It was a gloomy day for Steffanie. The skies were dark and the rain had already started to fall. Mukhang nakikisama ang panahon sa kalungkutag nadarama niya.
Sariwa pa rin sa kanyang isipan ang giniwa ni Gareth sa nakaraang Nina Delarima Fashion Show. He just announced to the world what he felt for her. And for a moment, she thought his words were since. But she knew better than to trust his words.
He was asking to give him a chance, but her heart was just dead tired. Masyado nang masakit para sa kanya ang lahat nang naganap.
She felt the burning graze in her eyelids. Namumugto na naman ang kanyang mga mata. Wala kasi siyang ginawa magdamag kung hindi ang umiyak nang umiyak.
Kailan ba siya titigilan nito? Pagod na pagod na ang katawan at isipan niya, lalong-lalo na ang kanyang puso. She was battered and bruised.
She sipped through her morning coffee. She really needed to have caffeine in her system to at least calm herself down. Masyado nang maraming nangyayari sa kanyang buhay. Hindi pa nga siya gaanong nakakapag-move on sa pagkilala sa kanya ng ama, heto't may panibago na namang naganap. Isang malaking eskandalo na naman.
She scanned through the morning paper, hoping and praying that what happened last night will not be a headliner. But her prayers were unanswered. A picture of her with Gareth on bended knees in the middle of the runway was occupying almost half of the page. The headline said, Supermodel Dupes His Highness.
Nahilot niya ang kanyang sentido. Doesn't Pendragon have any crime related matters worthy of a headline? The press really had a field day. Mukhang mahihirapan naman siya nito. She knew she would be grilled. Marami na naman ang magtatanong at dadami na naman ang makikiusyoso.
She turned on her phone. Simula kasi kagabi ay pinatay niya iyon. She didn't want to explain to anyone. Gusto lang niyang mapag-isa.
Floods of text messages greeted her. Galing kay Valerie, kay Sofia, kay Tristan, sa kanyang kuya at sa kanyang ama.
Lahat sila ay nag-aalala para sa kanya. Who wouldn't be? Kahit siya ay hindi alam kung anong magyayari. Her ex of a prince just announced to the world of their past. Obviously, the press will hound her non-stop. Mas makakabuti nga siguro kung sa bahay na lang muna siya maglalalagi.
Her phone immediately rang. It was Tristan. Agad naman niya itong sinagot.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Goodness, angel! Buti naman at sinagot mo. I have been trying to reach you since last night!"
She heaved a sigh.
"I just wanted to be alone Tristan. Biglang napagod ako kagabi after Gareth…"
"Yeah, I understand. But you could at least have texted me. Nag-alala talaga ako. I even had my chevalier check on you. Mabuti na lang at nakauwi ka nang maayos."
"Thanks Tristan." she genuinely felt his concern for her.
"By the way, can I drop by at your home tonight?"
Napakunot ang kanyang noo, "You're in Frontera right now?"
"Yep, I'm here."
"Bakit mo naman ako naisipang dalawin."
"We'll… I missed Kylie a lot. At aakyat na rin ako ng ligaw."
She was about to say something but Tristan had already hanged up the phone.
Somehow, amidst this miasma of chaos, napangiti siya sa biro ng kaibigan. Aakyat ng ligaw? At this age in time?
Another call came through to her mobile. Sa pagkakataong ito, ang kuya naman niya ang tumatawag sa kanya. It really looked like they were worried at her. Bigla tuloy siyang inusig ng kanyang konsensya.
"Yes, kuya." She asked.
"How are you?" he said in a calm voice but she knew there was an edge of danger in it. He was angry.
"I am fine."
"You sure, princess?"
"Sure as I'll ever be."
"I am now on my flight to Frontera, expect me by tonight. We need to talk."
Alam na niya kung anong gusto nitong pag-usapan. It had been quite a long time since they really talked about Kylie's father. And she appreciated how her kuya respected her silence. But she guessed it was to completely settle this issue once and for all.
Nagsasaawa na kasi talaga siya. Masyado ng masakit. The man she loved all his life was also the same man who caused her so much pain.
