"Maple! Hail! Hello, Solar!" 

My smile widened when the dogs came running to me as soon as I entered the house. Lumuhod ako sa sahig para mayakap ko sila. They went into my arms willingly, but Solar was too small, so I carried her with me. I kissed Hail and Maple's heads. Hail looked bigger! Like a wolf! His mask also made him look scary, but he was actually the contrary of it. He was so sweet. 

"Alis na 'ko." I looked up to see Colin. Magkausap sila ni Clyden sa pinto habang dala-dala ni Cy 'yong maleta ko. So he was staying here while Clyden was out.

"You can stay," Clyden told him, stopping by the door. 

"No, thanks." Colin glanced at me, so Clyden followed his gaze. I immediately stood up and gave him an awkward smile. I wasn't close with Clyden's younger brother, and I can't remember having a conversation with him before. He was so quiet. 

"Uh, take care," I told him before he could leave. 

He looked at me and gave me a small smile. "Thank you," he said before leaving the house, tapping Clyden's shoulder. 

I played with the dogs again while Clyden carried my luggage upstairs. Pagkababa niya, dumeretso na siya sa dirty kitchen at isang tawag niya lang, nagsitakbuhan na 'yong dogs papunta sa kanya. He opened the door for them so I followed to see what they will do. 

"Aso ka rin?" Clyden asked when he saw me peeking through the screen of the door. 

He placed water bowls on the floor and let the dogs drink bago naglapag ng beds sa floor where the dogs sleep. It was already midnight, so the dogs should be sleeping already. Inayos niya 'yon bago pumasok ulit sa loob, pushing me a little to the side. 

"Let them sleep," he told me before going to the kitchen. "Are you hungry? How was the flight?" 

Hungry? I suddenly remembered what happened earlier in the garage. My face heated as I looked away from him. I unconsciously touched my lower lip with my fingers while the kiss replayed inside my head over and over again. I wasn't expecting that! Not at all!

Ang tagal na since I last felt that kind of sensation inside me. The butterflies brought by a kiss. The pleasure and the thirst of wanting more, but of course, I couldn't say that to Clyden. He would probably think of me as a perv or whatever. 

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" he asked, a little concerned about my facial expression. 

Napatingin kaagad ako sa kanya at umiling. I didn't want him to think that I was thirsting over that one kiss he gave me! No, not at all! Actually, yes! Yes, but I didn't want him to know because it was embarrassing. 

How could he kiss me and act as if nothing happened?! He even tasted me! Good thing I ate a lollipop, so I probably tasted sweet! Look at him in front of me, acting so normal while I was flustered about what happened. It was just one kiss... Ano b'ang nangyayari sa 'kin? We kissed a lot before! 

"I'll cook something," he told me when he didn't receive a single word from me. 

He checked the fridge and brought out a pan from the cabinet. He told me that he was going to cook fries for me as a midnight snack, so I excused myself first and walked upstairs to take a shower. It was a long flight, and I felt sleepy earlier, but because of that kiss, I became wide awake. 

Good thing I had spare clothes with me inside my luggage. I also opened my skincare bag, so my wallet fell along with that. When I picked it up, I saw the necklace that fell from the inside. Kinuha ko 'yon at tinitigan. Right... His ring was with me, and he didn't even look for it even after days. Napansin na ba niya? Kung napansin niya, hinayaan niya na lang na nawawala? I felt a little lonely. 

I showered inside the master bedroom because that was where he placed my luggage, and then I changed into my satin nightdress with a pair of satin shorts of the same color. I brushed my hair and brought the necklace with me downstairs. 

I sat on the high breakfast table with my feet hanging on the edge while he was preparing the food. I looked around the house and saw some changes in the furniture. He added some paintings and changed the sala set and the television. He even added a leather reclining chair in the living room. 

"I thought of selling the house because our parents bought it for us, but I didn't want the memories to go away," he said, placing the bowl of fries on the table. 

