Half a Heart ☑️

Chapter 15

(Caspian's POV)

"So it was all because you were told by that old man to try to bring back the old me? I am kind of hurt, you know?" ang pag-uulit niya sa sinabi ko at nagpanggap pa na parang kinukurot ang kanyang dibdib. This playful side of Ello was actually an alien to me and it didn't take much effort from him to pull it off. At masaya rin ako dahil parang masasabi kong napagtagumpayan ko nga ang aking mission kahit papaano.

Siguro ay mag-iisang oras na kaming andito sa poolside habang ako naman ngayon ang nakahiga sa kanyang hita. It was crazily comforting and warm albeit the coldness of the current settings here.

I laughed a little and said, "Partly, yes. But I'm gonna be honest, it's all worth the effort."

Sa totoo lang, hindi ko alam kung bakit bigla akong nag give-in sa kanya ngayong gabi. True that I shouldn't deny whatever feelings I have towards him and that I should act maturely and accept it. Ngayon ko lang din napagtanto na I actually like him.

Pero kung tutuusin, kahit noon pa man, ay alam ko namang hindi talaga ako straight. Everytime my boy classmates talk about girls, I usually just listen and agree on what they think are attractive. I find girls cute and stylish, but . . . I can't imagine myself being attracted or having a relationship with any girl.

Yes, that simply explains that I am not straight and, on this very moment, just attracted to this fine and actually-good young man right here. And I am fine with that.

"Pero pwede mo bang i-clarify kung ano si Manvel sayo? I kinda think that he's something to you, e," tanong niya.

My reply was, "He's a very supportive, funny, and caring person. He's also a good-looking guy and has all the qualities you can name a close-to-perfect man. He is, however, just a friend to me. Nothing less 'cause he's been there for me, and nothing more since . . . I think, I already and sorta have you."

He pinched my cheek and planted a kiss on my forehead. "Good. At least now you know that I'm just yours."

Even up to this moment, I still can't believe that this is Ello I am with. How can he be this sweet and soft?!

"Pero matanong ko lang, wala na bang pag-asang bumalik pa ang pagkakaibigan ninyo?"

He looked surprised. "How did you know that we were friends before?"

"Manvel talked a LOT. You do the math."

He sighed and answered, "I don't know. What do you think?"

"I think that you should reconsider it. Since he told me na ang pinag-awayan niyo lang naman noon ay dahil sa isang babae na hindi ka ginusto," ang saad ko at tumawa. He also chuckled and tilted his head back hanggang sa nahiga na rin siya.

"It's true, tho. We were kids back then at sa dahil nakasanayan ko nang hindi siya pansinin at laging sungitan ay nadala ko hanggang ngayon. I am not mad at him, anymore. Pero remember when he said that it's his jacket that you were wearing during the first day of school? That's when my . . . slight dislike to him exacerbated," ang mahaba niyang paliwanag na tinanguan ko naman.

"He was just trying to save me from that awkward situation. You know, he's not that bad person, right?" I asked and he hummed in approval. "So why not reconsider your friendship? Lalong-lalo na ngayon, teammates pa kayo sa beach volleyball. You'll be needing that connection, you know."

We were still in that position and Ello was about to respond when we suddenly saw a distant beam from what seemed to be a flashlight on the lawn just a few meters away from us. Agad naman kaming dalawang bumangon at umupo na lamang hanggang sa ilang sandali pa ay narinig na namin ang pamilyar na boses ni Nanay Neneng.