Chapter 18

Kaiden Cervantes

I know I'm nearly there. Malapit niya nang ibigay ulit ang puso niya sa akin nang buong-buo. We cuddled all day and she let me feed her with what I cooked. The way her eyes lit up tasting the food made me feel so good. Klarong nagpipigil siyang mapangiti pero sapat na sa aking malaman na gusto niya akong makasama.

"I missed this," she murmured as I put my arm around her while we were watching television. I jerked in shock and stared at her. "I missed doing this with you." She didn't look at me but I couldn't help but smile sadly.

Yes. I missed it too. I missed...us.

Gusto ko iyong sabihin pero pinangunahan na ako ng aking mga luha. Hindi na ako makapagsalita nang maayos nang niyakap ko siya habang ngumangawa.

It was embarrassing but she didn't say a thing that could make me die in shame. She held my hand and tapped my back just like before, just like how she used to comfort me whenever I feel lost years ago.

"Mave, you still love me, right?"

"I'm getting there." That was her only answer but I was assured that she wouldn't give her heart to any other man than me. I kissed her and tasted her tongue while licking her skin. Her moans were muffled by my mouth and she held my shirt tightly.

Naglakbay naman ang kamay ko papunta sa kanyang perlas at napangisi nang malamang basang-basa na siya. I stroked her with my fingers and she arched her back.

Humawak ang kamay ko sa kanyang likuran at ipinasok ang tatlo kong daliri sa kanyang loob. And I began pumping, her hips bucking up towards me.

"Keep doing that. I love it, Kai," mahina niyang usal kaya tuwang-tuwa ako.

Mahal ko siya at masaya akong unti-unti na siyang nag-o-open up ulit sa akin pero tangina. Ba't pa kailangang may makialam?!

The hotel room burst open with my two idiotic friends shouting.

"Den pre! Saan ka na?" Dox's voice could wake up all the people inside the hotel. Pupungas-pungas na napaupo sa kama si Mavis at nakakunot ang noong tumitig sa direksyon ng living room. May mga nagmamadaling yabag na paparating kaya kaagad kong hinubad ang damit ko para isuot kay Mavis. She calmly wore it with an unreadable expression on her face.

"I think he's still in the bedroom," anang boses ni Dread. "You think he died from cumming too much?"

"Malay ko pre! Ikaw kasing baliw ka! Bakit mo binigyan si Mavis nung wine?!"

"I just wanted to help them."

"Help mong mukha mo! My crush... Huhuhu!"

"What the fuck?!" mura ko at napatalon mula sa kama dahil sa galit. I've heard enough. Mabilis akong naglakad at pabalibag na binuksan ang pinto ng bedroom. Kita ko ang gulat na mukha ng mga gago. "You're the one who gave her the aphrodisiac?!"

"D-Den," utal na sabi ni Dox at umatras bago malakas na tinulak si Dread papunta sa akin. But the taller man didn't budge and just shrugged his shoulders.

"It was me," he confessed. "But it was Dox's money."

"Tangina what?!" Dox exaggeratedly said. "I swear to god! Wala akong alam na si Mavis ang paggagamitan nun!"

Kumuyom ang kamay ko at akmang sasapakin na silang dalawa nang tinawag ako ni Mavis.

"Kaiden, listen to them."

Kumunot ang noo ko at nagtagis ang bagang.

"I should just kill them on the spot." I cursed and looked at my two friends. Wala ang kadalasang ngisi at tawa sa kanila. "If anything happened to Mavis... If I wasn't the first to find her drinking that fucking wine!"

"Instead of shouting, just say thank you," kaswal na sabi ni Dread na animo'y wala siyang ginawang masama. "It's not like you didn't enjoy her, did you? The drug works for three days. Sinulit niyo ba ang oras niyo?"

Nagdilim ang paningin ko at mabilis na sinapak si Dread. Hindi man lang umiwas ang gago kaya sumalampak ito sa sahig habang napapadura ng dugo.

"Tragis kang gago ka!" malakas kong bulyaw sa kanya at yumuko para marahas siyang kuwelyuhan. "Ba't mo yun ginawa putangina ka?!"

"Kai, that's enough." I froze at Mavis' icy words. "I want to talk to him."

"What? Why?!" Kumunot nang sobra ang noo ko dahil sa sinasabi niya.

"I want to ask where he got the wine."

"No, that illegal stuff should be handed to the police," I retorted with a scowl so she frowned. "Let the authorities handle it."

