Lady In Bed
MyJaff©2017

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SHE FORGOT her phone! Geez! Sa dami ng makakalimutan sa conference room ay iyon pa?! Nauna siyang lumabas, the meeting was adjourned but Zhercez stayed together with his companion? It's right to acknowledge her that way than her childish accusation. She has no time for that!

She went out again, karga na niya ngayon si baby ZL. Naglalambing yata sa kanya at ayaw magpababa ng baby dog niya. Hinahaplos niya ang balahibo nito habang naglalakad pabalik sa conference room, tumigil lang siya sa paglalakad nang makarinig siya ng hagikgik. Iniwasan ni Zal na umarko ang kilay niya,

Right before her eyes is Zhercez with Katie, nakapulupot ang kamay nito sa braso ng binata. Nakangiti pa nga siya nitong binata. “Miss Chui, you're looking good at always. Oh! Si fluffy ZL!” Bati nito sa dala niya at nilingon ang katabi. “You gave her to Miss Chui, sabi ko na nga ba e,”

She cocks a brow, maybe this is the reason why she can't give him her full trust aside from Timothy's words. Sino ba ang babae sa buhay ni Zhercez? At iyong Thea? Anong naging papel nito sa buhay ni Zhercez at ganoon ka-importante sa binata. There is so many untold words that she wanna hear.

Bago pa man siya makasagot sa babaeng kasama ni Zhercez ay narinig na niya ang malakas na pagtawag ni Tania sa pangalan niya.

“Zal!!” Nagulat pa ito ng bahagya ng makita sina Zhercez sa harapan niya. “You forgot your phone, tumatawag si Higgy.” Diretsong lakad nito papunta sa kanya. “Nandito pa kayo, Miss Garcia, Mr. Vakhomanodik.” Bati nito bago muling humarap sa kanya. “Maybe he's gonna ask you a date?” Kinikilig pa ito. Is just her or... Parang nanadya si Tania ngayon.

Zhercez jaw clenched, sumama ang timpla ng mukha nito. “Excuse me. We need to go.” Malamig na anito bago sila nilampasan.

Tania looked at her with a maniac smile on her smile. “Ha! I got him! He's damn jealous, Zal! Can't you see that?!”

“What are you talking about.” Her forehead knotted and snatch her phone to her hand. Mas lalong kumunot ang noo ni Zal nang makita niyang wala namang missed call doon ang binata. “What? Wala namang missed call si Higgy.”

Tania rolled her eyes. “It was just a prank to see Zhercez' reaction my God! Didn't you see how pissed he is when he heard me?”

“Stop messing around, Tania.” Aniya at tumalikod na pabalik sa office nila. Nakabuntot pa rin si Tania sa kanya at pinagpipilitan ang mga sinasabi nito. “He's not jealous because he have a side chick beside him.”

“Who? Si Miss Garcia? Oh my God! Hindi mo alam?!”

“What?” Umupo siya sa swivel chair niya at maingat na binaba si baby ZL. “That she is one of his whore? Aside from me he's fucking her brains out too.”

“That's gross naman Zal! How can he fuck his own sister no?! Gaga lang?!” Sarkastikong tanong ni Tania sa kanya.

What? She's his what? Come again?! Bakit magkaiba ng apelyido kung magkapatid naman pala.

“So hindi mo talaga alam? She's his half sister. Parehas sila ng birth mother, and Katie owns a very expensive clothing line under PZV, kaya nga nag-invest din sa atin ng malaki si hot mask man dahil iyong make up natin ang gagamitin ng mga model ni Miss Garcia on her fashion show.” Paliwanag ni Tania sa kanya. “Gosh! Don't tell me nagselos ka 'ron?” Humalukipkip pa ito na para bang inienteroga siya.

Nag iwas siya ng tingin at binaling ang atensyon sa laptop niya. “So what? I have so many reasons not to trust him again aside from his side chicks.”

“Ang tanong may "side chicks" nga ba siya?”

Parang nabara ang lalamunan niya sa tanong nito. “I don't know. Siguro mayroon.”

“Ayan! That is one of our weakness, Zal. We assumed so much that we forgot how to ask. Bakit tinanong mo na ba siya? Noong mga panahong magkasama kayo napansin mo bang hindi lang ikaw ang kinakama niya?”

