MAUREEN Salas gave her body to Inggo de Paz on a sunny day in early May, less than twenty-four hours after turning eighteen.

Two weeks of silence later and she finds him washing the dishes in the kitchen.

Sa bahay ni Maureen. Kung saan siya nakatira.

Hindi unusual. Last summer, before they went home to Pampanga, nandito siya palagi, nakikitulog sa kwarto ni Kuya Migo. Roommates na nga sa Katip, roommates pa rito sa bahay nila. After nilang maging best friends during their freshman year, hindi na sila naghiwalay.

And their mom loves him. He can come by unannounced, swing open the door, and make his way inside like he owns the place.

Two weeks ago he was naked on top of her, and now he's wearing clothes and washing the dishes in the kitchen like he lives here.

Maureen forces herself to move, finally opening the screen door and taking off her shoes.

Her kuya raises his gaze from his phone, seated on the couch, and frowns at her. "Lumabas ka like that?"

Maureen gives him a sarcastic smile, pulling off the straps of her sandals. "No, Kuya. Nakahubad ako kanina."

Kuya Migo isn't amused. With only his stare, Maureen knows he's saying: sure ka bang ganyan ka dapat sumagot sa 'kin?

He may be only two years older, but her kuya stepped up as the man of the house at only fifteen years old when their shitty father left.

Maureen huffs and steps inside. "My clothes got wet and Gab lent me a shirt. None of his bottoms could fit, so sabi ko okay na 'to."

It's the only thing she's wearing on top of her bikini. A white shirt na medyo damp that ends just below her butt.

Her hair is also a little soaked pa from their swim at his pool.

"You smell like chlorine," her kuya says, scrunching his nose.

"Oo nga, Rinn."

Even as she cringes internally, Maureen looks up briefly, flashes him a smile, and says, "Hi, Kuya Inggo. You're here pala."

"Birthday celeb ni Valle until sa 18 sa Batangas," her kuya says. "Sabay kaming pupunta tomorrow sa bahay niya para isang kotse na lang."

Maureen hasn't torn her eyes away from him.

Naka-lean siya against the doorway na nagse-separate sa kitchen at living room, naka-sando lang na black 'tsaka shorts. His skin is gloriously tan, arms deliciously ripped, face...devastatingly handsome. Nakatayo siya with his arms and ankles crossed, easy and relaxed, as he meets her gaze straight on. "Late ka ng uwi, ah."

Maureen fights the shivers in her body from his voice and eyes.

Two weeks ago, on that sunny day, he was grunting, moaning, gasping, and whispering her name in her ear.

He was looking into her eyes when he took what she was offering him.

Kuya Migo tosses him a pillow, making her look away. "Tapos ka na ba sa mga pinggan?"

"Opo, gago." Kuya Inggo throws the pillow back in his face, which her kuya dodges. To her, he repeats, "Late na."

"Ikaw ang kuya?" Kuya Migo rolls his eyes. He shifts his eyes back to Maureen. "Late ka na ng uwi."

"Bobong putangina, inulit lang sinabi ko."

"Tanga!" He flips him off.

"I'll shower and go to bed," Maureen says, hurrying up the stairs, her bag slapping against her thigh. "And, just to remind you, Kuya: I don't have a curfew anymore, I regularly update you and Mama, and I was with a friend. Night!"

Binuksan niya ang pinto niya, and then sinarado niya without going inside—just to make noise.

"Sino si Gab?" tanong agad ni Kuya Inggo.

Like he's demanding.

Anger ripples through her. Anong karapatan niyang magtanong o malaman?

Before the sex, he made it clear he wasn't attracted to her.

After her humiliating insistence, she said, in the firmest voice she could muster, "I'll leave if you really don't want to. Maraming nakapila sa kwarto mo, I know I'm not what you usually go for." She laughed a little, hoping he would rebut her.

"You're not," he said. Without hesitation.

Maureen did not let her smile waver. Gets naman niya, kaka-eighteen niya pa lang. Average lang ang itsura niya, ang liit ng boobs niya, ng pwet niya, hindi pa siya graduate ng high school.

Gets naman niya e.

"Please, Kuya Inggo," she murmured. It was her fifth 'please'. Nakakahiya.

When he didn't react, she turned to leave.

But then he pulled her inside his room.

Before the sex, he said he wanted nothing to do with her after.

He said, "Rinn, hindi lang dahil kay Migs. I can't commit to you. Or to anyone. Kung ano ang mangyayari dito, 'yon lang 'yon. You can't tell anyone, either. Can you handle that?"

After the sex, Maureen showed him she can.

She rolled off him, cleaned herself, and put on her clothes. She smiled, said, "Thanks, Kuya Inggo," and walked away.

In the present, Kuya Migo answers, "One of her best friends." He says this nonchalantly and distractedly, almost like he went back to his phone to check for Ate Jiya's messages.

Even as Maureen rolls her eyes, nakakaramdam din siya ng inggit sa kung anong mayro'n ang kuya niya at si Ate Jiya. Wala pa silang isang taon, pero pinanood niya silang sumayaw noong debut niya, and she knew then that what they have is real, and rare, and intimate, and emotional.

