Book Two - It Should Have Been Us

Chapter Seven Page Three

{Nadine's POV}

Yay! Thanks Pau! You’re a lifesaver!

That reminds me, can you ask him to drop by our house too? Tatawagan ko si mommy para sa clothes ko, wala din akong clothes na dala eh. I asked Paulo.

No need. James interjected. Lauren packed your clothes for you, that’s why we were carrying 3 bags.

Oh! Uhm. Okay. Thanks, then. I gotta talk to Lauren. If she picked out my clothes, then I’d most likely be wearing very revealing clothes the entire weekend.

Night came sooner. After watching the guys take turns playing with Reese, and Reese’ eyes start to drop, our predicament’s back on full force. I looked at Yassi, pleading that she states our case.

Guys, uhm… sleeping arrangement?

I thought we’ve agreed I’m sleeping on the couch? James stated without looking up from observing Reese.

Are you sure though? I asked. I’m totally uncomfortable with the whole setup. I know in my mind, we’re not together anymore and we’re free to do whatever we want. I’m sure he’s been sleeping with Nath. But it still feels wrong.

If you want, I can sleep on the couch. You guys sleep on the room. Paulo suggested.

What? No. Yassi protested, looking sideways at me. I mean, this is your date supposedly, we’re just crashing.

Ganto na lang, why don’t the girls just sleep in your room with Reese. And then the three of us would sleep on Yassi’s room.

Great idea! Yassi clapped her hands.

That seemed to have solved our problem.

Only, when Reese got cleaned up and we’re prepping the bed, he goes looking for James.

Pa-pa?

No. Papa’s going to sleep on the other room with tito Paulo and ninong Dre, anak.

No, no. Pa-pa. then he starts crying the house down.

We’re all in the living room, fighting sleep. James singing to Reese – which makes us all feel more sleepy by the way. When Reese finally closed his eyes and James was about to hand him over back to me, he tugged on James’ shirt and wouldn’t let go.

Uhm…Guys? Andre looks around. I don’t think we’d fit on the bed – especially not with Reese.

He’s right though. Reese keeps moving about in his sleep – especially when he’s bone tired from playing. My sigh was joined by Paulo and Yassi’s.

Let’s wait for him to settle down? I sat on the floor next to Yassi, my head bumping into James’ knee. Sorry.

Paulo sits on the other side of the sofa. Andre slouches on the lone chair.

It was almost midnight by the time we decided Reese should be okay. I was about to take Reese from James when he sniffled in his sleep, asking for “de-de”. Paulo had the initiative to prepare his milk. But when Yassi and I got to the room and gave Reese his milk bottle, he woke up and cried, asking for James again.

Andre, too tired, suggested that we just pull all the mattresses and set them up on the sofa so that everyone just gets to sleep on the same space.

Awkward as it may seem, we all slept soundly, too tired to care anymore. Paulo settles on the sofa, his hand entwined with mine. I sleep on the part of the mattress closest to the sofa, Reese between me and James, while Andre and Yassi slept on the bed attached to our mattress.