CHAPTER XII: I LIKE YOU

DAMIAN

I was still contemplating on whether to tell Kali about how I feel or not...

After what happened to us last night, I decided that I wanted to tell her how I feel now. And I didn't want her to misunderstood me anymore. I want to be clear to her that I'm serious about it—about this and about us.

Gusto kong ipaalam sa kaniya at maramdaman din niya ang kaseryosohan ko para sa amin. Because I've actually had never felt this way before towards any other girl but only her.

"I like you, Kali... I really do..." I honestly told her.

Nakatingin lang naman siya sa akin at tipid lang na ngumiti pero wala siyang sinabi sa akin pabalik...

She never said it back to me that she liked me, too...

But at the end I just let her be and didn't ask for more. I contented myself with only what she can give me. Because after all nothing really matters to me more than to be given a chance by her.

Pero kailan nga ba nagsimula itong nararamdaman ko para kay Kali?

I think it all started even from the time we met. I already liked her because she was simple and pretty. And she's gentle, too. She wasn't as aggressive as the ones I had met in the past...

At mabait din sa akin si Kali. And I already learned to trust her.

Hindi na rin naman kasi siya nahirapan pa na makuha ang loob ko. Dahil kusa ko na rin sinuko at binigay sa kaniya ang tiwala ko.

KALI

I didn't know how to react to what he just told me now. He said that he likes me? Hindi ko alam kung papaniwalaan ko ba ang sinasabi niya at kung ano marahil ang sasabihin ko sa kaniya ngayon...

Earlier when I just woke up in his room, the door opened and it revealed him who even brought in a breakfast in bed for me. Kahit hindi naman talaga siya marunong magluto.

"You cooked?" I asked him.

But he answered me by shaking his head and smiling a bit like he's embarrassed. "I just bought it out... Well, I tried, though..." aniya lang at muli pang ngumiti sa akin.

And later on I've seen the little mess he did in his kitchen. Sinubukan pa nga niya talaga na ipagluto ako ng breakfast. But after finding out that he might not be able to prepare something edible for me he decided to stop and just went outside to buy food for us instead while I was still asleep...

Habang tiningnan ko lang naman siya ngayon bago ko binaling ang atensyon ko sa pagkain na nasa harapan ko na. And the coffee was still hot that he only probably got at the coffee shop. Ayos lang kasi gusto ko rin naman ito. He usually buys this for breakfast kaya alam niya rin na gusto ko nga ito. At bago pa man tumunog ang tiyan ko sa gutom ay nagsimula na rin akong galawin ang pagkain. I got hungry so...

Pero tiningnan ko rin muli si Damian. "How about you? Kumain ka na ba?"

He nodded at first but then slowly shook his head and just tried to smile at me.

Napailing na lang naman ako sa kaniya. I sighed. "Marami ito kaya sabayan mo na akong kumain." I told him.

So we ended up eating breakfast together while we're still on his bed. Pero pagkatapos kumain ay nagpaalam na rin ako sa kaniya na pupunta na ako at makikigamit din ng bathroom niya. And he allowed me.

I took a shower while Damian took care ang pinagkainan namin ng breakfast kanina. Napalabhan na rin niya iyong mga damit ko na suot pagpunta ko rito kaya naman sinuot ko na rin ang mga iyon pagkatapos kong maligo.

And then after I was done taking a bath I went out of the bathroom and saw Damian sitting there on his bed like he's waiting for me.

"What is it?" I asked him habang bahagya ko pang pinupunasan ng towel ang basa kong buhok.

There's a hair dryer inside Damian's bathroom but I was just too lazy to use it. Pakiramdam ko ay ang tamad yata ng katawan ko ngayong araw at parang gusto ko na lang pala na humilata ngayon buong araw.

"Kali... about last night..."

"...What about it?" Nag-iwas ako ng tingin sa kaniya.

Tinabi ko na ang towel at kumuha naman ng suklay at nagsimula akong marahang suklayin ang buhok ko.

Naramdaman ko ang pagtayo niya galing sa kama at nakita ko ang paglapit niya sa akin. Natigilan naman ako sa ginagawa at bumaling na ako ng tingin sa kaniya. Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa. At doon na niya sinabi sa akin na gusto niya raw ako...

"...Let me think about it first, Damian..." was my answer to him.

Muli pa kaming nagkatinginang dalawa pero unti-unti na rin siyang tumango sa akin at bahagya rin ngumiti sa akin...

I sighed when I was already home. Nagpahatid ako kay Damian pauwi sa bahay pagkatapos. I still had to get ready for work kahit late na rin ako at magdadahilan na lang ako mamaya sa trabaho.

But when I was already at work I also couldn't focus on my job. Because I kept thinking about Damian and what he said to me.

I sighed a bit loudly. Pero pinigilan ko na rin ang sarili ko dahil nasa trabaho pa ako. Mamaya ko na lang iisipin ito ulit kapag nasa bahay na ako.

Pero pagkatapos ng trabaho ko ay hindi rin ako nakauwi kaagad dahil sinundo na naman ako ni Damian sa trabaho ko and we just ate outside at a restaurant again before niya ako hinatid din naman sa bahay pagkatapos.

He was acting so gentlemanly...

Wala pa akong naging sagot para sa tanong niya sa akin. And he probably wants us to date officially or something like that...

No. I should ask him first straightforwardly.

Kaya naman kinabukasan ay hinintay ko rin siya na sunduin niya ako hanggang sa matapos ang trabaho ko. At kumain muli kami ng dinner sa labas. At kung saan kami kumain ay medyo pribado rin kaya naman doon ko na rin siya tinanong.

"What do you want now, Damian..."

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa pagkatapos ng tanong ko sa kaniya. Tumigil na rin muna siya sa pagkain.

"Kali,"

"You told me that you like me. So... ano na ang mangyayari ngayon?" I asked him.

Nakatingin kami sa isa't isa. His lips were parted a bit before he answered my question. "I can court you, Kali. If it's okay with you... I want to date you properly." He said.

At gusto kong mangiti dahil medyo nakakatawa lang. Because something already happened to us even before we even started dating...

I sighed a bit. It was also my fault.

Slowly I nodded to him. And then I saw him smiling at me like he's happy about it. Kalaunan ay bahagya na lang din akong napangiti...

Damian started giving me flowers and some sweet chocolates including gifts as well. As a form ng panliligaw niya sa akin. And I allowed him that. Kaya naman sa tuwing susunduin niya ako sa trabaho ko ay may naghihintay na rin sa akin na malalaki pa na bouquet ng flowers at regalo galing sa kaniya sa sasakyan niya.

And I just let him do all that...

Dahil naisip ko na mas mapapadali ang matagal ko nang planong makapaghiganti sa kaniya para sa namatay kong kapatid kapag naging mas malapit pa kami sa isa't isa...

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