Chapter 14

The water in the pool sparkled like jewel as the moon cruised lazily in the dark skies. I tipped my head and stared at the blanket of starless sky, feeling the cold night wind caress my cheeks.

My sheer ankle-length white dress swayed with each step I took. My hijab, in the same divine color, rested gently on my shoulders. I directed my gaze to the man I came here for, who was bent over a stick of cigarette in a white lounger.

Nilingon ako ni Zeus. He set down his metal-box lighter and grabbed a white towel, rested it on top of his wet hair, and cracked a lazy half-smile.

"Gabi na. Ba't gising ka pa?" malumanay niyang tanong sa akin.

Tumikhim ako at tuluyan na siyang nilapitan. The medication I took a little earlier is making me feel sleepy. I sat across him and shut my knees, before placing my palms on my lap.

"Hindi ako makatulog."

Zeus watched me over his heavy lids. Alam kong wala na din siyang sapat na tulog ngayong palapit na nang palapit ang kanilang concert. I spotted a glass of whiskey and came into conclusion that he's about to pull an all-nighter again. He's always nursing a drink whenever he's exhausted and still needs to work.

"Come here..." tinapik niya ang bakanteng espasyo sa kaniyang tabi gamit ang kamay. Nag-aalangan pa ako noong una pero tumayo din ako at tinabihan siya. Zeus wrapped his cold arms around me and pulled me closer. He kissed my temple.

"I wandered to the west wing of the mansion yesterday," I told him, dropping my gaze to my fingers. Zeus remained silent next to me. "Monica showed me a nursery room."

"You saw it?"

Uminit ang mga pisngi ko at nahihiyang tumango. Ngumuso ako nang konti. Alam naman siguro naming dalawa kung ano yung gusto kong itanong pero hindi ko maisatinig.

"And?" he pressed.

Mas humaba pa ang nguso ko.

"Bakit..."

"Bakit ano?" he continued to tease.

Mas lalo akong namula. Inikot ko ang mga mata ko sa posibleng pagkaabalahan bukod sa mga nang-uusisang mga mata ni Zeus. I keep on ignoring the fact that he's shirtless again and is only wearing a black boardwalk shirt and a white towel on his head. Nothing else. Habang ako nama'y balot na balot.

"Eh kasi..."

"Hmm?"

Para na ata akong lulubog sa kinauupuan ko. I took a deep breath and turned to him. I almost got a heart attack when I saw that he's already staring at me and his face is just a few inches from mine.

"P-Para kanino yun?"

"Yung ano?" tanong niya sa napapaos na boses. His fingers reached for my hijab and tugged it a bit, before smiling lazily at me. Namumungay ang mga mata niya, dala na siguro ng alak na nainom at ng kaniyang pang-aasar sa akin.

"Yung nursery room? Para kanino yun?"

One of the corners of his lips lifted up in a smirk. Twin spots of crimson heated my cheeks as embarrassment filled in my every cell. Umusog ako nang konti para sana bigyan kaming dalawa ng distansiya pero mabilis na hinablot ni Zeus ang braso ko at ipinirme ako.

"Sa tingin mo para kanino ang nursery room na yun?" parang bulong na niyang wika, pinaglalaruan pa rin ang aking hijab.

Nag-iwas ako ng tingin.

"Naia..." untag niya sa akin.

"Hindi ko alam." I answered in a clipped tone.

He stared at me for a split second before a throaty laughter vibrated on his throat. I watched the strong column of his neck as his Adams apple bobbed up and down. It must've been the sexiest thing I saw tonight.

"Is it too early to prepare, habibti?"

"Prepare for what..." I trailed off, realizing what he really meant. Alam ko na ang ibig niyang sabihin pero nahihiya pa rin akong ituran ito. I'm way past my teenage years and in a few years, I'll be hitting 30 but I'm still not comfortable talking about this kind of things!

Zeus heaved a sigh that is nowhere near a grunt of dissatisfaction. He leaned closer and started brushing his lips against my cheeks. Hindi ko naman siya pinigilan. Imbes ay inabot ko ang malamig niyang kamay at diretso ang tingin sa pool.

"I want a child. And a house. And a wife." He whispered on my ears.

Kinilabutan ako sa gaspang ng kaniyang boses. Not to mention that he sounded so sleepy right now, it added to the virility of his baritone voice. Para na akong kakapusin sa hininga gayong nakaupo lang naman ako at nakikinig sa kaniya.