“No man will confess his own sin. Do you expect me to believe na ako lang ang kinakama niya? We met years ago and then we met again and continued our kind of relationship. Bigla na lang siyang sumulpot na parang kabute sa buhay ko and then malalaman ko na nagkaroon pala sila ng "past" ng kapatid ni Timothy. Ano sa tingin mo ang iisip ko? Ginamit niya lang din ako para gatongan ang mga plano ni Tim sa amin.”

“Sinabi niya ba sayo na ginamit ka lang niya? I told you, hindi naman masamang mag assume pero hindi rin masamang magtanong, Zal. If you want to know the story behind him and that Thea, then ask him. Maybe iyon ang bumabagabag sayo kaya hindi mo maibigay muli ang tiwala mo kay Zhercez.”

“Ganyan ka rin ba kay Bon?”

Tania tsked then shook her head. “We are long gone, Zal. Iba ang sa amin at iba rin ang sa inyo. I can see in his eyes that he's genuine to you, I can feel it every time he gazes at you.”

“Is that so...?” Malungkot na aniya.

Can she...?

“HIGGY, nagmahal ka na ba?” Tanong niya sa matalik na kaibigan habang nagmamaneho ito. Ihahatid siya nito sa condo unit niya dahil kakatapos lang ng dinner nila. She wasn't expecting him to fetch her, but nag aalala na rin pala ang binata sa kanya.

“Iyong sobrang lalim? Hindi pa, why?” Balik tanong nito. “I mean, minahal naman kita noon but not that deep, diba nga we can't see marrying each other that's why we decided to parted ways.”

“Sabagay, bata ka pa naman.”

“Hey! I'm not that young, Zal!” He hissed. “But I'm so glad that you aren't married to that asshole anymore.”

Yes, hindi na nga talaga siya kasal kay Timothy Tianco, hindi niya alam kung paano but according sa tanong hinire niya to know the thruth, napigilan ang registration ng marriage na iyon at sinunog ang lahat ng copies.

“Mahal mo pa ba iyong tao kahit wala ka ng tiwala sa kanya?” Wala sa sariling tanong niya.

“Why? Don't tell me mahal mo pa rin ang gagong iyon? What about the mask man in your launching party last time?”

“There is so many unsolved issues in my life. I'm so tired Higgy.” She rested her head at the back rest.

“A heart that always understand also gets tired, Zal.” Seryosong sabi ni Higgy sa kanya habang nagmamaneho. “We love because we understand them, we trust because we love them, we get tired because we know that it's over.”

But she didn't want to get over with Zhercez, wala man siyang tiwala at marami man siyang hindi maintindihan, mas naninikip ang dibdib niya sa tuwing iniisip niyang mawawala si Zhercez sa buhay niya.

She's tired yes but... She'll never get tired of loving him. That is the truth.

She cried, hindi naman siya nilingon ni Higgy na para bang naiintindihan nito ang nararamdaman niya.

“Love is weakest when there is more doubts than trust but love is strongest when we learn to trust inspite the doubts.” He sighed. “What will you choose, Zal? The weakest one or the strongest.”

Hindi pa siya sumagot at nanatiling umiiyak, hanggang sa makarating sila sa condo unit niya, nakaalalay si Higgy sa kanya, sinuguro nitong hindi siya matutumba hanggang sa makapasok sila sa unit niya.

She smiled weakly. “I am always the weak one, Higgy.”

It's true that's why her mother kept on pushing her away to the group because they think that she's fragile, which is true. Timothy is right, she is nothing but naive, clueless and weak.

“Zal, look at me.” Pinaharap siya ni Higgy at ikinulong nito ang kanyang mukha sa mga palad. “You are weak but you can always be strong when you're weak. Let that feelings of yours be your strength.” He kissed her forehead.

She was about to close her eyes when Higgy flew out of her sight. Tumilapon ito kung saan. What the hell?! Hindi pa man nakakahuma si Zal nang nakita niya si Zhercez sa harapan, inilang hakbang nito si Higgy at hinablot ang kwelyo patayo. Taas baba ang dibdib nito sa galit.

Oh my God! Mabilis niyang dinalohan ang dalawa para pigilan ang muling pagsugod ng kamao ni Zhercez sa mukha ng kaibigan. Frantic niyang tiningnan si Higgy. “Please go now, I'll talk to you tomorrow.”

“Tsk.” Si Zhercez iyon.

