Please, Forget me Not

CHAPTER 32

Unti-unti akong nagmulat ng mata kinabukasan at agad na napangiti nang tumama ang paningin ko sa natutulog na mukha ni Zach na nakaharap sa akin. Gulo ang buhok niya at medyo nakakunot ang kaniyang noo. Bahagya ring nakanguso ang kaniyang mga labi. Napaka-gwapo talaga niya kahit saang anggulo.

I lifted my hand to caress his face with my fingertips. The moment I touched his skin, memories from last night came crashing back to me. I felt my face flush.

Natigil ang aking pag-iisip nang naramdaman kong hinawakan ni Zach ang kamay kong nakahawak sa pisngi niya. Ipinikit ko ang mga mata ko at nagkunwaring tulog pa dahil hindi ko alam ang iaakto ko pagkatapos ng nangyari kagabi.

Balak ko sanang magpanggap na hindi ko naaalala ang lahat ng nangyari kagabi, but I don’t want him to think that he took advantage of me in my drunken state. Because when that happened, I was clearly in my right mind.

Ramdam ko ang paninitig niya sa akin. I was trying so hard not to do unnecessary movements that will make him think that I’m already awake. Maya-maya pa ay naramdaman ko ang bahagyang paggalaw niya. Sumunod doon ay ang pagyakap ng braso niya sa aking baywang.

Nang maramdaman ko ang paglapit ng mukha niya sa akin, hindi ko na napigilang magmulat ng mata. Napaatras ako nang patuloy siya sa paglapit para halikan ako. I held out my hand to his bare chest to stop him.

Akala ko tumigil na siya pero nagulat ako nang bigla siyang yumuko at ninakawan ako ng mabilis na halik sa pisngi.

“You’re a little feverish…” aniya at yumuko ulit para halikan ako sa pisngi na mas tumagal ngayon kumpara sa nauna. Mahina kong sinampal ang kaniyang braso.

“Zach!”

“I was just checking your temperature. You’re really a little feverish. Let me check again.” He was about to lean in again, but I stopped him.

“Zach, enough…” natatawang pigil ko.

Sa ilalim ng paninitig niya ay pinakiramdaman ko ang aking sarili. Besides feeling sore down there, medyo mabigat nga ang pakiramdam ko at masakit ang ulo ko. Hinipo ko ang leeg ko at naramdamang medyo mainit nga ako kagaya ng sinabi niya.

“How are you feeling?”

“I kinda feel cold, but my body is warm. My head kind of hurts too.” I frowned at him. “It’s definitely because of what you did last night.”

Kumunot nang bahagya ang noo niya. He tilted his head before answering me.

“Did I… overdo it?” He said in low voice bago niya hinagod ng tingin ang katawan kong nakabalot sa comforter. What was that for? Is he talking about the…

“I’m talking about the shower,” namumula ang pisnging paglilinaw ko. Umatras siya nang bahagya at nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin sa iba’t ibang parte ng mukha ko bago ‘yon tumigil sa mga mata ko.

“Yes, I’m talking about that too…” pagmamaang-maangan niya.

Sinipat ko siya ng tingin. “No, that’s not true,” umiiling-iling na sabi ko habang tinutulak-tulak ang braso niyang nakapulupot sa akin.

“Hmm...” Inayos niya ang pwesto niya at mas lumapit sa akin. He then gave me a challenging stare. “Then what do you think I was thinking?” Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay. Ramdam ko ang pag-init ng mga pisngi ko.

“I don’t know!” giit ko at itinulak siya palayo sa akin.

“You sure, you don’t know?” I glared at him. He was freaking enjoying teasing me!

“Just go and get me medicine,” sabi ko na lang para tigilan na niya ang pang-aasar sa akin.

“What kind of medicine do you need?” aniya na parang may ibang ibig sabihin sa tanong niyang iyon. Sinamaan ko ulit siya ng tingin.

“Painkillers or antipyretics. Kahit ano, basta para sa lagnat,” sagot ko pa rin kahit alam ko naman na alam niya ‘yong dapat kuning gamot at gusto lang niya akong asarin sa tanong niya.

Hindi agad siya kumibo at nakatitig lang siya sa akin kaya naman tinulak ko na siya. “Ako na nga.” Inerapan ko siya at bumangon. I was now wearing an oversize white button up shirt, but I don’t remember wearing it last night. Baka si Zach ang nagsuot sa akin nito. A warm flush slowly crept up my neck and flooded my face just by thinking about it.

I shook that thought away before lifting the comforter off me. Pababa na ako ng kama nang maramdaman ko ang pagyakap ni Zach sa akin mula sa likod. “I’ll go get it. You have a mild fever. You should stay in your bed,” malambing na bulong niya sa akin. “After getting your meds...” he trailed off.

“Hmm?” Humarap siya sa akin nang bahagya.

“Do you want me to wipe your body too?”

“Zach!” Hinampas ko ang kamay niyang nakapulupot sa baywang ko at hinarap siya. “Are you having dirty thoughts about me?”

“No, I’m not. Isn’t it what people do when someone around them has a fever?” he said innocently, but I know better. He was still teasing me!

“Ewan ko sa’yo, Zach! Umalis ka na nga, iniinis mo ako, e!” bulyaw ko at bumalik na ulit sa pwesto ko kanina sa kama.

