It's 4 pm and the sun has already disappeared behind the tall trees we drove past earlier. Nakaupo kami ngayon ni Thea sa damuhan at parehong nakatingin sa ilog na nasa aming harapan. Lihim akong sumulyap sa kanya. Hanggang ngayon ay mabigat pa rin ang dibdib ko dahil sa sinabi niya kanina. I haven't experienced being betrayed by someone I trust but I understand where she is coming from. She sounded really hurt when she told me about it and it's like I felt her pain as well.
"Are you still thinking about what I said?"
What is she? A mind reader?
I gave her a nod. "I'm sorry about what happened to you." I said sincerely.
Tumayo siya at naglakad papalapit sa akin. Pagkaupo niya sa tabi ko ay mahina niyang pinitik ang aking ilong.
"Stop thinking about it. I'm fine." she pinched both of my cheeks like she was trying to make me smile. "Right now I'm genuinely happy, and I have you to thank for that."
"What did I do?" I tried not to stutter.
"You're here with me." malambing na sabi niya bago nagpakawala ng isang nakakatunaw na ngiti.
Here goes my heart again, beating like crazy. I'm not dense. I have an idea on what's been happening to me for a long time now especially when we went to Westania, but I'm in denial. Until now, I still am. I mean, this can't be happening. Same reasons why I don't want to think that she's starting to like me for real. I can't like her because she's a slut who makes people fall in love with her and then leave them when she's done with them. It hasn't been that long since we met and we still don't know each other that well. Lastly, I'm already in love with someone else. I have Liam and I feel like I'm cheating on him by just having these thoughts. I love him, I'm sure of that... before. But now, I'm so confused.
If I'm really starting to like Thea, the only explanation I can think of why this is happening is that she really did use a love potion on me. Her magical flower than can heal wounds faster is real so it's possible that a love potion is too. Damn, I sound crazy.
"It scares me when you're being so quiet." halakhak ni Thea. Para akong naestatwa sa kinauupuan ko nang bigla niyang isinandal sa balikat ko ang kanyang ulo. "See that mountain over there?" turo niya sa napakataas na bundok sa likod ng malaking talon na nakita ko kanina.
Parang nawala ng parang bula ang mga iniisip ko kanina at ang tanging laman ng utak ko ngayon ay ang ulo niyang nakasandal sa aking balikat. Naghuhuramentado na ang buong sistema ko ngayon pero pilit kong kinalma ang sarili ko. Hindi ko inasahan ang ginawa niya.
"Mmm." I hummed and nodded.
"That's where the water from Stella River is coming from. The water flows stronger at this time because the winter just ended. Melted water is pouring down." paliwanag niya.
Wait, what? I've been staring at the river for I don't know how long but it never occurred to me that it's part of the Stella River. I mean, it's narrower than the one in Berlint, I think half of its width. I was left in awe. Simula bata ako ay paborito kong naliligo sa ilog na ito. Mas mababaw lang ang parte ng ilog sa Fiorre at mas kalmado ang agos ng tubig kumpara dito sa Avlyrra.
"Wow." iyan lang ang tanging lumabas sa aking bibig.
"Why do I feel like you're mad at me?" pareklamong tanong niya bago tinanggal ang pagkakasandal sa akin. "Are you mad at me?" tanong niya ulit at pilit akong ipinaharap sa kanya.
"Of course not. Maybe I'm just tired." tipid akong ngumiti.
Hinding hindi ko aaminin na nababagabag ako sa kung ano man itong sa tingin ko ay nararamdaman ko para sa kanya. Should I start avoiding her? I don't think that's a good idea considering we still need to finish our project and we will need to spend even more time together. Maybe I'll just wait for this semester to end. I plan to fail all my exams in the finals so I can finally go home. After that, I'd forget about my stupid budding feelings for her. Everything will go back to normal. Yes that's it. That's the plan.
