Two months passed by in a blur. Sa two months na wala ang parents ko, sinulit ko na ang pagkakataon para makalabas ako at magawa ang lahat ng mga gusto ko. William and I went to parties and bars every weekend. Halos hindi na rin ako umuuwi sa amin. I usually stayed with William in his condo or sa bahay mismo nila. It was his mom's idea actually.

When William's mom found out na wala yung parents ko at ako lang ang naiwang mag-isa sa amin, well aside from the household help that we have, she insisted that I'll either stay with William or with them just to make sure that someone checks up on me. She didn't like the idea that I was alone in that big house and wala man lang akong kasama especially during meals. I told her that I was okay and I was used to it naman pero hindi pa rin siya pumayag.

And so I spent the weekdays with William and his parents while the weekends were spent with William alone. I didn't want to compare but fuck. I liked it more when I was with William's parents. Mas mukha pa silang mga magulang ko when they tend to me and my needs. I could only wish for the same kind of attention to be given by my parents. But who was I kidding? Alam ko namang malabong mangyari 'yon.

"Aisleen, hija, when are your parents arriving again?" Tita Myra asked during breakfast. Napatigil ako sa paghiwa ng pancakes sa plato ko dahil doon. As much as I hate to admit it, I didn't want that day to come. Parang mas okay na rin kasi na wala sila rito.

"Tomorrow po, Tita," tipid kong sagot sa kanya. Tumango-tango naman siya bilang sagot na para bang may iniisip pa siya na gustong sabihin sa akin.

"It's William's birthday tomorrow. Would it be okay for you to stay until the day after tomorrow? We would love to have you here so that we could celebrate together." Napalingon agad ako kay William upon hearing what Tita Myra has said. How could I not know his birthday? Right. We never really talked about stuff like that. I bet he didn't even know my birthday, too.

Nang magtama ang mga mata namin ni William, isang ngisi ang nabuo agad sa mga labi niya. It was as if he was mocking me dahil halatang-halata na wala akong alam sa mga nangyayari. Sinamaan ko naman agad siya ng tingin dahil doon. He then chuckled lowly as he held my hand. Pinaglalaruan ko na rin kasi ang mga daliri ko sa ilalim ng mesa dahil sa kaba. I didn't want Tita Myra to see how nervous I was dahil sa nangyayari.

"Uhh... I'll have to check with my dad po if okay lang. Ang alam po kasi niya hanggang bukas lang po ako rito," nag-aalangan kong sagot even if hindi naman talaga ako nagpaalam kila Daddy that I'm staying with William for two months already.

"Let me handle it, okay?" singit ni William as he squeezed my hand lightly. I had no choice but to nod at him. I mean, how could I even say no when he was smiling so sweetly at me?

"It's settled then! Aisleen, we'll just be having lunch tomorrow with some of our family members. I believe William has other plans at night with your friends, right?"

"Ma, don't spill all of my plans."

"Okay, okay! Hija, help me in baking the cake for William, okay? Let's buy the ingredients later," yaya sa akin ni Tita Myra and I reluctantly agreed, feeling a little overwhelmed with whatever's happening now.

***

The next day, I woke up alone in bed. Wala na si William sa tabi ko and when I checked the time, it was 8 am already. Agad akong bumangon sa kama at nagpunta sa banyo to take a bath and prepare for the day. Paglabas ko ng banyo, nagulat na lang ako when I saw William standing outside the door.

"Kanina ka pa riyan?" I asked while trying my best to remain calm. My heart was beating so fast right now. I'm not sure if dahil nagulat lang ako sa biglang pagsulpot ni William dito or if it's because he's looking so good right now. Whatever the case is, it was still because of him.

William smirked upon seeing my reaction. Umayos na rin siya ng tayo at mas lumapit pa sa akin. He then wrapped his arms around my waist and he rested his head on my shoulder. Kahit na naguguluhan ako with the way he's acting right now, I just hugged him back.

"Are you okay?" I can't help but ask. William's really not like this in the morning. Or dahil ba...

"Happy birthday, love," bulong ko sa kanya. Mas lalo niyang hinigpitan ang pagkakayakap niya sa akin. I then felt him planting small kisses on my neck which made me shudder. Damn it. Pasalamat 'to at birthday niya ngayon! Ang aga-aga ah!

