Champorado

38

"NEW York was good to you," Anton says with a grin, hugging her tight and kissing her head. "Missed you so much, Jiya."

Jiya grins at him. "Missed you, too."

Hindi man sila palaging nag-uusap ni Anton, Jiya kept in touch with him. Sa kanila ni Cas and Isco.

Jiya's thankful Migo's on the other side of the huge and long table at the café. She sits beside Isco and Van with a smile after she hugs Cas and doesn't look at him.

Tries to ignore that he's in the same room as her for the first time in three years.

Addie and Cas thank all of them for coming, and all their friends and family clap and cheer.

Anton leans over and whispers, "Wanna play pool after?"

Jiya nods with a smile. "You'll have to teach me."

He grins.

Anton doesn't ask questions about Migo, which is an immense relief. Baka Van and Addie briefed them all na bawal gawin 'yon. The thought makes her snort.

Jiya bends down the table, closing one eye to her target as she holds her stick in between her fingers.

"Bro."

She messes up the shot.

It completely misses. She doesn't even hit anything. The stick clatters on the table when her fingers jerked at the sound of his voice behind her.

"Volleyball kami," Migo tells Anton, completely ignoring her. "Sama ka?"

Jiya doesn't dare turn to him.

Anton raises an eyebrow at him, turning the stick around his fingers. "Tapusin lang namin game na 'to. Una na kayo."

Jiya exhales a heavy breath when she hears his footsteps back away.

Anton eyes her warily. "You don't wanna play volleyball?"

"I—" She swallows thickly and gives him a smile. "I do. After I beat you."

Anton scoffs and focuses back on the game, blowing into the end of his stick. "You're going down."

Jiya laughs as he bends down exaggeratedly.

To no one's surprise, Anton wins their little pool game, and he walks with her towards the beach.

Jiya can see that some of Addie's friends from high school are busy admiring Migo, pointing at him while he plays volleyball, giddy. Kinikilig. Jiya tears her eyes away and looks at the sand.

"Laro!" Cas shouts at them, waving them over. Nando'n na rin 'yong iba nilang friends.

"Give us five!" Anton yells back, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to a lounge chair sa cabana. "Take off your shirt."

Jiya gapes at him.

He laughs, pulling out a bottle of sunblock from the bag sa table. "I don't want you to get burned, medyo namumula ka na rin. Did you forget to put some on?"

Jiya winces as she pulls the hem of her tank top over her head. "Yeah. Shit, thank you. Ayokong magmukhang sunog pa during the wedding, dagdag pa 'yon sa current circumstances."

Anton snorts, putting his hands on her shoulders to turn her around. He sits behind her and opens the bottle, brushing her hair away from her shoulder. "And the current circumstances being absolutely gorgeous?"

No. She meant the opposite.

Anton spreads sunblock over her back. She sighs, relaxing. "I mean it," Anton says.