THE LAW OF LOVING YOU °[KathNiel] ✓COMPLETE

40. Choice

Serenity

"How did it go?" Alec asks over breakfast. Khaleesi is still in the bedroom, asleep. The little girl stayed late last night waiting for me to come back to the hotel. Nakatulog narin ako nang patulugin ko ang anak ko kaya hindi pa kami nakapag-usap ni Alec.

"He's... um... He said that he has nothing to do with it." I stammer because I remember what happened last night.

"That jerk." Alec mouths in disgust and then blots the corner of his lips with the table napkin. He stands up and walks a few steps away from the table while I take a large gulp. "Of course that's what he'll say."

"I'll talk to him again—"

"No!" I flinch on my seat when I hear him raise his voice on me. "I am not that stupid to let my wife meet her ex again and again. You were out the entire afternoon yesterday and went back here late at night!"

"Oh come on, Alec. Will you cut it? Are we going to fight over this again and again? Hindi ka ba napapagod? Paulit-ulit nalang 'to!"

"Dahil hanggang ngayon, alam kong hindi mo parin binibitiwan ang gagong 'yon—"

"Excuse me?" I stomp and rise from my chair, looking at him with disdain. "How dare you? Matagal ko ng binitiwan ang lahat-lahat Alec. At alam mo 'yan. Alam mo dapat 'yan mula ng pakasalan kita."

Sandaling nabalot ng katahimikan ang dining area ng suite. Slowly, my clenched fists loosen. I return to my seat and pretend like nothing happened. I even fill my plate with food and begin eating.

"You could have waited until today, Justine. Masyado mong pinaalam sa ex mo na atat kang magkita ulit kayo."  Hirit niya pa, suot ang ngisi jiyang nagpainit lalo ng ulo ko.

Tuluyan na nga akong sumabog. He doesn't really stop when he's all jealous and irrational. Wala sa sariling dinanggil ko ang mga kubyertos sa mesa at nalaglag ang mga ito sa sahig. Umalingawngaw sa silid ang pagkabasag ng mga ito. Saka ko nilapitan si Alec at tiningnan ng masama. Buong araw kong sinubukang kontakin kahapon si Five at sinagot lamang niya ang tawag ko nang gumabi na. Gusto ko lang matapos na lahat na agad kaya wala akong inaksayang oras. Gusto ko ng bumalik ng America. This place... is suffocating me like a python that's slowly drawing all my breath away. I know that if I am going to stay here any longer, I am going to die. Again.

"Sa tingin mo, gusto kong umuwi dito?" Gigil na asik ko sa kanya. "Sa tingin mo Alec, gusto kong makasama ang lalaki na 'yon?" Hindi siya sumagot. Tinitigan niya lang ako. Ang mga mata niya'y puno ng pagngingitngit. "Kung ginusto ko lang Alec, e di sana matagal na akong wala sa tabi mo."

Leaving him in the flurry dining room, I storm in the room where my baby girl is sleeping soundly. Staring at her, I am not able to contain my silent sobs. Tears drip down my skin and like a movie, my mind flashes a memory of what happened last night.

***

Five's lips, as familiar as it is, taste the same as it is soft and subtle and has a slight sweetness that always makes me unnerving. My heart rates increase rapidly but my knees weaken in instant. Is it his hands that leave burn on every part of my skin they linger? Is it his eyes that are like consuming fire? No. It is because of only one reason, Serenity. He is Five Palmer, the only man you promised to love for lifetime. 

Realizing that, I try hard to escape. I try to open my mouth to speak but only to be drown deeper in his kisses. And like how I felt it before, I feel again the wild surge of excitement and fear, of madness, but mostly the slow surrender to his strong arms that are ready to catch me which I am confident about. I've kissed this man before—when we were filled with anger, when our hearts were both in pain, when we were just foolishly in love...but tonight isn't like any of those. His kiss, wild and aflame, sends wild tremors along my nerves and evokes me strange emotions—sensations I never knew I am capable of feeling.