Get Through the Night (ACATN Book 2)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16
"Flare"

Ikaw ang una kong minahal... at sigurado akong ikaw rin ang huli, Ham."

I am living in that promise.

Ham is busy preparing our dinner while I scroll our taken photos the whole day. There's a lot. But I can bring myself to delete it kahit pa medyo blur o hindi maayos ang pagkakakuha. I marked my favorites.

Nang mapagod na ang mga mata ko sa pagtitig sa screen, I locked the phone and put it aside. Hinanap ng mga mata ko si Ham. I found his back. His back is against me.

My lips broke into a smile. It's ironic how yesterday was the most memorable birthday. There was no big celebration, but I felt so celebrated and so contented about it.

I rose from the bed. I keep my eyes on Ham's movements. I keep my steps quite habang palapit sa kanya. Nang nasa likuran niya na ako, mabilis kong ipinulupot ang mga kamay sa baywang niya. I giggled when he paused a bit.

"Are you hungry?" tanong niya habang pinagpatuloy ang ginagawa. "Two minutes and it's done."

"Not yet." Bahagya akong sumilip sa niluluto niya. It smells so good and it looks so good.

Kinalas ko ang yakap ko sa kanya para hindi na siya mahirapan sa pagkilos. I stand on the side habang pinagmamasdan ang nasa kawali. It's meat with some vegetables.

Ngumisi ako nang muling tumingin sa kanya. "We're like married couples," nag-init agad ang mukha ko sa kapangahasan ko.

His eyes move sidewards.

"You're cooking dinner even if you came from work, busy and tired."

Kalaunan, he turned to face me. Nagtaas siya ng kilay. May amusement sa mga labi niya. Binaba niya ang sandok para humalukipkip.

"This is one of my young imaginations," pag-amin ko kahit nakakahiya sa kanya.

"You imagine what? At what age?"

"Huh?"

He arched his brow at me.

"Twelve? Thirteen?"

His reaction looks like he can't believe it. Siyempre, iniisip niyang ang lala ko. Ang bata bata pa tapos ganoon ang iniisip.

"I know! I know it's stupid" agap ko. Ngumuso ako at mas lalo pang uminit ang pisngi.

"What other imaginations do you have?" he said indulgently.

"I'm not sharing anymore." It's really embarrassing! I know that now.

He went on interrogating me so I ended up spilling out everything. Pulang pula ang buong mukha ko sa kahihiyan. It made our dinner loud and fun, though. But then, after that, he assured me that will make it all. Kaya hindi ko masabi kung naging sulit ba ang pagpapahiya ko sa sarili ko.

The night turned colder. We are under the thick sheet. Sharing the heat it gives. I am clinging to him as I happily recalled our day. He listens.

I poked the tip of his nose. I don't know what a perfect nose should look like but his definitely looks perfectly, perfectly manly.

"You're perfect," I said. It's overwhelming, the moment and him-as always.

"I'm not."

"To me, you are... I kinda want to be, even one fourth, as perfect as you."

"You're not perfect but you're mine," he says after a kiss on my nose.

I sighed dreamily as my fingertip travels to his lips. "You're my first kiss... I can finally write it sa slambook."