Camille Syanna

"What diin ba kasi are you talking about?!" Annoyed, I slapped my hand on his back. I was so irritated for hearing him complain every second since I started massaging his back.

"Wala kang kwenta mag-masahe, eh! Hindi ko maramdaman." He complained again! "Simulan mo ulit! With feelings kasi dapat. Put pressure on your palms, diinan mo lang. Parang takot na takot kang saktan ako. Now is your chance to get your revenge."

"ZA, may I remind you lang, ha? I pay someone to do this for me and now you're asking this from me for free! And you're not even Zanti!" Gigil kong sabi bago ko pisilin yung shoulder niya. It was hard! Parang mas na-hurt pa ako kesa siya!

"I don't have to be Zanti to get this from you," parang siya pa ang galit ngayon! "And this is not free. This is your freedom you're working for, may I remind you din, ha?"

"Ah, I'm getting tired of you blackmailing me!" I punched his upper back, and he groaned.

"There you go, isa pa." Akala ko nasaktan siya, but he wanted more! "Harder, please."

"Wow, you know pala how to use please!"

"Go on," he groaned again. "Sarapan mo,"

"Demanding! What will I get from this?"

"Whatever you want," he said. "Except setting you free. That's not happening, sweetheart."

I increased the pressure on his back, even used my elbows. "You know when to hit me where it hurts,"

"Think of anything else you might like,"

"Other than my freedom? Nah, can't think of any right now."

I continued massaging his back. Still thinking of what I could ask for in return.

"How about ice cream, cake, or chocolates?" He asked again.

"Don't you know how much sugar those foods have?" I rolled my eyes. "I don't starve myself in IF and Atkins just to be fat by eating those,"

"You ever heard exercise? You should try that instead of starvation."

"Yeah, no thank you. I know what works best for my body." I said. "Besides, what's the point of binge-eating only to try so hard to burn what you gain the next day? Pinagod mo lang ang self mo,"

"Ah, ayaw mong mapagod."

"Sinong may want?"

"Many people who aren't lazy to fight life's battles and work hard to live. That's the thrill you've been missing for sitting down, not eating and sweating your gain."

"Well, I don't need that kind of thrill."

"Have you ever climbed a tree?" Nilingon niya ako.

Napahinto ako sa pag-massage ng back niya. I shake my head. "No, I'm afraid I might fall and break my bones."

"You wouldn't learn how to live without falling and breaking each bones in your body,"

"That's not true," I rolled my eyes. I know naman na he's not talking about a literal fall, but I think I know how to run my own life. "I just want things simple and easy. Less mistakes, less complications."

Bumangon siya paupo, kaya nag-move na rin ako sa side.

I was just telling the truth. If he wanted his life to be challenging and full of obstacles, siya iyon. Not me.

ZA's back was facing me, kaya naman I noticed the scars on his back. Napansin ko na iyon kanina pa habang minamassage ko siya, pero now ko lang iyon natitigan ng husto. They were so light that one could barely see them. Maputi rin kasi ang balat ni ZA kaya hindi iyon gaanong obvious.

"Where did you get these creepy scars?" I asked before I could even stop myself.

"Disgusting?" Bitterness rolled back his tongue.

"No," mabilis akong umiling kahit pa hindi naman niya ako nakikita dahil nakatalikod siya sa akin. "I didn't mean to offend you by describing them creepy. I just couldn't find a word that best described them."

"They're just simple scars,"

"It wouldn't mark for life if it didn't hurt you at one point,"

"Yeah, I've endured so much more pain than these."

I was curious about his scars, if I'm being honest. But I wasn't going to push him into talking about his past and opening his healed but never forgotten wounds. If he wanted to talk about them, he would've.

After a few seconds, ZA stood up and took his shirt he tossed on the floor. He faced me. "Are you sure your don't want ice cream?"

Maybe he needed the ice cream more than I do.

"An ice cream wouldn't hurt. Isa pa, ang payat payat mo kaya." Komento niya.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I rolled my eyes. Men would never understand why women would rather be skinnier than full. "But fine, an ice cream could be good."

Tila tinatanya niya akong binalinhan ng tingin. Salubong na naman ang kanyang mga kilay. What did I do this time?!

