✓ Forbidden Sweetness of Eden [COMPLETED]

Prologue

She was a cosmic and he's just a nobody. An extraterrestrial like her deserves to be in heaven and a sinful admirer like him should stay in hell. He's fully aware of the consequences if he tried picking the forbidden fruit of Eden yet a reckless man like him had no care of what will happen next. He was blinded by the sweet temptations—unbeknownst, of the devil's wicked trap. She was the sweetest fruit he could ever possess but things won't always go on, on how we wanted it to be.

There will never be a room for regret and remorse but who's fooling who? Teo was a fool but he couldn't even deceive himself. There was never a day that he was not thinking of her. He's always questioning himself and asking a lot of what ifs, although he knew better that whatever happens the two of them must be separated. After all, fire and water have never been found comfortable with each other.

"So? Are you going to attend?" Boses ng kaibigan niya ang nakapukaw sa malalim na pag-iisip ni Teo.

He looked down at the invitation card. It was a wedding invitation card—Kristel's wedding invitation card to be precise.

"Kailan ulit ang kasal niya?" He asked while looking up at the dark sky. Mukhang nakikisabay ang langit sa nararamdaman niya.

"Next month," Hope said, Kristel's half-brother. "The gang thought we shall invite you too at the Bachelor's Party. Don't worry, the man she'll get married with was a good man. You will not have a hard time liking Heart."

Teo frowned. Heart? Is that even a man's name?

"I know what you're thinking but Heart is a good man. He always takes good care of my sister, he buys her stuff, food, brings her to good places, and he's too generous with us too."

Teo's face became distorted, thankfully he was not facing his friend.

"Looks like he's into your liking," he said with a nasal tone.

"Yeah, he's good for Kristel!" Masigla namang sagot ni Hope na mas nakapagpabusangot sa mukha ni Teo.

Gusto mo pala ba't 'di na lang kayo ang magpakasal?! He thought. Kahit anong bait ng lalaking papakasalan ng dalaga ay hinding-hindi niya ito magugustuhan. The fact that there's another man in Kristel's life was enough for him to feel hate.

"Why do I need to like him?" Teo asked, still not facing his friend.

Teo couldn't grasp the logic, the fact that the man was already Kristel's fiance was enough reason for him to hate him. Baka kapag nakaharap niya ang lalaki ay kung ano pa ang magawa niya.

"To give you a peace of mind?" Hope muttered, almost whispering. "I mean, won't it help you feel at ease knowing that there's a man who loves my sister despite her insecurities? Bihira na lang ang gano'ng lalaki, Uzil."

Teo frowned but he did not speak.

"Also, it was my sister who asked me to bring this invitation to you." Hope said. "She doesn't know about your whereabouts, so yeah ..."

Why does she wanted to know where am I? Wala sa sariling napatawa si Teo. Hindi na niya alam ang gagawin para makalimutan ang nararamdaman para sa dalaga and hearing Hope's last words gave him another reason not to move on.

"C'mon man! Wala namang mawawala sa'yo kung pupunta ka sa kasal niya 'di ba?"

A bitter chuckle escaped from his mouth. His lips crept into a wry smile as his eyes watched the teardrops of rain slowly showering the rice fields in front of his house. How he wished for his friend to leave so he could let himself cry just like heavens did.

"There's something I still don't want to lose, Ruiz—actually, it was slowly running away from my grasp and attending Kristel's wedding might be the reason for losing it." Teo uttered.

"Huh? What do you mean—ah nevermind. Wala ka naman ng ginagawa—"

"Marami, Ruiz. Marami pa akong gagawin at nakakaistorbo ka. Magdidilig pa ako ng taniman—"

"Umuulan, Uzil." Hope sighed loudly before standing from his seat. "I'll be back tomorrow. Brace yourself, my friend." He said then left the man.

Malakas namang bumuga ng hininga si Teo. Whatever happens he will never—NEVER going to accept that goddamn invitation! Kaunti na lang ang kapit ng katinuan niya and accepting that goddamn invitation will surely send him into an asylum!

A sardonic laugh escaped from Teo's mouth when he remembered Hope's line earlier.

"Peace of mind?" He scoffed, "'Peace of mind' mo mukha mo!"



AN IMPASSIVE expression was plastered on Teo's face when Hope, Kristel's half-brother, appeared in front of his house again at nagdala pa nga ito ng kasama!

Teo gritted his teeth. To respect his visitor, Teo tried hard to reign from his snapping patience.

"You're back, wow." He muttered with a nasal tone, clearly expressing his disappointment of seeing Hope again.

"So, you must be that Professor Uzil?" The man beside Hope spoke.

"Who might you be?" Teo asked with a frown. Ngayon niya lang kasi nakita ang lalaki at sa hindi malamang dahilan ay gano'n na lamang ang disgusto niya rito.

The man smiled triumphantly before extending his hand for a handshake. Hindi pa man ito nagpapakilala ay agad namang tinanggap ni Teo ang kamay ng binata para sa pormalidad sa pagitan nila. Ngunit, ganoon na lamang ang pagsisisi niya nang malaman kung sino ang lalaki.

"I am Heart Marasigan, Kristel's fiance."

Teo flashed his smile—contrary to what he really feels inside—then shake hands with the man. He was gritting his teeth, ramdam na ramdam niya ang paunti-unting pagbitaw ng pasensiya niya lalo na ng humigpit ang kapit ng lalaki sa kamay niya. It was as if the man was somehow happy to see him.

"It was our first time knowing each other so I can't say 'it was nice meeting you'—" BECAUSE IT WAS FUCKING NOT! " ... My name is Teodomero Uzil."

Hope nervously laughed and tried breaking the tension that was hugging their atmosphere but before he could even open his mouth, Heart already had spoken.

"I came here to personally invite you to my wedding, with Kristel, of course." Heart smiled at the man. "Hope, my soon to be brother-in-law came here yesterday to invite you, but he said you rejected him—"

"Rejected him?" Teo chuckled in sarcasm. "He indeed came here just to visit me. He never mentioned Kristel's wedding with some man like you."

Hope's eyes widened in disbelief. Anong 'never'?! Tang'nang angkol 'to!

Tiningnan niya ang kaibigan na para bang nagtatanong kung bakit ito nagsisinungaling but his friend was too fixated by the tension between him and Kristel's fiance. Their hands were even still holding and Hope could see these men's veins. He gulped audibly. Somehow, Hope felt like he was just a merely human being who got pitifully cornered in the middle of these two colossus men. The sun that was brightly shining earlier was immediately replaced by giant thunder and lightning.

"So, I'll guess, that was a yes?" Heart asked, pertaining to Teo's acceptance about his invitation. "After all, Kristel and I need an adult's presence at our wedding. You can be her stand-in Uncle since her relatives can't make it due to some ravaging storm snow."

After saying that, Heart stood from his seat with a smile. He tapped Teo's shoulder, who was madly preserved in his seat.

"See you there, Uncle."