At night, once I am certain that Sinagtala is alone, I burst into his room and ram him with a hug. He is surprised, and then he laughs, while his arms go around me.

"What is this? You miss me that much already?"

I tighten my hold around his waist, and my fingers bury on his back. It is undoubtedly flesh, yet our composition is different. I lean my ear on his chest and I close my eyes. The sound of his heartbeat is soothing, calming, and I know I forgive him despite all the lies and the information he's withdrawing from me. Even when he hates me at first and thinks of sending me to Fuhua as a slave. I forgive it all.

Sinagtala lifts me and sits on the bed. I sit on his lap while I bury my face on his chest. He massages my back and gently touches my hair. I feel like a little kid asking for comfort from him.

How could a man like him make its way to my heart so fast? Renz is still here, lounging at the edge of my heart but what I feel for Sinagtala is completely different. Renz, before he betrayed me, is flawless. He is always honest, loving, and gentle to me. He soothes me but that's it.

On the contrary, Sinagtala is not always gentle. He's rough. He's not even honest. I know his flaws yet I accepted them. I trust him even if it's foolish to do so. I do not fear him even if I should and every time we are together; he calms me down. Yet, his touches cause the opposite reaction in me. Lust or Love, I might not be able to find out.

"What happened?" he asks. "I already sent a recommendation for your friend. Is this because of happiness as well?"

I shake my head.

"Are you worried about something?" he pulls back and looks into my eyes. "You don't have to worry about anything because I will protect you. I promise you that."

I stare at him. He seems to say the truth, but at whose expense? Right now, I am afraid and, "I don't want this moment to end," I say.

"It doesn't have to," he says. "Once the guests leave this place, we will have more freedom."

Do we really? Because I'm sure that as long as I am a Nayan, what he is promising will never happen. I will always be kept a secret from his world.

"Will you not ask me how I arrived here?" I ask.

Sinagtala's hand stops stroking my back. "Are you willing to tell me?"

"Yes, but the five of us are still confused about how we get here. When we woke up, we are already on this island."

Sinagtala sighs. "It's okay if you still can't tell me. You don't need to make up these lies."

I frown at him. "You don't believe me."

"Then before that, can you tell me where you are?"

"Doing a project."

"What kind of project?"

"For our school."

He scrunches his face. "You mean academy? Which one?"

I feel hurt so I look away and get up from his lap. Sinagtala holds my hand and says, "Fine, fine. I believe you. And?"

I scowl at him. Now, he is just patronizing. Still, I try it, "We are from the future."

I wait for his reaction. Instead, he sighs deeply again. "That's not possible. Time travel had been proven false a long time ago."

"But that's where I came from!"

"Jade..." he soothes. He takes both of my hands and massages them. "Is this some kind of punishment because I gave you an easy third task and Dakila had overruled that? Making your third task harder than it should be? If that is so, then, I am sorry for doing that. I just can't see you in danger again."

"That's not it," I whisper. "I am telling you the truth." But he doesn't want to believe it. Is it because he is lying to me about things? Is that why it's harder for him to trust me?

He pulls me in, but I stay my ground. He stands up and since he's much taller than I am; I look up at him. He caresses my cheek and says, "Let's just forget it. Right now, it doesn't matter if you can't tell me where you came from."

Yes, it doesn't matter. Because soon, I will be leaving him. I need to enjoy the remaining moments we have. So I touch his hand that's on my cheeks and kiss his palm. I look back at him and agree, "Yes, let's do that."

His hands go to the back of my neck and pull me in for a kiss. I cover his mouth. "Is this an additional apology for what you've done?"

Instead of answering, he holds my hand and kisses my palm, like the way I did moments ago. I start to withdraw my hands but his hold tightens and then; he licks my open palm, his eyes never leaving my face. I inhale as electricity courses from my open palm to my chest, and down to my stomach.

He watches my reaction and smiles, "Now, you understand what you did to me earlier."

I try to breathe and compose myself, but he trails kisses from my palm to my wrist and up my arms. I shudder and push back. I am losing strength on my knees and it will be embarrassing if I fall just because of a few kisses. However, he did not let go, no matter how much I pull.

"Let go, for now, Sinagtala," I say. He did not stop and instead, his lips go along my shoulders, to the side of my neck, nibbling along the way.

"Stop... tea...sing alre—" I stop, realizing that I am short of breath. "Please..." It's supposed to stop him but it sounds wrong in my ears. I am gasping for air and seems like I am begging him for more. He lets go of me and I fall to the ground. Shit! This is embarrassing.

He kneels before me and orders, "Say that you like it. Say that you enjoy being with me."

I open my mouth. What again? My heart can't take this onslaught of emotions. I need to breathe and calm myself down.

"Say that you would only have me." I turn my attention to him. I can see the fire of desire in his eyes. "Jade, please, I need you to promise me."

"Promise what?" I whisper.

"Promise me that you would only have me."

I blink and I forgot to breathe again. I am thrown back into reality and I stare at the floor. How can I? When I am a Nayan and there is no assurance of that? Of course, I only want him, but do I really have the luxury to promise him that?

"F*ck!"

I flinch at the ferocity of his tone. Suddenly, he raises my chin and his lips descend into mine. When his hands go on my back and carry me, my arms wrap around his neck naturally. His tongue tastes my lips and I open it up for him. I pull his head closer to mine and we both deepen the kiss.

I am barely aware when my back hits the soft mattress of his bed before I feel his hands exploring my body. He pulls up my dress and I clumsily help him let go of his clothes. He laughs at my insistence and I stop, finally ashamed of myself. We both sit up and he removes his clothes until, for the second time, he is fully naked in front of me.

I stare, and he stares back. We are both naked and we both rake each other's bodies. It is him who first approaches. I follow and before long we are in each other's arms again, exploring, devouring and tasting each other's body, with his fingers lingering longer around my navel. Then he lays me down the bed and opens my legs. Without a warning, he enters me. I moan in the bout of pleasure cursing through my body. My fingers tighten around his shoulders. He stops and we gaze at each other's eyes, waiting for my shudders to die down. Then, I nod and he pulls out and in again. It is slow at first until his thrusts become faster. And in each thrust, I find myself moving my hips, to meet him and to fit him snugly into mine. My fingers dig deeper into his back when another rush of pleasure courses through my body.

Then he continues to thrust into me until he, too, finds that point of pleasure. He shudders and breaths hard, and I pull him closer to my chest, where I think he will stay, even when we are far apart.