“I missed you so damn much, Sahara.”
And she felt it in his kiss. Mula sa kanyang bibig ay gumapang ang mga labi ni Ace sa kanyang pisngi, pababa sa kanyang leeg. Hindi niya dapat pinapayagan na mangyari iyon, na halikan siya nang ganoon ng binata pero hindi rin niya maikakaila ang sarap na nararamdaman niya nang mga oras na iyon. Ace’s kisses were different from Armando’s and from the other men in her life. His lips were full and soft and inviting, as if it was a sin not to submit herself in.
“Spend the night with me,” bulong nito sa tainga niya.
“Hindi p’wede.” She inhaled sharply as she felt his hot lips trace the rim of her ear. He then flickered his tongue under and around her earlobe, took it between his lips and suck on it.
“Please…” he murmured as he traced her ear with his tongue, moistened it and then blew softly on it. “Even just for tonight.”
Sahara was torn between giving in to the pleasure that only he could give and keeping her promise to be a loyal girlfriend to Armando, which she knew was the only right thing to do. His kisses were like fire on her skin, burning every part of her sanity. She wanted to say yes to him but she’s certain that agreeing to spend the night with him would only mean one thing – surrendering her body and soul to the man whom she promised to forget. But God, she missed his lips as well as his touch and every little thing about him.
She was about to succumb to her own burning desire when a phone call just brought her back to her senses.
“I’m sorry, I have to take this call,” habol-hininga niyang bulong nang makita kung kanino galing ang tawag.
Tumalikod siya at bahagyang lumayo sa binata pero agad rin itong sumunod sa kanya at yumakap mula sa kanyang likuran. Hindi nito hininto ang ginagawang paghalik sa leeg niya kahit pa nasa tainga na niya ang telepono. She just had to take a deep breath before taking the goddamn call.
“H-hello, hon…yeah…I-I-“ at naramdaman niya ang dulo ng dila nito sa kanyang tainga. “I’m actually…on my way…see you…b-bye…” She put her phone back inside her bag and she looked at Ace staring straight into her eyes and before she could even say a word, he cupped her face and kissed her deeply. It took them a while before they were able to break the kiss.
“I will wait for you here…tomorrow, same time,” bulong nito.
“I’m with someone else now and…” Umiling siya kahit pa kung gaano niya iyon kagusto. Yumuko siya, pumikit at itinukod ang noo sa malapad nitong dibdib.
“I am still willing to be your kept lover.” Pilit nitong itinaas ang mukha niya para makita niya ang mga mata nito. “I still love you…I’m still crazy about you. Wala na ‘kong pakialam kung hindi lang ako ang lalaki sa buhay mo…basta makasama lang kita kahit minsan….mahalikan kita kahit sandali.”
Ah, Ace hasn’t changed at all. Behind that tough exterior, he’s still the same charming man she knew many years ago. ‘Yung Ace na gagawin ang lahat para sa kanya, ‘yung Ace na mamahalin siya kahit ano pa siya.
“Please say yes, Sahara.”
Umiiling siya. “I can’t. You deserve someone better.”
“But I want you. Only you. I believe that we met again because we’re meant to meet again, Sahara. Don’t you get it? We are destined to be together.”
Kung ganoon lang sana iyon kadali. Kung p’wede lang sana niyang kalimutan ang lahat ay gagawin niya para lamang muling makasama si Ace. Pero bali-baliktarin man niya ang mga pangyayari, iba na ang sitwasyon niya ngayon at magkaiba na ang mundo’ng ginagalawan nila ngayon. Kung noon pa sana sila nagkita ni Ace, noong mga panahong hindi pa niya nakikilala ang isang tulad ni Armando, magiging madali sana ang pagdedesisyon niya.
Choosing between Ace and Armando was a lot more difficult than the decision she had to make when she was faced with the problem about Max. If she could only love these two, she probably would, given the fact that both of them had made a huge impact in her life.
~~
“W-WOW!”
Nadatnan na lamang ni Sahara na punung-puno ng pagkain ang mesa’ng kawayan sa harap ng kanilang kubo at doon ay nakatayo si Armando na may dala’ng isang pumpon ng pula’ng mga rosas. Nakangiti lamang itong nakatingin sa kanya habang hinihintay na makalapit siya nang tuluyan.
“Ano ‘to, Armando?” taka niyang tanong. Matapos makapaligo at makapagbihis ay nagulat na lamang siya nang makita ang lahat ng iyon na hindi niya alam kung paano nangyari samantalang wala pang isang oras ang itinagal niya sa banyo.
“I told you that I’ll make this evening extra special, didn’t I? So, here it is.” Lumigid si Armando sa pahabang mesa para lumapit sa kinatatayuan niya. Hinalikan siya nito sa labi at iniabot ang mga bulaklak. “This is all for you, Sahara.”
“Thank you,” aniya. Gusto niyang maluha sa tuwa dahil labis-labis na ang ginagawa ng nobyo para sa kanya. “Hindi mo naman kailangang gawin lahat ng ito.”
“Hindi ko kailangang gawin, pero gusto ko.”
Siya naman ang humalik sa mga labi nito bago sila tuluyang naupo sa pabilog na mesa. Lahat ng paborito niya ay naroon – menudo, Korean fried chicken, salmon roll. Bigla tuloy siyang nakaramdam ng gutom, lalo pa’t hindi naman siya masyadong nakapag-hapunan kanina.
“So, how was the rest of your day?” masiglang tanong ni Armando matapos siya nitong alalayang makaupo. Agad na rin nitong sinimulan ang pagkuha ng pagkain para sa kanya.
“Ahm, g-good,” aniya. Dahil hindi naman niya p’wedeng sabihin na ‘it was a disaster’. Okay, fine, it wasn’t really a ‘disaster’ but it wasn’t a pleasant incident either.
“Oh wait.” Inilapag nito ang plato sa harap niya at tumayo. “I forgot the wine. Kunin ko lang sa fridge, okay? Salmon roll will not be perfect without it.”
“Sure.”
Sinubukan niyang ituon ang isip sa ibang bagay – sa magandang tanawin ng karagatan, sa mga magkasintahang naglalakad nang magkahawak-kamay sa di kalayuan, sa mga magagandang mangyayari sa kanila ni Armando sa hinaharap. Wala na siyang dapat alalahanin pa dahil ngayon, nasa kanya na ang lahat.
Kailangan niyang maging kalmado dahil ayaw niyang mahalata ni Armando na mayroon siyang inaalala. This evening was supposed to be special, perfect even. And she won’t let anything ruin it for him. Pumikit siya at huminga nang malalim. Kailangan niyang tanggalin sa isip ang nangyari kanina, lalo na ang lalaki’ng nakita niya kanina – habang-buhay. At dasal lang niya na sana, iyon na ang huli nilang pagkikita. Dahil ipinangako na niya sa sarili na anuman ang mangyari ay hinding-hindi na niya bibigyan ng pagkakataon si Ace na makabalik sa buhay niya.
But what if they see each other again? Would she be strong enough to stay away from him? Yes, of course because that’s what she’s supposed to do. Armando was willing to marry her and she couldn’t find any reason not to consider it. However, Ace was once more than willing to marry her as well and probably, if they were only given a chance, she’d now have her happily ever after with him.
And just earlier, Ace told her that he still loves her… that he’s willing to be her lover…
Inayos niya ang nagulong buhok dahil sa lakas ng hangin at lilingon na sana siya para tingnan kung parating na ang nobyo nang biglang may isang malaking kamay na tumakip sa kanyang mga mata. Si Armando iyon, sigurado siya, na hindi nauubusan ng mga sorpresa.