"Ano bang pinagsasabi mo? Gusto ko lang malaman dahil bibili ako."

"W-What?" Naguluhan ako sa sinabi nito. "You're going to drink that dangerous thing again?!"

"I'll make you drink a bottle of that wine too." Unti-unti akong napanganga sa sinabi nito. "It's okay if I'm going to get back at you, right, Kai?"

"Oh, I like her," nakangising sabi ni Dread kaya mas lalong sumama ang timpla ng mukha ko. Tumingin pa si Dread sa direksyon ni Mavis kaya kaagad kong natampal ang mukha ng loko.

"Bawal tumingin gago."

"I'm not gonna look," anito at sumimangot. "Dox is the one looking."

Nahuli ko naman si Dox na nakasilip sa gilid ng pintuan. Napamura ako nang nanlaki ang mga mata ng loko bago kumaripas ng takbo.

"Good luck sa honeymoon!" huli nitong sabi at sumibat na.

Dread and I shook our heads.

"I'll send the wine over," sabi lang ni Dread at umalis na rin.

At natuod ako roon, putlang-putla. I looked at Mavis and found her gazing at me with a small smile.

"I wanna tie you up."

I held my breath and gawked at her.

Seryoso ba 'to?!

—

Nasa kwarto pa rin kami at nakaupo sa kama. Nakahanda na rin ang lubid na inorder pa talaga ni Mavis sa online shop.

Tiim-bagang akong nakatitig sa wine na nilapag ni Mavis sa harapan ko. The red bottle with the crimson red wine looked like what she drank a few days ago. If it's really laced with that strong aphrodisiac, I don't know if I can even stop myself from losing my shit.

"Kailangan ko bang gawin 'to, Mave?"

Tumango naman siya habang nakatitig din sa wine. Napalunok pa ako dahil parang gusto niyang siya mismo ang uminom. With her tongue wetting her lips with her sweet sweet saliva, I uncomfortably shifted on my seat.

"I want to punish you." The fuck?! Pinanlakihan ko lang siya ng mga mata. "For cheating on me." Dumagundong ang kaba sa puso ko nang marinig iyon. D-Does that mean— "If you'll scream my name over and over while losing yourself in lust just like what happened to me these days, I might forgive you."

"Might?" Tinaasan ko ito nang kilay at napaisip. "Ibig sabihin, baka hindi mo rin ako patatawarin."

She bit her lips and nodded.

"But we're gonna have fun, still," aniya pa para kumbinsihin ako habang kumikinang ang kanyang mga mata. Fuck. This hot woman looked so cute talking with this with me.

"Baka may trabaho ka pang naiwan sa kompanya, Mave," pagdadahilan ko dahil baka abutin na naman kami ng iilang araw. Ayoko naman siyang itaboy pero putragis! Sinong matinong lalaki ang iinom ng ganitong kalakas na aphrodisiac at literal na magpapatali pa sa kama kasama ang sexy niyang ex?!

Baka ay masaktan ko pa si Mavis kapag masobrahan ako sa libog. Naalala ko na naman ang dugo sa kama.

Putangina. Ayoko nang isipin.

"I'm on break, together with Liz. For a month since..." She breathed out and furrowed her brows. "I'm too stressed out."

"And I'm gonna be your stress reliever?" nakasimangot kong sabi sa kanya.

Tumango naman siya at sinabing, "I'll try to make you enjoy the sex promise."

Halos mahulog ako sa dulo ng kama sa gulat pero bago pa ako makapagsalita ay biglaang tumunog ang phone ko. Naka-silent iyon maliban na lang kung pamilya ko ang tumatawag kaya labag sa loob kong kinuha ang phone ko.

Mom calling...

I glanced at Mavis and found her looking at me expectantly.

"It's Mom," sabi ko sa kanya at nakita ko naman siyang tumango-tango. But there's this unreadable strange expression on her face when she gripped the wine tightly.

Sinagot ko naman ang tawag dahil wala namang sinabi si Mavis.

"Yeah Mom?"

"Kaiden! Hindi ba single ka ngayon anak?"

"Ha?" Pinagpawisan ako agad sa tanong ni Mom. Paniguradong may irereto ito sa akin sa tanong na iyan. I glanced at Mavis again and found her standing. Nilapag niya ang wine bottle sa bedside table habang hindi mapakali ang kanyang kamay.

Gusto ko sana siyang tanungin kung may problema ba pero nagsalita na si Mom.

