13 | SWEET

THE STREAK OF LIGHTS coming from the rouge lights of lamp posts and convenience store kissed his face making it outshine all the visible things within her sight. It was truly an undeniably outstanding sight for her. She likes how he stood out as the only person she could see after the song ended with the claps and cheers.

Hindi siya napapagod na i-appreciate ang mukha ni Chase. Hindi rin siyang napapagod na puriin ang mukha nito. Kung pwede araw-arawin niya pa.

He was too bright for her. His presence. His face. His everything. He was like the rose, penetrating her world full of blue, piercing her with his thorns to enter her world. It doesn’t seem right and it must be painful, but it feels good that it feels so wrong. Yet, she wanted to see him smiling at her even just for a second.

For a second, she glimpsed at Chase and it was truly mesmerising. It was the most beautiful black eyes she had ever seen, as if there were stars glimmering in it, drowning her for madness.

Ah, what has he done to make me feel this way? It's confusing me.

When Chase cleared his throat, she scratched at the back of her head and tried to talk.

"Ah, I'll go," she said, lips trembling tremendously.

Hanggang ngayon hindi niya pa rin alam kung bakit hindi niya makausap ng maayos ang lalaki. She doesn't even understand why she was acting like this in front of the man. People might threw questions at her and it will be left unanswered just because she does not have the right words to answer.

As she was standing in front of Chase, she waited for him to speak, but it didn't come after a minute. She cannot complain since they were . . . not friends at all. She cannot force Chase to answer her. But in that one minute, she was able to admire his beauty. Something she cannot do every day and her only privilege.

She smiled and bowed her head a little. She turned her back and was about to walk away when someone held her hand. Naestatwa siya dahil ramdam niya ang pamilyar na pakiramdam ng may-ari ng kamay na humawak sa kamay niya. She clinched and turned around to face him with eyes widened in shock.

When she met his gaze, something was caught in her throat. Chase mirrored her movements like how they both swallowed together and looked at their hands that were holding each other. No one wants to let go like a magnet was forcing them to hold each other’s hand and feel the hardness and softness of the textures of their hands.

Bumalik ang tingin niya kay Chase na ngayon ay nakatingin na rin sa kaniya. Hindi niya mabitawan ang hawak ni Chase. The man even held her hand tightly, and now she knows who was trying to hold her hand for a little while.

"My hand," she whispered.

Yet, deep inside, she was strangled to hold his hand too.

His hold loosened a bit, but it felt like she was holding him for a little longer.

She remembers the day where he held her hands for the first time. It was the first time they saw each other because of how the rose pierced her skin. It was wrapped with the stardust of kindness, slowly engulfing her to delve into his world full of red.

She could feel her head swirling, but she maintained herself.

She saw how Chase gulped and asked, "Have you bought a coffee for your friend?"

Dumikit naman ang mga kilay niya sa naging tanong nito hanggang sa maalala niyang kailangan niya pa palang bumili ng kape para kay Sashta. She almost forgot it.

Ah, what a lovely night, she thought as she walked past behind him, his eyes keenly following her.

THE RAYS OF THE SUN was scattering around the pavement that Saturday morning but her eyes were fixated on the door of the café as if she was waiting for someone to magically appear.

Meanwhile, the café was very noisy, not because of the customers eating inside their café, but because something is going to happen tonight that she’s not aware. Hindi naman ganito kaingay ang café nila pero kung ganito kaingay, usually, may gaganapin ang café.

With her hands below her chin, supporting its weight on the glass of their counter, she sighed unconsciously, sounding defeated by something she was not able to see.

"Gurl, ang lalim ata ng iniisip mo," komento ni Kharla habang naglalagay ito ng mga bagong bake na tinapay sa pinaglalagyan nilang glass.

Her eyes went to Kharla and she sighed again.

"May nangyari ata kagabi na hindi ko ata alam," Kharla commented.

Marami, she answered in her mind.

Her memories from last night were still fresh. It was like a wine, it tastes better the longer it lasts and even though her memories have faded and a night has passed, she could still taste that wonderful moment. She wants to go back to that moment and taste again how delicious it was in the first place but even though it was a few hours ago, the memories are still delicious. Every time she remembers it, it only gets more delicious, adding more flavour in her life she never fathomed to remember for a little longer in her existence.

Seconds later, a customer entered the café. Agad siyang napatingin doon at bumagsak naman ang balikat niya nang makita hindi ito ang taong hinihintay niyang makita ngayong araw.