He stood in front of me. Since I was seated at the table, we were at the same eye level. He placed both of his hands on my sides, caging me again. I looked away and tried to get some fries, but it was so hot, so nabitawan ko kaagad. 

"Ouch," I whispered, licking my finger a bit to ease the slight burn. He stared at me with longing eyes while I did that. 

"It's hot. Wait for it to cool down," he said in a low voice, giving the bowl of fries a glance before looking at me again. 

But I was impatient, and I felt awkward with his stare, so I tried to get one again and cooled it down by blowing on it before taking a bite. 

"Ouch!" Binalik ko kaagad nang mapaso ang dila ko. My brows furrowed as I stuck my tongue out. It was hot! Did I burn it? Clyden raised a brow while watching me, biting his lower lip to stop himself from smiling. 

"I told you to wait, right?" he asked, holding my wrists and putting them down on my sides. "That's too bad. Let's cool it down." 

"Huh?" 

My eyes widened when he suddenly went closer to me, standing in between my legs. He placed his other hand on my side, holding on to the table while his other hand went to the side of my neck. I parted my lips when he went in for a kiss. 

I understood what he meant by 'cooling it down' when he suddenly pushed his tongue inside my mouth, tightening his hold on my neck to pull me even closer to him. I automatically closed my eyes and moved my lips along with his. I whimpered when he sucked on my tongue before letting me go. 

"How was that? Does it still hurt?" He arched a brow. 

Hindi ako makapagsalita. My eyes were trying to communicate with him so he could give me more. He stared at me before his lips formed a playful smile. Kumuha siya ng fries at kinagatan 'yon bago lumayo sa 'kin. What the heck! He just left me like that after making out with me! 

"You're so unfair," I whispered, getting off the table. Kumain na lang ako ng fries habang kumukuha siya ng tubig sa ref. 

"Here." He placed a glass of water in front of me. I looked at him in confusion. "You looked thirsty." 

"What?!" I exclaimed, about to hit him, but he took a step backward because he had it coming. Napasimangot na lang ako at kumagat na lang ulit sa fries. "So... Do you still have the ring?" I asked him just to check. 

"What ring?" He was already in front of me, just on the other side of the table. 

"Our engagement ring," I honestly answered. I didn't have time to play around and embarrass myself by blabbering. 

"Yeah, which one?" His head tilted a bit to the side. 

Oh, right... I just remembered that we had two rings. One was given by our parents, and the other one was from him. When he gave me the other ring, he bought another one for himself too. 

I brought the necklace out of my pocket to see which ring was attached to it. He looked surprised to see me holding it in my palm. So he really didn't think that I would have it. I looked carefully and saw our first engagement ring. 

"Oh, I thought I lost it..." Clyden said, looking away in guilt. "Fuck, I was so drunk," I heard him whisper, facing to the side. 

"You gave up trying to find it? You didn't think that you left it in my unit?" I raised a brow. I was like interrogating a suspect. 

"I mean, I was so drunk I couldn't even remember that I wore the necklace that day." He scratched the back of his head a bit, feeling awkward. 

"Don't you remember what happened that night?" Mas lalo akong nagtaka. He just left without saying anything, and I just assumed that he remembered everything that happened. Was I wrong? 

"W-what happened that night?" He looked even more guilty... and scared. He looked like a lost kitten. 

"Seriously?" Napakunot ang noo ko. We had a long conversation that day! How could he not remember that?! Nagagalit na tuloy ako! 

"I've been thinking about it for days now... I remember a little pero putol-putol. Did I do something weird?" he asked, pushing his tongue against his cheek while thinking. "Anyway, can I have my necklace back, please?" 

"No." Nilayo ko ang necklace sa kanya. "You can't have this if you can't remember what happened between us that night!" Our conversation was so wholesome! How could he forget?! He even looked sober before he suddenly passed out! 

"What happened between us that night?" he repeated, getting more confused. "What? Nag-sex ba tayo?" He even lowered his voice like he didn't want anyone to hear. 

