*umiyak*

  HAHAHAHA sana magustuhan niyo.  

 

 

Hey, sa labas ako tonight. Kwento ko pagbalik bukas.

 

Sent.

 

I shivered habang pinapasok ang phone sa bulsa ng shorts ko. Nakita ko naman na lumingon sa akin ang katabi ko.

 

Naglalakad kami ngayon sa dalampasigan ni Karina. Napansin kong mas lumapit pa siya sa akin.

 

Our arms brushed past each other as we walked close to the shoreline, palayo sa grupo ng mga kabataan na nagkakasiyahan sa likod namin.

 

Naramdaman ‘kong nag-vibrate ang phone ko sa bulsa, but I paid it no mind. Mamaya ko na iintindihin si Ning.

 

“I would offer my place pero I’m not living alone kasi,” Karina said after a minute of silence.

 

Umiling ako, trying to shrug the shiver coursing through me. Hindi ko sure kung dahil ba sa lamig o dahil sa ibang bagay.

 

“It’s fine. Hindi rin naman pwede sa’kin, obviously,” Sagot ko. “Magbook na lang tayo sa hotel.” Tuloy ko, humihina ang boses.

 

Tumango si Karina, the reddened tips of her ears visible under the moonlight. I smiled inwardly.

 

Ang pacool ni Karina. Kahit dati pa naman. I find it cute, but I admit she’s cuter when she’s being adorable like this.

 

Narinig ko ang paghinga niya ng malalim. “Okay, aakyat ka ba muna sa room niyo?”

 

Muli akong umiling. “We’re not gonna book at the same hotel. Sa iba tayo,”

 

“Bakit?”

 

Natawa lang ako sa mukha niya. “Ayokong magka-awkward moment with Ning kinabukasan.”

 

“Oh,”

 

“Ipapakilala kita sa kanya, soon. Hindi lang ngayon, not when we’re still figuring things out.”

 

Tumango lang muli si Karina bago ibinalik ang tingin sa harap namin.

 

The dinner earlier was not what I expected.

 

My initial thought was Karina getting mad at me, thinking na ako ang may kasalanan why she ended up like that.

 

Pero hindi.

 

What she did was far from what I expected.

 

Gusto niyang makasama ako.

 

I just don’t know kung sa paanong paraan. She just said she wants us to be together.

 

Me sleeping with her tonight was also something unspoken na I just decided after we ate.

 

I still don’t know kung ano ang mga plano niya.

 

But what I felt earlier, that hesitation, it made me think, again.

 

Karina’s plans are a welcome solution, if ever man gumana ito.

 

I just hope I won’t regret it.

Tiningnan ko siya while we’re walking to a hotel, a block from the one where I am currently staying with Giselle and Ning.

 

Her face is serious. Just like that night.

 

Namumula pa rin ang dulo ng tainga niya, but I guess dahil na ito sa lamig, since medyo malalim na rin ang gabi.

 

“This okay for you?” Basag ni Karina sa katahimikan sa pagitan naming dalawa. Nasa harap na kami ng di kalakihang hotel.

 

Tumango lang ako, not saying a word.

 

Papasok na sana ako sa hotel ng maramdaman ko ang kamay ni Karina sa kamay ko. Napatingin ako sa kanya.

 

“When I said na we should stay together, it doesn’t mean na agad-agad, and— and I’m not pressuring you, by the way..” Pahina ng pahina ang boses ni Karina.

 

I bit my lip, suppressing my laugh.

 

“Karina—”

 

“I swear! Kung gusto mo pa ng oras mag-isip, ihahatid kita ngayon din sa hotel niyo. We don’t need to do it if hindi ka pa sure,” Sabat ni Karina, while waving her hands sa harap ko.

 

She looks so flustered, na para bang walang nangyari sa amin dati.

 

“I think sa lahat ng tao ngayon dito, tayo ang may pinakamaraming oras sa mundo,” Sagot ko sa kanya. Inabot ko ang kamay niya.

 

“Wala namang mawawala kung susubukan natin,” I told her sincerely.

 

Matagal niya muna akong tinitigan. As if she’s waiting for me to abruptly change my mind. I let her stare.

 

I felt nothing but security as I felt her eyes on me. Hindi ko alam pero hindi man lang ako nakaramdam ng pagka-ilang.

 

Maya-maya ay huminga lang siya ng malalim, saka dagling pinisil ang kamay ko bago ako hilahin papasok.

Hindi kalakihan ang kwarto na nakuha namin.

 

There are two beds, though.

 

Nilingon ko siya upon seeing it. “Two beds?” Nakataas ang kilay na tanong ko.

 

Siya kasi ang nag-asikaso kanina sa desk, so I didn’t know. Tumingin siya sa akin, her flushed face visible dahil sa ilaw sa loob ng room.