Naiiling naman si Higgy na lumabas, mukhang naiintindihan naman nito ang nangyari kaya wala ng imik. Hinrap niya si Zhercez. “Why did you do that?!”

“He's kissing what's mine.” His voice were colder than ice. “Why are you with him again?!”

Nanginig ang tuhod niya sa sagot nito damn! She can't let her feelings for him overcome what's her real point here, it's a good thing that Zhercez is here!

“What are you doing here?” Pinantayan niya ang lamig ng boses nito. She didn't even know how she'd do that.

But then, Zhercez face features soften, nabasa niya iyon sa mga mata nito kahit na nakasuot pa rin ito ng maskara. “Baby... I missed you... It's been three days and those days are hell for me.”

Nakita niya si baby ZL na natutulog sa ibabaw ng sofa, pinauna niya kasi ito sa secretary niya dahil nga biglaan ang pagsundo sa kanya ni Higgy. Nag iwas siya ng tingin at nilapitan si baby ZL, binuhat niya ito ng marahan papunta sa silid nito. Alam niyang nakasunod ng tingin sa kanya si Zhercez kaya hanggang sa makabalik siya ay nakatayo pa rin ito kung saan niya ito iniwan.

“Sit.”

Tumukhim naman ang binata bago lumakad papalapit sa sofa, Zhercez sit there and wait for her to speak again. Hindi siya umupo sa katabi nito, umupo siya sa kaharap nitong sofa at humalukipkip.

“Allow me to know what's between you and Timothy's decease si-sister.” Napalunok siya, hindi niya alam kung bakit bahagyang nanginig ang boses niya.

She saw him sighed heavily. “Thea is my favorite girl. She's like a sister to me...”

Pumikit siya ng mariin. Gusto niyang kwestyonin ang sinabi nito dahil hindi ganoon ang sinabi ni Timothy sa kanya.

“My love and care for her was mistaken by her brother. Timothy thinks that I am romantically in love with Thea because all I wanted to do is to protect her.” He smiled weakly. “She's so fragile and so precious to us that's why we cannot accept her death...” His jaw clenched. “She's been tortured at her young age, her young body was corrupted and ruined. She's all alone that time, we can't hear her screams for help, she was lonely and weak...” Now features was soft and sad...

Nagpatuloy ang pakikinig niya sa kwento nito. He said that they all found that out because of their hard works, lahat ng koneksyon nila ay sinubokan nila para mapasok ang grupo nilang mga torturers. That's how Timothy and Zhercez found it out.

“Timothy's mind were close that time. The investigation went well but he cannot accept the fact that Rocky Costalles was mentally ill. I guess, naghahanap siya ng mapagbubuntongan ng sisi and Rocky Costalles whom happened to be your sister's love is the close one. He cannot find anyway to get even that's why he came up to the plan to eliminate him. He tried your sister because he believes that women are fragile and weak. I really did tried to stop him dahil wala namang kasalanan ang Ate mo but then, he pursued his plans until you got involved.” He looked at her eyes. “For a hundred times I tried to stop him because for all we know, Thea will never be happy of that. She's kind and her smiles is Timothy's strength. I tried so hard to stop him but I guess, you can never stop a person hungry with revenge.”

“You...” ang bigat ng paghinga niya. “You r-really...”

His eyes says it all. “Like what I said, I didn't participate in his silly games. Meeting you was faith, my Snow White and I did try so hard to protect you; to stand alongside with you. When I tell you I love you, it's different from Thea because I know that you're...” He gaze up to her and met her eyes. “...my one and only.”

Wala na. All her defences has melted like an ice together with fire. Zal cried so hard for all the pain and betrayals, she cried for the time wasted in her life because she is so weak.

She won't let that weakness take away the best of her again.

Tinakbo niya ang pagitan nila ng binata, she thrown herself to him and hugged him tight like she always misses him.

In just one hug, all the pain faded away.

“Are you willing to give me a chance, baby...?” He whisper against her ear.

Zal slowly nodded.

“I'm sorry for not trusting your words. I'm sorry... I'm sorry...” She cried and cried to his shoulder.

“Sorry won't be enough, my Snow White.” He said gently.

Natigilan si Zal at mabilis na nilingon ang binata. Does he mean that he wouldn't forgive her?

Oh my God... “What... W-why...?”

“Marry me.”

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