A Kiss to Life

Chapter 21: Kapit

I was stunned and unable to say anything as I processed what I heard from Noah inside the boutique. Ang nangyari tuloy, kumuha na lang siya ng limang pirasong long sleeve shirts na iba’t-ibang kulay tapos ay binayaran niya na rin agad; pati iyong dalawang necktie na pinili ko, siya na rin ang nag bayad kahit ang sabi ko ay ako ang bibili nun para sa kanya.

“Okay ka lang?” Noah asked me when we reached the parking lot.

I nodded, avoiding his gaze at me. “I’m… I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

“Mari…” he called and held my hand. “Natakot ba kita? Hindi… hindi mo ba gusto iyong ginawa ko?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

I shook my head. “No. Ano… nag-iisip lang ako.”

“Anong iniisip mo?” He asked again, his voice a mixture of worry and guilt.

Slowly, I lifted my gaze to his. “I was thinking if…” I stepped closer so it would only be us who could hear what I’m going to say. “...if we should do it already.”

I remember what Ycca asked me yesterday. She was asking if we already did that because she was expecting we are already at that point of our relationship. I couldn’t say it was wrong and I couldn’t definitely say it was correct. It’s none of the two.

But hearing Noah say those words earlier, with the kind of voice used saying those, and how his hands moved. It made me consider it… and it excites me, somehow.

Noah’s brows furrowed as he tilted his head, his face was showing confusion until it turned to realization, then shock. His eyes widened.

“Should we do it already?” I asked when nothing came to his mouth, it just parted.

He sighed and pulled me closer to him. “No. We are not going to do that until we are both ready,” he said.

“Are you not ready yet?” I asked him, but instead of answering, he asked me back.

“Are you ready?” He sat on his bike sideways.

“I’m considering it,” I answered.

He shook his head. “The only acceptable answer is ‘yes or no’, Amaris. Any other answer is considered void.”

“Are you ready for it?” I repeated instead, wanting to hear his answer. And when he slowly nodded, I always ran out of oxygen.

“But I will not force you to commit something you are not ready for,” he said, sliding his hand behind my neck and kissing the top of my head. “I will wait, baby. I will always wait for you, okay?”

“How do I know when I am ready?” I asked, curious.

Noah shrugged and pulled me for a hug, putting my head on his chest. “You will only know when you’re in that moment.” He kissed the top of my head again. “I’m sorry I made you think about it. My intention is to only tease you.”

I lifted my head to see him. “You brushed your thumbs under my boobs,” I reminded him.

“I’m sorry,” he said, kissing my forehead.

My brow creased. “What are you sorry about?”

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he answered. “I’m sorry, baby.”

I pouted and buried my face on his chest. “But I like it.”

“What?” he asked, pushing me a bit away.

“I said, I like it. I was surprised, but I like the feeling it sent me,” I confessed. Noah’s mouth parted once more. I smiled at him. “I know I am not ready for that yet, but I also know that if there’s someone I would do that with, I knew it was with you.”

Noah shook his head and said, “Don’t feed my head with ideas, please.”

I chuckled. “What ideas?”

“You shouldn’t be saying this to me yet, baby. I might take advantage of it,” he said, holding one of my cheeks.

“I know you won’t,” I told him. “I know you won’t because you love me.”

Noah bit lips. “That’s true. I am so in love with you that I think I’m going crazy already,” he said before planting a kiss on my lips.

“Baby, your hand,” he said and tried to slide down my hand from his chest to below it.

“Ikaw nga kanina ginanyan din ako, ‘di naman ako nag reklamo,” daing ko. We’re on our way home now. I was hugging Noah from his back as he drove and I am taking the situation as a chance to explore his torso.

“Amaris,” he called, his voice was a bit serious.

I slapped his stomach and said, “Damot! Hawak lang, e.”

I loosen my hold on him, but before I could totally let go of him, he caught my hand and put it back on his chest. “D’yan lang dapat ‘yan,” he said, placing my hand on his stomach.

“How many abs do you have?” I asked, feeling it.

“Why do you want to know?”

I shrugged and leaned my head on his back. I asked him earlier if I was heavy and he said I wasn’t. “I just want to know.”

“You can,” he said.

“Can I?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay,” I answered and started sliding my hand on his stomach, counting each hump I would encounter. “Six?”

“That’s eight, baby,” he corrected me and held my hand. “7th and 8th are here,” he added and put my hand on the 7th and 8th of his abs.

“How did you get these?”

“I used to work in a construction site. I was a laborer,” he answered.

“Really? Wow!” I couldn’t help but be amazed. “Is that your work before you become my driver?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“Wow!”

“That impressed you?” he asked, peeking at me when the traffic lights turned red.

“I’m impressed by how skilled you are. I always knew that you’re a hard working person, but I never expected you to do a different job aside from driving.”

“I also used to work part time as a service crew in a fast-food chain and warehouse man in a factory when I was younger,” he added.

“You did those?”

He nodded. “I had to work part time, so I could pay my tuition. But it was so hard to juggle different jobs while studying, that I ended up dropping out of school.”

“I wished I met you earlier,” I said.

The lights turned green so Noah had to continue driving again. “I doubt you’ll like me if you met me that time,” he said. “I am completely a mess during that time.”

