Love Me and Never Let Me Go, Amara

3

Maximilian

"Angas ah, ang init ng panahon pero naka turtle neck ka?"

"Angas ah, studyante pero mukhang panda?" Asar ko pabalik sa kanya. Gago talaga 'tong tubol na 'to.

Tadyakan kita diyan.

"Ano ba kasing nangyari diyan? Nadapa ka at sa leeg ang tama?" Kahit si Caspian ay nagtatakha rin kung anong nangyari dito sa aking leeg.

I just woke up and there were a lot of red marks on my neck. May mga bakas pa ng ngipin na para bang pinanggigilan ito noong kinagat. And I woke up with a terrible headache because of alcohol.

Puta talaga.

"Hindi na kayo nasanay kay Max. We all know naman na galing yan kay Miko," Serenity said, causing the three of them to giggle beside me. Their laughter was contagious, and I found myself chuckling along with them.

Buti kung kay Miko nga galing ito, since he is my boyfriend. But as far as I can recall, he was not with me last night kase I was angry with him and left him at the bar. Kaya it's impossible na gawin niya sa akin ito.

Dumagdag pa itong inis ko sa phone ko. I had left it at the condo kase wala ng battery. It was only at twenty percent nang dalhin ko ito sa bar Tangina talaga.

"Are you sure it came from Miko?" Ava said suspiciously. Suddenly, my anger resurfaced, wiping the smile that had been on my face earlier.

Napunta tuloy ang tingin ko sa taong nasa harap ko. There she is. She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows at me, then she gave me a subtle smile.

"Why? Do you think someone else will do that to Max?" Cedric asked.

"What do you mean, Ava?" Kuya Cas added.

"I don't know? Feel ko lang, okay," she answered with a shrug, as their faces seemed interested in the answer she wanted to know.

"Actually, I don't know where I got this from... As far as I can remember, walang nangyaring hook up kahit gaano ako kalasing kagabi. I even made it home to my condo safely, so I really don't know," I answered to put their minds at ease.

"Ah, kagat ng lamok 'yan? Baka kailangan mo na talaga ng kulambo," biro pa ni Cedric.

"Tangina mo talaga, Cedric," saway ni Serenity.

"Ang laki naman ng lamok na 'yan," sabi naman ni Ava, habang iniisip pa rin kung ano nangyari sa leeg ko.

Nasabi ko na ba na nasa bar kami ngayon? I mean, we're in the VIP area, so it's just us who can hear our conversation. Yung tatlong nursing student na 'to ang nag-aya sa amin kasi daw gusto nila uminom, kahit marami silang deadlines ngayon.

Marami nang ininom si Ava, Serenity at Cedric, at tulad ko, mababa ang tolerance nila sa alak. Parang si Caspian at yung isa lang ang may mataas na tolerance sa alak sa amin.

"Max, kaya mo pa ba? O isasabay na kita sa paguwi ng tatlong 'to?" suhestiyon ni Caspian sa akin. Tipsy lang naman ako kaya kaya ko pang umuwi mag-isa.

Umiling ako. "Hindi na, kaya ko pa naman, and I want to have some more shots, so you guys can go home first." Tumango siya at binuhat si Cedric, dahil siya ang pinakamabigat sa kanila. Naggy-gym kasi 'tong si Cedric kaya malaki ang katawan.

Kaya naman ni Amara ang dalawang babae, kaya ako na lang ang naiwan dito.

I didn't mind that, in fact, I preferred to drink alone.