"I feel like you're the best present that I have ever received in my life," he said out of the blue and for some reasons, bigla kong napigil ang paghinga ko. It was too overwhelming and I didn't really expect him to say something like that. He was getting more cheesier and bolder with every passing day. Not that I'm complaining though. Nakatatakot nga lang kasi na baka masyado akong masanay sa ganito.

I didn't want to think of negative thoughts but I can't help but think of the possible what ifs. In an attempt to shrug off these thoughts, I let out a heavy sigh. Napahiwalay si William mula sa pagkakayakap niya sa akin dahil doon.

"Are you okay?" tanong pabalik sa akin ni William. I gave him a nod in reply. When he tried to ask kung ano ang problema, hindi ko na nagawang sumagot sa kanya. He didn't push any further though and I'm very thankful for that.

The rest of the day passed by smoothly. Nahihiya man akong makihalubilo sa mga relatives ni William, they still made me feel welcome to their family. They tried to make small talks with me. All throughout our lunch, William never left my side. Baka raw kasi takutin ako ng mga kamag-anak niya at bigla ko siyang iwan. They all just laughed because of that.

When night time came, nagbihis na kami ni William and we proceeded to the bar na lagi naming pinupuntahan for parties. Ang dami na agad tao roon and a lot of people were greeting him as we made our way to the reserved section for his birthday. Pagdating na pagdating namin doon, niyakap na agad siya ni Alex.

"Happy birthday, bro!" pagbati nito. William thanked him and he immediately grabbed two bottles of beer from the table. He then gave the other one to me and I drank from it agad. This might be the last time I'll get to drink like crazy so might as well make the most of it, right?

Hours passed by and we just kept on drinking like our lives depended on alcohol. We danced the night away and our bodies were too close to each other. Ramdam ko na rin ang paunti-unting pagtulo ng pawis ko pero hindi ko na pinansin 'yon. Umikot lang ako at mas idinikit pa kay William ang katawan ko. His touch and his body were making me more hot and intoxicated.

Habang palapit kami nang palapit sa isa't isa ni William, ramdam ko ang pagsunod ng tingin ng mga tao sa amin. It's not that usual to see us dancing like this naman kasi. Usually kasi, we just spend our time sa bar getting wasted.

When I moved even closer to William and my body brushed with his crotch, I heard William curse. Hindi ko alam kung dahil na rin ba sa alcohol na nainom ko pero I just found myself grinding against him over and over again. Nang hindi na kinaya pa ni William, hinatak na niya ako pabalik sa sa reserved section and he started to kiss me senseless. And when he pulled away, habol na namin ang hininga namin.

"Fuck. You're killing me, love," William whispered in my ear. Dahil nakakandong ako sa kanya, I could still feel how hard he is right now. Natawa ako dahil doon. There's no way in hell na masosolusyonan namin ang problema niya.

"Calm down, love," naka-ngisi kong sagot sa kanya which resulted in him cursing even more. Before he could even pull me in for another kiss, tumayo na ako at pumunta sa may bartender. William was still calling me pero hindi ko na siya pinansin. I immediately laughed at the thought of him being left hot and bothered.

Sa paglalim ng gabi, dire-diretso pa rin ang inom namin. We greeted William countless times already. Sa may bartender na rin kami tumambay para mas makainom kami nang maigi.

"Shot pa!" malakas na sigaw ni William pagkatunggang-pagkatungga namin ng tig-iisang shot ng vodka. Pang-ilang shot na nga ba namin 'to? Six? Seven? Wait. Nine? Honestly, I'm too tipsy to even count. We were here to get wasted anyway so what's the point in counting, 'di ba?

Bago pa man mailapag ng bartender yung bagong bote ng vodka, hinablot na agad ni William 'yon and he drank straight from it.

Eww. There's no way in hell I'm drinking from that bottle.

As if reading what was on my mind, William immediately smirked the moment our eyes met. Napailing agad ako nung naglakad siya papalapit sa akin. I knew what was running inside his stupid brain right now and I'm not liking every bit of it. Sa bawat tapak ko paatras, isang tapak palapit naman ang ginagawa niya. Para kaming mga tangang naghahabulan ng paa and when he finally got me cornered, ang tanging nagawa ko na lang ay lunukin ang naipong laway sa lalamunan ko.

Shit. Shit. Shit. This ain't good.

