Best for Us (GU #3)

twenty-four

Twenty-Four: Tyler Osmond

AFTER that night at the bay, I felt more at ease around Vanessa. Hindi ko alam. Pero malaki ang naitulong noong mga bagay na nasabi ko sa kanya. Things that I doubt my friends do even know.

I mean they knew about my family. They knew also about the way I was with girls. Pero hindi ko kailanman nasabi sa kanila na magkaugnay ang dalawang iyon.

I only shared that to Vanessa. Sa kanya lang.

I smiled as I remembered the rest of our talk.

"How do you define casual relationships?" she suddenly asked after I just poured my heart out.

I meant after some silence after I poured all my heart's content.

That was an odd question. I don't know. I was just expecting her to react differently. Maybe, feel pity about my situation? Na ayoko rin namang mangyari kaya okay na rin na ganyan ang tinanong niya.

Somehow, the atmosphere changed.

I smirked at her. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Hindi siya agad nakasagot, basta tinitigan lang ako. Saka doo'y mayroon na naman siyang panibagong tanong. "Do you still do it until now?"

Napataas ang kilay ko doon. Damn, she's really unpredictable. And I like that.

"Casual relationships?" pagkumpirma ko pa. Tumango siya't bumalik na naman ang ngisi ko sa labi. "Why do you ask?"

Napabuntong hininga siya. At nang akala ko'y may panibago siyang tanong na ibabato, kanya ng sinabi kasabay ng pagkibit ng balikat, "I'm just curious. Siguro I just never see you hang out with a girl-"

"I hang out with you."

Napatigil siya't sinimangutan ako. "I'm different. But seriously, hindi nga kita nakikita. 'Yung huling beses 'ata yung kay Olivia Guzman."

"You're keeping a tally of my activities now?"

"Tyler," tawag ni Vanessa. By her tone, I knew she was already slighlty pissed. But even I know it might piss her more, I still smiled.

It's just her. She looked so cute when she's looking at me like that.

Saka hindi ko maiwasan. I felt really elated right now. I felt there were no anymore gaps between us.

I ran my fingers through my hair first then I asnwered her, turning serious. "It's because I don't. Hindi ko alam, nawalan lang ako bigla ng interes. Dahil siguro ang daming school works. Or maybe because," I paused, making sure she was looking at me before continued, " I am already content with the company of this certain someone."

I was expecting another outburst from her. Like her calling my name again in an irritated tone. O di kaya samaan ako ng tingin. But she didn't do any of that.

Instead, she just stared at me. Then she blinked. One, two, three times. Bago siya yumuko, kinuha iyong cellphone sa bulsa at sinilip iyon saka binalik ang tingin sa akin at sinabi. "Uwi na tayo? Late na."

Napabuntong-hininga ako. Minsan, hindi ko pa rin talaga maintindihan si Vanessa.

There was a knock on my passenger's window. Napatingin ako doon at napangiti ng makita kung sino iyon. Speaking of.

I unlocked the door and soon it opened.

"Sorry natagalan," sabi ni Vanessa nang makasakay doon sa Explorer. "Kinausap pa kami para doon sa audition sa Monday."