Dear, Joey

18

 I woke up without Tegan on my side. I get my phone and grunt when I saw Jemaine missed calls. What's with her today?  I get up and fix myself, pababa ako ng hagdan when Des, her name is really Denise but that's too long, so we call her Des. 

"Umalis po ang Mom nyo at si Sir Henry, may bibilhin lang daw ho"

"Si Jullie?" tanong ko. 

"Isinama po ni Ma'am Jullienne at Sir Tegan" nguso nya staring at my face. 

Did they go back together last night? s**t! 

I bite my nail and worriedly run back upstairs. 

"Yung breakfast nyo po" habol ni Des but I just ignore her. 

Mabilis akung nagbihis ng maong short, white V-neck shirt and strap sandals with my white hat and a body bag. Carrying a duffle bag, I walk out hurriedly finding the maids on the kitchen. 

"Listen here ladies" seryoso kung sabi, agad naman silang nagtipon sa harap ko. 

"This is a mission, tell my family well my mom that I'm going to sleep over on Jemaine's house for a couple days alright?" 

"Sige Joey" agree agad ng apat. I sigh. 

"Wag nyong sasabihin na umalis ako ng maaga without them asking first, pagagalitan din kayo nun alright?" nagkatinginan silang apat bago tumango sa akin. Ngumiti ako, satisfied with their response. 

I throw the duffle bag on the back seat and drive out of our hacienda. 

"So, why are you here?" baba nya ng baso sa akin, seating on the couch in front of me. I cross my legs resting my back on the single sofa I was seating in. 

"I just thought that you have limited time so let's go on the beach" 

Enrique sneer on my response with a laugh like he takes it as a joke. 

"Don't use your old tactic, umaalis ka lang kapag may gusto kang takasan, minsan ka lang umaalis sa hacienda nyo and if that happened it'll be important, and FYI I'm processing my papers to stay here for good" ngisi nya sa akin. 

"Then that's good! You have time wooing Cori" pitik ko sa hangin habang malaki ang ngiti sa kanya. He tried to throw a pillowcase on me that makes me laugh. 

"I'm pursuing him, I'm not a w***e, b***h" 

"Whatever, get your things already" tango ko habang inaabot ang juice. 

"I don't think so, tell me first why you are like this all of a sudden?" he said with a teasing smile and ark eyebrow. Ugh. I hate that he knows me very well. 

Bubuka pa lang ang bibig ko ng may biglang bumusina sa labas ng bahay nya making my eyes big. 

"Oh, si Jemaine na yan" tayo nya. 

"What?!" I shriek, panicking. 

"Yeah, she called me before you arrive" natatawa nyang sabi. 

"Why didn't you tell me?! I was hiding from her, Hide me Ricks!" I jump around and try to find a secluded corner. 

"Tanga, your car park outside, Bakit ba kasi?" tawa nya habang bumubusina si Jemaine sa labas. 

"She's bugging me about Kuya! Oh God help me!" I said like losing an energy when he opens the front door for her. 

Wala akung nagawa kundi umupo ulit at inubos ang juice ko. I groan secretly when I saw her eyes piercing on me. Umayos na lang ako ng upo at umiwas ng tingin sa kanya, making myself innocent as possible. 

Bigla syang lumapit sa akin basta at sinipa ang legs ko ng sapatos nya. I was shocked by her action while she's glaring down at me. Enrique is laughing on us going back to his seat. 

"Awww, what are you? a bull? that hurts!" ngiwi ko habang minamasahe ang gilid ng leg ko. 

"Kulang pa yan sa pag ignora mo sa mga tawag ko!" asik nya habang pabagsak na umupo sa single sofa sa tabi ko. 

"I was sleeping!"

"Don't make me laugh Joey, you know very well that I need you to make Lenuel stop following me!" she said with her flush cheeks. 

Sabay kaming napangisi ni Enrique habang nakatitig sa kanya. 

"May Lenuel ka na pala, akala ko dati abnoy or asshole, nag iiba pangalan kapag nagigising? taray!" I tease making me Enrique laughs. 

"W-What?" nauutal nyang sabi acting confused. 

"Parihas lang kayong tumatakas" ngisi ni Enrique sa amin making me frown. 

"Wala akung tinatakasan!" making Jemaine laugh on my face. 

"Oh, I heard that Jullienne go back last night with Tegan" I roll my eyes on them. 

"So that's why she's packing her things" tango ni Enrique. 

"More like she's jealous about it, Nagseselos ang bunso natin" tukso ni Jemaine sa akin wiggling her fingers on my face. 

"I'm not doing this" I distain said making the two laugh so loud. 

"I'm not jealous!" giit ko glaring at the them but they just have this laughing reaction on their face, teasing me and dicing me out of my shell. 

"We fought last night that I didn't even realize that my mom, Tito Henry and Jullie even Jullienne are inside the house and my voice are loud shouting at him, I don't know. I am so tired and pissed kaya nabunton ko sa kanya lahat, ugghh I felt guilty somehow ang kulit nya rin kasi"

"So basically, ikaw ang nang away sa kanya" Jemaine said smiling on me. 

"Hindi ko alam, Pagod ako sa party na dinaluhan namin ni Franco and his being pain in the ass that it makes me pretend to be polite on him all night tapos itong si Tegan susulpot na lang basta, you know that it pissed me off big time asking questions where I have been and what I felt on certain events. Nakakapagod kayang sumagot ng I'm fine, it's good even though I felt bored on parties" 

"Oh kalma" ngisi sa akin ni Enrique habang nilalagay sa center table ang tubig na para sa kin. 

