Chess Pieces Aftermath: Gray Sanford

Chapter 34

Bago pa maglapat ang mga labi namin ay sinubukan ko na agad s'yang itulak. I put my hands on his chest and tried to push him away but he didn't even bulge. Napatigil lang s'ya sa paglapit sa 'kin at napatingin sa mga kamay kong nakalapat sa dibdib n'ya. Then his gaze went back to my face as his lips curled into a smirk.

Hindi ko alam kung nararamdaman n'ya ang panginginig ng mga kamay ko. But I didn't look away and even stared back at him. Ang lakas-lakas ng tibok ng puso ko na kahit ako ay nabibingi na. I was scared but I don't want him to know that I'm scared. Sa tingin ko kasi ay mas natutuwa lang s'ya roon.

Hindi pa nakatulong ang amoy ng pabango n'ya dahil sa sobrang lapit namin. It was the only thing I could smell. My entire body was so aware of him. Parang pinapaalala sa akin kung sino ba talaga ang kaharap ko ngayon.

"How could I not call you Gray when you didn't even tell me your name?" tanong ko at dinig na dinig sa boses ko ang panginginig. Pero hindi ko pa rin inalis ang tingin ko sa kanya. "Who are you then?"

He stared hard at me. His eyes squinted a little. Bahagya ring nagsalubong ang mga kilay n'ya. Napansin ko tuloy ang dalawang magkatabing hiwa sa kaliwang kilay n'ya. I always wonder if it was just a style or it was actually scars. Para kasing hindi na tinutubuan ng buhok ang mga hiwang iyon.

He tilted his head to the side and I saw a glimpse of confusion in his eyes. Like he's confused at something or he was trying to figure me out. Pero nawala rin agad iyon at pinag-isipan ko pa kung nakita ko ba talaga iyon sa mga mata n'ya.

"You believe that I'm not him?" he asked. Nakataas na rin ang isang kilay n'ya.

I looked him straight in the eye.

"I trust Gray."

He didn't say anything. He just stared at me. His eyes roamed around my face. Sinusundan ko pa ang paggalaw ng abo n'yang mga mata habang tinitignan n'ya ang bawat parte ng mukha ko na para bang may hinahanap doon at nahihirapan s'yang makita iyon.

Pigil ang hininga ko habang nakatingin lang ako sa kanya, inaabangan ang kung anong susunod n'yang gagawin. I was on guard. Ang mga kamay ko ay nakalapat pa rin sa dibdib n'ya at nararamdaman ko pa ang pagtibok ng puso n'ya sa mga palad ko.

His heart was beating calmly against my palm. Hindi katulad sa akin na para bang katatapos ko lang sa pagtakbo. The wind blew and it ruffled his hair. Ang ilang mga hibla ay kumawala sa pagkakaayos ng buhok n'ya.

When his eyes settled on mine again, he stared at me for a while. He tsked before he finally put a space between us.

Saka lang ako nakahinga nang maluwag nang humakbang s'ya paatras. Napahawak pa ako sa dibdib ko at nadama ang sobrang bilis at lakas ng tibok ng puso ko. Ilang beses akong kumuha nang malalalim na paghinga para ibalik sa normal na tibok ang puso ko.

I looked at him as he turned around. His back was now facing me. His hand rested on his hips while his other hand brushed his hair. Mas maraming mga hibla tuloy ang kumawala roon.

Looking at his broad back, I know that the body belongs to Gray. But the stance was so different from him. Gray always feels so comfortable... like home. The one I would always hug without any second thought and my mind and body would feel relaxed.

While this one... this one seemed so brutal. Everything about him looked harsh. As if all you would feel when you're around him is fear.

I saw him fish something inside the pocket of his pants. Dahil nakatalikod s'ya ay hindi ko nakita kung ano iyon. Then I heard a click. Ibinalik n'ya sa bulsa ang kung ano mang iyon.

Then I smelled it again. The scent that was so not Gray but very familiar to me dahil madalas ko iyong naaamoy kay Papa noong bata pa ako at hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko makalimutan.