"There's more inside the fridge." 

I placed two more cans of beer on the table when Clyden asked to drink more liquor, quietly this time like he was thinking deeply about something. I had already finished cleaning the table, so I left them there to take a shower. I checked Avrielle and saw her sleeping while holding a tablet. Nakatulugan na pala niya 'yong panonood. 

I kissed her forehead before leaving the lamp on. I was wearing a pair of shorts and an oversized shirt. I was about to go out of the room when Clyden suddenly appeared at the door. Napaatras ako at naglakad siya papasok sa loob, taking a seat on the bed while staring at Avrielle. He looked even more drunk. 

"You know, I thought she was yours." He laughed a bit. "When I first saw you with her... And because her name was similar to the name you wanted for your future daughter." 

"What?" Nanlaki ang mata ko sa gulat. Hindi ko alam na ganoon pala ang iniisip niya! For someone who was born intelligent, he sure believed in rumors a lot. "How could you say that? She's already five! We were still together when she was born." 

"I thought you cheated behind my back." He scoffed, touching Avrielle's cheek. "I was so confused because she looked like Haze a bit... but her surname was Fernandez. I thought to myself that it didn't make any sense at all, so I set the idea aside." 

"Oh, damn," I whispered, realizing the issue here. "Fernandez is my best friend's surname, Yanna. The father of the child is Hiro, Haze's brother. I didn't know you were doubting me. I'm sorry for only explaining this now. You didn't ask either." 

"Because I was scared that it might be true." He looked at the ceiling and sighed, placing his hands on his sides to support his weight. "I was watching you with her for a long time, and then Haze came into the picture. I thought that you would make a great family... He has time for you, and you won't worry about anything else. Actually, I felt jealous. I wanted to spend time with you too." 

"So that's why you were staring a lot?" We were whispering so we won't wake up the kid. "But you're still getting the wrong idea here. Haze doesn't like me, and not because you're telling me to give him a chance, I suddenly will. I can make my own decisions. I only act on what I want." 

"What do you want, then?" He looked at me. 

I looked at Avrielle and opened the door so we could leave the room. I didn't want to disturb the innocent sleeping child. Clyden stood up and went out of the room with me before going back to the living room to drink another can of beer. Nakaka-amaze na hindi pa siya nagpapass out, knowing that his alcohol tolerance was low. 

"That's mine." Kinuha ko ang beer sa kanya at ininuman 'yon. We were seated at the floor again, just in front of the coffee table. Nakatingin lang kaming dalawa sa malayo habang nag-iisip. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang iniisip niya pero tahimik lang siya. "Can you still go to the hospital tomorrow?" 

"Yeah, I have to go back. I just asked someone to cover me for a few hours," he said, still looking away. "Don't you like him?" He changed the topic again. That was still bothering him, huh? 

"We're just friends," I told him. "Sure, we tease each other a lot. Haze has something in him that makes me comfortable. I'm not like this with other people, and you know that, but we're really just good friends. That man has been going around with other women too." 

"Gustong-gusto kitang ipagdamot," he whispered, looking down on the floor. 

"Then please do so. I don't want to feel like you're giving me away." I felt a bit hurt when he told me to give Haze a chance and not worry about him anymore. It was like he was giving me up. I didn't want that at all. 

"I'm not giving you away. You were never mine in the first place." He sighed heavily, holding his head. "You are yours. The decision is still on you." 

"And my decision is not to let you give up. Cy, when will you ever fight for me?" My heart was hurting. I sounded so desperate. 

He scoffed and looked away. He was trying to stop his tears from falling again. "Did you even fight for us, Sam?" 

I pursed my lips, not saying anything. Alam ko na simula pa lang, ako 'yong nang-iwan sa kanya. He tried to fight for it. He tried to stop me from leaving back then, but I was so determined to do so that he already gave up. We ended on good terms, but during the relationship, it felt too good... too smooth, like it wasn't normal anymore. 

Wala kaming reklamo o malalang away habang nasa relasyon, dahil siya, masyado siyang busy para sabihin ang nararamdaman niya and I was also too considerate to the point that I was already keeping it all inside me. We didn't even have the chance to talk about it. 

"Ni minsan ba, nagawa mong magalit sa 'kin?" he asked again, leaning his elbow on his knee. 

I tried to recall the times I felt mad at him. Real anger and not just simple annoyance. I couldn't recall anything. Minsan, nagseselos ako pero kinikimkim ko lang din naman lahat. For the whole relationship, I was the most considerate of him and his dream. I didn't want to bother him because I thought being mad at him was a selfish thing to do so. 