Natawa siya sa sinabi ko. “Don’t tell me naglilihi ka na agad at pinaglilihian mo ako? Ang bilis naman ata,” he said, grinning. Huminga ako nang malalim at sinamaan siya ng tingin.

“Zach, isa…” I said in a warning tone. He playfully raised both his hands in the air, surrendering.

“Titigil na po, Ma’am,” aniya at kumaripas ng takbo nang makita niyang hahampasin ko na siya ng unan. Nang makalabas siya ng kwarto ay iiling-iling na napangiti ako. He was extra playful today.

Few days passed by just like a blink of an eye. Zach and I had been busy preparing for our wedding kahit medyo may kalayuan pa ‘yon. Nagsisimula na kaming magtingin-tingin ng mga possible reception venues. Naibigay na rin namin ‘yong mga details na gusto namin sa aming wedding planner. Katatapos lang din namin mag-fitting kahapon ng mga damit na susuotin namin sa para sa prenuptial photoshoot namin next week.

Ngayong araw ay nasa trabaho na ulit si Zach.

“Hello, good morning. May I know which floor is the architecture department?” I asked the receptionist in the lobby of the building where Zach is working.

“It’s on the Eighteenth floor, Ma’am. On the left corner.”

“Okay, thank you.” I smiled at her before I walked towards the elevator. Sinabi kasi ni Zach na magiging busy siya ngayong araw so I decided to bring him lunch. Baka kasi sa sobrang busy niya ay wala na siyang time para lumabas at kumain. Wala rin naman akong ginagawa sa bahay kaya ipinagluto ko na lang siya.

When I got out of the elevator, I turned towards the left corner. I immediately saw their department because of the big logo posted on the glass wall. I stopped on my track as I reached the entrance at tinanong ‘yong babaeng kalalabas lang.

“Hey, Miss. Nandito ba si architect Zachary Villareal?” I politely asked. Hinagod niya muna ako ng tingin mula ulo hanggang paa bago siya sumagot.

“I think he’s inside his office.” She pointed to the door inside their department. I thanked her before I made my way towards the direction she pointed out. Zach was the head architect here kaya may sarili siyang office sa loob ng department nila.

When I reached the door, I knocked three times before I opened it and entered the room.

I was greeted by his handsome side profile. Nakatutok lang siya sa malaki niyang computer at hindi man lang lumilingon sa gawi ko. He was too focused on what he was doing to even notice my presence.

It was already lunchtime. Halos wala ng tao sa buong department nila nang dumating ako pero heto siya at mukhang wala ngang balak kumain ng tanghalian.

I put the paper bag on his desk. Then I walked towards him and kissed his right cheek to get his attention. Halata ang gulat sa mukha niya nang lingunin niya ako. Halatang hindi niya inaasahan na andito ako ngayon sa office niya.

“Oh, I’m sorry, baby, I didn’t notice you.” He turned his swivel chair to face me.

“Because you’re too focused on your work. It’s already lunch time. Are you planning to skip lunch?” He looked at his wristwatch.

“Hindi ko napansin na tanghalian na pala.” His hand flew on the back of his neck, and tilted his head around.

“Why are you here? Missed me already?” He said playfully. I jokingly rolled my eyes at him and grabbed the paper bag kung saan nakalagay ‘yong mga pagkaing niluto ko.

“Nope. I’m here to bring you lunch.” I cleaned the papers on his desk first before arranging the food in front of him.

“You cook all of these?” Bakas ang saya sa kan’yang mga mata nang tumango ako. “Kahit na busy ka, you should never skip lunch, okay?” I was about to walk towards the other side of his desk to sit when he suddenly pulled my waist and made me sit on his lap.

“If you don’t want me to skip, then you should bring lunch and eat with me every day.” He then kissed my temple.

“Zach!” saway ko sa kan’ya at akmang tatayo nang ipulupot niya ang braso niya sa baywang ko at isinuksok ang ulo niya sa pagitan ng aking leeg at balikat.

“Stay still... My work drained me. I need a recharge. Let’s stay like this for five minutes.”

“What if someone comes and sees us?”

“So what? We’re not doing anything wrong, Kaiah. At isa pa, you’re my fiancée. It’s normal for us to be intimate.” He then hugged me even tighter. Napangiti na lang ako at hindi na nagsalita. I took out my polaroid and captured photos of us. I love to capture moments like this with him. I don’t know why, but I feel like I need to. Siguro para we have something to look back at when we grow old.

Nang lumabas na ‘yong picture, tinitigan ko iyon at mas lumapad ang ngiti ko.

“What’s that?” Napalingon ako nang biglang nagsalita si Zach at hinablot ang picture na hawak ko. I’m not aware that his face was too close, so when I turned around, my lips touched the corner of his lips. I jerked away at nag-iwas ng tingin.

“I feel like I’m already full.” He chuckled. Hinampas ko naman ang braso niya.

“Tigilan mo ’ko. You don’t have all the time to sit and flirt with me kaya kumain na tayo.”

Pagkatapos naming kumain, I decided to stay to help him with some paperworks na kaya ko namang gawin para kahit paano ay mabawasan ang mga gawain niya habang siya ay busy sa pag-re-revise no’ng design na i-pre-present niya mamaya sa client nila. No’ng una ayaw niya, pero napilit ko rin naman siya. Nanatili lang ako sa opisina niya habang nasa meeting siya at nang matapos ay sabay na kaming umuwi sa bahay.