She then went to the window overlooking their garden. And speaking of that man, Gareth was just outside her gates, waiting for her. Nalaman niya kagabi sa kanyang mga security na naroroon pa rin ito. And having that thought had her heart jumped in excitement. Doon siya galit na galit sa kanyang sarili. Because when it came to that man, her body just seemed to succumb at a flick of his finger. Para bang nawawala siya sa katinuan kapag malapit ito sa kanya.
She wanted to hate him. A part of her mind wanted to completely burry all of this memory from the past. She wanted to simply just forget and look forward for her and Kylie's future. Ngunit makulit ang kanyang puso. Kahit anong pilit niya, ito pa rin ang binubulong nito. Every night, she still yearned for his touch. Mahal pa rin niya ito.
Gareth had been waiting and waiting outside Steffanie's gates. Wala siyang pakialam kahit abutin siya ng ilang taon kakahintay. Ang mahalaga'y makausap niya ito nang masinsinan.
He could still remember how she said 'no' to him. Mistula itong bala ng baril na unti-unting bumabaon sa kanyang puso. He deserved it. He deserved everything. But what hurt most was the sadness and fears in her eyes. It fucking hurt because he knew that he was the one who caused it. He knew that she was crying because of fucking low-life like him.
His misery just kept piling up one after the other.
It was raining now and the nights had become cold. But he didn't care. Mananatili lang siya dito hangga't hindi siya napapatawad ng dalaga.
What she did to him was nothing compared to the hurt that he inflicted. Kaya wala siyang karapatang magreklamo.
Ilang linggo na rin ang nakalipas mula ng lisanin niya ang Asphodel para puntahan lamang ito sa tahanan nito sa Frontera. Marami siyang naiwang trabaho pero wala na siyang pakiaalam. Mas mahalaga para sa kanya si Steff at ang anak nila.
He suddenly felt another pang of pain in his heart. He wanted to see his daughter but he's afraid.
Natatakot siyang kamuhian nito. Natatakot siyang baka itatuwa siya ng bata. But still, he wanted to hug her. He wanted to rain kisses on her. He wanted to ask forgiveness as well.
He could remember how he disowned their child five years ago. Itinanggi niyang sa kanya ang pinagdadala nito. He was so consumed by his jealousy and anger that he doubted the selfless and unconditional love that Steffanie had for him. Isa siyang malaking tanga for taking her love for granted. And now, he was reaping what he had sown.
How long had it been since he was with her? Two weeks? Three weeks? He already lost count. He missed her scent. He missed how her body reacted to his skilful hands. He missed her moan as she writhe in pleasure. He missed her genuine affection. He was fucking miserable for missing and wanting her at the same time. But he knew that he didn't even have the slightest right to feel this way.
Ang tanging magagawa na lamang niya ay maghintay na mapatawad na siya nito.
Droplets of rain soon began to pour but he didn't mind it all. His resolve was stronger than anything. No fucking rains, storms, earthquakes could ever make him budge.
A couple of minutes had past when he saw a car parked near Steffanie's gates. Inilawan ng headlights nito ang buong paligid.
A man immediately went out of the car. It was Tristan with a bouquet of red roses. Nakapayong dito ang chevalier nito.
"Fancy meeting you here, brother," he sheepishly said.
Nagsukatan silang dalawa ng tingin. He knew that Tristan liked Steff. Ilang linggo na ring nababalitang laging magkasama ang mga ito. Mas lalaong lumalakas ang patak ng ulan. They were both starting to get wet.
"Anong ginagawa mo dito?" he dangerously said.
"Aakyat ng ligaw." Tristan replied, his voice was still full of confidence.
Agad na naningkit ang kanyang mga mata. Jealousy was now flooding his already rotten inside. He felt a sudden urge to beat him to the pulp.
How dare he court his woman! Steff was his and his alone. Wala itong pakialam kahit kapatid pa niya ang gagong ito.
A sense of possessiveness had greatly shrouded him. He felt like a hunter protecting his turf. And this man, the man in front of him, threatened to get what was his.