"No," I answered. "You had a lot on your plate, but you hurt me a lot. Despite that, I still couldn't bring myself to hate you or be mad at you even when I felt like you were slowly slipping away from me, even when you didn't sound interested in my achievements anymore, even when you wouldn't sleep beside me anymore, even when you ignored my messages a lot of times because you were busy, even if you weren't there when I was at my lowest. I understood everything." 

"Pero 'yon na nga ang problema, Sam. You always understand. You can't say what's really on your mind. If you keep on thinking about other people, everything will pile up inside, and it's like a flame that will burn you slowly. This has always been your problem. You can't say the things inside your mind." 

"How is it wrong to not bother other people with my own problems?" I asked because I really didn't get it. "The only person to blame is me. It's not like I'm blaming and hurting other people when I'm like this-"

"You're hurting me," he cut me off. His eyes looked so lonely when he looked at me. "Because I felt useless. I was your fiancé, but you couldn't even lean on me." 

"You had a lot on your plate-" 

"And you're always on top of it, Maureen," mariing sabi niya. 

I pursed my lips and looked away. I couldn't say anything anymore. He looked like he was really hurt. Was it that bad? Tinatago ko na nga lahat para hindi siya masaktan, pero pati ba naman 'yon nakakasakit pa rin sa kanya? What should I do then? 

"I will open up to you..." I placed the can of beer on the table before leaning against the couch. I was staring at nowhere while gathering my thoughts. "I'm so lonely. For the past years, I have been living in the dark. You know what? Until now, I'm still so mad at my parents." I inhaled a large amount of breath to stop the tears from falling. 

I wasn't ready to open up that wound yet, but maybe scratching the top a bit won't hurt. I will try to slowly open it until the surface gets healed. 

"And I miss Naomi so much." My voice broke. Tears started falling with the mention of her name, and I had to cover my face so he won't see. 

"I know," he whispered, not moving. 

"Sometimes, during shoots, I would randomly imagine her around. I'm so mad because she didn't deserve all of it. I don't even know if my parents apologized to her. I couldn't even go to the mansion because that was where she... she passed away." I cried more. "And knowing that I could have done better..." 

"She doesn't want you to think like that." He held my hand and brushed his thumb slowly on me to calm me down. "You've done enough for her, and I know that. I saw everything." 

"I don't know what to do..." I sobbed. "I'm still mad. I've never felt this mad about something. I am mad at my parents, the people she spent time with, and the media. But look at me. I ended up working in the same industry that destroyed her." 

"She will support you no matter what," he told me again. "There's no need to feel guilty for chasing your dream. She even helped you achieve that, so don't let it go to waste because of guilt." 

"You're right..." I wiped the tears from my face. "You're right, but it's not easy... I just wish I could lean on someone and I could hold onto someone so that I could feel secure. Maybe it will make me feel that I can get through everything." 

"You can hold onto me." He tightened his hold on my hand. "Kahit bitawan mo ulit ako sa dulo. Kumapit ka lang sa 'kin ngayon, wala na 'kong pakialam sa mangyayari." 

I moved closer and leaned my head on his shoulder. We just stayed like that for a long time without talking. His warmth was transferred to me, and I immediately felt comforted. I felt... home. 

"You can do what you want with me," he suddenly whispered. "And I won't complain." 

"That's a selfless thing to do." I looked up to him for a minute, nakasandal pa rin ang ulo sa balikat niya. 

He swallowed hard and looked back at me. "You should know, right?" 

I let out a small laugh before moving closer to him again. He let go of my hand and just wrapped his arms around my shoulder instead. Sinandal ko ulit ang ulo ko sa balikat niya habang tinatapik niya ang balikat ko. I wasn't crying anymore. I felt refreshed. 

"Spend your next free day with me," I told him. "I want to see the dogs." 

"Sure," he said, pulling me closer to him. "They miss their mom too." 

He smelled like liquor. Nagtataka tuloy ako kung bakit ang ayos niya pa ring kausap. Ganito ba siya malasing? Wala talagang kakaiba sa kanya? He was still composed. I drank the remaining beer but when I looked at him again, he wasn't moving anymore. I looked closer and saw him... sleeping. 

"Wow, he passed out." I massaged my head and stood up. Nakatulog na talaga siya habang nakaupo. "Hey, wake up." I kicked his leg softly. 