![Kin's Gambit (GxG) [COMPLETED] by tiffanyks](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/340167440-80-k508429.jpg)
"Stella." I came back to my senses when she snapped her fingers in front of my face. "I've been calling you but you spaced out. I said do you want to take a bath?"
Did I hear her right? Bath? Saan naman kami malili— oh no. No way.
"You're not suggesting that we'll swim on that deep river with strong flowing water, are you?" tanong ko sa kanya.
Natawa siya at umiling. "Of course not. If we swim there, our dead bodies will be floating at Berlint in two days."
Nakahinga ako ng maluwag. Siguradong mamatay talaga kami kapag doon kami naligo.
"Where are we going to take a bath then?"
"It's a surprise." humahagikgik na sabi niya. "Let's go."
Hinila niya ako patayo at pumunta kami sa kanyang sasakyan. Oh, so we'll use the car. Pinaandar niya ang sasakyan at nagmaneho papunta sa likod ng abandonadong palasyo. May nakita akong isang napakalaking butas na napapaligiran ng mga malalaking bato.
"Below that hole is a hot spring inside a cave." itinigil niya ang sasakyan malapit doon.
Oh, hot spring. It's been a while since I last went to one and I didn't appreciate it that much because I live in a hot country. Now that I'm here in Avlyrra where winter just ended, I feel so excited. Kumuha kami ng pampalit at ibang pang mga gagamitin namin sa pagligo.
Habang pababa kami sa kweba ay lagi akong pinapaalalahanan ni Thea na mag iingat dahil baka madulas daw ako. Tinatanguan ko lang siya. Nang tuluyan kaming makababa, muli akong namangha sa aking nasaksihan. The water in the spring is so clear and blue. It looks like ocean water. Thea lit the torches around the cave and it made me appreciate the place even more.
"Let's clean ourselves there." turo niya sa gilid ng kuweba kung saan may lumalabas na tubig. "You can go first, I promise I won't look." parang nahihiyang sabi niya.
Agad akong umiling. "Let's take a bath together."
"What? Are you sure?" she asked with her lips trembling and I nodded. "I won't look, I promise."
Pinigilan ko ang sarili kong mapangisi. I'm tempted to tease her that I already saw her whole body when I changed her clothes before. I'm also thrilled to see her bod— oh crap, what am I saying again? Unti unti na akong nahahawa sa pagiging pilya niya. Hindi na talaga ito maganda.
I started to remove all of my clothes and she did the same. Habang naliligo ay nakatalikod lang siya sa akin na para bang sobra nahihiya. Alam ko dahil paminsan minsan ay palihim akong sumusulyap sa kanya.
Nauna siyang lumusong sa akin. Nakalublob na ang buong katawan niya ngayon pati ang kanyang bibig at parang batang hinihipan ang tubig para magkaroon ng mga bula. Nang marinig niyang papalapit na ako doon, ipinikit niya ng madiin ang kanyang nga mata. Napaka oa na naman.
Tuluyan na akong lumusong sa tubig. Katamtaman lang ang init nito at pakiramdam ko ay natanggal lahat ng pagod ko sa ilang oras naming biyahe kanina. The water is so relaxing. Kung pwede lang sana na magtagal kami dito kaso hindi dahil malapit na dumilim.
Tahimik lang kaming dalawa. Walang gustong bumasag ng nakakabinging katahimikan. Sumulyap ako sa kanya at nakitang kong sobrang pula ng mukha niya ngayon at hindi ko alam kung dahil ba iyon sa init ng tubig. Hindi na nakalublob ang mukha niya sa tubig pero nasa kabilang direksyon ang tingin niya na para bang ayaw niyang tumingin sa akin. Dahan dahan akong lumapit sa kanya. Gusto ko siyang kausapin pero hindi ko alam kung paano magsisimula ng usapan.
Napalunok ako nang maramdaman ko ang saglit na pagtama ng mga daliri namin sa ilalim ng tubig. Parang may dumaloy na kuryente sa aking buong katawan at parang nagwawala ang puso ko sa bilis ng pagtibok nito.