Nanginginig na ang kanyang kalamnan. He clenched his fist.
"What was that look about?"
"Get out of here…" banta niya.
"Why?" he innocently asked.
"Get the fucking out of here!" his blood was already boiling. The bitter taste of bile was now invading his taste buds.
Lumapit ito sa kanya. Tristan was standing proud as he looked him in the eye. The amber flames in Tristan's eyes met with his own.
"You blew your chance, brother. She doesn't want you." He said. It stirred something in him.
"Anong sinabi mo?" the tone of danger in his voice didn't disappear.
"You. Treated. Her. Like. Shit. She deserved someone better, not an asshole like you!"
Kinuwelyuhan niya ito.
"And you think your better, huh, brother?" he was now boiling in rage. His vision was now turning bloody red.
"Yes, brother. I am better in every possible way, so fuck off!"
That's it. Everything just simply snapped. Umigkas ang kamao niya patungo sa mukha nito.
He hit his face with extreme force. But Tristan has his own way to get him. Isinalya siya nito sa kanyang kotse.
He hit the windshield face first. Fuck! Hindi siya nagpatalo. In a one swift turn, nasikmuraan niya ito. Tristan lost balance. He fell flat on the wet pavement.
That was the opening that he had been waiting for. Kinubabawan niya ito. Sunod-sunod ang suntok na kanyang pinakawalan all of which successfully hit the target.
But with brute force, Tristan managed to turn him around. This time, it was his turn to beat him to the pulp. Fuck! His punches hurt like hell. He felt several of his bones cracked as he landed his fist right into his jaw.
Lalo lamang siyang nag-init sag alit. His feral instinct now rose. Adrenaline was pumping in and out of his blood.
His hand found his neck. He squeezed it tightly, choking his brother on the process.
Tristan's hold suddenly loosened. He took that opportunity to turn the tides around. His vision started to blur as the rain drops pour like crazy.
Kagaya ng ulan ay umaalimpuyo rin ang kanyang damdamin.
He punched Tristan again and again but the pain in his heart did not even subside.
He suddenly felt someone dragged him from behind. Papalag sana siya pero napakahigpit nang pagkakahawak nito. How? What? Who?
Nakita niyang dinaluhan ni Wolfric si Tristan.
"Bitiwan mo ako, Clarence!" he commanded his chevalier. Naghihinala kasi siyang ito ang umawat sa pagitan nila. Doon naman siya nainis. He specifically commanded him not to interefere. And he was doing a good job until now.
"I said, bitawan mo ako!" he shouted once more.
But the hold was still tight that he could barely move.
"I am not Clarence or whoever that fucking mutt is," a man's voice from behind said to him.
Agad niya itong nilingon. A familiar face greeted him.
It was Michael Angelo Sutherland, Steffanie's brother and the man whom he thought Steff was whoring herself to.
He suddenly felt guilty at the look of the man.
"You!" sabi nito sa kanya, waring nakilala siya.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" sigaw nito sabay igkas ng isang malakas na suntok. He hadn't had time to dodge.
His face took the blow none too gently. He lost his balance. He literally saw stars. And within his blurry vision, he saw Wolfric and Clarence subdue the man.
Pinunasan niya ang umaagos na dugo sa kanyang mukha.
Fuck! Naghahalo na ang tubig ulan at ang kanyang dugo.
"Anong nangyayari dito?" Steffanie's voice immediately invaded his system. Oh fuck! The beautiful sound of her voice had rendered him immobile.
Is this real? Is this really her? Is his mind playing a trick on him?
Kinusot-kusot niya ang kanyang mga mata. But it was real. She was real. Kasalukuyang dinadaluhan nito ang kapatid.
Her face, her sweet angelic face brought joy in to his hear. Sapa't nang makita siya nito.
"Come bring them inside," she commanded.
This was one of the most awkward moments in Gareth's life. Only few things could make him speechless and this was one of them.
After the surge of emotions, there they were inside Steff's cozy living room. They were still sporting the evidence of their brutality. Blood was everywhere, their faces, their clothes and even on the strands of their hair. Idadag pa dito na basing-basa rin sila dahil sa ulan.