It was an old lady, but unlike her who was sad and being delusional for someone to arrive to make her day brighten like the sky, the old lady had a smile harmonising with sophisticated colours that pop the colours inside, wrinkles were visible, and eyes glistened like a morning star.

Disappointed siyang napabuntong-hininga habang ang katabi ay in-entertain na ang customer.

She was looking for someone that was impossible for her to see everyday.

She waited for hours and even when afternoon hits, she didn't saw him. Kaya naisipan niya munang umuwi at matulog dahil wala pa namang customer na pumupunta sa kanila. Isa pa, parang may ginagawa ang mga katrabaho niya ngayon. Buti na lang din at pinayagan siya ng Tita niya at sinabihan siyang matulog na rin dahil hanggang alas dos sila ng umaga.

"I'M HOME," she whispered in her weak voice while taking off her shoes and socks and lazily putting on her house slippers.

Ngunit nagising ang buong diwa niya nang marinig niya ang malakas na tawa ng kaniyang ina.

Her brows furrowed and her feet went to the kitchen. Reaching the door, she saw something her eyes failed to see earlier. She watched how her mother laughed in front of a man she failed to see earlier.

He was smiling while mixing something in a bowl and he was wearing her sky blue apron. It looks small on him, but it's enough for him to cover himself.

On the table, the materials for baking were scattered.

She watched how Chase was like the son of her mother. They both displayed genuine faces.

"Tapos anong nangyari sa pinsan mo?" her mother asked happily while Chase was mixing.

Chase answered, "May nagvi-video pala sa kaniya. Kaya na-post ang video no'n sa social media."

"Nag-viral siya?"

"Yeah," Chase answered.

Her mother laughed again. Chase could not help it too and smiled.

Hindi niya mapigilang mapangiti habang tinatanaw ang ina niya. It has been awhile since she did not see her mother smile, and Chase did that without making an effort. She does not know what’s the reason, but seeing her mother smile just because of Chase makes her heart drown by the beauty of the man — to make her mother smile and laugh that she has not been doing since then to other people.

When Chase looked at her direction, his laugh faded. Napakagat naman siya ng kaniyang pang-ibabang labi dahil kahit tumigil ito sa pagtawa, his lips was curving into a smile.

Just smile, Chase. I'll be more than happy to see you smile at me.

Yet, when her mother looked at her, she decided to avoid his eye contact to look at her since she doesn’t want her mother to recognise how drowned she was in his beauty.

"O, Precious!" her mother called her happily, but was never leaving the man behind.

She smiled a little.

"Hi, Ma!" bati niya sa mama niya at napabaling naman siya sa lalaki.

The man was looking at her, straight into her soul.

"Hi, Chase!" kalmado niyang bati pero kinikiliti naman ang buong sistema ng katawan niya makita lamang ang lalaki at hindi niya alam kung ano ang gagawin.

“Bakit ka umuwi?” her mother asked curiously, but the smile was still there.

She smiled and answered, “I’m just gonna take a long nap. Balita ko kasi hanggang alas dos tayo mamaya sa café.”

Nanlaki naman ang mga mata ng ina at naghugis bilog ang mga labi nito.

“Oh, it’s the café’s anniversary,” her mother declared in astonishment.

Kumunot naman ang mga noo niya.

“Anniversary?”

Nanlaki naman ang mga mata niya nang may napagtanto. And she forgot. Kaya pala aligagang-aligaga ang mga katrabaho niya ngayon dahil ngayon pala gaganapin ang anniversary ng café instead tomorrow.

Her mother laughed at her.

“Come here, Missy.” Her mother motioned its hands to let her know that she should come close.

“Ano ‘yon, Ma?” she asked, tiredness was visible in her voice, but she tried to be happy.

Chase, on the other hand, was silently observing her and her heart was being wild again.

After what happened last night, she does not understand what was happening to her again.

Tumayo naman ang Mama niya sa kinauupuan nito. She just focused on her mother. But deep inside, she was already distracted by Chase's gaze on her. If she summed it up in her mind, that was the longest stare she had received from Chase. She bit her lips unconsciously again.

She watched her mother’s opened their oven. Bumalik din ito kaagad na may dalang isang tray. Nilapag nito ang tray sa harapan niya at nakita niya kaagad ang blue at red cookies na bagong bake lang. The circle looks perfect and it even has chocolate chips above the cookie with some blueberries on the blue cookies and strawberries on the red cookies. Hindi niya mapigilang matakam. This is the first time she saw her mother’s bake the cookies perfectly.

