Find Your Way

Chapter Thirty-Six

Jade's POV

I can't believe what's happening right now. It's like I am in a situation I've been two years ago. Same place and same people. The only difference was Jayson, and this awkward feeling na alam kong nararamdaman din niya.

We're just staring at each other - Althea and I - while Batchi and her girlfriend are having a non-stop getting-to-know questions with my boyfriend. Nagtitigan lang kami na parang nagkakaintindihan through our eyes. I can honestly feel that there's something she wanted to say the way she occasionally fidgets from her seat. Ilang beses din bumuka 'yung bibig niya but she'll eventually close it na parang nauunahan ng takot kung ano man 'yung gusto niyang itanong.

Every five minutes, she'll chew ice from her glass of beer then pop some chips into her mouth right after the ice is melted. And for the next 10 minutes, she'll straighten herself from sitting and check her phone, na alam ko namang nagkukunwari lang siyang meron katext, then she'll go back and stare at me.

Yep, that's how robotic she is.

I can see that the alcohol's now getting into her the way her animated eyes look at me. I know Althea, alam kong ang baba lang ng alcohol tolerance niya na maka-tatlong bote lang ito ng beer, you can bet na lasing na ito. Idagdag mo pa na lumalamlam ang mga mata nito at namumula ng kaunti ang mga pisngi.

Well, to be honest, she looks cute whenever she's like that. And I really like it when she's drunk because she'll never get tired of talking sweet nothings to me that would instantly make my heart flutter. Instead na magalit ako dahil wala siyang control sa pag-inom, hinahayaan ko na lang dahil gusto ko din naman.

I wanted to hear her constantly say how she loves me and how she wanted me. You see, sober Althea will never confess how she's dying for me to be in her bed. It's not that nababastusan ako or anything, the feeling is mutual sa totoo lang. Pero hindi ko hinahayaang mangyari dahil gusto kong maging memorable ang first night naming dalawa. At nung nangyari na nga, masasabi kong that was by far the best night of my life.

And looking at her right now, at this very moment, nothing changed a bit.

Hindi ko mai-dedeny na that's my favorite side of hers - drunken Althea. Up until now.

I'm still affected by her. I'm still dying to hear her sweet nothings. The way she looks at me right now is enough for me to notice that we're just on the same boat. I can see the fire in her eyes that instantly stir something inside me, something I've been trying to suppress.

And having this staring contest with Althea makes me want to forget that. Alam kong kapag nagtagal pa ko dito, a minute from now, siguradong bibigay na ko. And before it happened, I stood up and excused myself from them.

I practically ran to the powder room and the moment I reached that, I immediately close the door behind me and release the breath I didn't notice I've been holding.

Oh God. Get a hold of yourself, Jade. Don't back down.

I told myself repeatedly while trying to calm myself down. When my breathing finally steadied, I tried and fixed myself from the mirror. Staring back at my reflection makes me see that wariness projecting in my eyes. My lips are pale and there's a subtle beads of sweat forming on my forehead.

I grab some tissues from my pouch and wipe the sweats swiftly then I took my lipstick to re-apply some on my lips. I was in the middle of retouching when I heard knocks on the door. Bago pa man ako makasagot, pumasok na 'yung taong iniiwasan ko.

"Jade.." She utters softly but enough for me to hear it.

"W-What do you want, A-Althea?" I asked not glancing in her way. I can feel my hands shake uncontrollably alongside with the loud thumping of my heart.