Oh my gosh! Tulog na talaga siya! Lumuhod ako at sinubukang ilagay ang braso niya sa balikat ko para itayo siya but I ended up falling on the floor. Ang bigat niya! Napakamot ako sa ulo ko at sinubukan ulit siyang gisingin. Kinuha ko na rin ako ng moisturizing mist and sprayed it on his face but he didn't even budge. 

"Why do you have to pass out here?!" reklamo ko. "We were talking just fine!" 

I gave up! I couldn't even carry him and put him on the couch, so I just went to the guest room to get a pillow and a blanket before going back to the living room and placing the pillow below his head. Kinumutan ko siya habang nakahiga siya sa sahig ng living room. Poor him. His back would hurt tomorrow. 

I giggled and did my night care routine, ready to sleep, but I still went back to him and sat beside him, holding a cotton pad and cleanser. I started cleaning his face so that he wouldn't wake up tomorrow with dirt on his face. Ang kinis pa naman niya. 

"Lagi kang puyat pero ang kinis mo. What's your secret?" I was like talking to a corpse. 

I fixed his hair before going back to my room. Humiga na 'ko sa tabi ni Avrielle at natulog. Parang kakapikit ko lang, nagising na ulit ako dahil sa doorbell! I looked at the time. Six A.M. pa lang! Because of the sound, nagising din si Avrielle. She looked around, still half-asleep.  Magulo pa ang buhok. 

"Mommy?" She looked for Yanna again after waking up. She was that attached to her. 

I was forced to stand up and go to the door. I jumped in surprise when I saw Clyden still sleeping on the floor! I felt bad and was about to wake him up, but the doorbell rang again. Inis kong binuksan 'yon, inaantok pa. 

"What now-" 

"Bakit ang tagal mong sagutin? Nagtatago ka siguro ng lalaki rito!" I was surprised to see Yanna in front of me, still in her uniform. Kaka-land lang siguro niya. She went inside my unit but suddenly stopped when she saw a man on the floor. "Pucha, ano 'yan?! May patay!" She pointed at him, getting scared. 

"Stupid, he's not dead! He's just sleeping! Ah, my head hurts." I held my head because of a hangover. 

"Mommy?" Avrielle was in the hallway again, holding a toy. She still looked so sleepy. 

"Baby!" Yanna already forgot about Clyden and carried her daughter, kissing her on the cheek. "We're going home. Daddy's waiting in the parking." 

"Daddy," Avrielle whispered, hugging Yanna on the neck so she could sleep again. Her cheek squished against Yanna's shoulder as she slept. 

Inabot ko ang bag ni Avrielle sa kanya pati 'yong laruan. Yanna looked at Clyden again and walked towards him to get a closer look. She tilted his head a bit to the side while admiring his looks. I completely saw through her! 

"Ang gwapo, ah," she told me, smirking. 

"Hiro's waiting," I reminded her, smiling back. 

"Madaling-madali mapaalis ako? May gagawin? Huwag mong sabihing gumawa ka ng milagro habang narito ang anak ko, ha!" She glared at me. "Malanding 'to!" 

"We didn't even kiss or anything!" I defended myself. 

"Uy, tunog disappointed. Nadismaya ka?" she teased more. "Ang bagal mo naman. Galingan mo kasi." 

"I'm not as seductive as you, Yanna." I rolled my eyes. 

Everything was so easy for her because she was sexy and irresistible! No wonder why Hiro couldn't get enough of her. Yanna would pass as a cover for adult magazines. 

"Diligan mo, oh... Basain mo pa ako..." she sang before leaving my unit. Sinara ko kaagad ang pinto para hindi na marinig ang kasunod na lyrics. 

I looked at Clyden and woke him up because he needed to go back to the hospital. Tinapik-tapik ko ang pisngi niya hanggang sa mapakunot ang noo niya at dumilat. He looked around, looking so confused. 

"Ah..." Napahawak siya sa likod niya pagkaupo. He stretched his neck too. I suddenly felt bad for letting him sleep on the floor. "Ang sakit ng likod ko, ah."

"I'm so sorry. You suddenly passed out here, and you were too heavy, so I couldn't carry you," I explained. 

He reached for his phone and his eyes widened when he saw the time. Dali-dali siyang napatakbo sa guest room para kuhanin ang mga gamit niya. He was really in a panic. Kinuha niya rin ang specs niya sa coffee table pagkatapos niya maghilamos sa C.R. 