“B-in-ake mo ‘to, Ma? Ang perfect ng circle, a. It looks perfectly baked too.”

Her eyes were not leaving the cookies until she could not control her hands to take one of the red cookies and took a bite of it. As soon as she bit the cookies, she suddenly tasted the sweetness she tasted for the first time in her life, but it is not too sweet and just right. This is the sweetness she was looking for a cookie she hasn't been able to perfect since before.

She took another bite again and her eyes sparkled with hearts. She looked at the bitten cookies and there were little cuts of strawberries and some chocolate chips inside. The chocolate chips and strawberry jams were spread evenly to every part of the cookies. Not too much sweet was put so the cookies still taste like every cookie, but this is way too perfect that she cannot get right.

“Masarap?” her mother asked.

She nodded and looked at her mother.

“Ang sarap. I mean, ang sarap. Ito ‘yong tamis na hindi ko makuha.”

She took another bite again.

“Ang sarap!”

Her mother smiled and gaze went to the man beside her.

“Rinig mo ‘yon, Chase? Masarap daw,” sabi ng Mama niya.

Napabaling naman siya nang tingin sa kay Chase at malaki ang ngiting nakadikit sa mukha ni Chase. Naestatwa siya sa kinauupuan niya habang pinagmamasdan ang ngiti ni Chase.

His canines were visible and his teeth were even perfect. Obviously, it was being taken care of.

Hindi niya mapigilang mahiya.

“I thought she wouldn't like it,” he said and chuckled happily.

Napabaling siya nang tingin sa cookies at muling napabaling nang tingin kay Chase na ngayon ay nakatingin sa kaniya at nakangiti.

Namula siya pero hindi niya mapigilang magtanong, “Ikaw ang gumawa nito?”

Chase smiled and nodded.

“I did. I baked it for you to taste.”

“This is so perfect for a cookie!” she said, voices were trembling in giddiness she felt towards Chase.

His smile widened, eyes were affected.

“I am glad you liked it,” he said.

What was even sweeter is the smile she received from Chase. It was genuine, full of sweetness and kindness. There is even a dimple on his right cheek.

“I told you she’ll like it, Chase. Basta ikaw, gusto niya at hindi ‘yan hihindi,” sabi ng Mama niya.

She blushed at her mother’s word and just took another bite. Hindi na siya makasagot sa ina niya at kinain na lamang ang cookie. Totoo naman ang sinabi ng Mama niya.

“How about the blue ones? Will she like it?”

Kita niya ang pag-iba ng mukha ni Chase.

Napakunot naman siya ng noo at napabaling nang tingin sa blue cookies. The blue cookies were identical to the red cookies aside from the colour. It was shaped perfectly, there were chocolate chips at the top, and she bet it had even the blueberries inside.

“Can I try the blue ones?” she asked Chase.

Nakita niya kung paano nag-iba ang mukha ni Chase. Tumango naman ito sa kaniya at napalunok.

She took the blue ones and bite it. Kaagad nagbago ang timpla ng mukha niya.

The red cookies are perfect in contrast to the blue ones. Hindi niya alam kung anong sasabihin. She looked at the part she bit. The blueberries and chocolate chips were spread evenly, but she doesn't like how the blueberries were paired in chocolate. It’s a downfall and she cannot express it in words.

Mahirap na nilunok niya ang cookie at napatingin kay Chase. He was neither smiling nor displaying some nervousness. His face was flat and have seen it on her.

“Guess she doesn’t like the blueberry cookies you made, Chase,” her mother said.

Kita niya ang paglungkot ng mukha ni Chase

“It failed, I think,” he said. Bumagsak din ang balikat nito.

“It’s still a cookie, Chase, but I like the red one better,” she said and put down the cookie.

There. She said it better, she thinks.

Kita niya kung paano lamang ngumiti si Chase at nagsalita.

“Your blue cookies are even better than mine,” he said.

She blushed. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang gagawin. Hindi niya rin alam kung anong sasabihin. Yet, hearing him complimented her blueberry cookies, she cannot help but smile. Pero hindi niya alam kung anong gagawin.

Chase started to mix something in the bowl again. She took a peak on the bowl and saw a blue mixture.

“W-what are you making?” she just asked out of the sudden.

He met her gaze.

“Ah, cookies,” he answered.

“Maybe instead of using chocolate, ‘yong white chocolate ang gamitin mo. Tapos, ‘yong blueberries, gawin mo muna siyang jam kagaya ng strawberries sa red cookies mo,” she said.