"And I want you to become my wife..."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. My heart thumped wildly. Carefully sucking in a deep breath, I slowly turned to him.

"Zeus, alam mo namang..."

"Yes, baby, I know." He said in a patient tone. "I'm just letting you know. And I can wait as long as you want. I just want you to be happy, vindicated..." gumapang ang kaniyang kamay sa likod ng aking leeg at mas nilapit pa ang mukha ko sa kaniya. "and naked..." he whispered the last part of his sentence before covering his lips with mine.

A soft moan of pleasure escaped from my mouth. I closed my eyes as he ravished my mouth, as if searching for something. Isinampay ko ang dalawang kamay sa malapad niyang balikat.

I shivered with his every touch, certain that I am going to get addicted to him anytime sooner. When Zeus bit my lower lips and nipped it with his teeth, I almost lost it. Combing my fingers through his wet locks, I could imagine myself filling in the space in his cold bed. But before I could fantasize into something darker, deeper, and explicit, Zeus pulled away and rested his forehead against mine.

Confusion was written all over my face when I saw a pained look on his face. I opened my mouth to speak but he pressed a finger to my swollen lips.

"Ssh..." he whispered in a raspy tone. "Give me some time..."

"Bakit? Ayos ka lang ba?" naguguluhan kong tanong sa kaniya.

He chuckled darkly. Napailing si Zeus sa sinabi ko. "How old are you again, Naia?"

"Uhm. 27."

Umiling ulit siya, hindi natatanggal ang mapang-asar na ngiti sa kaniyang mga labi.

"You should know what I'm talking about right now, baby."

My entire face heated up nang matanto ko kung ano nga talaga ang gusto niyang ipahayag. Natatakot akong ibaba ang tingin ko kaya nanatili akong nakatitig sa mga mata niya, kahit pa gusto ko nang magpalamon sa lupa ngayon.

"There's my innocent angel..." he chuckled again and pinched the tip of my nose. "God, what am I going to do with you?"

I must've swallowed my tongue because I can't say anything after what happened. Pinipilit ko pang kalmahin ang sarili ko kung kaya't binigyang distansya ko ang pagitan naming dalawa sa pag-usog ng konti. The mixture of his manly scent and the chlorine-filled water attacked my nostrils.

His eyes are calm tonight. Zeus ignored the towel on top of his head and gently laid his head on my shoulders. I was a bit surprised but I let him be. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang mainit niyang hininga sa pulso ng aking leeg. I bit my lower lips and swallowed a groan. Nakakahiya kung sa aming dalawa ay ako pa itong hindi makapagpigil.

"How many kids do you want to have?"

Confusion marred my face. I moved but Zeus quickly captured my hands and remained still.

"Pardon me?"

"I'm asking you how many kids you wish to have." He said in a much calmer voice.

Uminit nang husto ang mga pisngi ko. Despite the sheer embarrassment clawing up at my back, I answered him.

"Hmm. Dalawa."

"Dalawa lang?"

I hit his rock-hard chest playfully. Then dropping my gaze, I stared at the side of his face.

"Bakit? Ilan ba ang gusto mo?"

"Gusto ko ng basketball team."

"Zeus!"

His dark chuckle vibrated throughout the deep night. I bit my lips again to stop myself from laughing. Dapat galit ako sa kaniya! Pero kasi... sobrang nakakahawa ang tawa niya. That, or I am just so in love with him that every little thing about him, for me, is so adorable.

"Kidding aside," he cleared his throat but the left-leaning grin remained tugging on his lips. "I will respect your decision."

"Thank you..." I said softly.

"Give me your hand."

I obeyed and gave him my right hand. He brushed his lips against my knuckles before reaching out for something rested on the table. Gusto ko sanang silipin kung ano iyon pero mabilis niyang naitago sa kaniyang kamao at nginisihan ako. I pouted.

"What's that?"

"This..." he opened his knuckles and revealed a silver band that glistened as the moon sparkled from above. "is a gift."

Inilapit niya sa akin ang singsing. I stared at it. My eyes widened when I saw the engraved words inside of the band. In elegant cursive letters and in Arabic, it was written... "Ya Allah, I am and will always be your child..."