"So if we did, makakalimutan mo pa rin? What the hell!" I felt so betrayed! I poured my heart out that night! Well, it was also my fault for letting him drink so much. No, actually... It was Kalix's fault! He wanted him drunk! 

"Sorry. I'm not much of a drinker." He held his head with both of his hands. His face looked so regretful. "I won't drink anymore." 

"Yeah, you shouldn't." I rolled my eyes. I still felt annoyed that he had forgotten what we had talked about. Well, he mentioned that he remembered some of it. Alin kaya roon? "So, what do you remember?" 

"I remember Avrielle sleeping..." He looked up, thinking. "And you saying that she's your friend's daughter. Yeah, I know that... And then I don't know how we ended up in the living room again. You were crying for some reason." He really looked so confused. 

"For some reason, huh?!" I bit on my fries like a beast. I was so mad at him, but I couldn't blame him because he was drunk. 

He stared at me for a moment and then he started laughing. Mas lalo ko siyang sinamaan ng tingin. What was funny?! Mukha ba 'kong katawa-tawa? 

"I'm kidding, babe." He gave me a playful smile. 

"What?!" Inis kong hinampas ang kamay ko sa lamesa. I threw the necklace at him, and he swiftly caught it with his hand while still laughing at me. How could he fool me like that?! Wait, alin sa mga sinabi niya ang joke? 

Wait... Babe? Did he just call me... Oh no! Anger suddenly faded inside me, and it was replaced by butterflies! 

"I remember everything except the conversation with Kalix. I also can't remember Haze going home. They were all blurry in my memories, but my moments with you were as clear as the sky. Don't worry about it." He shrugged. 

"I thought you had already forgotten what we talked about. I would be so mad at you." I sighed. 

"You? Getting mad at me? That's new." He looked pleased with what I said. "You're slowly changing for the better." 

Inubos na namin 'yong fries bago ako umakyat habang naiwan siyang naghuhugas sa baba. I did my night care routine and went back to the master's bedroom. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako matutulog. I walked out of it again and slowly opened the door inside my bedroom. 

One look and I immediately closed it again. I held onto the doorknob tightly, closing my eyes. All I could remember was Naomi. Huminga ako nang malalim bago naglakad ulit papasok. Her camera was still placed on my side table. 

Humiga ako sa kama, hoping that her scent was still there, but the helpers had probably washed the sheets already. I covered my eyes with my arm while imagining her beside me. I remembered that one time when she spent the holidays here in the house. It was already midnight, and she was still on the balcony. 

"Hey, what are you doing here? Aren't you sleepy?" I went out of the balcony, removing my cardigan to place it on Naomi's shoulders. 

"I don't want to sleep," she answered, laughing a little. 

"Why not? It's not healthy for you to stay up, and it's cold out here." Malakas ang hangin sa labas at tinatangay ang buhok niya. I leaned on the railings beside her and caught her looking up at the sky again. 

"I want to maximize my time here, and sleeping feels like I'm wasting it." She shrugged. "This is the only time I feel so free. When I'm with you, I feel secure, like no one could ever hurt me." 

"It's because I wouldn't let anyone hurt you." I smiled to myself and looked at the sky too. 

She leaned her elbow against the railings, placing her chin on her palm. She looked relieved. We stayed silent for a couple of minutes before she talked again. 

"Your mom... Did she ever lay her hands on you?" she curiously asked. 

"I don't remember. She's pretty calm when she's with me. That's her mask. She's hiding a monster inside her, and I know that already." I sighed, remembering the times when I found her smiles creepy because they were so fake. "Why? What happened? Did she... hurt you?" I suddenly felt worried. 

"Just once... Or twice," she said like it wasn't a big deal. "Because I broke the most expensive vase in the living room. The second time was when she caught me yelling at you. Honestly, she scared me, and I also felt bad for her, so I couldn't fight back." 

"Why do you feel bad for her?" Napakunot ang noo ko. 

"Because I exist." 

