9 Muses Series #1: Anchored Hearts

He lifted me up against the wall as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I wrapped my legs around him too. I missed him. I really do.In the heat of the moment, Thad gently carried me to the nearby couch, never breaking our kiss. The urgency between us intensified as our hands explored each other's bodies, tracing every curve and edge. His touch ignited a fire within me, and I responded eagerly, craving more of his closeness.As we continued to kiss, time seemed to slow down, and the world around us faded into the background. Each kiss became deeper and more intense, fueled by desire and a shared longing. Our hearts beat in sync, echoing the passion that burned between us.Eventually, we broke apart, breathless and flushed with desire. Thad's eyes met mine, filled with a mix of tenderness and hunger."Your body can't lie to me, Cali," he said in a rugged and husky voice. I bit my lips and avoided his stares. Fuck. What did I do?"I was drunk. And you take advantage of it!" I said, almos

Pagod na pagod akong humiga sa kama ko. Nakita kong tulog na si Zen nang makarating ako kaya hindi ko na siya ginising pa.Nang makapagpahinga ako saglit ay kaagad din akong tumayo para maligo. Lutang na lutang akong naliligo at hindi ko alam kung ilang minuto na ako nasa loob ng banyo.His words lingered on my mind. He ran into accident? Why... Why I didn't know about that? Totoo bang naaksidente siya?Maaga akong nagising at naabutan ko si Zen na pinapakialaman ang mga box at paperbags na nakatambak sa living area. Pati mga nalantang bulaklak ay inayos niya para itapon sana nang pigilan ko."Just leave it there, Zen."Napaangat naman ng tingin si Zen at tumaas ang kilay. Nagtataka kung kaninong galing iyon. Wala naman kasing card or pangalang nakalagay doon."May pupuntahan ka ba? May trabaho pa kasi ako." Sabi ko. Ramdam ang pagod sa boses ko.Hindi kasi ako nakatulog ng maayos dahil sa paulit-ulit kong naalala ang nangyari sa elevator, sa sasakyan niya maging sa mga sinabi niya sa

I stared blankly out of the floor-to-ceiling window of my condo, the city lights below flickering in the night. Sipping on a glass of red wine, I found myself unable to settle down for sleep. Zendria wasn't coming home tonight; she had decided to stay over at Andrei's place. Ang landi!I chuckled to myself, shaking my head at Zendria's antics. She was always the adventurous one, unapologetic about her choices in life and love. Part of me envied her carefree spirit, while another part couldn't help but worry about her.The wine tasted bitter on my tongue, matching the swirl of emotions inside me. Thoughts of Thaddeus lingered despite my attempts to push them away. His unexpected visit earlier had stirred up memories I thought were long buried. His new role as a captain added another layer of complexity to the situation. Could I trust him again? Did I even want to?Setting the glass down on the window sill, I walked over to the plush sofa and sank into it, staring at the dimly lit room.

"Because no matter how hard I try to forget you, I just can't, Cali. My heart's anchored to your heart. And no matter how far my ship travels, it will always come back to its home. To your heart, Calliope Anna."I couldn't sleep the whole night. Nakatambay lang ako sa balcony ng kwarto ko dito sa barko at nakatingin parin sa kawalan. Mag aalas kwatro na ng umaga, at kahit namamaga at pagod na pagod ang mga mata ko, ay hindi ko magawang makatulog.Mga kwento at salita ni Thaddeus ang siyang hindi nagpatulog saakin. I... I really shut my world to him. Nilayo ko ang sarili ko sa kanya, sarado ang isip ko sa mga balitang tungkol sa kanya kahit na kating-kati na ibahagi saakin ng mga kapatid ko ang tungkol kay Thaddeus."Ang hirap mo namang mahalin, Cali." His words struck to my mind and heart like a sharp knife. Na siyang nagdagdag ng lalim sa sugat ng nakaraan.Am I really hard to love?"Cali! Cali! May nagkakagusto sa'yo!" Natatawang sabi ni Eros. Inirapan ko siya, pero kaagad niya akon

"Cali, wait! Bakit ka ba nagagalit?!" Inis na tanong ni Thaddeus saakin."Bakit nagagalit? What the fuck is wrong with you, Thaddeus? Bakit ka nakikipaglandian sa iba? Ako girlfriend mo ah!" Galit kong sabi sa kanya."What? I didn't flirt to anyone, Cali. Teka nga, bakit ka nandito? You didn't even text me before going here." Nag-aalalang sabi ni Thad.I bite my lips to stop myself from crying. College na kami, at nasa ibang school si Thaddeus dahil Nautical ang kinuha niya at wala iyon sa Smith International Colleges. We're both first year college. Dad wants me to study at Harvard or Oxford, but I rejected him. I wanted to be with Thaddeus. I want to be there for him and I don't think makakayanan ko ang long distance relationship.Nasanay akong nasa tabi ko siya lagi. Nasanay akong siya ang laging hinahanap-hanap ko. Nasanay ako na kailangan ko siya sa buhay ko.At iniisip ko palang na malalayo sa kanya, feel ko ikakamatay ko. But now... Makes me think if my decisions are right.I we