The Red Light Kiss

26

Happy February! Please expect na mas mabilis na 'yung timeline. <3

26

Mabilis lumipas ang araw. Before I even knew it, Hassen has already went home.

''Do you like it?''

My mouth dropped with an intense suprise seeing all the gifts he brought behind his car. Kauuwi niya lang kaninang umaga at kahit na may jet lag ay dumiretso agad siya sa akin upang sunduin ako nang malaman na nasa skwelahan pa ako.

Seating on the driver's seat, he held my hand with a smile crept on his lips.

"Do you like it?" he asked again, softly.

"Ayos na sa aking umuwi ka ng buo. But thank you...''

He chuckled. Lumapit siya sa akin kaya't napaatras ako. Wait, what? Hahalikan niya ba ako?!

I mean... we've kissed before, for sure. And I want us to kiss again pero... hindi pa ako sanay!

''Hahalikan mo 'ko?'' tanong ko.

Malapit pa rin ang kaniyang mukha sa akin. I can even smell his scent. Nag-init ang pisngi ko.

''Papahalik ka ba?''

Tinignan ko ang kaniyang mukha na nakatitig sa akin. From his intense and intimidating eyes, sharp nose, and delicate lips... since when did he become this handsome?

Mas lalong nag-init ang pisngi ko dahil sa kahihiyan. He looked at my eyes then down to my lips. My heart started to beat an unusual pace. Napansin niya yata ang expression ko kaya't napahalakhak siyang muli!

''Bwisit ka!''

''What?'' he continued laughing.

''Pinagtatawanan mo ba ako?''

''Are you mad now?'' he teased.

Nakangiti niyang hinalikan ang kamay ko.

''I missed you. I always think about you in the states kaya... naparami-rami ang nabili ko. I guess my years of saving is worth it?'' he smiled.

May kinuha siya likuran ng sasakyan kung nasaan ang mga regalo niya. I let myself look at him. It's almost a month since I last saw him. We only had our time during our video calls, and to tell you, it wasn't as long as how we wanted it to be. Minsan, isang oras. Minsan, ilang minuto lang. I had my classes to attend and he has schedule to follow while he was abroad. Kaya ngayong nandito siya, confident na akong madalas na kaming magkikita... hopefully.

Nang matapos ay lito kong tinignan ang hawak niya. It was a small red box.

''I want you to have something that reminds you of me...''

Slowly, he opened the box. Halos magwala ang dibdib ko dahil sa sobra-sobrang pagtibok.

Inside the box revealed a necklace with a long gold match stick pendant with little letters I couldn't understand.

''I also have mine...''

He removed a button of his white longsleeves polo, revealing his long gold match stick pendant necklace. Like what's inside the box, it has little letters, too. Halos mahugutan ako ng hininga sa pagtitig pa lamang sa kaniya.

''Mine's JA. Yours is FH...''

I had no other words to say. Sa sobrang dami niyang binili, sigurado akong kaya na nitong bayaran ang dalawang taon ko sa kolehiyo. I appreciate it so much... but he doesn't need to buy me things. Kung akin lang naman, ayokong tanggapin iyon dahil unang-una, hindi naman iyon ang dahilan kung bakit ko siya nagustuhan. I knew deep in me that my intentions are pure, but looking at our differences, I'm sure people would suspect that I am only after something.