I stared at her while she was looking at the stars. Her lips formed a smile as she tried to reach for it again. I held her wrist and moved her hand down to give her a tight hug. She stiffened for a moment before wrapping her arms around my waist to hug me back. 

"Are you okay?" she asked me when I should be the one asking her that. 

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "Your mere existence changed my life. That's how important you are." 

I heard her laugh. She wasn't taking me seriously. "I wish everyone could think the same way." 

I removed the arm on my face and opened my eyes to see the ceiling of my bedroom. I looked at my side and imagined her with me. My heart hurt. I swallowed the lump in my throat as I wiped my tears away. Umayos ako ng upo at kinuha ang camera para tingnan ulit lahat ng litrato naming dalawa, when we were still so happy. 

I checked the memory card, but I saw it placed inside the drawer, so I used that to transfer our favorite photo on my phone and decided to print it so I could still bring her with me to New York. I sighed and stood up to leave the room, only to bump against Clyden's chest. 

"Oh, sorry!" Napaatras kaagad ako at napayuko para hindi niya mapansing umiyak ako. 

But, of course, he would notice. He held my chin and forced me to look at him as he stared at my eyes. Without saying anything, he embraced me in his arms. Sinandal ko ang ulo ko sa dibdib niya at huminga nang malalim. His scent alone could calm me down. He was my comfort. 

"Do you want to sleep with me?" he asked. 

"Can I sleep in your room?" I looked at him. Kapag natutulog kaming magkasama noon, palagi kaming nasa master's bedroom. I had never tried sleeping inside his room. 

"What? Why?" Kumunot ang noo niya at binitawan ako. "The bed's smaller." 

"Just because," I answered. The main reason was that his scent was probably all over his room, and I couldn't get enough of him. 

When he nodded, I opened the door to his room and opened the lights. Wow, it was so clean. Halatang hindi na siya natutulog dito. His old books were still placed on his study table. My mouth formed an 'o' when I saw a small picture of us. Dali-dali niyang kinuha 'yon at tinago sa may cabinet. 

"I saw it already," I told him. 

"I haven't used this room for a long time," he tried to explain. 

Binagsak ko kaagad ang sarili ko sa kama niya. As expected, it was so soft and it smelled like him. He closed the door and just stood there, refusing to walk closer to me. Tinanggal ko ang comforter at yumakap ng unan para matulog na. Bumalik na 'yong pagod ko sa flight. 

"You can sleep here. I'll sleep in the other bedroom." He turned the lights off and left a lamp. He was about to leave, but I suddenly called him. 

"Cy, wait!" Umayos ako ng upo. "Can you stay with me tonight?" I sounded desperate, but I felt... lonely, and I needed someone beside me. 

He nodded and went to the other side of the bed. He had already showered, and he smelled so good. Dahan-dahan siyang humiga sa tabi ko. Because the bed was smaller than the one in the master's bedroom, our arms touched each other. Umusog kaagad siya para bigyan ako ng space. 

"Can you cuddle with me?" I asked. 

"Yeah... Sure." He faked a cough and went closer to me. I yelped when he suddenly wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him until our bodies were already touching. I blinked twice. He was like... spooning me from behind. 

Samantha, do not think of erotic things right now! You need to sleep! 

"Is this okay?" he whispered in my ear. I can feel his breath on my neck, sending shivers down my spine. 

"I... I guess." I couldn't even talk. Nawala na ulit ang antok ko at napatitig na lang sa pader. My focus was on him. I was trying to feel if something was going to poke me from behind or what. 

I tried to adjust my position so it would be more comfortable for me. Hindi ako mapakali. I tried to fix the pillow again. He tightened his grip on my waist. 

"Stop moving, please," he said in a low voice. 

"Oh, sorry." I suddenly felt bad. Did I wake him up? 

"Your behind is brushing on my... front." 

He didn't know how to say it. My face heated as I stiffened, being extra careful. Hindi na tuloy ako makagalaw dahil sa sinabi niya. I closed my eyes again and forced myself to sleep. Good thing it worked. 

