Chapter 8

Wedding and Honeymoon

I don't know why I'm feeling like this. But I've been nervous since yesterday knowing that today's our wedding day. My wedding day with my beautiful bride. I breathed to calm myself down as I watched Valerie already walking down the aisle now. And she was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Congrats, man." Tinapik ng nakangising si Bray ang balikat ko.

Pero saglit ko lang siyang binalingan dahil nakatuon na ang buong atensyon ko sa babaeng pakakasalan ko...

After all the preparations here we are today in our wedding ceremony. Everyone was present. All of my family and relatives. And family friends as well. Wala nga lang ang pamilya ni Valerie... Of course she did not tell her mother about this... Although my family asked her, tinulungan ko si Valerie na magdahilan na hindi makakapunta sa kasal namin ang Mama niya. At sinabi na rin naman ni Lola na okay lang kaya tumigil na rin sina Mommy sa pagtatanong.

The huge church was full of people and our invited guests. It was a big wedding after all. Hindi na nga namin kilala ni Valerie, lalo na siya, ang lahat ng mga nandito. But we just let my family invite the people that they want here now. Ayos lang din naman and it doesn't really matter to me and Valerie. Marami rin kasing mga family friends ang pamilya ko. Kaya ang dami rin talagang imbitado sa kasal namin. And Valerie said she understands. Siya lang naman ang concern ko. Because if she doesn't want a lot of people in our wedding then I'll definitely do something about it.

May media nga rin and our wedding will be featured. But all of the other things doesn't really matter now. What matters to me the most was only Valerie in her beautiful wedding gown as well... Bagay na bagay pa talaga sa kaniya. Damn it! She's even more and more attractive in her white wedding dress...

My lips parted as I watched her get closer and closer to where I stood. Beside me was my best man, Brayden. He was the one who decided to be my best man and we just let him be. And now he's here with me teasing me secretly as we waited for Valerie to reach the altar where I was waiting.

Tsk. Sa isip ko dahil ang gulo pa ni Bray. Sana si Bentley na lang pala ang kinuha kong best man at hindi ang magulo niyang kapatid. I would want to punch Bray pero ayaw ko lang na masira ang araw ng kasal namin ni Valerie.

"Look at the way how you stare at her. You should see yourself now, dude." Bray giggled like a girl beside me.

Konti na lang ay sisikuin ko na siya pero may sumaway na rin sa kaniya so I just smirked at his stupid face.

And then finally Valerie already reached the altar and I was able to hold her hand. Nagkatinginan kami. I smiled to her. At ngumiti rin siya sa akin. And damn, man. This woman's smile could kill me... in an amazing way... I've gone crazy.

I realized that she's bad for my heart... I don't know when I started to think like this, or to even consider these thoughts. Tsk. Whatever.

Valerie and I faced Father and the ceremony proceeded...

And of course after the wedding we went off to our honeymoon. Siyempre. And I was literally excited. I don't know why... I just secretly smirked to my stupid self.

The boys were left for a while to my family's care. While I and Valerie are away to our honeymoon. Nagpatulong pa ako kanila Bray at Ben para sa honeymoon namin ni Valerie. Kung ano-ano ang suggestions ni Brayden. Pero natulungan pa rin ako nila ni Bently kaya nasa ibang bansa na kami ngayon ni Valerie to enjoy our honeymoon...

Pagkatapos lang ng kasal namin sa simbahan.

We went to Maldives for our honeymoon.

"Val..." I called when I noticed that she's already taking too long in the bathroom.

"Are you okay in there?" Kinatok ko na siya. I was getting worried about her if she's okay or if there's a problem...

Kanina pa ako nakaligo at siya ang sumunod pagkatapos ko. We almost just arrived here and decided to go out swimming first, and now we're back in our suite...

Bumukas ang pinto ng bathroom. Lumabas si Valerie. I stood more taller than her as we stood near the bathroom doorway now. She's in front of me as she looked up at me. Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa. "What... Are you okay?" I asked her. I was worried of her.

And she remained looking at me before she spoke. "Iyong sa simbahan..."

"What?" Dahil hindi ko siya mas'yadong marinig dahil sa mas'yado rin yatang mahina ang boses niya.

And then Valerie looked up at me as if bravely... "Iyong sa kasal natin. That was my first kiss." She said it straight and then followed by her heavy sigh.

Umawang naman ang labi ko habang nakatingin sa kaniya. Hindi pa agad ako nakapagsalita. What did she said... "Alam ko namang kasal natin iyon kaya hindi talaga maiiwasan ang parte kung saan hahalikan mo na ako bilang first kiss ng bride and groom as married couple..." aniya.

"Kaya hindi na ako nagreklamo. Alam natin kung ano ang trabaho ko. And you might be thinking that..." Hindi halos siya makatingin nang deretso sa akin kanina pero ngayon ay mataman na niya akong tiningnan. "My job was just more of acting like someone's girlfriend... But I don't do anything more than that. Kaya, Augustus Lozano, kung iniisip mo na pagbibigyan lang din muli kita ngayon kagaya ng halik sa simbahan ay nagkakamali ka."

"Wait," I finally found my voice again. Medyo naguguluhan yata ako sa mga sinasabi ni Valerie... Parang hindi ko pa agad nakuha... "What are you saying... What do you mean?"

"Alam kong pinapabayaran ko sa 'yo ang lahat ng ginagawa ko para sa 'yo. Pero hindi ito kasali."

I carefully held her in her shoulders. She stopped talking and looked at me. Nakatingin din ako sa kaniya. "Please, slow down... I don't think I can understand you completely..." I said.

And she heaved a sigh. "What I'm saying is... I'm still a virgin, Augustus!" She almost shouted that to my face. Inalis niya ang hawak ko sa kaniya.

Mas lalo namang umawang ang labi ko sa sinabi niya. And not because it was such an unexpected thing she said. I believed her right away. Pero hindi ko lang maipaliwanag ang nararamdaman ko sa nalaman... I remained looking at her.

"Valerie..." My lips parted.

"And now we're here inside one room for us two and alone? Ayaw kong isipin mo na gagawin din natin iyon dahil honeymoon natin ito. Tama na iyong halik sa simbahan..." She bit her lip.

She looked away a bit. "It might not matter to you, or as much as to other people... But to me, Gus, it does matter. Alam kong binabayaran mo ako at kailangan ko ang pera mo para sa pamilya ko sa probinsya. At kailangan mo rin ang serbisyo ko. Pero kinaklaro ko na sa 'yo ngayon na hindi ito pwedeng isali. Hindi ako pumapayag." She said.

And I suddenly wanted her to stop talking... Especially the part that I'm paying her, even if it's true... And that she's just giving me her service... Para akong nasampal ng katotohanan kung ano lang ba talaga kami...

"I still think that I should only give myself to someone I love..." She said.

I looked at her in the eyes...

Pagkatapos ay tumango ako. "All right. We will not do it. Hindi naman kita pipilitin. And sorry if I somehow forgot about our setup... Uh, what do we do? What do you want? I guess we get another room so we can sleep separately again..." I nodded. "I think we should." I said and then I busied myself to it...

Tinalikuran ko si Valerie para asikasuhin iyon.

And... what am I feeling after? I don't know... Kind of disappointed? But not to Valerie, of course. I can deal with my blue balls... I was stupidly excited... Hindi ako nag-iisip... Maybe I have completely lost my mind and logic. I expected too much, huh. At nakakalimutan ko na talaga yata... You're a fool, Gus...

Author's note: hi! Up to Chapter 17 was already posted in Patreon and Facebook VIP group! Message Rej Martinez on Facebook to join VIP. Thank you for your support!