"Uh, coffee." I gave him a bottle of cold coffee before he left. 

Kinuha niya 'yon sa kamay ko at sinuot ang bag niya. "Sorry, male-late na 'ko. Shit." He couldn't even say goodbye properly. He just ran out of my unit and left. Nakita ko pang napahawak siya sa likod niya sa sobrang sakit. 

I laughed at how epic his reaction was. He would probably just shower there. Nakakaawa naman siya at mukhang masakit pa ulo niya dahil sa alak. I hoped for him to get through the day. As for me, I just spent my time cleaning the condo and cooking breakfast for myself. I had to go to the gym after, so I showered after washing the dishes. 

"Oh." I picked up the necklace on the floor. My eyes widened when I saw the ring attached to it. Napatingin tuloy ako sa drawer ko para i-check kung akin 'yon but I had mine there... It was Clyden's. 

He still had it with him and dala niya so suot niya? Hindi ko napansin 'yon. I wasn't really paying attention. I didn't text him just to see if he would look for it. Kung hindi niya mapansin, malalaman kong hindi importante sa kanya. It was a petty thing to do but I just wanted to see his reaction. 

I went to the gym and did some workouts. After that, I showered and changed into casual clothes. I just wore a dark green bralette with a white jacket and a pair of high-waisted ripped jeans. I left my gym clothes inside the car when I went to the mall to have lunch. 

"Hello? Are you available today? Let's plan for Yanna's bachelorette party!" I called someone while walking inside the mall with my shades on. 

[Bachelorette? Totoo ba?] Luna asked on the other line. 

"Of course! It's a must! Malapit na ang wedding day, and we need to prepare for this in secret! I want it to be a surprise! I think Hiro's also going to have a bachelor party, according to my sources." I smirked. Hindi pwedeng si Hiro lang ang may party! 

[May boys? Tara, sige! Kierra! Lunch tayo sa labas!] Luna yelled. She was probably in the office. May work siya, eh. 

"I'm going to call Via, too," I said before ending the call. I made our own group chat without Yanna and texted them my location. Good thing Via was still available. She said she would stay until Yanna's wedding before leaving for Spain. 

I reserved a table for us at our favorite Italian restaurant and just waited there, avoiding the eyes of the people. No one would suspect that it was me. Kaunti lang din ang tao rito at sa pinakalikod at pinakadulo ako nakaupo. 

I ordered ahead of time so they could prepare for our meal. Tahimik lang akong nagse-cellphone habang naghihintay. Hindi ko alam kung ilang minuto na ang lumipas kaya nagulat ako nang may lumapit sa 'kin. 

"Samantha Vera?! Oh my gosh, ikaw po ba 'yan?!" I jumped in surprise when I heard a woman. 

I was about to deny it when I saw Luna in front of me, smirking. Tinanggal ko ang shades ko nang umupo sila ni Kierra sa harapan ko. They were both wearing formal attires, but Kierra had a laptop with her. 

"Hangover ka? Bakit ganyan itsura mo?" Kierra asked me. 

"Yeah. I was drinking last night." I sipped on my water again, hoping that my headache would get better. Nakapag-burn naman na 'ko kanina sa gym. 

"Oh? Sino'ng kasama mo?" Luna curiously asked before sipping on her water too. Hindi pa kasi dumadating ang in-order niyang shake. 

I looked at her and gave her a teasing smile. "Oh, your ex," I honestly answered. 

My eyes widened when she suddenly choked on her water. Inabot ko kaagad ang tissue sa kanya dahil nadura niya nang kaunti. Kierra was looking at her in disgust, lumayo pa nang kaunti dahil sa pandidiri. 

"Dalawa lang kayo?" nagtatakang tanong niya nang makaget-over kakaubo. 

"Why? You're curious about him now?" I smiled more. Because I was with Kalix last night and then Luna today, I found both of them cute. 

"Hindi." Luna shook her head and changed the topic. "Okay, so nakapag-isip na 'ko ng plano sa bachelorette! Nag-search ako kanina tsaka nanood ng videos habang papunta rito kaya si Ke 'yong nag-drive. Maganda kapag may macho dancers-"

"Yeah, okay." I watched videos too and ganoon din ang nakita ko. Kierra typed it on her laptop. Para siyang secretary sa meeting. 

Kasabay dumating ng pagkain si Via. She was wearing an off-shoulder dress which made her look like an angel. She sat beside me and tried to catch up on the meeting by reading what was on Kierra's laptop. 