I hugged him tighter. “You are right. It’s impossible for us to happen if we met earlier,” I agreed. “But I am proud of you, of who you used to be and everything that you worked hard to be at this point. I am so glad that we met. It took a lot of time, but it was worth it.”

Noah bumped his helmet on mine. “I am grateful that you don't have prejudice against people's lifestyle that is way below yours,” he said. “I am so grateful that the woman I am in love with is very kind, thoughtful, sweet, smart, and humble… gorgeous inside and out.”

To be praised like that. I am not sure what or how I should react that the only thing I was able to utter was, “Thank you.”

I didn’t know I was this much appreciated by him. And thinking about it made me think of how Marcus perceives me. Maybe Ycca and Aila were right, it was a ‘he’ problem and not mine. That was the way he thinks and I couldn’t do anything about that anymore.

“So, this is your last day here?” Dr. Martinez said.

“Yes, Doc.” We all answered, nodding.

“I hope you learned a lot from us.”

“We did, Doc.”

“Very well,” Dr. Martinez said before turning to Dr. de La Costa. “Anything else you want to tell them, Dr. Joaquin?”

“Congrats and good luck,” Dr. de La Costa said and we couldn’t help but chuckle.

Dr. de La Costa is really a cold man. We have noticed that since day one, we thought that was his facade whenever he’s inside the four corners of the hospital, but we were proven wrong when we met him outside once and he still acted the same.

That’s when Ycca and Aila gave him a nickname, Dr. Cold Blooded Hotty. I couldn’t disagree. In both parts.

“Anyway, Dr. Aydan prepared a farewell dinner later. You guys should come because that dinner is obviously for you,” Dr. Martinez said.

“Wow!” Ycca and Aila uttered in chorus.

“Will there be drinks, Doc?” Anthony asked.

Dr. Martinez nodded. “Yeah. Juices, I think.”

Anthony snorted. “Alcohol sana, Doc.”

“Of course, there will be!” Dr. Martinez chuckled.

Nagdiwang naman si Anthony sa narinig, habang tahimik naman si Marcus sa isang sulok. Noong lunes pa siya ganyan, hindi umiimik kung hindi kakausapin.

"Ang bait naman ni Director Aydan," Aila commented when it was just us. Nakaalis na sila Dr. Martinez at de La Costa.

"Sabi nila sa nurse's station, ganun daw talaga lagi sila. Mahilig raw mang libre," Ycca added.

"Sobrang yaman naman kasi nila," Anthony butted in. "Siguro kahit ako, kung maaabot ko na yung ganung yaman katulad nila? Hindi rin ako mag dadamot."

"Sus! Mukha mo. Ang matapobre mo nga," Ycca fired.

"Matapobre? Kailan ako naging matapobre?" hamon ni Anthony kay Ycca.

Ycca arched her brow and put both of her hands on her waist. "Gusto mo ba isa-isa natin kung ilang beses kang nag salita ng 'di maganda tungkol sa boyfriend ni Mari?"

"Ycca..." I immediately called her out. I don't like where their argument is going, and I hate that Noah had to be mentioned.

"I'm sorry, Mari, but this guy here needs to be humbled."

"Ycca, please..."

"Mari's right, Ycca. Hayaan mo na 'yan siya," Aila added.

Anthony scoffed. "Tss. Feeling mo talaga savior ka niyang ni Mari, no? Hilig mong sasawsaw sa usapang 'di ka naman kasali."

"Ikaw naman, hilig niyong mag panggap na ang tino-tino nyo. Mga gago naman kayo!" Ycca fired back.

"Rebecca..." I called her again.

I don't understand why they are having this argument again, and why they have to argue in the first place.

"b***h!" Anthony spat and both Aila and Ycca gasped.

"Anthony!" I called him out.

"Sawsawerang b***h!" Anthony continued.

Ycca's hand flew to Anthony's face. "How dare you!"

Anthony hissed. "Bakit hindi ba?"

"Shut up, you f*****g jerk!"

"You shut up! Hilig mong makisawsaw sa hindi mo problema!"

"Ikaw, ang hilig mong mag magaling kahit wala namang laman 'yang utak mo kundi kayabangan!"

"Oh, bakit feeling mo magaling ka? Baka nga kung hindi dahil kay Mari, wala ka rin, e." Anthony mocked.

"What?" Ycca asked in disbelief.

I sighed. I don't know what they are arguing for, but this is giving me headaches.

"Stop!" I shouted. "Enough, please. Wala naman kayong dapat pag awayan."

"Ayang kaibigan mo ang pag sabihan mo. Masyadong pakialamera."

"Ikaw, masyadong mayabang!"

"Enough please! Rebecca," I repeated, calling her out because I knew she wouldn't stop. Hindi basta-basta nag papatalo si Ycca. "Ycca, this conversation is nonsense! Stop wasting your time."

Ycca was about to say something when Marcus butted in. He stood from his seat, his both hands inside his trousers' pocket. "You two better stop. Baka isumbong kayo nyan sa taas. Lakas pa naman ng kapit nyan," he said.

My brow arched but he just smirked on me.

"Bakit hindi mo i-kwento sa mga kaibigan mo kung gaano kalakas ang kapit mo kay Director?" he added, and they way he looks at me, it's excruciating.

And him, saying that stopped Ycca and Anthony from arguing, while it lett me speechless. My heart beating so fast that I started having difficulty in breathing.