They look like a bunch of delinquents who beat the hell out of each other. They were all quite. Waring sinusukat ang galaw ng bawat isa.
Pumasok si Steff dalai sang palanggana ng maligamgam na tubig, tuwalya at ilang anticeptics.
She immediately went to her brother.
He was a little bit frustrated, sa kanilang tatlo siya ang mas nadehado. Siya dapat ang inuuna nito.
But he didn't dare to speak his mind because he knew that he didn't have the right complain, lalo na sa harap ni Steffanie.
"I can't believe you, kuya! Bakit ka naman nakipagrambulan sa mga ito. I think highly of you. Bakit mo pinatulan ang mga batang ito?" panenermon nito sa kapatid habang nililinis ang mga sugat nito.
"But he's here!" turan nito sa kanya.
"And???"
"And I wanted to get even! How dare he set foot in your house! Alam ba niya ang ginawa niya sa 'yo five years ago!? You nearly died giving birth to Kylie! You nearly died trying to live all alone!" naghuhuramintado nitong pagsasalita.
He was caught off guard on the onslaught of emotions. Totoo ba ang sinabi nito?
"Steff, was that true?" finally, he found his voice. But he didn't look at her. Shame and remorse was eating him.
"And what if it's true?" she said.
Silence now covered the room. Tama nga naman ito. Ano pa ba ang magagawa niya? The damage had been done already. Lalo lamang tuloy nadagdagan ang kinakarga niya sa kanyang konsensya.
"At ikaw naman? Paanong nasama ka dito?"
His sulking was interrupted by her voice. Kahit nanenermon ito, nakapaganda pa rin ng dalaga. She's like a mother scolding her kids. He bet she was a good mother.
"Wala akong ginawagawa. Iyang magaling kong kapatid ang nagsimula nang lahat!" Tristan shouted.
Muli na namang kumulo ang kanyang dugo nang makita ang pagdampi ng mga kamay nito sa mukha ni Tristan. He was insanely jealous. He wished that it was him instead of Tristan.
Naikuyom na naman niya ang kanyang kamao. He just looked somewhere else. At this rate, he might run amok again because of this fucking feeling of jealousy.
"Aww! Dahan-dahan naman," reklamo nito nang mapidiin yata ang paglilinis ni Steffanie sa sugat nito.
"Is this how you treat your best friend?"
Best friend my ass! Damn that Tristan! The best friend ploy? That was the oldest fucking trick written in their fucking rule book!
"Bakit ka ba kasi naligaw dito?"
''Di ba sabi ko nga sa 'yo, aakyat ako ng ligaw."
That's it! Talagang hinahamon siya ni Tristan ng round two.
He was now intensely looking at his brother. Steff was just wrapping up on Tristan. Matatapos na ito sa panggamot sa kaniya. Ito na ba ang susunod na dadaluhan nito?
Napalunok siya sa kaba. He was really looking forward to it. The anticipation was now killing him.
He imagined how her beautiful fingers would linger on his skin.
But everything went flying out of the room when she put the basin and the antiseptics in front of him.
"You're a doctor, go and treat yourself." She coldly said.
"I'll just try to heat up the bath, nagpabili na ako ng mga bagong damit na pwede niyong isuot." She said as she stepped out of the room.
Bumuntong hininga siya. For a moment there, he thought something had changed. But he was dead wrong. She still mad at him.
Kinuha niya ang bimpo saka sinumulang linisin ang sariling mga sugat.
His eyes suddenly focused on the kitchen door. Waring may nakita siyang dumunga kanina but nothing was there now.
He pretended to look somewhere else but his peripheral vision was still on the door.
And after one minute, a little girl took a peak once more. This time she's directly looking at him.
They're eyes met for about a second bago ito muling nagtago.
His heart rammed in his chest. Was that who he thinks it was?
"Kylie!" sigaw ni Tristan.
"I saw you peaking. Come out now, little angel."
Atubiling lumabas ang bata. She was wearing a pink mini dress. She was dragging along a large teddy bear. Her eyes were on him.
