Holding on to His Promises

Chapter 17: Smart Move

I took a look at Dylan while we were having a dinner with Lolo Max. He caught me looking at him but I didn't take my eyes off him. Therefore, I saw him holding back his smile while he was chewing and locking his eyes on mine. I squinted my eyes a little bit and gave him a questioning look. He didn't say anything but throughout the dinner we kept on glancing at each other. I wondered if he was already okay.

After we ate our dinner, Lolo Max called us to pray and to kneel down facing the altar. Magkatabi kami ni Dylan habang si Lolo Max ay nasa harapan namin at nagdadasal. Minsan sinasabayan namin siya pero pahinto-hinto kami dahil hindi namin memorya ang ilang mga panalangin niya.

"We need to talk," Storm whispered to me.

Binaling ko ang tingin ko sa kanya. "Why?" I mouthed.

Hindi na siya nakasagot dahil tumayo na si Lolo Max at napagtanto naming tapos na pala itong manalangin. Namumula ang mga tuhod ko nang makatayo ako. Dumiretso si Lolo Max sa kwarto niya kaya naiwan kaming dalawa ni Dylan.

Nabigla ako nang higitin ni Dylan ang kamay ko at hinila ako papunta sa kwarto niya; nagpatianod lang ako. I could feel the warmth of his hand. He let go of my hand when he had locked the door already.

"What are we gonna talk about?" I asked him.

"About what you said earlier," he said as he faced me.

My heart pounded a little bit fast. I heaved a sigh to calm down my system. I needed to face this now. "Do we really need to talk about it? I said I love you, too. What's your problem with that?"

"No, I don't have a problem with that, Demi. I just . . ." he stopped for a while before he continued, "I can't believe it."

Muli akong huminga ng malalim at bumuga sa hangin bago ako lumapit sa kanya at niyakap ang mainit niyang katawan. He still had a fever. "Then you should believe it now," I said in a soft voice.

He froze for a few seconds before I felt his arms move around me, hugging me back. He buried his face on my neck and whispered, "All right, I do believe now." He tightened his hug. "I'm so d*mn happy right now." Napangiti ako sa sinabi niya. We just felt the same. My feeling became better after my confession, though I was a bundle of nerves.

I let out a delicious chuckle and said, "Me too."

He broke our hugs. He caressed my face and stared at me with joy in his eyes. "But do you know what's happier?" he told me with a playful smile on his lips.

"What?" I asked.

"Let me be your man tonight." His demand made me burst into laughter.

"You're too fast, Dylan," natatawang sabi ko at pinalo siya sa dibdib.

Napaismid siya ngunit ngumisi rin kalaunan, "Because time flies so fast. We shouldn't waste time."

"I want you to court me first."

"What the hell?" he said with brows a little bit furrowed.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Come on! Courtship stage is just for strangers. We don't need to get to know each other anymore. I already know you more than anyone else does," he defended, "I've even smelled your fart already," biglang dugtong, at tila nais niyang humagalpak ng tawa dahil doon.

My eyes widened in surprise and embarrassment. "Yuuuck! Dylan! Why do you still need to mention that?!" I exclaimed and punched his chest a lot of times.

He couldn't help but laugh hard at me while I was throwing a tantrum. His laugh was making me feel so embarrassed. I bet I was now red as tomato.

"I'm changing my mind. I don't love you now! I hate you!" I snapped.