Celine woke up the next day feeling like there's a rock sitting on her face. Her head feels so heavy and her throat is dry. It feels like sandpaper. Pinilit niyang bumangon pero parang may nakadagan sa kanya. She opened her eyes and the sight made her frown.
Bakit gumanda yata iyong bumbilya sa kwarto niya? And why are there curtains on the side? She can't remember the painting on the wall. And why is her bed so soft?
Still frowning, she turned to her right to see what's weighing her down. Napamulagat siya nang makitang katabi niya si Kelvin. He's fast asleep. She checked herself to figure something out and almost passed out when she saw that instead of the dress she was wearing last night, she's already in his clothes.
Nag-panic siya. Hindi niya alam ang gagawin. She certainly didn't want her first time to be like this. She removed Kelvin's arm from her. Doon na ito nagising.
Binalot niya ng kumot ang sarili nang bumangon ito.
"What?" he asked.
"M-May... n-nangyari ba?"
It took him a while to comprehend her question and when he did, he grinned.
"Meron."
--
He was just teasing, but Celine took it seriously. Paiyak na ito dahil sa sinabi niya. So he retracted his answer.
"Nah. I'm just kidding."
Bigla itong sumubsob at nagsimulang humikbi.
"Hey, Celine..."
"Hindi ka nakakatuwa," she muttered.
"Sorry na." Inakbayan niya ito. "You were so drunk last night that I decided to take you here. You threw up inside my car. Then, you threw up in the living room. Marumi na 'yong damit mo kaya binihisan kita," he explained.
That's when she looked up. Poor Celine, she's already in tears. Nakonsensya tuloy siya.
"I'm sorry," pag-uulit niya.
"Sorry din. Tutulungan kitang maglinis ng kotse. Saka ng sala mo."
"There's no need. I already cleaned the living room. Ipapalinis ko na lang 'yong kotse. Kasalanan ko rin naman kung bakit ka nasuka. I never should have left you with them last night."
He kissed her temple and brushed her tears away.
"Do you feel okay now? May gusto kang kainin?"
"Gusto kong mag-toothbrush," nakangiwi nitong sagot.
He let out a laugh. "There's a spare in the bathroom. Right cabinet."
When Celine got up, he followed her to the bathroom to make sure that she got the toothbrush. Sumimangot ito sa salamin bago naghilamos. Then she looked at the right cabinet and took a spare toothbrush out.
Celine may be oblivious to the fact that she looks so good in the morning, but he isn't. Pinagsawa niya ang sarili sa pagtingin dito. His shirt looks good on her. And those legs are driving him crazy. But he couldn't make a move, and he shouldn't. She would be upset.
Na-conscious yata ito bigla dahil pinalabas siya at isinara nito ang pintuan ng banyo.
--
Celine was thankful because the shirt she's wearing covers her upper thighs, pero naiiksian pa rin siya. His gaze earlier suggests that the cloth is still revealing.
When she got out after freshening up, she found him in the kitchen. It looks like he's making a soup. Paglapit niya, instant noodles pala.
"This will be ready in a few minutes," he told her.
