Chapter 8

Honeymoon

After the wedding, Castiel and I were allowed to go together and sleep in one room for the first time. We stayed in the hotel after our wedding while the other guests already gone home. Bumalik na rin ng Manila ang mga kaibigan ko dahil may mga work din sila.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Castiel nang kaming dalawa na lang sa loob ng hotel suite na hinanda rin talaga para sa amin. And to be honest, I also feel so awkward right now. At alam ko na ganoon din si Castiel. Bahagya siyang tumikhim.

"If you're uncomfortable... I can sleep on the sofa..." He said.

At nagpasalamat naman ako sa isip ko lang. Tumango lang din ako sa kaniya...

After that I went and used the bathroom first. Kailangan kong magpalit ng pantulog at burahin din ang makeup ko as to I won't have a breakout tomorrow.

At pagkalabas ko naman ng bathroom ay nakita kong nakaligo at nakabihis na rin ng pantulog si Castiel. He probably used the other bathroom here. At pareho pa kami ng suot na pajamas. Surely they prepared this for us, too. Hinayaan ko na lang at pumunta na ako sa kama.

Pagkatapos ay pinagmasdan ko si Castiel na pumunta naman sa sofa. Doon siya matutulog ngayong gabi, like what he said earlier.

"Can we turn off the lights now?" He also asked me.

At tumango lang din muli ako sa kaniya.

I was quiet the whole night we're together.

Pinatay na ni Castiel ang mga ilaw at natulog na rin kami nang gabing iyon.

I think it was common knowledge to have the honeymoon with your spouse after you two got married. Mag-asawa naman na kayo at normal na gawain lang iyon ng mag-asawa. But maybe because Castiel and I aren't a true couple after all...

After all, we only got married for business. And we haven't been intimate with each other ever before.

I think we we're more like friends than lovers...

At pagkatapos din ng kasal, Castiel and I moved to Manila right away. Just after sleeping in the same room overnight.

May bahay na rin kami ni Castiel sa Manila. Everything was already set before we moved here.

And Haniel stayed with their grandmother in Cebu dahil nag-aaral pa siya. Halos hindi na rin ako nakapagpaalam pa nang maayos kay Haniel, because everything went fast from our wedding to leaving Cebu and coming here in Manila. But we can always talk over the phone. Pag-uusapan pa kasi kung ililipat din si Haniel dito sa Manila and he could stay with me and Castiel.

"This house is big for just the two of us." I said.

Bumaling din sa akin si Castiel at tumango. "You're right. It's a little big for just us two. But we will still have the staffs here. The maids, driver and security." He said.

Tumango rin ako sa sinabi niya. "We can also have your brother here with us, but then your grandma might be sad." I said.

Castiel smiled at me. "That's true. Don't worry I'll ask Lola na ipahiram niya sa rin sa atin si Haniel kapag wala siyang pasok sa school." He said.

Tumango at ngumiti na rin ako sa sinabi.

Three years wasn't a joke, too. At nasanay lang din siguro ako na nasa Cebu kami at palagi ko rin nakakasama noon si Haniel. Kaya hindi nakapagtataka na ma miss ko rin siya.

Sumunod na nga rin na dumating ang mga makakasama namin sa bahay. Pinadala pa sa amin ni Mommy si Manang at ilang mas bata at bagong kasambahay. May nakuha na rin kami na driver at bodyguards. Lalo pa ngayon na hindi pa rin namin sigurado ang kaligtasan ni Castiel ay kailangan rin namin ng security. Maaring may magtangka rin sa buhay niya anytime...

At dahil nakasama namin si Manang sa bahay and she might report it to Mommy kung sa magkaibang kwarto kami matutulog ni Castiel kahit na mag-asawa na kami, napilitan tuloy kami na sa isang kwarto pa rin matutulog pagdating namin ng Manila.

"Uh, Castiel," I called him when he's about to go to the couch here in our bedroom.

Bumaling naman siya sa akin.

Umiling ako sa kaniya. "It's all right." And then I tapped the space on the bed next to mine. "You can sleep here." I told him.

Maliit lang kasi iyong couch tapos ang tangkad pa niya. I doubt na magkakasya siya roon. At mahihirapan lang muli siyang matulog doon kagaya noong sa sofa lang din siya natulog on the night of our supposed honeymoon...

"Dito ka na matulog. The bed is big, anyway." I said. Kasya naman kami rito at malaki pa rin itong kama para sa aming dalawa.

"Are you sure?" He asked me.

Tumango naman ako sa kaniya.

And then he went to bed next to me that night.

Tahimik lang muli kami pagkatapos patayin ang mga ilaw sa kwarto. Hanggang sa makatulog na.

Castiel and I also started going to the office. Tinuturuan na rin siya ni Daddy ng mga kailangan niyang gawin at paghandaan as the future successor of the Villarama group.

And on a Friday night, nagyaya naman ang mga kaibigan ko na makipagkita.

"Please bring your husband tomorrow, Karlee! Para na rin makilala naman din siya ng iba pa nating mga kaibigan." Anna said. She's my oldest friend. Nakilala ko na noong elementary pa lang kami. Magkaibigan din kasi si Mommy at ang mom din niya.

"I'll ask him first." I said.

