"What if they arrange Ashton to marry me? What would you do?" Natatawang tanong ko sa kanya at kunot-noo naman niya akong tinignan.
"Don't ask what if to me, Lovelle. Do you think I'll let you arrange marriage to Ashton? No. If I need to kidnap you I'll do it just for the wedding to be off." Seryosong sabi niya saka pinaandar ang sasakyan.
"Kidnap? Creepy." Natatawa na sabi ko at sumandal. "I wonder what Ashton's reaction was when you called him Kuya. You didn't wait for his reaction. Sayang I would love to see his shocked reaction "
"Stop talking about Ashton, Lovelle. I'm getting jealous." Malalim ang boses na sabi niya kaya natawa ako.
"Alright, I won't talk about Ashton." Sabi ko at napatingin sa rear-view mirror. That taxi was also behind us when we stopped and it's tailing us again. "Someone is tailing us. Do you think it's Heira and Kielle?" I asked and he just shook his head and took a glimpse at the rear-view mirror.
I kept on watching the taxi until we got out of the car and went inside the restaurant. We sat not far away from the door and there I saw who's tailing us. It's Ashton and Prier.
"Hey Kyst. Ashton and Prier are here. They're heading towards us." Sabi ko at lumipat sa tabi niya dahil pang apatan ang inuupuan namin ngayon dahil wala nang pang dalawahan. "Why did they follow us here?"
"You should ask them about that, Lovelle. I'm not the one who can answer your questions." Sabi niya at kinuha ang kamay ko saka ipinatong sa lamesa at pinaglaruan. "What do you want to eat?"
"Anything." Sagot ko sa kaniya at napatingin kila Ashton at Prier na naupo sa harap namin. "Hi Kuya Ashton, hello Prier."
"Don't hi Kuya Ashton me." Kunot ang noo na sabi niya. "Why did you walk out? And why did you call me Kuya?" Tanong ni at nag pabalik-balik sa amin ni Kyst at tingin niya. "There's something the two of us are not telling us." Of course we have.
"Tell them Kyst. Tell them that you're not really courting me and you're gay." Natatawang sabi ko kay Kyst na masamang tumingin sa akin. "Just kidding."
"Do you want me to kiss you here? You should stop teasing me, Lovelle." Sabi niya kaya napatigil ako sa pagtawa.
"You two had a misunderstanding right? Mukhang okay na okay na kayo." Sabi ni Prier kaya napatingin ako sa kaniya at tumango.
"Answer my questions Lovelle, Adriel." Ashton said that made me look at Kyst.
I leaned forward to him to whisper. "You should tell him that he's your brother but if you're still not ready, so be it."
"Do you think he'll believe me?" Tanong niya sa akin kaya bumaling ako kay Ashton.
"Will you believe what he will say?" I asked Ashton and looked at Kyst.
"If it's believable." Sagot ni Ashton kaya napatingin ako sa kaniya at kay Kyst.
"You should say it. We shouldn't wait any longer." I said and held his hand. "I'm here, don't worry. I'll punch Ashton if." I stopped talking when Kyst glared at me.
"No punching Lovelle." Sabi niya at malalim na huminga at tumingin kay Ashton ngunit agad ding ibinalik ang tingin sa akin at ipinatong ang ulo sa balikat ko. "I can't say it, Lovelle."
"You can do it Kyst." Sabi ko sa kanya at pinisil ang kamay niya. "Do you want me to tell him instead?" I offered him. I know I shouldn't be the one who should tell it to Ashton.
"Is it about the dna test?" Ashton said that made Kyst and I looked at him, totally shocked. "Why are you guys shocked? You left it on the bed and I saw my name. Everyone will be curious if you saw your name on something so I read what it is." Sabi niya kaya nagkatinginan kami ni Kyst. Right, we didn't have a chance to keep the DNA test on the drawer! "I was waiting for you guys to tell me about it."
"What's the result Ashton?" Tanong ni Prier kay Ashton. Ashton didn't tell her about the Dna test.
"We're brothers. Biological Brothers." Si Kyst ang sumagot sa tanong ni Prier. Prier looked completely shocked.
"How did that happen? You're a Lozedo and he's a Panganiban. You grow up with Tita and Tito." Hindi makapaniwala na sabi ni Prier.
"The day before they died is the day I learned that they're not my biological parents." Sabi ni Ashton kaya kunot-noo ko siyang tinignan.
"You didn't say that to me. Between the two, what's the reason when you cried last week?" I asked him and looked at Kyst. "How are you feeling?"
"I don't want to share it with you because you're too loud, that's why I was really amazed that you kept your mouth shut about him being my brother for 2 whole days." Sagot ni Ashton at natawa. Does this mean that he's fine being part of Kyst's family?
"I felt relieved." Sabi niya at tumingin kay Ashton. "Should I call you Kuya? You're two eyes older than me."
"No, I'm fine to be called by my name." Natatawang sabi ni Ashton kay Kyst. "We should order food."
They ordered our food while Prier and I were chatting about our upcoming graduation.
"Speaking of graduation. You should let Tita Ana and Tito Kian come up to the stage with you instead of my Mom." I said to Ashton and he just looked at me. We all waited for his answer.
"I'm fine with it. I've been thinking about that for two days while waiting for you guys to say that Adriel is my brother." Sabi ni Ashton at sumulyap kay Kyst. "But how can your parents go to the stage with me?"
"Our parents Kuya." Pagtatama ni Kyst kay Ashton kaya napangiti ako. "Do you want them to be surprised? Or you want them to come with you on the stage knowing that you're Kuya Klyston."
Prier and I answered Kyst's question saying that they should reveal everything to their parents after graduation and they agreed on the idea.