"Puro lalaki ang nakikita ko rito. Boys, boys, boys," Via read them all out loud. "Sure kayo? Hindi ba magagalit si Hiro diyan?" 

"Bachelorette party nga, eh!" Luna argued. "Tsaka wala naman tayong jowa! Ayaw n'yo 'yon? Masaya kaya! Lalo na pag masu-surprise si Yanna! Nae-excite na 'ko! Ako na bahala pumili ng costume natin!" 

"Ha? May costume?" nagtatakang tanong ni Via. 

"Bawal KJ! Dapat matchy matchy tayo para maganda sa picture!" Luna sounded excited. Nag-search na siya kaagad ng mga dress at pinakita sa amin. 

"KJ?" Kierra repeated, smirking at Luna. Nagkatinginan silang dalawa at binigyan siya ni Luna ng nakakatakot na ngiti. 

"Shan ulit 'yong venue? Naku-curious kasi ako!" Luna smirked at her too. 

"Uh, I will book a hotel," I still answered. Via was trying to change some things in our chaotic party. Hinayaan na lang namin siya dahil siya ang matino mag-isip. 

"Samantha Vera? P-pwede po magpa-picture?" A lady suddenly went to our table while we were discussing the party. 

My eyes widened, and I closed the laptop because Luna was searching for lingerie! All of us looked at the lady, so she immediately felt awkward. 

"Y-yeah, sure!" Via stood up so she could let me out. Sa dulo kasi ako nakaupo. 

"Sa akin hindi ka magpapa-picture?" Luna suddenly asked, looking so serious. 

"P-po?" Naguluhan bigla 'yong babae. "S-sino po..." She couldn't even say it because she didn't want to sound offensive. 

"Hala, hindi niya 'ko kilala," Luna continued teasing. 

I stood up and took a photo with the lady. Selfie 'yon, so Luna offered to take a picture of us. The lady felt glad, but I had trust issues with Luna. 

"Okay, one, two, three, smile!" Luna smiled too kaya napakunot ang noo ko. "Okay na ba 'to?" She walked towards us and showed us the photo. 

"Luna!" I scolded her when I saw her selfie instead. 

"Heto na! Seryoso na! Ang init ng ulo ni Miss Samantha Vera!" Luna laughed and went back to her position, serious na this time because I glared at her. She was in a good mood today, huh? Good thing the photo turned out good, so the lady already left after thanking us. 

"Ugali talaga nito, oh." Kierra shook her head at Luna. 

We ate while still discussing the party. Nakita kong medyo naiilang na sila Via dahil may mga lumalapit sa table namin para magpa-picture sa 'kin so after eating, I suggested na lumipat kami ng place. We went to a coffee shop instead. 

I received a text while we were eating. I was surprised to see Clyden's name.

From: Doctor Ramirez

Have you eaten?

I bit my lower lip to stifle a smile before replying. 

To: Doctor Ramirez 

Yes. How about you? Take care of yourself and also take a shower lol 

"Huy, ano'ng nginingiti mo diyan? Pa-share naman!" Luna suddenly interrupted me. 

"Kayo ba talaga noong Haze?" Kierra asked me.

I shook my head immediately. "No, we're just friends." 

"Bakit hindi mo dine-deny?" Via asked me too. Wala pala silang alam dahil kay Yanna ko lang sinasabi. 

"Because..." I was using him as a cover-up for Clyden. "It's good for my publicity." I didn't lie. It was still true. I just hid the deeper reason for it. 

"Paano 'yong issue kay Avrielle?" Kierra asked.

"Oh, Hiro and Yanna will announce their marriage in public soon, as requested by Hiro's mom. I'm sure Avrielle's name will come up, so it's fine." I shrugged. I wasn't really paying attention to it. That issue had already died down and just got brought up because of Haze. 

From: Doctor Ramirez

I already showered lol what are you doing now? 

To: Doctor Ramirez

Oh, I'm with my girl friends. 

From: Doctor Ramirez 

Are you available on Sunday?

To: Doctor Ramirez

I'll make myself available. 

After sending that, I couldn't stop smiling anymore. Days went by slowly, and I also went back to work. I flew to Paris to attend a show. Invited lang ako at hindi ako 'yong nag-model. I met with other designers, too, and had lunch with them. 

"Giselle!" I kissed her cheek when she walked inside the restaurant. "Long time no see!" 

