24/7

Everglow

•~• Jay's POV •~•

Time really does fly when you're having fun.

That day when Nic took my hand and led me inside to tend to my wounds, it felt like an invisible button was pushed that made time speed up.

Days bled into nights. Sunrises turned into sunsets seemingly right before our eyes. We both knew we really couldn't stay on this island forever so we hoarded our time together.

We took long walks, swam like dolphins, stargazed, climbed trees. We built blanket forts and stayed inside gorging on junk food and having staring contests. All of which she won.

Mostly because she played dirty.

Kababaeng tao ang lakas mandugas.

"First to blink has to go to the kitchen to get more watermelon slices."

So we'd close our eyes, count to three before we opened them again to start staring at each other. When I came up with this idea, I smugly thought I'd win every single time because I'm a serious gamer and serious gamers don't blink.

Man, was I wrong.

The second we opened our eyes she would do three things in rapid succession: bite her lip, touch my biceps and whisper my name.

And like clockwork, I'd blink and lose the game.

Normally, I hated losing. Hated it. But with her, I could lose all day and still come out of it feeling like I won a million bucks.

Yeah, yeah. I know. I have it bad. No need to point out the obvious. Thing is, I don't really know when to tell her how I felt about her. The last time I tried, she bolted like a cheetah on steroids and I ended up with scraped kneecaps when I ran after her.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Hmmm?"

"You went away for a second. You missed Brad Pitt's epic walk back to the lab with all the zombies around him. Ulitin natin?"

"Ha? Sige. No, wait. Uhm Nic... we need to talk."

She hit pause, turned to face me and hugged her knees to her chest, a small pout on her face.

"What about?"

I took a deep breath then took her hands in mine.

Baka tumakbo na naman. Ayoko na madapa. Kingina.

"About us. You and I. This."

I felt her squeeze my hands. I took that as a good sign so I barreled through.

"We need to go back and face the real world and its problems again. Soon. So before we do, before we go back and  get pulled from all directions... I just want to know if—"

"If  I would still like to work as your bodyg—"

"Ha? No."

"No? So you're terminating our contract? Did you find a better bodyguard?"

"What? No. It's not about work, Nic. First of all, of course I still want you to be with me 24/7. That's a no-brainer. What I really want to talk to you about is—"

"My failure to protect you."

"Yes. What? No! Damnit, Mendoza. Could you maybe shut up for one minute so I can tell you that I have all these feelings for you and how I'm fucking terrified it's all one way and if it is then I need to work on making you fall for me too because I can't—-"

"—imagine life without me in it?"

"YES! So.. pwede? Pwedeng ako na muna magsalita? I need to tell you something important."

She looked at me like I suddenly turned a bright shade of purple.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You mean there's more? More than having all sorts of feelings for me? More than being terrified I don't feel the same way?"

Wait. How...

"How did you know?!"

"You just told me less than a second ago!"

"I did!?"

"Yes!"

I stood up, forgetting that I was inside our blanket fort and watched as everything fell apart.

Then I started pacing the room. Worried that I made her mad at me or that she'll say she doesn't feel the same way.

"FAULKERSON!!"

The fuck—

"Nic? Where are you?"

"Under here!"

Oh shit.

I lifted all the blankets and comforters that she got buried under. When she was finally able to crawl out, she punched me in the arm.

"Aray!"

"That's for leaving me buried under the pile of blankets!"

She punched me again.

"Ow! Stop that!"

"That's for being supremely dense!"

"What? When have I ever been dense? Dense about what?!"

She snarled at me, hands in her hair.

"Answer me, Mendoza. Kelan pa ko naging manhid? I've been bending over backwards trying to be sensitive and considerate about your feelings ever since you took off like a possessed roadrunner when I told you I wanted to spend forev—"

"AARGH! Sobrang manhid mo!"

I stopped mid-sentence when she started stomping her feet out of frustration.

Then she launched herself at me.

I barely had the presence of mind to catch her as she jumped onto my body, hands cupping my face and legs wrapping around my waist.

"Nic?"

"Just shut up."

And then she kissed me.

*•*•*

Author's note: I just want to tell you really quick to make sure you're following me because the next update will be marked private.

Yun lang.