Up Where We Belong

Chapter 27

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"Ikaw lang ang gusto kong nakalingkis sa akin."

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Ano?"

I heard him sigh. "Nothing."

I cocked an eyebrow and leaned my elbow against the window of the car. I massaged my chin using my thumb.

"You even used what our neighbors alleged us doing at night in your favor," he said before glancing at me.

"Well, everything happens for a reason," balewalang sabi ko. "Kanina wala akong mahanap na dahilan bakit kailangan tayong mapagbintangang nambubulabog ng mga kapitbahay. Ngayon, alam ko na, that the whole scenario they have in their heads is going to be handy at a moment we had earlier."

"Mas iisipin nilang totoo iyon," mahina niyang sambit.

"You're enjoying it, aren't you?" sarkastikong usal ko. Nakita kong halos mapunit ang labi nito sa kakangisi.

Ano pang silbi? Eh, hindi naman ito nagpaliwanag kay Ate Sandra ng totoong scenario.

"Si Lola Gloria lang naman ang nakarinig. I told you, she got the best sense of hearing."

"How is that possible? The walls are thick! Kahit sabihin pa natin na kapitbahay natin sila, napakaimposibleng aabot 'yon sa kabila. It's not like we're doing something at your house like she was implicating, pero paano nalang pala kung-," napahilot ako ng sentido ko at huminga, "...kung may ingay ulit na parehos no'n."

He sighed. "I'll try to get to the bottom of this."

"H'wag na. Mas nakakahiya!" bulalas ko. "Hayaan mo na. H'wag nalang tayong sabay mag-work out."

"But I like doing it with you," sabi pa niya at ngumiti na nagpaasar pa sa'kin.

"Isama mo si Cyra! Tutal mukhang willing naman siyang samahan ka at parang aliw na aliw ka naman sa kanya."

I hate the way I sounded. Ayokong lumabas na apektado. But then I remember the reason he told me why Cyra acts like that when he's around and I want to poke my head for letting my mind going overboard.

"Not really," nakangiting iling niya. He sighed, again. "If I didn't know you enough, I'd really think you're jealous."

I pursed my lips and looked away. I swallowed before speaking without glancing at him. "I don't have any single jealous bone in my body."

"Hindi ako naniniwala," narinig kong sambit niya. "Dahil mayroon kang pakiramdam." I turned to him and caught a sight of him looking at me. He bit his lower lip, and then he eyed the road. "Normal na makakaramdam ng mga ganoon kapag hinihingi ng pagkakataon."

I smirked. "I tried so hard not to feel it because it's not healthy."

"Hindi mo naman maiiwasan 'yon. You can't just choose not to feel jealous because you have emotions automatically. But it's up to you to act on the emotion or not. "

I shrugged. Siguro nga, tama siya.

"A little bit of jealousy in a healthy relationship is fine," he added.

"Hindi ako nagseselos kung iyan ang pinapahiwatig mo."

He shrugged his shoulders and continued driving. I just shifted my gaze outside the window.

He stopped the car outside what looked like a carinderia. Labas-pasok ang mga kumakain doon dahil siguro oras na ng tanghalian. During our college years, my friends would always take me to carinderia near our school. I get so excited seeing the display of all the Filipino dishes to point and choose from and the dishes they serve are no doubt one of the best.