"Hello, gorgeous." She pinched my cheek before greeting the other designers, too. Bumeso siya sa kanila bago umupo sa tabi ko. "How are you? I heard you're doing so great!" 

"Yeah, kind of." I smiled. "How about you? Anything interesting going on? I heard about what happened between you and Kalix. Are you okay?" 

"Oh, that." She let out a laugh. "Don't worry about it! It's really nothing serious. We just played around a bit." 

"That's also what he said." I shrugged. Maybe they weren't really serious. Pareho naman sila ng sinabi. I thought Giselle would be hurt, but she looked really fine. Well, she was gorgeous. There was no need to sulk over men. 

"How about you? I heard about Haze! What's going on?" she teased me. "Oh, Excusez-moi? La carte, s'il vous plaît?" she talked to the waiter, asking for the menu. 

"We're not together," I answered her question. "We're just friends. Oh, can you also order tea for me?" 

"Okay. Let me see what's in here." Giselle looked over the menu. 

I spent two more days in Paris with Francine. Arah was left in the Philippines to work with other brands. I shopped a lot and bought a souvenir for Clyden. Tine-text niya na ako palagi kapag may oras siya. I can say that we became closer. 

I just bought a designer sweater for him and a watch. The next day, I flew back to the Philippines. Sunday midnight na kami nakapag-land. Francine made sure that the media didn't catch on my flight. 

I stopped walking out of the arrival area when I received a text from Clyden. 

From: Doctor Ramirez

Welcome back. 

I replied, 'thanks,' and walked again. The van was already waiting for us outside the airport. Good thing it was midnight and walang media sa labas. 

I was waiting for the van outside with Francine beside me until I saw a familiar car. It stopped right in front of me, so I stared at it with confusion. It was a white SUV. 

From: Doctor Ramirez

Get in. 

My mouth formed an 'o'. Napalingon kaagad ako kay Francine. "Go alone! The van's on its way already! I booked Grab! Here it is!" I pointed at the car in front of me.

"H-huh?!" Naguluhan kaagad siya. "Ma'am!" 

"Bye!" Kumaway ako sa kanya at binuksan ang likod ng sasakyan para ilagay ang maleta ko roon. 

I had a hard time, so Clyden had to go down the car and carry my luggage. He was wearing a black hoodie and a cap, hiding his face too. He probably knew I wouldn't want the people to catch on. He smelled so good. Francine was staring at him the whole time. 

Sumakay kaagad ako sa shotgun seat pagkatapos at sinuot ang seatbelt ko. Clyden also went back, removing his hood and cap. 

"You didn't say that you would pick me up!" I told him, sounding so excited. 

"How was Paris?" he asked, pushing his hair back. Nagulo kasi dahil sa cap. He looked like a non-showbiz boyfriend. I couldn't help but laugh at that. 

"It's fun! I bought you a gift but later na! Where are we going now?" I removed my shades. "Did you miss me?" 

"Don't ask two questions at the same time," he said, driving away since marami nang car sa likod. 

"Did you miss me?" I asked first. 

He refused to answer and just gave me a smirk. Napasimangot ako at umayos na lang ng upo. I already forgot about the other question. I was actually looking forward to our destination. Were we on our way to see the dogs? I felt excited. 

I felt sleepy so I tried to fight it by eating the lollipop I saw in his car. Tumingin na lang ako sa labas habang umaandar ang sasakyan. He was driving fast because it was already midnight. Wala nang masyadong sasakyan sa daan. 

Naubos ko na ang lollipop at nilagay na lang sa bag ko ang stick at wrapper so I could throw them later. I looked outside the window when the car slowed down, and it went inside a garage. 

"Oh, this is..." I blinked twice when I saw our house.

He stopped the engine and went down. Tinanggal ko ang seatbelt ko at bubuksan na sana ang pinto pero naunahan niya 'ko. He opened the door and went closer to me while his hand was holding onto the top of the car. His other hand was placed on the seat, just beside my hips caging me. 

My lips parted in shock. I wanted to say something, but he moved closer, so I pursed my lips again. He was so close to me. I looked down at his lips, which were already inches away from mine. 

He held my chin and planted a soft kiss on my lips. I automatically closed my eyes as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me. He moved his lips and pushed his tongue inside me, tasting me. I probably tasted sweet because of the candy. 

I was already panting when he stopped. The side of his lips rose and formed a smirk as he stared at me. 

"Did that answer your question earlier?" he asked. 

________________________________________________________________________________

:)