"Sige na. Wala rin namang work tomorrow n'yan and it's weekend." She said.

I sighed. At tumango na lang ako. She's also working at the Villarama group. Kaya minsan ay nagkikita na rin kami dahil sa trabaho. May share din kasi ang Daddy niya sa company.

Anna smiled. "Yes! I'll take in charge of the place and telling our friends of the meeting tomorrow, too."

Tumango na ako sa kaibigan ko. "Fine, Anna."

At ngumisi lang naman siya sa akin.

Anna's also an only child like me. Kaya lumaki na kaming parang magkapatid ang turing sa isa't isa. When I moved in Cebu she would also often call me to check on me there. And she was also my maid of honor on my wedding. And now she's about to get married next. Na gaya ko ay para sa business din. Pero ang pinagkaiba ay gusto nila ng mapapangasawa niya ang isa't isa. It's also to a guy that I've known since before. Halos nakasama rin kasi naming lumaki si Rico dahil nga magkakakilala lang sa business world ang mga parents namin.

I sighed thinking about them. Of course I'm happy for Anna. But I also can't help it but to think about me and Castiel. Maayos naman ang relasyon namin sa isa't isa. Over the years that I've stayed in Cebu we have become friends...

"Uh, Castiel, are you okay with meeting my friends tomorrow evening?" I asked him during dinner the day before.

Ayos lang naman kung ayaw niya. Sasabihin ko na lang din kanila Anna na hindi siya makakapunta.

Pero nakita kong tumango naman siya at pumayag agad.

"Are you sure? Wala ka na bang ibang gagawin with Daddy?" I asked him because sometimes he would have dinner meetings with Dad and the other business partners.

He nodded. "Yeah, it's fine. I want to know and meet your friends, too."

Tumango na rin ako pagkatapos. "Sila ni Anna lang din naman uli." And some of my other guy friends, too.

"Okay." He nodded and smiled at me.

Bahagya na rin akong napangiti sa kaniya.

At pagkatapos kumain ng dinner ay tinawagan ko na rin si Anna to confirm ang pagpunta rin namin pareho ni Castiel sa friends meeting namin bukas. And Anna was just happy to know about it. At sasabihin na raw niya agad sa iba pang mga kaibigan namin.

Growing up, marami na rin akong nakilala at naging mga kaibigan dahil mostly ay sa iisang circle lang din naman kami. And our parents know each other because of business. Kaya kami kami lang din ang mga nagkikitakita kapag may mga family and business gatherings and events.

It was like it became normal for us to befriend each other.

Kaya naman after working hours, Castiel and I went to a bar to meet with my old friends.

"They are your friends from before?" Castiel asked me when we were already in the car going to the meeting place.

Tumango naman ako sa kaniya. "Yup. My friends before I went to Cebu to meet you..."

And he nodded as well.

Unlike when I was in Cebu when I almost didn't make any friends because I just focused myself with him and Haniel, I have quite many friends here in Manila that I used to hang out with before I left years ago.

Although mukhang ganoon pa rin naman hanggang ngayon. Because even though I have friends I would still choose to just stay at home most of the times before, and study my lessons in school. Instead of going out with my friends to hang out. I have my priorities at iyon palagi ang inuuna ko. Ang pag-aaral ko at ang business. At ngayon ay ang business. Kaya lang hindi na rin masama ang lumabas ngayon at makipagkita sa mga dati ko nang kaibigan. And to check on them as well.

While Castiel have his friends in Cebu. At doon din siya lumaki. And I wish that he could also befriend my friends here in Manila. And may mga connections din sila sa business that could also help him as the heir of the Villaramas.

At nang dumating nga kami sa bar ay halos nandoon na rin silang lahat at kami na lang pala ang hinihintay. Nakilala na ni Castiel ang ibang mga kaibigan ko na dumalo ng kasal namin sa Cebu, so it already went easy for him to talk to them. And he was also polite with my other friends who he just met for the first time. Kasi sina Anna lang din talaga o iyong mga sobrang naka-close ko na na mga kaibigan ang inimbita ko sa kasal ko. Ang iba naman kasi ay naging kaibigan ko na lang din through common circle or group of friends.

Though the others I also invited to my wedding but they couldn't make it too because of work and other much important things.

At mukhang nakagaanan din naman agad ng loob ng mga kaibigan ko si Castiel. Maayos din kasi siyang makipag-usap sa ibang tao. Even if only meeting them for the first time.

"I didn't know that you'll get married right away after graduation..." Neil said.

Bumaling naman ako sa kaniya. "Uh, we didn't get married right away. But, yeah, after graduating from college I moved to Cebu..." I said.

Tumango naman si Neil sa akin.

Pagkatapos ay nag-iwas na rin ako ng tingin sa kaniya. It's still a bit awkward now. He's also son of the CEO of a company. Magkaibigan din si Daddy at ang Dad niya. And when we were in high school he was brave enough to confess his romantic feelings for me. But then I was young back then at walang ibang laman ang utak ko kung 'di ang business.

And when we were in college he told me that he actually waited for me all those years. At na maghihintay pa rin siya sa akin hanggang sa maka-graduate na kami o kung kailan ako handa. And I've never told anyone about it, not even Anna.

Hindi ko pa kasi alam kung ano ang iasasagot ko noon kay Neil...