I stared at Zeus before dropping my gaze again to the ring. I'm sure he had it customized, because I could see my name on it. Inipit ko ang pang-ibabang labi gamit ang ngipin at humugot ng isang malalim na hininga.

"Wear this until we get married..." he said in a raspy whisper, gently putting the ring on my finger. Pinagmasdan niya ang kamay kong nakasuot ng singsing bago niya ako hinalikan sa tungki ng ilong. "It's also a promise that I won't get married to anyone but you, Naia."

My lips trembled as emotions overwhelmed me. Nanghihina akong tumango.

"And I won't touch you until our marriage. I won't see your hair until our wedding night. I respect your modesty and will forever treat you like a precious angel."

Tumango ulit ako. Nagbabara ang aking lalamunan kung kaya't walang lumalabas na salita sa bibig ko. Pero alam kong base pa lamang sa panunubig ng mga mata ko ay alam na niyang sobrang laki ng impact sa akin ng mga sinabi niya.

"I may not be the perfect Muslim man that you wish to marry, Naia... but I promise to be my damnedest best when it comes to you. I will make you happy and I will protect you at all costs. I'm just so, so... madly in love with you, habibti."

Gumapang ang kamay ko sa singsing at tumangong muli. Medyo malamig ito sa kamay ko. And for a woman who seldom wears any kind of jewelry, I liked it very much.

Cupping his cheeks, I leaned closer as my eyes sparkled with so much emotions. We didn't need to tell each other what we wanted. When his hot, demanding lips covered mine, I closed my eyes and fell to the abyss of bliss that is Zeus, certain that this is the man I had been waiting for half of my lifetime.

The days drifted lazily, especially when I am spending most of my time in the hospital. The nausea and puking had become more frequent that we decided to go to the hospital again. the doctor had already recommended radiation therapy to shrink the tumors and suppress the negative effects. Until then, we're still looking for my donor.

I didn't want to worry Zeus so I always pasted a smile on my face, even when I'm in an excruciating pain. And I am grateful that I'm wearing my hijab again so I can conceal my thinning hair without anyone noticing it.

It's not so hard to put up on a positive act when my doctor herself is very determined to save me. Every time she talks to me, she uses the simplest of terms so I could easily understand it and make sure that I don't lose hope without having to coat her words with sugar.

"Si Zeus?"

Nilingon ako ng kaniyang PA. She pasted a huge smile on her face when she saw me.

"Ikaw po pala, Miss Bukhari!"

"Naia, please." I corrected.

"Nasa loob pa po si Sir, Miss Bukhari." She answered, ignoring my correction. "But he should be out soon. Pasensiya na po, hindi po kayo pwedeng pumasok. Maghintay nalang po kayo sa labas?"

"Sure." I said and smiled at her, before I meandered to the hallway. Balak ko sana siyang i-surpresa ngayon. I was dismissed early at the hospital. Ang kasunduan namin ay doon na kami magkikita at susunduin niya ako pero hindi na ako makapaghintay kaya nagpunta nalang ako mismo dito.

The film center is very busy today. I watched in silence as the staff, cameramen, and other personnel were busy doing something. May isa pang bagong dating na artista na pinagkaguluhan sa entrance bago siya maingat na naipasok ng kaniyang security team.

I stared at the vendo machine in a distance, deciding that I could use a cup of coffee. Bibisitahin pa namin mamaya si Zoey upang kamustahin ang kaniyang braso. Constance had been discharged from the hospital a couple of days ago and Levi is back studying abroad.

I was about to head my way there when someone suddenly grabbed my arm. Sa gulat ko ay halos mabitawan ko pa ang hawak kong bag. The grip is harsh and with its tight grip, it obviously belonged to a big, bulky man.

When I turned, ghost of my past started dancing in front of me. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa nakita. It has been a decade but the anger in his eyes are still palpable. The same anger that glinted when he was seated inside the court on the opposite side while I cry in the corner.

I swallowed hard. Biglang nanginig ang kamay ko. My pulse leapt in fear.

"Tingnan mo nga naman kung sinong nandito..."

Hindi ko magawang maalis ang kamay ko mula sa kaniya. He's wearing the black staff shirt, so he obviously works here. I didn't know that I'd stumble upon him after a decade. His salt and pepper hair and the wrinkles on his face didn't made him less fearing.

"G-Good morning po..." nauutal kong wika sa kaniya, hindi alam kung anong dapat isagot.