 

“We did talk kanina, but we didn’t discuss some details,” Sabi lang niya. “I want to respect your space,”

 

“You didn’t think of that kaninang umaga when you kissed me?” I blurted out, hindi na naisip ang consequences ng mga salita ko.

 

I saw how she almost stumbled kahit nakatayo lang naman siya.

 

Naramdaman ko ang pag-init ng pisngi ko.

 

“O—Okay, regarding that, sorry,” Maagap na sabi ni Karina. “Sorry, I don’t know what came through me kanina, siguro na-excite ako upon seeing you? Hindi ko alam, I just feel overwhelmed kanina and I just let my body do its thing,” Iwas tingin na paliwanag niya.

 

“S-Sorry ulit,” Mahina niya pang ulit.

 

Tiningnan ko lang siya.

 

This Karina is so different from what I’ve imagined. She’s different yet she’s so familiar as well.

 

One time she’s this confident woman who makes my knees buckle, and then a second after she becomes this woman who becomes flustered sa maliliit na getures na ginagawa namin.

 

Nilapitan ko siya, at nang makarating sa harap niya ay ini-angat ang mukha niyang nakayuko using my finger.

 

Her dark orbs once again searched through my soul, na para bang nababasa niya ang iniisip ko.

 

A certain calmness coursed through me, at tingin ko ay ganun din siya as I saw how her shoulders sagged nang mahawakan ko siya. I mentally noted my observation.

 

“You don’t have to be sorry,” Mahinang sabi ko, as our faces inched closer.

 

I saw how her eyes shifted.

 

Now this is the Karina I’m familiar with.

 

Naramdaman ko ang paggapang ng kamay niya sa baywang ko. She pulled me closer.

 

She held my nape with her other hand, and just when I thought she’s gonna kiss me, I felt her forehead against mine. I opened my eyes, and saw her tightly closed ones.

 

She heaved deeply, breathing the dizzying air between us.

 

“Please tell me you’re single,” Mahina niyang bulong.

 

Tumaas ang kilay ko.

 

All this time, akala ba niya ay may karelasyon ako?

 

Bigla akong natawa, breaking the thick tension between us.

 

She let go of me, as I laughed uncontrollably. Nanatili siyang nakatayo, her hands clutched on her sides.

 

“What made you think na I’m going to let you kiss me kung may girlfriend ako?” Natatawa ko pang sabi.

 

But before I can even say another word to , ay naramdaman ko ang mga kamay niyang muling pumalibot sa katawan ko, as her lips crushed with mine.

 

“Hmm..” Karina groaned as she fervently kissed me.

 

I felt the familiar fire on my core.

 

I kissed her back with the same intensity, my hands making their way around her nape

 

“Hah.. Winter,” Bulong ni Karina, as she let go of my lips. Huminga siya ng malalim, gathering the air she lost while kissing me. I did the same, as I felt my lungs burning dahil sa pagkawala ng hangin.

 

Maya-maya ay muli kong naramdaman ang labi niya sa balat ko, planting small kisses on my cheek, jaw, and ears.

 

“Karina..” Mahina kong tawag sa kanya.

 

Her closed eyes opened. Malamlam ang mga mata niya, as if she’s in a trance.

 

“Hi..” Bulong niya, her lips bumping with mine. “This okay?”

 

Walang pag-aalinlangan akong tumango, a chill once again coursing through my body.

 

It’s been so long since someone held me this close.

 

Karina’s hands continued to caress my sides, as her lips continued to drop featherlight kisses all over my skin.

 

“Do you feel it..?” Tanong ni Karina. Naglagi ang labi niya sa leeg ko, nuzzling a soft spot just beneath my earlobe.

 

“Hah.. O—Oo,” Hindi ko alam kung narinig niya ang sagot ko, as her lips a certain spot on my neck, making my core feel hotter than it already is.

 

Naramdaman ko ang unti-unting pagtulak niya sa akin, papunta sa kama.

 

When my back dropped on the soft mattress, Karina wasted no time and hovered on top of me.

 

She continued dropping kisses, as her hands became more frantic on touching my skin.

 

Her touch ignited my skin on fire, as she softly caressed every part of me na madadaanan ng kamay niya.

In between her kisses, her touch, and her lingering stares as we brought each other to the peak, I hummed a sign of acknowledgement, as she unknowingly murmured something under her breath.

 

Stay with me.

 

—————

 

“Winter,” May pagbabanta sa boses na tawag ni Karina.

 

Tumawa lang ang tinawag. “I’ll be fine!” Alo ni Winter habang nakadukwang sa tubig.

 

“Baka malaglag ka,” Pagod na dahilan ni Karina.

 

“Marunong ako lumangoy,” Confident na sagot ni Winter.

 

“Uhuh, what, that