Dumating na ang pagkain namin kaya tahimik kaming nag umpisa kumain ng maalala ko si Heira. "How about Heira? When do you plan to tell her?"
"Later." Kyst and Ashton said in unison. "You still want to go to Antipolo later right? We'll find the letter while Kuya and Heira will talk about that." Sabi ni Kyst kaya natumango-tango ako.
"Stop calling me Kuya, Adriel!" Reklamo ni Ashton sa kaniya kaya natawa ako. "For Christ's sake I'm just two years older than you."
"No Kuya. Mom will kill me if I call you Ashton in front of her." Kyst said and continued eating.
Prier and I continue eating while laughing because of the two arguing whether Kyst will call him Kuya or not but knowing Ashton he'll probably give up and let Kyst call him Kuya. He can't win with a psychology student. Proven and tested.
After we ate, I didn't know who paid for the meal. We come straight to their home. Naabutan namin silang lahat sa sala.
"Nag double date kayo no?" Tanong sa amin ni River but none of us respond at her.
"We should go upstairs, Kuya." Sabi ni Kyst na naka pagpahinto ng ginagawa ng lahat kaya natawa ako.
"Don't mind Kyst. They've been teasing each other since we're eating." Sabi ko at hinila sila paakyat. "Saan kwarto niyo?" Tanong ko kila Ashton and they just shook their heads kaya napatingin ako kay Kyst. "Should I give my room to them? Since we don't have a plan to stay here at night, I'll just stay at your room at Heira's since I heard Kielle will also be there."
"If that's what you want." Sabi ni Kyst sa akin saka binuksan ang pinto ng kwarto na tinutuluyan ko. "I'll get your luggage and we'll leave them here." Sabi ni Kyst at kinuha ang maleta ko na nasa gilid saka kami nag lakad papunta sa pinto.
"Stay here for a while, Love." Sabi ni Prier kaya mabilis akong umiling.
"I can't. Kyst will be jealous of his brother again." Nangaasar na sabi ko habang nakatingin kay Kyst.
"What's wrong with that? It's normal to get jealous." Sabi niya sa akin at hinawakan ang kamay ko. "We'll get going." Sabi ni Kyst sa kanila at sinirado ang pinto saka ako hinila papunta sa kwarto niya.
"I'll sleep on your bed!" Sabi ko at tatakbo na sana sa kama niya ng hilahin niya ako papunta sa closet niya.
"You can't sleep like that." Sabi niya at kumuha ng cream colored sweatpants. "Go change your skirt and then you can sleep." Sabi niya at binitawan ako saka ibinigay ang sweatpants na agad ko ring tinanggap. Nagpalit ako ng sweatpants sa banyo saka dali-daling tumalon sa kama niya. He's already laying on the other side of the bed busy with my phone.
"What are you doing?" I asked and lay my head on his shoulder to see what he was doing. He's texting someone using my phone.
"Why are you texting Chin?" Kunot ang noo na tanong ko sa kanya. He turned off my phone and put it on his side table. "Did she text me?"
"She texted you. She said she wants you to meet Flavio so I told her to go with us and let Flavio drive since Flavio knows our house." He said and put my head on the pillow before standing up.
"Where are you going?" I asked him and he just continued walking until he got on the door and turned off the lights. Sa lampshade na nasa side table niya lang ang nagsisilbi naming ilaw ng papatayin niya iyon.
"I always sleep with the lights off. Should I turn on the lights?" He asked and I just shook my head as my answer. Umusod ako sa kabilang gilid para makahiga siya ng maayos.
We didn't really talk until I got sleepy and everything went black.
I woke up when I heard people talking and I already knew who those people were. I opened my eyes and found that Kyst is hugging me from behind.
"Why are you all here?" I heard them with a sleepy voice. Looks like he also woke up because of them. "We're sleeping, please leave."
"Since gising naman na kayo pareho, tara na. Naghihintay yung pagkain." Narinig kong sabi ni Cristy. Naramdaman ko namang bumangon si Kyst at nakita ko ang mukha niya na nakadungaw sa mukha ko. It makes me stop breathing.
"You're really awake." Sabi ni Kyst at lumayo. Umupo ako sa kama at tinignan sila.
"What time is it?" Tanong ko sa kanila at sabay-sabay naman silang sumagot ng dinner.
"Magd-dinner na. Tita said we should call the two of you and the girl from the restaurant, she's with Adriel's friend." Hillary said look at the others. "Tara na. Susunod naman silang dalawa." Sabi ni Hillary at naglakad na sila paalis.
Inalis ko yung comforter na nakapatong sa akin at tumayo. "Let's go, Kyst." Sabi ko at naglahad ng kamay sa kaniya na agad niyang tinangap. Akala ko ay tatayo na siya ngunit hinila niya ako pabalik sa kama. "What the? I told you we should go now." Sabi ko at tumayo muli habang si Kyst ay tumatawa lang na nakahiga. "Mauuna na ako sa baba Adriel." Sabi ko sa kanya at naglakad palabas. Mabilis naman akong nahabol ni Kyst kaya sabay kaming nakarating sa dining room.
"Lovelle, Should I drive our way to Antipolo later?" Tanong sa akin ni Kyst pag upo namin.
"You told me earlier that Kiel will drive us there. Why do you suddenly want to drive?" I asked him and he just shook his head.
"I just want to drive you there." Sabi niya at tumingin sa iba na nakatingin sa amin.
"Do anything you want Kyst." I said to him then I heard someone cuss.
"Baby stop cursing!" Saway ni Chin sa katabi niya. I guess it's Gray.
Lahat kami ay napatingin sa pinto ng bumukas iyon. "Ma'am, she said Sir Adriel invited her to dinner."