I was doing my best to push William away but there's no point in trying. He was too strong and too drunk for my liking. And when he finally drained every ounce of energy left in me, he closed in and whispered in my ear.

"You. Me. In my bed tonight." Kinilabutan ako sa ginawa niyang pagbulong. Hindi ako sigurado kung dahil ba lasing na ako o dahil ba sa init ng hininga niya sa tainga ko kaya gano'n. But no. Hindi pwede. Ayoko. I'm so not going to give him that birthday sex that he was aiming for.

"Pa'no kung ayaw—" Before I could even finish what I was going to say, he closed the gap between us. Refusing to respond to his kisses, kinagat ni William ang ibabang labi ko at nang napangaga ako para umangal, he took that as his chance to deepen the kiss.

Lasang-lasa ko yung vodka sa mga halik na ibinibigay ni William. Habang lumulipas ang bawat segundo, palalim nang palalim ang mga ito. His hands were starting to wander around my body and I'm starting to heat up and my legs were about to give out because of what he's doing. By the time he pulled away from me, habol habol ko na ang hininga ko.

"I knew you wouldn't drink from that bottle. Mas okay naman kung galing na sa bibig ko mismo, 'di ba?" nakangising sabi niya at nagsigawan ang mga kaibigan namin after hearing what he has to say. I felt my cheeks heat up because of that. Intoxicated by the alcohol and William's presence, I grabbed him by the neck and pulled him for another earth-shattering kiss.

"William, take me with you."

***

Hindi ko na alam kung paano namin nagawang lumabas ng bar. Halos hindi na mapaghiwalay ang mga labi naming dalawa. Kung saan saan na rin napupunta ang mga kamay namin. We were too touchy and too engrossed. Too high and no one's willing to let go. By the time we reached my car, we were running out of breath.

"How long will it take us to get to your condo?" I asked while trying my best to remain sane. William was showering me with wet kisses along my neck and I could feel myself heating up more because of that.

Tiningnan saglit ni William ang relos niya. Pagkatapos noon, hinapit niya ako palapit sa kanya.

"We can get there in fifteen minutes but I can bring you to heaven in no time," bulong niya sa akin and shit. I could feel him between my legs. Before I could utter another word, ipinasok na ako ni William sa backseat ng sasakyan ko at binigyan na niya ako ng patikim sa langit na sinasabi niya.

William pulled me in for a deep and wet kiss. Being more exposed because of my tight-fitting spaghetti strapped dress, he started kissing me on my neck down to my collarbone and shoulder. Sa bawat halik na pinapakawalan niya, lalo kong nararamdaman ang init sa pagitan naming dalawa. I could feel him growing more and more by the second and heat was starting to pool down between my legs. He was so good at making me feel good and God, I wanted more.

He was about to pull down the straps of my dress and touch me down there nung natauhan ako bigla. Humiwalay ako sa kanya and I started to fix myself.

"What the hell, Aisleen?" reklamo ni William sa akin. I knew he was too hard right now at nabitin siya sa ginawa ko. But no. I wouldn't risk doing it here with him. It was downright scandalous and my parents would kill me if I get caught doing it in a public place.

"Not here, William," halos pa-ungol kong sagot sa kanya. Nag-igting ang panga niya dahil doon. Bago pa man siya magalit nang tuluyan sa akin, I gave him another kiss and even tapped his bulge. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya dahil doon and before he could even react, bumaba na ako ng kotse at lumipat na ako sa driver's seat.

"Brace yourself, love. I'm going to punish you tonight," narinig kong bulong niya sa tainga ko and instead of answering him, pinaharurot ko na lang ang kotse ko paalis ng bar.

The whole ride, William's hands were everywhere. Sa tuwing titigil kami para sa stoplight, he would take that as a chance to pull me in for a kiss. We would stop for a few times even if it's the green light that was flashing just to quench our thirst for each other. And when William couldn't control himself any longer, he unbuckled our seatbelts and he continued showering me wet kisses all over my body.

"William, wait. I'm driving," pagsuway ko sa kanya when I felt his hands getting higher and higher. He sure knows his target and I'm starting to lose my sanity with the way he touches me.

"Sshhh... Just continue driving. I've got this," halos pabulong niyang sagot sa akin. He was touching and kissing me at the same time. Gusto ko na lang ibaling sa kung saan ang ulo ko at hindi ko na alam kung paano ako makapagfo-focus sa pagmamaneho.