"You know you're always grumpy and annoyed. Those won't make you look gwapo!"

Lies. ZA looks more attractive when he's masungit. And I hate that I just admitted that to myself.

"I don't care," he smirked and stood up. He was already at the door when he looked back at me. "Ano sasama ka ba?"

ZA and I bought two ice creams in a cone. We sat side by side on the porch and ate them.

"That's eeew! You're greedy!" Galit kong binalingan si ZA. He finished his almond fudge and licked on mine! "Ubos mo na 'yung sa'yo, eh! This is mine!"

"Oh, ako naman bumili nyan, ah." Tumatawang sabi niya, licking the ice cream off the bottom of his lips.

Okay, that was hot.

No! I mean gross!

"Oh, eh 'di yours na!" I gave him my ice cream cone.

He shakes his head. "Nah, finish that. Hindi ko pinulot 'yung pinambili ko dyan."

"Wow, how much lang naman 'to! Buy pa kita ng franchise ng Cornetto!" Inirapan ko siya at muling iniabot sa kanya ang ice cream. "Besides, it's gross! You want me to eat this after you licked it! It's gross! It already has your saliva!"

"Camille, wala akong pakialam. Kainin mo na lang 'yan." Sabi niya bago tumayo at pumasok sa loob ng bahay.

No way! I'm not going to eat this na. If he wants me to finish this pala, eh 'di sana hindi niya tinikman! I marched back to the house and followed him to throw it sana and wash my hands cause it's malagkit na.

Nagulat ako nang bigla siyang huminto at humarap sa akin. The ice cream melted down my wrist in the process.

"Eeew! Ayan, natapon tuloy!" Naiinis kong sigaw because nga it's kadiri!

ZA smirked and grabbed my waist to switch our positions. He pinned my lower body to the sink behind me.

And with those green eyes, I felt like I was slowly melting like the ice cream in my hand.

ZA reached for my hand, and I held my breath. I didn't understand what he was about to do, and I wasn't sure I have the capacity to comprehend whatever it was.

I gasped when ZA started licking the ice cream off my hand like he did to his ice cream and my ice cream too!

Oh, my God! Air! I think kailangan ko ng air!

He was slowly licking the every drop of icecream on the back of my hand going into my palm with his eyes fixed on mine!

My heart sank and ascended again. It did that crazy inhibition for a couple more times until I couldn't find it in me to breathe normally.

ZA then took the leftover ice cream from my hand and discarded it to the sink without looking. He was busy planting wet kisses on my hand, on every inch of it! And none of his heated movements stopped him from keeping our eye contact.

The more I ran out of breath! What is he doing to me?!

I couldn't decide what was rendering me invalid. His eyes on mine or his lips on my skin?! It could be both. But who knows? I didn't think I know enough at the moment.

ZA didn't stop there. He took me by the waist and pulled me closer, until no gap sat between us.

"A-Andrei," I was confused. More of why I was liking this than to why he was doing this!

He placed my arms over his shoulders, and I closed my eyes when he lowered his face on my neck. Oh, God!

The touch of his lips on the sensitive sides of my neck brought unwarranted shivers down my spine. I bit my lower lip, letting the sensation get into me.

A soft moan escape on my mouth when he sucked it gently, leaving marks. I have never kissed by anyone on the neck before, so I really couldn't tell if it was always this good.

I knew I should push him away, but I couldn't think straight.

His kisses were poison in my head.

I was so engrossed. The sensation I was feeling was new to me, and I couldn't help but enjoy it.

A few moments later, ZA stopped kissing my neck. I opened my eyes and saw him staring back at me. We both looked like deers caught in the headlights.

Realization of what had happened dawned on me. Why did I just let him do that!

Confused with my body's reaction, I pushed ZA away. I ran back into my room, and I ran fast.

Ibinagsak ko ang aking katawan sa kama at saka ipinikit ang aking mga mata.

Pinakiramdaman ko ang tibok ng aking puso. It was still fast, like I just finished a marathon.

Ano ba itong nararamdaman ko? What's happening to me?

Tumaas ang kamay ko padama sa aking leeg, to where he kissed me.

He was not Zanti! I need to remind myself that.

But you didn't even think of Zanti while he was kissing you!

Oh, God! NO!