyes with his, trying to understand what her actions meant.  With a slight nod of her head, she cupped his face with her two hands and started kissing him like never before.  At first, it was teasing, testing how he would react.  Gerald, although a bit worried about what Kim was trying to do, couldn’t hold back anymore.  He rolled on top of Kim, pinning her soft body against him, holding her face with his hands, taking control of the situation.  He kissed her forehead, her eyes and the tip of her nose.  He her lips, leaving small bites and making her want for more.  Kim knew she started it and her brain was telling her to stop Gerald, but her heart yearned to get closer to Gerald as much as her body possibly could.

          Gerald was trailing kisses on her neck, going down to the valley in between her mounds, giving her goosebumps everywhere.  She felt his hands reach for her tank top, sliding one strap at a time down her arms, but his lips never left her chest.  Her s grew taut with every touch of his lips on her skin.  Her s now rising hard and tight, aching to be touched.

          Kim felt the burning sensation consuming her whole being.  As Gerald cupped one , kneading it, teasing its , he the other with his warm and demanding mouth.   He did the same with the other, making Kim whimper beneath him.  She felt an overpowering need to fill a void, growing moist with the need to have Gerald inside her.

          As Gerald’s mouth traveled from her s, he unclasped her shorts and pulled her zippers.  And with his thumb, he tugged at her undies to bring it down together with her shorts.  His lips followed the trail of his hands, from her milky white s down to her navel, pausing a tingling minute on her bellybutton before going down, down there.  Gerald found her al mound, tried to penetrate it with his tounge until he found her source of frenzied shivering.  Kim arched her hips, responding accordingly to what Gerald was doing.

          “Baby, is this what you want?”  Gerald asked in between and .

          “Yes, oh, yes, baby, I want you,”  Kim’s husky voice betrayed her.  She arched her hips even higher, as if trying to reach an abyss so deep, until she felt an unfamiliar tightening in her loins, pushing her toward a feverish that she tried fervently to hold on to for as long as she could.

          Gerald surfaced from underneath and positioned himself, still clad in his boxers, on top of Kim.  She immediately felt that hard ridge poking her most intimate part which was very wet with her love juices flowing from Gerald’s tender .

          Kim was breathing hard, seductively while grinding her hips, trying to find the fulfillment that would come with the union of their bodies.  Her frantic search for his crotch told him how much she needs him to be inside her now.  But Gerald was fighting so hard with himself.  Before his self-control could snap and leave Kim with something to regret later on, Gerald pressed his lower body harder on Kim’s arching hips, letting her feel his .  Then with all his might, he pushed himself away from Kim, laid down beside her still gasping for air.

          “Baby?  Ayaw mo?”  Kim suddenly became conscious of her ness.

          “Gusto ko, gustong-gusto ko.  But I love you so much I can’t do this to you.”

          “Bakit?  I want it as much as you do.”

          “Believe me, baby, you will thank me later on for what I didn’t do.”

          Kim didn’t budge for ten or so minutes.  She closed her eyes and tried to hold back the tears that were starting to well.

          Her embarrassment was shoved to the back of her mind when she was jolted out of her reverie with the loud knocking on the door.