"Siya lang kasama niya mag-swimming?" tanong ni Kuya Inggo.

"Oo," her kuya answers.

Kuya Inggo doesn't say anything anymore.

Gritting her teeth, Maureen silently pushes open the door, slips inside her room, and closes it.

*

The first time Maureen met Kuya Inggo, he just rolled out of bed with a girl.

Nasa class na kuya niya. She came by to drop off the last of his things sa condo per his request, and he said na dumiretso siya paakyat, may spare key sa may plant near the door.

Hindi alam ni Kuya Migo that Kuya Inggo was home.

He smiled and said, "Inggo. Migo's sister, right?"

Maureen felt her heart drop.

His hair was disheveled, the strands pulled and messed with thoroughly. He was half-naked, the golden tan of his skin glistening with sweat, his boxers low on his hips. He was packed with muscle, his shoulders and back broad, the V of his hips and his happy trail prominent. His lips were red and wet, his tongue running through the thick, bottom one, and his neck was littered with scratch marks and love bites.

Ah, sabi ni Maureen sa isip niya. Heartbreaker. Fuckboy.

Nakikita na niya ang pagwawagway ng mga red flags.

Pwede ako maging colorblind—

Maureen! she scolded herself, pinching her right arm. Get it together!

"Maureen," she squeaked, and his smile grew wider into a grin, although his eyebrow rose.

"Maureen?" ulit niya, like he's testing it on his tongue.

Maureen's toes curled.

May babae sa kwarto niya, gaga!

"Not Rinn?"

"Huh?" Maureen blinked. "No, no one calls me that."

He let out a breathless chuckle, shaking his head. "No'ng kausap ka ni Migs kanina sa phone, nahuli ko lang yung last syllable of your name, kaya akala ko Rinn."

"Well, it's Maureen," she said with the same polite smile on her lips, unsure why she's being insistent.

His smile grew wider into a grin, and his teeth pulled his bottom lip in.

Lord, I can fix him, sabi ng devil niya.

Bobo! sabi ng angel niya. Bob the Builder ka, ampota? Fuckboy 'yan! Run!

Run into his arms? the devil answered cheerfully, kinikilig.

Putangina.

"Well, Rinn," sabi niya, eyes twinkling with challenge, "it's nice to meet you." He put out his hand.

Lagay mo sa panty mo, sabi ng devil.

MAY TOPAK KA, sabi ng angel.

On the outside, Maureen was desperately trying to keep her cool. She stared at his hand, and then back in his eyes. "Sorry, I'd rather not...shake it." Galing lang 'yan sa panty ng iba, mga bobo, sabi niya sa devil and angel niya. "But it's nice to meet you too, Kuya Inggo."

His laugh was unexpected.

RED FLAGS! paalala ng angel.

Heart-shaped sila! sigaw ng devil. Maghubad ka na for him!

NO!

"Kuya Inggo," he repeated, still laughing, running a hand over his jaw as he looked her up and down. He tilted his head to the side. "I'm not much older than you, same age kami ni Migo."

"Still older," Maureen quipped, flipping the hair out of her face. "Anyway, I have to get going. See you around!"

She ran out of there as gracefully as she could.

But not before hearing, "Hope so, Rinn."

He never ignored her when he was around the house, always smiling at her and making small talk, asking about school and telling her about her kuya's 'kagagaguhan' in college, but he never sought her out by himself. Never called or texted, never went to see her, never tried to form any other relationship with her than his best friend's little sister.

Kaya no'ng hindi siya nakapunta sa debut niya, she wasn't surprised. It stung, especially after Kuya Migo said that he said thanks—so alam niyang he did receive the invitation—but she expected it.

Kahit hindi siya kasama sa eighteen dances, she still wanted to dance with him. But he had other things to do than to attend her birthday party.

So no'ng pumunta si Maureen sa condo, a day after her debut, while Kuya Migo and Ate Jiya were out, he was surprised.

"Rinn," he said, blinking sleepily, hovering by the door of his room.

Please, sabi ni Maureen sa isip niya. Please, sana walang babae sa loob.

"Are you alone? I need to talk to you," she said, shaking in anxiousness.

"Yeah," he rasped, opening the door wider and leaning against the frame. "What's up?"

Thank God.

"Oo nga pala! Happy birthday!" Kuya Inggo grinned, ruffling her hair. "Sorry I wasn't able to come, I was dead tired after finals and I crashed agad—"

"Will you sleep with me?" she said before she lost her nerve.

Kuya Inggo's smile faded. Then, after three heartbeats, he said, "What?"

Maureen had to beg. She said 'please' five times.

Nakakahiya.

The summer passes habang nasa Pampanga si Maureen with her family after Ate Jiya's birthday celebration. Nagbati na rin sila ng kuya niya. She doesn't know what they fought about, but she's glad they made up already. Her kuya is back to his happy, lovesick self.

That whole summer, Maureen tries to forget that she gave Kuya Inggo her body on that sunny day.

But she did not know she was offering her heart on a platter as well.

And he has not returned it since.

*

tweet nyo ko: arrowheadswp hihi

happy v-day!