Nights Like This

CHAPTER 42

Isang mahigpit na yakap ang sinalubong sa akin ni Tita Nova pag baba pa lang namin ng ni- rent naming kotse ni Vance.

Vance drove for over two hours from San Francisco to here in Monterey and it's colder here. I wasn't bored the while drive because halos wala na akong ibang ginawa kundi dumungaw sa bintana.

Tita Nova is my Dad's cousin and she's beeen here since I think twenty years ago when he married Uncle Liam and gave birth to my second cousin Allen and Kathy.

"Wow Camila! I can't believe you're finally here!" masayang sabi nya while fondly looking at me.

I can see her eyes travelling on every features of my face na parang hindi makapaniwala na nasa harapan na nya ako and she's making me familiar with her. The last time I saw her was when they had a vacation in the Philippines and that was almosy eight years ago.

"Nabisita rin kita Tita. Finally after years of asking me na mag bakasyon," I told her.

I am not constantly in touch with her at minsan minsan ko lang syang nakakausap but she's still the sweetest as ever. Sana lang nakuha man lang ni Daddy kahit kaunting sweetness kay Tita. She's the only girl sa kanilang magpi- pinsan so everyone in the family adored her.

"Yes finally," kinalas ni Tita ang mata nya sa akin at nilipat sa lalaking kasama ko. "And who is this handsome man with you?"

She's looking at him with a hint of amazement. I smiled. With that kind of face, impossible talagang hindi mapalingon kay Vance.

Vance forwarded and offered his hand to Tita for s hand shake. "Vance Robles po. Nice to meet you," pakilala nya.

Instead of the hand shake, Tita Nova pulled Vance, obviously flustered, to a hug.

"Nice to meet you, hijo. So, what are you guys?" She curiously asked.

"I am her boyfriend po," sagot ni Vance.

Kinagat ko ang labi ko at saka tumingin kay Vance na naka ngiti sa akin.

"Of course, you should be! Bagay na bagay kayo nitong pamangkin ko!" halos kinikilig na sabi ni Tita.

Pumasok kami sa loob and for now, si Tita lang ang nasa bahay because uncle and the cousins had to be somewhere pero hahabol naman daw sila.

"I talked to you Mommy a few week ago and she's very busy huh. How's your Dad's campaign? Is it going well?" tanong ni Tita.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Vance. I tjink she doesn't know. "Yes, Tita. Hmmm... I think they're doing good with the campaign. Mommy and Ate Eli's heavily involved with everything so I think they can manage it."

"That's good. Your Dad's really aiming for the higher position ah. In the next few years, malay natin he'll run as a President."

Thinking my father being the country's president in far future isn't blurry to imagine. I can see it. He has all the support that he can get from the people. They admires him and his agendas so I also think na it's plausible.

Kung gugustuhin nya, he can.

"We don't know that for now po pero possible."

Tita prepared us a light snack before lunch habang tuloy tuloy ang kuwentuhan at kumustahan. We're waiting for the other three para sabay sabay kaming kumain. Ani Tita, parating naman na sila.

"Anyway, enough about the seals and work. How are you guys?"

"Okay naman po kami," sagot ni Vance kay Tita.

She chuckled. "No. Not that. I mean how's your relationship?"

I looked away dahil pakiramdam ko nag init na naman ang pisngi ko nang bigla kong maramdaman ang pag gapang ng kamay ni Vance sa kamay ko't marahang pinisil iyon like he's giving me assurance.

Kinuwento ko kay Tita how Vance and I started and she's kinikilig about it lalo na nang malaman nyang we just got together literally like three days ago and we became officially together at the Twin Peaks.

Vance cupped my face softly while we kiss under the night sky that we both can't resist.

"God... I am so in love with you," bulong nya nang i- hiwalay nya ang labi nya sa akin saka pinag dikit ang noo namimg dalawa at imulat ang mata nya' tiningnan ako like I am as beautiful as the moon above us.

My cheeks flushed gawa ng pagkaka titig nya sa akin. Parehas na nag aakyat baba ang mga dibdib namin habang hinahabol ang mga hininga.

"I---" Before I could even finish saying a word, he hushed me with a quick peck on the lips.

"It's okay, Camila. You don't have to say anything. I just want you to know tha I want to pour you all the love that I have to you."

Pumikit ako and took all the words that he said to my heart. Pumikit ako para damhin at i- proseso lahat. Hinayaan ko ang sarili ko na maramdaman ang mga nag su- sumabog na emosyon sa akin ngayon.

It all feels so surreal. He's here confessing his feelings for me. I feel like I am in cloud nine and then there's a lot of butterflies flying and swirling on us.

Humiwalay ako sa pagkaka dikit ng mga noo namin. "You have to be responsible for the kiss."

Sa una, kumunot pa ang noo ni Vance, obviously not getting what I am trying to say but he then later on smiled on my antics.

"How do you want me to be responsible for the kiss?"

"Be my boyfriend."

Vance never looked as flustefed as this. Literal na natigilan sya habang naka tingin sa akin at nanlalaki ang mga mata. He's so speechlees.

"I am should be asking you that, Camila. Not the other way around," aniya.

"Do you want to be my boyfriend o magpapa kipot ka pa?"

"Of course. I am more than wiling to be your boyfriend."

Vance being my boyfriend is on another level. Tuwing nai- isip ko, para akong teen ager na hindi mapakali sa kilig.

I am just sorry to the girls on the line to get him because I won. It's me who got the crown and I am never giving up this relationship that I have with him.

I was so happy that night na gusto kong mag party bigla but reality is, I can't. People we are with shouldn't know that we are together and it's better that way lalo kapag nasa opisina kaming lahat.

Vance and I agreed na we must keep ourselves lowkey. Because of work and isa pa, because of my family rin.

I want them to know about us but I don't think that they'd appreciate me having a boyfriend lalo na it's not too long ago nang matapos ang pag pu- push nila sa akin kay Gabriel so instead of them intervening on my life again, it's better that they don't know.

I am so lucky that Vance understands that.

"Ate Cami!" excited na sigaw ni Kathy pagka bukas pa lang nya ng pinto nila, sa likod nya ay ang kambal nyang si Allen.

Halos hindi na umalis sa tabi ko si Kath kaka kwento sa mga university stories nya. On the other part of the sofa is Vance and Allen talking about the video games that they both play.

Shortly after that si Uncle Allen naman ang dumating. He came from a meeting pero may dala dala syang mga pasalubong sa amin. Dalhin raw namin pag uwi.

We had a very humble meal dahil nag luto si Tita Nova and we resumed to have a chit chat. Hindi namin ni Vance namalayan na pa- gabi na and we have to go because mag d- drive pa sya.

"Bumalik ka dito Ate ha," malungkot na sabi ni Kathy. She's clinging into me hanggang sa ihatid nila kami sa labas.

"Kayo ang bumisita sa amin sa Philippines. I'll tour you around," sabi ko sa kanya.

Kathy looked at Tita. "You heard that Mom," sabi nya.

We all laughed at her and bid our goodbyes because we have to pack our things and catch our flight.