Isang kakaibang kaba ang bumabalot sa kanyang dibdib. She looked like her mother. Kamukhang-kamukha siya ni Steff. But her cleft chin and eyes were undeniably his.
Isang bikig ang nakabara ngayon sa kanyang lalamunan.
"Hey uncle daddy!" she greeted Michael Angelo.
"Give uncle a high-five Kylie." And she did.
Michael Angelo's eyes were on him but he didn't care. His attention was fully occupied by the sweet little girl.
"Does this hurt? Uncle daddy?" tanong nito.
"Ah this? No! I am good."
"Bakit kayo ginagamot kanina ng Mom? And why do all of you look like that? It looks very painful."
"You like to play, too, right, Kylie?"
Tumango-tango lang ito. His eyes were fixated on her. She moved gracefully. She's nothing but pure beauty.
"Ganoon rin kami, we adult men like to play hard, too." Sagot nito.
"Including Tristan?" she innocently said.
Nagtinginan silang tatlo. It seemed that they were loss of words to this angel.
"Are you taking good care of Titan?" singit ni Tristan.
"Of course," anito sabay yakap sa hawak na teddy bear.
"Where's my roses?" Tanong nito.
Napakamot ng ulo ang kapatid. "Ahh??? It got destroyed earlier when we played. But don't worry I'll buy you some other time?"
Agad namang tumango ang anak.
Again, he felt envious of Tristan and Michael Angelo. They acted like a true father to his daughter. But him? The real father? He was busy wallowing himself with guilt? Lumaki na ito nang hindi man niya nasusubayan. All because of his fucking mistrust and doubt, he lost the two women that he loved the most.
He was a pathetic lover to his woman and a pathetic father to his child.
Pinagsalikop niya ang kanyang mga palad. The emotions that assaulted him were overwhelming. He felt his heart constrict in pain.
"Hey, mister."
Naputol ang pag-iisip niya. His daughter was now in front of him. Ni hindi man niya namalayang lumapit ito.
Hinarap niya ito. Her eyes met his. They were both identical in shape and color. She's indeed a true Pendragon.
"It looks painful," she innocently said.
Hindi na niya napigilan pa ang samu't saring emosyon sa kanyang dibdib. Tears suddenly flowed out of his tear ducts.
He nodded. "Yes, little sweetheart, it hurts so much…" he said, as he cried his sorrow for the wasted years.
"Can I just hug and kiss you? My mom do that to me whenever I feel hurt. And it does go away."
"Yes…" his voice brokedown.
"Please, give me a hug and a kiss…"
And the little girl did. Napuno ng hindi maipaliwanang na kasiyahan ang kanyang dibdib habang nasa loob ng bisig niya ang munting anghel. She was his own flesh and blood, the product of his love to Steff. Kahit ngayon pa lang niya ito nakita, he knew that he already loved this little girl so much.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Gareth…"
"Mine is Kylie Margareth. Our name sounds the same."
Kylie Margareth. He'll cherish the voice of his child to his memories. Napakaganda ng pangalan nito.
"Yes, we have."
Somehow he was thankful of Steff. Hindi niya pinalaglag ang bata. She continued her pregnancy despite his attacks to her. She had become a great mother to their daughter while he was nothing but an asshole.
Nakita niyang nag-atubili ang bata. She looked away from him.
"What's the matter?"
There were tears forming in her eyes.
"Gareth… Are you my daddy?"
All he could do was nod. He didn't deserve to be called her daddy, much less her father. But still, he held his hope up.
Bumanghalit na ng iyak ang bata. She literally jumped at him and hugged him tightly.
"You came, daddy! You came!"
Nadudurog ang puso niya dito. She was tightly clinging at him. All of her love and longing was expressed in her tight embrace.
"I always knew that you'll come for us, that you'll come back."
Hindi na niya pinigilan ang pagdaloy ng kanyang mga luha. He wept for the wasted years. He wept for the overwhelming love he had for this child and for her mother who gave birth to her.
"I love you, Kylie Margareth."