Three Desires

Chapter 13

Krishna's face showed a flicker of displeasure. He knew what it was: a voice message from Pacaldo's twin brother. He resented Patricio intruding on this precious moment of quiet. Instead of going for his phone, he swiped away the notification. He refused to let anything disturb the tranquil serenity he shared with Pacaldo.

Pacaldo, shifting slightly in his sleep, sensed a hazy discomfort, like a tremor that barely registered on his mind' Richter scale. He mumbled something unintelligible, an inquiry buried in the fog of sleep. Krishna, sensing his anxiety, tightened his grasp and whispered calming reassurances.

Pacaldo sighed, his anxiety subsiding. He missed the notification and the faint chime of Patricio's voice. At that moment, all that mattered was Krishna's warmth by his side. However, the unanswered message hung in the air, a cryptic warning of the storm brewing beneath the surface of their relationship. The secret they shared, the love that felt both forbidden and vital, cast a long shadow, threatening to upend the delicate calm they'd found in one other's arms.

The first rays of dawn appeared over the horizon, illuminating the sea in gold and orange. Pacaldo, his heart still racing from their passionate goodbye kiss, walked out the door for school. Krishna, alone in the now-quiet master bedroom, felt a peculiar hollowness come over him. He walked into the kitchen, the sound of Pacaldo's laughing still echoing in his ears.

He poured himself a cup of chocolate coffee, the bittersweet flavor reflecting the tension within him. He reached for his phone, a notification flashing accusingly on the screen. It was Patricio: an unread message and a voicemail. Krishna opened the Messenger app, filled with curiosity and unease.

Patricio's playful voice, tinged with regret, filled the room. "Hey, babe! Sorry if I called you such a thing inappropriately. Can we have our date together at the mall this coming lunchtime? Please reply to this message. I love you."

Krishna stared at the screen, the words blurring in front of his eyes. "Babe." The endearment tasted strange on his tongue, in stark contrast to the passionate declarations he'd made with Pacaldo moments earlier. However, the message elicited a new type of warmth in him, a familiarity that both reassured and unnerved him.

He tapped out a response, his voice audible as he typed. "Sure, lunch at the mall sounds good. See you then." The message's simplicity seemed to mock the twisted web of emotions he was engaged in.

Krishna sent the message and had a long drink of his chocolate coffee, the warmth doing little to relieve the chill in his gut. Pacaldo, his passionate lover and husband, and Patricio, his passionate other lover, represent the two halves of his forbidden universe. A world filled with stolen moments and whispered promises, a world that threatened to crumble if his secret was ever discovered.

He forced himself to concentrate on his meal, the smells of freshly brewed coffee and toast giving the kitchen a sense of normalcy. But the weight of his choices weighed heavily on him. As he completed his dinner, he reached for his phone, his gaze drawn to Patricio's message. Theirs was a different type of love, one formed over years of easy company and wordless affection. But the intensity he felt with Pacaldo, the forbidden thrill of their secret affair, was a strength he couldn't shake.

Krishna stepped outside into the bright morning sun, the warmth on his skin contrasting sharply with the anguish inside. He understood, with chilling certainty, that the day ahead of him had the potential to change everything. The dilemma loomed large: loyalty to his beloved brother or passionate love that threatened to consume him. As he walked towards his car, the unanswered question weighed heavily in the air: could a heart genuinely be connected to two souls?

Pacaldo reached the familiar gates of Bulacan National High School, where the cool morning air carried the joyful buzz of students. A lone figure in the pre-dawn chaos, he greeted the school guard with a polite wave, his voice resonating slightly in the silent courtyard. Pacaldo, unlike his colleagues, found consolation in the early morning calm, allowing him to gather his thoughts before the day's lessons began.