"I just felt like I need to breathe, adding that Jullienne is back, hindi pa kami nakakapag usap after last time, it's not a good experience" I sigh heavily. Enrique seat beside me and hug my shoulder making me dropped my head on his chest. 

"But your jealous right?" bawi ni Jemaine making me groan and close my eyes. They both laugh on my reaction. 

We stayed on his living room until noon, we settle ourselves on the way and just talk out of our experiences and what's been going on for the past years, just reminiscing and laughing on our past. Just like that. 

Nagising akung tumutunog ang phone ko habang naiinis na tinapik ni Jemaine ang likod ko. We're sharing a room alright. Dito kami natulog sa guest room habang si Enrique ay sa master’s bedroom because obviously, it's his house. 

Pupungas pungas na umupo ako sa gilid ng kama at tinitigan ang screen ko, I stop sniffing with my one eyes close when I saw the name of the caller. I groan out loud and hopelessly dropped my hand. 

"Answer it!" sipa ni Jemaine sa akin sa paos na boses. 

Walang nagawa ako kundi tumayo at kinuha ang jacket na nakasabit sa upuan answering the phone while closing the door. 

"What's wrong?" salubong ko habang napapahinto sa hallway at sinuot ang jacket. I wait him to talk but I just heard his breath. 

"Tegan, Hey you alright?" I asked fixing my jacket and my hair with my one hand. I am sleepy but what's with him again? Madaling araw na. 

I sigh when he didn't response again. I walk to go to the stairs. Automatic na bumukas ang ilaw sa taas. Puting puti ang lahat and the glass stairs makes me dizzy a bit, so I stop on top of the stairs. 

"Hindi ka ba makatulog?" namamaos kung sabi, I felt the tickles of my inside slippers. 

"I get Enrique's address from Lenuel, I'm outside" he said in a deep tone voice. 

Parang nag loading ang sinabi nya sa utak ko and sniff tugging my jacket closer. 

"Okay?" I response but I started to stand straight, and my eyes are getting big. No way. No way!

"I'm outside" ulit nya. 

Walang pasabing patakbo akung bumaba ng hagdan at nagtatakbo papuntang bintana. Hinawi ko ng kaunti ang kurtina at sumilip sa labas, I gasp when I saw a car on the other side of the road which is familiar to me. Sa unahan nito ay ang sasakyan ni Jemaine while my car is on besides Enrique's car. 

"Why are you here?!" I said trying not to shout as possible as I can. 

He turns on the light inside of his car and I saw him looking at me with the phone on his ear. Wala pang gate ang bahay ni Enrique at mga pader to block the house so I saw him very well and I know he saw me as well. God, what's with this man? Kahit malayo kita ko ang buhok nyang magulo na parang ilang ulit nya tong sinuklay ng kamay nya and his with a white shirt. 

"I can't sleep" he said whispering. I close my eyes and look at my feet. Ano bang mayroon sa kanya? Ahh, I hate this. 

I let go of the curtain. 

"Come here" I said before turning off my phone. Bumalik ako sa taas at kinuha ang comforter ko at unan without waking Jemaine, bago marahang sinara ang pinto. I place it on the long sofa before going to the front door. 

Natagpuan ko syang nakatayo sa harap with just his slippers, lukot na jagging pants, lukot na white shirt, blood shot eyes, and messed hair. His nibbling his lower lip while looking at me. 

I raise my hand on him, he looks at it and without hesitation he took it on his right hand gripping it tightly. I know that he has callous fingers even though he has golden spoon on his mouth, that's makes me wonder more about him, Tegan Alfonso Marval is a mysterious man, yet I still let him near me. Natatakot ako because I let him and it's my fault to feel this way. 

Pinapasok ko sya habang sinara ng walang ingay ang pinto. Pumunta kami sa living room. 

"Hindi ka pwede sa taas, let's just watch movies" Hila ko sa kanya sa mahabang sofa habang inaabot ang remote sa center table. He let me go and get the comforter, he slipped his self on my back, hugging my waist and bring me with him to lay down on the couch. He put his arm under my head and pull me closer to his body, my back was facing him, but it didn't block him to bury his face on my neck and my hair. Sighing contentedly. 

I put my hand on his arm and tap it lightly. We were facing the flat screen TV, so I just lower its volume. The movie just started but my eyes are heavy already. I fixed my position and face him putting my arms between us and place it beside my face, I saw his lips up before I close my eyes and pull me closer, hugging me tight. I felt a soft pat on my forehead and my hair. 

I grunt and tap his chest. I look up to him with a sleepy eye. 

"Sleep now Tegan" I saw him smile facing me, I felt his soft breath on the eye that makes me sleepier. I murmur telling him to sleep tapping his chest lightly, but I think nauna pa ata akung nakatulog sa kanya because I woke up with a light head and a noise on the kitchen. 

I stop moving when Tegan grunt a bit and tug me closer to buried himself between my neck and shoulder. I heard footsteps and saw Jemaine smile mockingly while holding a mug of coffee with her eyes telling me that I'm doom. 

Napapapikit na lang akung napamura sa isip, I felt Tegan's gripped tighten more when I move. I'm doom, indeed.