I woke up early in the morning and saw Clyden gone beside me. Napaupo ako at inayos ang kama bago pumuntang C.R. para maghilamos. When I went downstairs, Clyden was already cooking breakfast. I really missed his dishes. He used to cook for me every day at school. Nasanay na 'ko roon. 

"Good morning!" I greeted him. When he looked at me, I suddenly noticed the bags under his eyes. "Did you even sleep?" 

"I couldn't sleep." He sighed heavily, placing the pancakes on the table. He also cooked eggs and bacon. He put slices of bread in the toaster before looking at me again. "I only slept for about four hours." 

"Why? Are you okay? Are you sick?" sunod-sunod na tanong ko. I was so worried about him. 

"It's your fault." He sighed again, getting a handful of his hair in frustration. 

What did I do to him? I just slept! I can't remember doing anything. Did I sleep talk? Did I say something offensive before we went to sleep? I tried to think, but there was really nothing. Hindi na nga ako gumalaw kagabi, eh! 

"Eat up. We're going to walk the dogs," he told me. 

Binilisan ko ang kain ko so we can go already. I just changed my clothes and planned to take a shower after the walk because I knew I would sweat. I changed into a pair of leggings and a black sports bra while he changed into a simple shirt and a pair of athletic shorts. He had Maple and Hail with him, and I got Solar. 

"Why did Summer pass away?" I asked him while walking. 

"She was already too old. She became weak after giving birth to Solar. May kapatid pa si Solar but it died, too." He sighed heavily. "Summer... During her last breath, she was waiting for you." 

"What?" Napatingin ako sa kanya. My chest suddenly felt so heavy. 

"I had to show her your photo so she could finally rest." He pursed his lips. He was telling a painful story.

"She's now running free." I reached for his hand and held it. Napatingin tuloy siya roon. "I should have been there. I'm sorry I was away." 

"It's fine. Summer died happily. Our good girl." He kneeled one knee on the ground to caress Solar's head. The puppy stuck her tongue out and wagged her tail. "And she left another angel here." 

We took another lap around the village before we went back to the house. I was planning to spend the whole day with Clyden, so we thought of something to do. We agreed on taking Solar to the vet together for her check-up. He said the clinic was open on a Sunday pero half-day lang so binilisan ko ang pagligo ko. 

I just wore a grey shirt tucked inside my white pair of shorts. Nagsuot na rin ako ng white cap and facemask just to be safe. Pagtingin ko sa maleta ko, nakita ko 'yong gift ko kay Clyden. Kinuha ko kaagad 'yon at kumatok sa kwarto niya so I could give it to him. 

"Hey-" I suddenly stopped talking when he opened the door wearing nothing but a pair of black shorts. I blinked twice when I saw his body. He looked even more... fit.

"Yeah?" He arched a brow, still holding onto the door. 

"A gift." I gave him a paper bag. "From Paris. I... washed it already. The sweater, I mean." I had it washed along with my dirty clothes before I left. 

"You didn't have to but thanks. You thought of me, huh." Binuksan niya 'yon sa harapan ko at kinuha 'yong sweater. 

Without saying anything, he put it on along with the watch I bought for him. Kinuha niya ang specs niya at sinuot. He also pushed his hair back and sprayed perfume before going out of his room, closing the door. I looked away and bit my lower lip. He looked so good! 

I was carrying Solar in the car while we were on our way to the clinic. There was a vet clinic in their hospital but in a different building, and doon siya lagi nagpapa-check up ng aso. After getting out of the car, I was just walking with my head down. Clyden was holding Solar's leash with him beside me. 

Good thing there were only a few people in the waiting room. We sat on the couch, and I looked around, admiring the dogs. Solar whimpered, so Clyden carried her with him, caressing her head. 

"She's scared of the vet," he told me. 

"My poor baby." I removed my mask to give the puppy a kiss on the top of her head. "It will be alright. Don't worry." 