"William...." Habol ko na ang hininga ko habang sinasambit ko ang pangalan niya. Sa tindi ng mga halik at haplos niya, ramdam na ramdam ko na ang langit na ipinangako niya. And by the time I felt myself reaching that climax, I just found myself swerving my car before I bump into the people crossing the street and hitting the post on my right.

Shit.

***

I woke up to the sound of machines. As much as I would like to, I couldn't really move my body that much. What on earth happened ba? I just remembered that we left the party tapos...

Shit. Si William!

No matter how much I tried, I couldn't bring myself up. Sobrang sakit ng katawan ko at ang dami pang nakakabit sa akin na kung ano. When I tried to look at my surroundings, it was pitch dark.

Gabi na ba? I really had no idea.

When I tried to speak, all that I could produce was inaudible sounds. My throat was so dry and I needed a drink. But goddamn it. I won't drink alcohol again. Masyado akong nakarami kagabi.

I tried to check my room again pero ni isang bahid ng liwanag, wala akong makita. Didn't machines usually have lights on them? What happened? Why can't I even see them now? Sinubukan kong gumawa ulit ng ingay just to get anyone's attention. I wasn't sure if I was successful but I heard footsteps going to my direction.

"Dad, she's finally awake!" sabi ng isang babaenf halos mangiyak-ngiyak na habang nagsasalita. I couldn't be mistaken. It was my mom who said that. Pero bakit hindi ko siya makita? Nasaan ba siya banda?

"Mom?" I croaked.

"Aisleen, I'm here," malambing na sabi ni Mommy. When I felt her hand touching mine, doon ako nagkaroon ng idea kung nasaan na nga ba siya.

"Could you open the lights, please?" I requested. Bigla na lang nabitawan ni Mommy yung kamay ko pagkatanong na pagkatanong ko noon.

Ano ba ang nangyayari?

"Dad..." Bakas na ang pag-aalala sa boses ni Mommy. I don't know if it was real or if she's just putting on a show but either way, I was getting anxious too. Hindi ko na naiintindihan ang sitwasyon. My mind's a mess, my body's sore and it's too dark in this room. I couldn't take the situation that I was in anymore.

"I'll call the doctor," I heard Dad say at narinig ko rin ang pagbukas at pagsara ng pinto. Kahit na madilim sa kwarto, rinig na rinig ko pa rin ang paghikbi ni Mommy. I wanted to tell her that it would be okay basta buksan lang nila yung ilaw but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't think I'm really prepared to face her after what happened. Paano na lang 'pag nalaman niyang kaya kami nabangga dahil muntik na akong mag-climax sa loob ng sarili kong kotse? She would totally flip if she finds out.

Tahimik lang kaming dalawa ni Mommy while waiting for Dad to return together with the doctor. Hindi na ako mapalagay while waiting. The time was excruciatingly slow. I wanted to get this over with. I needed to check on William, too.

Nang maraming ko ang pagbukas ulit ng pinto at ang palapit na mga hakbang ng paa, I knew that they were back. I started to get nervous lalo na nang may humawak sa kamay ko na hindi ko naman malaman kung sino. After a few minutes of doing God knows what with me, tumikhim yung lalaking feeling ko ay yung doctor ko. With that sound alone, my breath got caught in my throat and my heart started to hammer like crazy.

Shit. Was something wrong with me?

"I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Echavez. I think the accident has damaged the eyes of your daughter. We need to run some more tests to confirm it but right now, it's obvious that there's a problem with her vision. She doesn't respond to the basic tests that I've conducted just now." Para akong binagsakan ng langit dahil sa narinig ko. What does that even mean then? Hindi na ba ako makakikita?

No, no, no. This can't be happening to me!

Bago pa man ako makapagreklamo dahil sa narinig ko, naramdaman ko na ang pag-react ng katawan ko. Just like my mom whom I assumed was crying, tears flowed down from my eyes and no amount of mercy could ever erase the hurt that I'm feeling right now.

Damn it.

***

Aaaaaand, we're back to how the story started! Handa na ba kayo sa kadilimang babalot sa buhay ni Aisleen? What do you think happened to William? Leave your comments and let me know!

Thank you for reading and for your support!

xxRaice