Nakinig naman si Chase. Hindi niya mapigilang mamula dahil mukhang seryoso ito.

“You should not overmix it too. Nag-iiba ang consistency niya kapag nasobrahan siya sa pag-mix dahilan para mag-iba ang texture ng cookies. Your cookies were like crinkles. For now, since kulang pa tayo sa ingredients, we can make out a bread of it,” she said.

Chase was only staring at her and it felt like she was being eaten alive.

Napatikhim naman ang ina niya dahilan para mapabaling siya nang tingin sa ina niyang may kahina-hinalang tingin sa kaniya.

“Sa labas lang ako, huh. May gagawin lang.”

Her mother looked happy as she took off the apron.

“Chase?” tawag naman nito sa lalaki kaya napabaling siya nang tingin sa lalaking nasa harapan niya lang. Chase was also looking at her mother until she said, “Call me when you need anything or if you need anything, Precious is here with you. But if you want her, you can have her.”

“Ma!” she shouted all of a sudden because of her mother’s last statement.

Her mother laughed, occupying the small space of their kitchen.

“Good luck na lang sa anak ko, Chase!”

And there, her mother happily ran away from them.

Hindi niya mapigilang mapapikit ng mga mata at mapa-iling. Her mother looks like a mother to Chase rather than her. Mas paborito pa nito si Chase kaysa sa kaniya.

Napamulat naman siya ng mga mata at napatingin kay Chase.

Hindi niya alam kung sasabihin. Only silence envelopes them. They just mirrored each other's orb and she was astonished how Chase orbs were black, but the lights were flickering in his pupils. It was like what was lying beneath the sky after the sun set to hide itself in the mountains. His eyes were like the universe, and the flickering lights are the celestial bodies.

Napatikhim naman siya ng mapagtantong ilang minuto na rin silang tahimik at nagtitinginan lamang.

“I don’t know what bread we can make out of it,” she said, breaking the silence.

Chase gulped and looked at his mixture.

“I am sorry. I am such a nuisance,” he suddenly said.

Hindi niya mapigilang magulat dahil sa biglaan lamang ‘yon na lumabas sa bibig ni Chase.

“You’re not a nuisance, Chase!” she said, trying to cheer him up.

But he sighed.

“I believe I am. I failed the blue cookies,” he said with a sad voice.

“You can’t expect something to be perfect in the first try or even in the second try or third try,” she said.

Chase looked at him and unconsciously mixed the bowl. Her eyes went on his hand and she held it by pushing her body to come closer to hold his hand. His eyes widened in shock. She was shocked too for her sudden actions.

“I'm sorry,” sabi niya at binitawan na ang kamay niya. “You were . . . mixing it again.”

Chase looked at the bowl of mixture and she saw how his ear suddenly got red. She secretly smiled.

“Let’s make bread out of it?”

He looked at her and nodded.

She stood and walked to get another apron. Chase just watched her from how she washed her hand until she appeared beside him.

She watched every ingredient on the table and she didn't need to go to the pantry to get other ingredients.

Napatingin naman siya kay Chase at sa gulat ay napatingin din ang lalaki sa kaniya. She was looking up and she could not help but felt miniscule around him. Staring up close, his body was bigger and muscular. He was also tall. Kaya ang pandak niyang height ay mas lalo pang nadepina dahil katabi niya si Chase.

Her face heated up once again and she heaved a throaty sound.

“Ilagay mo lahat ng harina sa mixture mo,” utos niya kaagad sa lalaki.

He reached the flour and she couldn’t help but admire how muscular his arms were. It was very defined and toned. Hindi siya ‘yong napasobra sa gym, sakto lang at hindi gaano malaki. Napakagat siya ng labi niya hanggang sa makuha na ng lalaki ang harina.

“Ilagay ko ba lahat o magtira ako ng konti?” he asked.

She answered, still looking at his arms, “Magtira ka ng one cup. Itantiya mo na lang.”

“Okay,” he said and followed her instructions.

Her eyes were not leaving his arms. She was busy admiring it until Clark’s arm appeared right before her mind. Ganitong-ganito rin kasi ang braso ni Clark pero may pagkakaiba. Chase was more defined than Clark. Siguro ay nag-gy-gym din ito gaya ni Clark since magpinsan sila.

“What else should I do?” asked Chase.

Dumaan ang ilang segundo bago siya nakasagot, “Mix it.”

He heard Chase