"Doc, ikaw na!" The secretary called for Clyden. He was already a regular so kilala na siya rito. He stood up and went inside the clinic, dragging me with him by holding my hand. 

Solar had to get shots, so Clyden tried to comfort her while she cried. I also felt bad for her, but it was a need, so I couldn't do anything but caress her head. Solar's doctor kept on staring at me like she was trying to figure out who I was. 

"May girlfriend ka na pala, Doc," the vet told Clyden. "Akala ko pa naman pwede tayo," she joked. 

"Oh, her?" Clyden looked at me. "Girlfriend?" 

"She looks familiar. Are you a model?" nagtatakang tanong ng vet sa 'kin. I didn't know how to answer that! Clyden lowered my cap and changed the topic so the vet would completely forget about it. She looked head over heels for Clyden. I noticed by the way she looked at him. 

I carried Solar with me on our way back to the parking lot. I was frowning because Clyden and the vet were talking for so long while I played with Solar. They wouldn't even involve me in the conversation. Sila lang ang nagkakaintindihan! 

Sumakay ako sa shotgun seat at nagsuot na ng seatbelt habang nasa binti ko si Solar. Clyden started the engine and looked at me, trying to read my expression. 

"Why? What's wrong?" He sounded worried. 

"The vet's young pala." Iyon na lang ang sinabi ko. I didn't want to sound so unreasonable. How embarrassing of me to even think like this. "She looks pretty." 

Napakunot ang noo niya at tumingin sa 'kin, nagtataka na. I pursed my lips and looked out the window, stopping myself from talking. Samantha, come on! You're better than this! How petty!

"I wouldn't know. I didn't notice," he said. 

I just nodded. I refused to say another word because I might say the wrong thing again. I wasn't jealous! I shouldn't be jealous! It was stupid! 

"Come here." 

Napalingon ako sa kanya nang magsalita siya. He covered Solar's eyes before he leaned and gave me a soft kiss. It was just a quick one. After that, he went back to his seat and wore his seatbelt. 

"No need to feel jealous. Ikaw lang tinitingnan ko," he casually said before driving away.

I was so flustered because of that kiss, so I became silent the whole ride! I touched my lips again with my fingers, remembering his touch. Oh no, ano'ng nangyayari sa 'yo, Sam? It was all wholesome! 

We just ordered food through a drive-thru and ate lunch inside the car while we were on our way home. I spent half of the day playing with the dogs again until it was already time for me to go home. 

"I'm so excited for Yanna's bachelorette party," I told him while he was driving. "It will surely surprise her! The girls and I are working hard for this!" 

"Bachelorette?" Kumunot ang noo ni Clyden. 

"Yeah, you know, those parties before someone gets married!" I was so excited about it. 

"Can't I come?" he asked like a kid. 

"What? Of course not! It's for girls only! Hiro will have his own bachelor's party. They will probably invite girls, so I'm doing the same! It's unfair for Yanna!" I crossed my arms over my chest. 

"Invite me if you're going to invite men," he suddenly told me. He completely didn't understand how bachelorette parties work! Oh my! 

"No way!" tanggi ko kaagad. "You don't understand. We will have fun with-" 

"You can't have fun with me?" He was so persistent! 

"No way. It's not the right job for you! Gosh." I massaged my head. "You should watch bachelorette parties so you would have an idea. You clearly don't know how it works." 

He stopped the car at the parking lot of my unit. Tinanggal ko na ang seatbelt ko at magpapaalam na sana pero tinanggal niya rin ang sa kanya. 

"Okay, then. Have fun at that party." 

He shrugged and leaned closer to hold my chin. My lips parted when he moved my chin up, so I was forced to look at him in the eyes. 

"Just behave yourself and be a good girl for me, okay?" he whispered. 

I blinked twice. "Or else what?" I provoked him. 

"Or else..." He brushed his thumb against my lower lip. "You're going to have fun with me too."

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:)