SIN: Valeria Caruso

12: Ice Cube

Hi! To avoid confusion, the meeting of Valeria and Zevran, and Valeria's breakup with Johann happened in the same year. Pero ang pagkakaiba nilang dalawa ay sa months--- dahil nauna na ang pag-split-up nila Valeria at Johann bago ma-met ni Valeria si Zevran. Again, after a few months ng pagb-break nila Valeria at Johann, saka niya nakilala si Zevran sa club. Got it? Thank you po!

Valeria gazed at herself in the mirror, one word--- sinful. Tina-traydor na siya ng isipan niya dahil nagpaalala na naman sa kaniya ang gabing iyon. Ang walang katapusang gabi na nangyari ng napaka-tagal na panahon, na muli na namang bumalik sa alaala niya dahil lang sa desisyon niyang sumama kay Arden ngayon. Pero ano ba'ng alam ng kaibigan niya? Nanisi pa talaga siya 'eh kasalanan niya naman talaga ang lahat-lahat. Minsan nga, napapansin niya na lang, why does her life keep becoming more chaotic as time goes on? What happened, and why are all these occurrences suddenly manifesting in her life? All of this are bullshit.

Wala sa sariling napahawak siya sa ibabang-labi. She looked at it through the mirror. Valeria lightly traced it using her index finger, swallowing hard as she recalled that memory again.

| FLASHBACK |

"Are you provoking me?" hindi pa naman mukhang galit ang itsura niya pero parang nanggagalaiti na ang baritonong boses niya. Is his voice consistently this resonant... and foreboding?

"Provoke what?" I divert my attention from him to fetch the tumbler glass filled with vodka. I softly swirl it before indulging and consuming it entirely. "This is my normal, you know." saad ko at muling humarap sa kaniya. "Sino ka ba para I-provoke ko?"

Hindi siya sumagot kaya inisa ko ang hakbang papalapit sa kaniya. I had to raise my gaze a little because he's taller than I am, even though I'm 5'7, hanggang balikat niya lang ako. I maintain my grip on the tumbler glass as I lean closer to his face. Our bodies are already intertwined, and I can feel his warmth radiating. Ang bango-bango niya.

His Adam's apple is unmistakably sinking into his throat as I maintain my stare. His reaction is blank, and his lips are tightly sealed in a way I can't quite describe. Ang makakapal at ma-balahibong kilay niya ay magkasalubong na parang na-b-badtrip na.

"Then what are you doing right now?" I feel the scent of his breath gently brushing against my face. His voice is exceedingly rough. I have to cross my legs to control the familiar tingling sensation emerging within me.

"Why are you so tense?" mas inilapit ko ang mukha ko sa kaniya at dahan-dahan, dinampian ko ng halik ang gilid ng labi niya. Surprise registered on his reaction, and I, too, was startled by what I had just done! Goodness. What did I just do?

Tumingin siya sa labi ko pagkatapos kong gawin iyon. I had no idea, but all of a sudden, my chest tightened with anxiety as I noticed his stare. It feels as if I've done something severely wrong to him, given the darkening of his expression. Our faces were mere inches away from one another, ngunit hindi nangyari ang iniisip ko dahil ini-snatch niya ang tumbler glass mula sa kamay ko. Nagsasalin na siya ng vodka sa glass na iyon at, sa kabilang banda, naiwan pa rin akong nakatulala. I subtly touched my cheek, and the part of my lips where I kissed him. Did I really... do that?

"I don't know, but..." I glanced at him as he spoke. Hawak-hawak niya ang tumbler glass sa kaliwang kamay na may lamang vodka at tatlong ice cube. ".... are you always this stubborn?"