"Good morning?!" his nose flared in so much anger. Mas lalo pa akong napapitlag. "Pagkatapos ng ginawa ng hayop mong ama sa anak ko, may lakas ng loob ka pa talagang batiin ako!"

Ang malakas niyang boses ay naagaw ang atensyon ng iba. I stared at them with tear-rimmed eyes, asking for help. They all but glanced away and decided to pretend that I didn't exist. Mas lalo pang namuo ang mga luha sa mata ko. Must be because I am wearing a hijab and normal people don't want to get involved in a dispute with a Muslim.

Hindi ako nakasagot. Tumungo lang ako at ibinulong ang hiling sa hangin na sana ay pakawalan na niya ang kamay ko.

"Palagi kitang nakikita sa telebisyon. Yung si Zeus, nobyo mo, diba?"

Hindi ko alam kung anong isasagot ko sa kaniya o kung bakit niya ako tinatanong ng ganito. He chuckled humorlessly.

"Pagkatapos patayin ng pamilya mo ang anak ko, nagpapakasaya ka lang dito? Dapat sa iyo ay makulong din!"

My eyes were hot and burning with tears when I lifted my gaze to him. Natakot ako panandalian sa kaniyang mukha. He has the angry face like he really wanted to hurt me right now.

"Hindi po pinatay ng Baba ko si Thea..." halos pabulong ko nang pagmamakaawa sa kaniya.

"Nawalan ako ng asawa't anak dahil sa inyo! Anong karapatan mong maging masaya, huh?!"

I swallowed the sob threatening to rise on my throat. He can get mad at me all he wants, but nothing will change the fact that it was not my father who killed his daughter. And the verdict of the court is not justified. My father, being a Muslim man, was accused of something he didn't do. Hanggang ngayon ay masakit pa rin sa akin iyon pero wala naman akong magagawa, diba? People will never side with us. Para sa kanila ay mamamatay-tao kami. We were judged by the public and now no matter how I explain it to him, I know I couldn't change his mind. He needs someone to blame for the loss of his daughter and his wife's file for annulment.

"Wala kang karapatang maging masaya! Mamamatay-tao ang pamilya mo! Paano ka nakakatulog sa gabi, ha? Paano mo naaatim na isang mamamatay-tao ang tatay mo?!"

Wala akong balak pakawalan ang nagbabadyang hikbi ngunit nagulat ako nang bigla niyang bitawan ang braso ko. I took a step back but it was too late for me to avoid him. He hit me hard across the face that I fell on the marbled floor. My cheeks throbbed so bad as I clutched the reddening skin and tears unvoluntarily slipped from my eyes.

"Mamamatay-tao ang tatay mo! Mamamatay-tao ka rin!"

Ipinikit ko nang mariin ang mga mata ko. I don't want to talk ill to him. Not once had I resented him for sending my father in prison instead of taking responsibility of his daughter. Pero sumusobra na siya.

"Naia!"

Dumagundong ang galit na boses ni Zeus. Ang mga taong nagtangkang tulungan sana ako ay mabilis na umatras nang makita nila ang pulang-pula niyang mukha sa galit. My eyes widened, too. Now the two men shared the raging looks of a bull that's about to attack and kill anyone.

"Z-Zeus..."

Mabilis niya akong nilapitan at itinayo. A muscle in his jaw clenched hardly when he saw my cheeks. Nagdilim ang kaniyang mukha. His bodyguard, Nigel, discreetly guarded Thea's father in case he decides to run away.

"Did he do this to you?" tanong niya sa mapanganib na boses.

I stared at him with wide eyes. He's not planning to hurt him, right?

"Zeus, umalis nalang tayo—"

"Answer me, Naia, dammit!" he cursed.

Napaatras ako nang konti. Galit na galit pa rin siya. He looks like he's going to hit someone with his clenched fists and the veins popping out in his arms.

"Zeus..." halos magmakaawa na ako sa kaniya.

"Nigel." He turned to his bodyguard coldly. Mabilis kaming nilapitan ni Nigel. Blanko na ang ekspresyon ng kaniyang mukha. He lifted his hand and gestured something. "Cover her eyes." he instrusted.

Bago pa man ako makapag-react ay mabilis na akong nahila ng kaniyang bodyguard. The last thing I saw was Zeus storming Thea's father as Nigel covered my eyes. Then I heard the screams of the people.