"Cause I got you a date for our company's party! Anak ito ng isa sa mga business elites dito ngayon. Naisip ko pagkatapos ni Liz ikasal anak na mas mabuting makapag-asawa ka na rin nang maaga. Why don't you try settling down?"

I rolled my eyes when I can clearly hear my father saying that to me a few months ago. Dahil nabenta na nila ang mga kapatid ko, wala na silang pwedeng maibenta sa mga partnerships kundi ako.

Settling down, huh?

"Tell Dad, Mom that he should tell me this himself," malamig kong sabi sa kanya.

"Den... Anak."

"Alam ko kung anong plano niyo pero huwag kayong makialam sa buhay ko," I scowled. "I'm not something you can sell."

Ang tanging nagpipigil sa akin na sumigaw sa phone ay ang presensya ni Mavis sa loob.

"Its not like that. He's just probably concerned with your life. You don't have stable relationships. You mess around with girls' hearts—"

"You don't know anything," I said. "I'm trying to fix my relationship with Mavis right now, Mom. Please, huwag niyo na akong pahirapan."

"W-What? Pinatawad ka na niya? But you cheated on her."

Napatingin ulit ako kay Mavis at nakita siyang nakatingin lang sa pader habang walang emosyon ang mga mata.

What's she thinking again?

"Not yet," I murmured. "Mavis doesn't want me back yet but I'll make her mine soon so please tell Dad—"

"Kaiden Cervantes!"

I heard my father's booming voice from the other line so I froze. I looked at Mavis with my worried face and signaled her that I'll go out to talk.

Ayokong marinig niya ang pagsigaw ko habang may katawag.

Tumango lang naman si Mavis at naglakad papuntang banyo. I looked at her one last time before I went out to the veranda to shout over the phone.

"What?! Ano na naman Dad?! Ipipilit niyo na naman bang magpakasal ako?!"

"You know our situation, right now, Kaiden. Baka nakakalimutan mong ako ang nagpalamon sa'yo. Ako ang nag-ayos ng mga problemang iniwan mo. You wouldn't even graduate without my intervention."

"Tangina! Sinabihan ba kitang tulungan ako?! Anak mo ako, gago! Responsibilidad mo 'yan! At lalong lalo nang hindi mo ako mabebenta dahil lang pinalamon mo ako!"

"Huwag mo akong murahin, Kaiden," nagbabantang sabi ni Dad. "I've already arranged your marriage with the Liras Group of Companies."

"Fucking no!"

Pero hindi nakinig ang magaling kong ama at nagpatuloy lang sa pagsalita.

"You can't do anything. The Liras want you for their daughter. They'd ruin your ex's life if they find out you're messing with her again."

Nanginig ang mga kamay ko sa narinig at kamuntikan ko nang tinapon ang phone pero dahil tungkol 'to kay Mavis, nanggagalaiti akong sumigaw. Wala akong ibang ex na kaya nilang pangalanan. They knew it has always been Mavis. It has always been her.

"Don't fucking touch her! Papatayin ko kayo!"

Narinig ko ang paghikbi ni Mom sa kabilang kinya at ang pagmumura ni Dad pero kinain na ako nang galit sa sinabi niya.

Mavis... My Mavis... How dare they threaten her?! Akala ba nila ay kaya nila akong kantihin dahil lang magulang ko sila?!

Hindi nila ako kilala.

"The Liras are powerful enough to ruin her company, Kaiden," sabi pa ni Dad pero tinawanan ko lang ito. "What's funny?"

"Tingnan natin," I murmured lowly and ended the call.

Nahilamos ko ang mukha ko at nagmamading bumalik sa kwarto para sabihan si Mavis tungkol kina Dad.

But I found the room empty. Her heels weren't under the bed, even her torn clothes. I checked the bathroom immediately but there was no one there. I panicked and went to the kitchen. Nilibot ko na ang buong suite at nanghihinang sumalampak sa sahig nang wala siya kahit saan.

Did she hear? Was she blaming me? What did she think of me?

Nasabunutan ko ang sarili at pumunta sa kwarto.

She left me. Again. Without saying goodbye this time.

I groaned as tears began forming on my eyes.

I thought we were going to be okay as long as we're together but she left without even saying goodbye.

What does she mean?

Will she meet me again? Or not?

I groaned when I smelled her scent on the sheets and eyed the wine bottle on the bedside table.

I have to fix this arranged marriage shit first and I'll go to her and I'll be happy.

But the next thing I know, she did something I thought she wouldn't do. She married Gin Yoko Salvador.

And my world crumbled again.