SWEETHEART 18: My Longtime Friend, My One-week Wife

CHAPTER NINE

HINDI niya matiyak kung saan galing ang lakas
ng loob niya para sabihin iyon. Marahil ay sama-sama ng inis. Pareho sa dalawang lalaki. Kay Albert dahil basta na lang ito nagalit at hindi siya binigyan ng pagkakataong magpaliwanag. Kay Joe dahil sa pakiramdam niya ay manhid ito at hindi man lang maisip na mahal niya ito hindi bilang kaibigan.

At na sana'y wala siya sa sitwasyong pagselosin si Albert ngayon kung tiningnan siya ni Joe nang higit pa sa pagkakaibigan nila.

Joe stared at her for a long moment, searching her face with disbelief in his eyes. "Gusto mong totohanin ang pagpapaselos mo sa boyfriend mo?"

Sinulyapan niya si Albert, hustong nakatitig din ito sa kanya sa naniningkit na mga mata.

"Bakit hindi? He never gave me the chance anyway."

"Sweetheart-"

"Oh, Joe, please." Tumingala siya rito, arched her head backward ala-Scarlet O'Hara kay Rhett Butler. She had the life-size poster in her bedroom. It was Joe's gift when she had turned eighteen. At hindi miminsan niyang pinantasya na silang dalawa ni Joe iyon.

Sa mismong sandaling iyon, sa kaibuturan ng puso niya, hindi niya pinagseselos si Albert at hindi siya umaarte. "I promise I'd be a good girlfriend. And you loved me already as a friend. Natitiyak kong hindi ka mahihirapang mahalin ako bilang girlfriend."

He saw her blink. Not once but twice. Ilang sandali ring nakatunghay at nakatitig sa kanya, unable to utter a word. Na para bang ang sinabi niya ay Latin.

Unti-unti na siyang nakadama ng pagkapahiya at pagkadismaya nang magsalita ito. "Is it really what you want, sweetheart?" he asked somewhat throatily. Na para bang napakatagal nitong hindi nagamit ang vocal cords.

Since time immemorial, my love, she wanted to tell him but held herself. Sa halip ay tumango siya, then simply said: "Yes."

Again, a long moments had passed before he said, "Let me do it my way, sweetheart..." He was smiling into her eyes. "Will you be my girl?"

She gasped. It sounded so true. A dream come true. "Oh, yes! Yes!" Then she grinned. Tiptoed and kissed him on the lips forgetting that they were in the middle of a dance floor.
She heard Joe gasped, then stiffened.
And to her delight, Joe kissed him back. From the tentative touch of his mouth to hers... to pressing his mouth closer and kissing her gently... to angling his head and thrusting his tongue and deepening his kiss.

Guada closed her eyes. Nalimutan kung saan sila naroroon. It was like magic. Pakiwari niya'y nasa ulap silang dalawa.
Kapagkuwa'y may sumiko kay Joe at bumulong dito na umabot din sa pandinig ni Guada.

"Get a room, guys! For goodness' sake, you're
making a scene!"

Mabilis ang pagkawala nila sa isa't isa. It was Bob, Joe's friend and classmate in college dancing with his college girlfriend who was grinning from ear to ear. "Natitiyak kong bukas ay nasa front page kayo ng school organ," dugtong nito, a faked disgust on his face.

Nagkatinginan sila ni Joe. His expressions mirrored his own. Shock. Nalimutan nilang pareho kung nasaan sila. Natitiyak ni Guada na pinamulahan siya ng mukha dahil may nakikita siya sa sulok ng mga mata niyang nakatitig at nakangiti sa kanila.

Ang awkwardness at embarrassment ay natakpan nang mahalinhan ang tugtog ng rock. Both her and Joe started to dance along with the tune. Sumunod si Joe sa pagsasayaw. Then he twitched his lips in a very sexy smile that her heart went over drive.
Pero natitiyak niyang kahit ang hindi gaanong maliwanag na ilaw sa dance floor ay hindi kayang takpan ang pamumula ng pisngi niya. Her lips still throbbed from his kiss.

Hindi niya kayang paniwalaang hinagkan siya nito. Hindi ng halik sa kaibigan sa kaibigan. But a tongue kiss! At kung iyong sandaling halik na iyon ang pagbabasehan, now she knew why some girls during his college days tagged him as the best kisser of the millennium!