SHIELA attended the party with her grandmother, Doña Lucia, in a slinky black dress that left nothing to the imagination.She also brought a date—handsome, tall, younger than Gian, and, most probably, a rich heir to one of the old money.I pitied him. He almost got choked a few times by the way the woman would grab and cling to him whenever Gian was near. Technically, I was, too, since I was by his side since arrival.But kudos to him, it did not take long for him to realize what was going on and he couldn’t get far away from Shiela fast enough. He flirted loudly with other women for good measure, too.And me?If the initial reason to stay near Gian was for guys presumably attracted to the sexy dress, that’s not it anymore.Shiela’s poisonous looks thrown my way were efficient enough to glue me by Gian’s side.If looks could kill, I would be over ten times murdered.So, instead of focusing on the conversation about real estate properties worth investing on that the guys were talking ab
WHEN I came to, I was covered by a blanket and I was sitting on Gian’s lap in the backseat of a vehicle.When I started to move, I realized his arms were wrapped securely around me while one of his hands held a towel to the wound in my head. And he growled.That, and that he was in the foulest mood I’d ever felt him in, froze any further movements I might have made.We were silent until we arrived at the hospital.Four stitches were done to close up my wound, and an MRI scan was performed on me. I was in a hospital bed where I never ever wanted to be, and I normally would have been fidgety, except Gian kept glaring at everyone and everything so I didn’t want to cause any more problems for everybody.He was scary, as if he was going to explode if anyone made one wrong move or said one wrong word. The doctor and nurses were walking on eggshells.Madame Soniah was there, too, and she was still in her party gown, worried about me and very guilty because she was the one who had invited Shie
WE parted with Gian’s mother in the parking lot of the hospital after I’d signed a waiver absolving the establishment from responsibility if anything untoward happens to me upon their release of me.Mang Karding, Gian’s personal driver, was going to drive Madam Soniah home while Gian would drive me to my place.And of course, he had to carry me again from the wheelchair even though I protested—err, squeaked, really—that I could walk, and carefully laid me down on the front seat and strapped me in like a recalcitrant child.I felt like an invalid. Thanks to the meds that were still working, I didn’t feel like one, though I must look like a wreck. He reclined the seat so I could be comfortable, and used up about three minutes more to fuss—the works—before he finally placed himself behind the wheel to drive us out of there. If I didn’t know he treated his mother the very same way when something ailed the gentle lady, I would have been pissed off.I secretly loved him for it, to be hones
ACCORDING to rumors, the woman was older than Gian by about five years.The relationship itself started way back in high school, but before then, they were playmates among kids in the neighborhood, so they already knew each other that long and well before the relationship.Her name, again, was Trina Cheng.Like Gian, she came from a wealthy background… and they said she really was so beautiful, and that they looked perfect together.They also seemed perfectly happy and in love from the beginning.But apparently, the relationship wasn’t as perfect under the surface as everyone thought it was.Trina started going out with a wild group in senior high, and she got hooked on drugs. That was the alleged reason for the breakup. That it might have been sudden, but to those close to the two, it was seen coming.The Verrazzanos sent Gian and his younger brother, Paulo, to the UK to continue their studies there. Madam Soniah went with them to personally supervise her boys.Trina was said to be on
Noo… where am I? Why am I here…? I cried inside my head while I walked in the dark corridor of this dank-smelling building. The cold floor where my naked feet walked was black with dirt and dust. The dust in the air clung to my sweaty skin and my face, which was wet with my flowing tears. My eyes had barely adjusted to the darkness but my nose could smell the mold and oldness of the building in the air.The building had been abandoned for a long time. I could feel paper on the floor and peeling paint and plaster on the wall. This place used to be an office before. Or a school? I wasn’t sure. But it was obvious it had been abandoned for a long time.I still wore my nurse’s uniform because I had just come out of my shift from the hospital, and I was sure it had become dirty from my running and from bumping into things I couldn’t see in the dark. My mom always kept my uniforms immaculate before she died.Mommy… am I going to die in a dirty uniform? Please, help. Save me! Oh my god… why a
ELISEThe apartment building was a four-storey building with one unit on each floor. My family owned the building. My mother and stepfather privately invested in real estate— renting houses and apartment buildings—and they owned several in other places. I lived here. Otherwise, I would be staying in one of the condo buildings/towers of the Von Schillers in Metro Manila. My father’s side invested in real estate, too, in partnership with the Verrazzanos. But this particular building was reserved for the family when we visited Manila.The first-floor unit was occupied by my cousin, Jason. The third-floor unit was for guests visiting from the province. The higher level on the third floor was a semi-covered deck. I kept my plants there in container boxes and big pots. On my free days, I could be found there tending to my plants or reading in my rattan hammock. We also do our barbecues there, drink there, and generally relax there at the end of the day. I was talking about me, my cousin Jas
ELISEGian was right. He was here. He was doing his best to make me feel taken care of. I didn’t know what I would have done tonight if not for him. I would still be in the hospital, drugged and asleep, having a nightmare. Granted that it was his Ex’d who did this to me, but I was sure that if I had been hurt another way, he would still be here taking care of me. Even if I tried his patience to the point that I even unintentionally reminded him of his ex-girlfriend Trina, he still would not leave me alone to fend for myself.The first sob escaped my lips.We were almost on the second floor and he was grumbling about stupid non-existent elevators and stubbornly living in apartments when I could live in a condo tower nearer work that had a freaking elevator. He paused when he heard me. He moved a shoulder so it would push my face out and he could see me. And the more I turned my face towards his chest to hide.“Elise...”
ELISE“No, no… please… Itay…!”“Elise? Elise, wake up. Wake up, baby.”I was again in that nightmare. Like the first ones, I was just a presence here, a spectator who couldn’t escape from the scene. I could see what was happening but I couldn’t feel the coldness of the pit, nor smell the smell of the earth. I wasn’t the one who was imprisoned there. But I might as well be.I wanted to escape, but I wasn’t the one who must escape. It was very dark, and inside that casket was a man. It was very dark, but I could see him as if there was moonlight inside the airless, cramped space. I could see the shadows on the plane and the curves of his face. I could see the pain and the fear. He was pushing at the wooden board on top of him, scratching at it with his fingers. Dirt was starting to
EliseThe next day, I arrived early at the office.Work hadn't started yet, but some people had stopped by to check on me. I was supposed to have fallen down my apartment stairs and gotten injured as an excuse for my leave. Janet, my secretary, told me that so far, she hadn't felt that anyone at the office knew about the revelation in Tagaytay regarding the Schultzes. I had already told her about it so not to keep her in the dark, given how closely she worked with me. This way, she could also try to look out for me and see what everyone was saying about whatever gossip found its way to work.Of course, I didn't mention the development between Gian and me. No one outside our families needed to know about that. Or at least, not yet.It made sense that no one here still knew about the formal breakup between Brandon and me. These employees weren't connected to people who would hear the news. Their concern and curiosity were the reasons they checked on me in my office, especially those old
Prelude FOURTwo drunk men staggered along the beach, singing drunkenly while one of them waved a bottle of gin in his hand. After a while, he lifted the bottle to his mouth and drank, only to be disappointed when he realized it was empty.He said something to his companion, and they both laughed. The man then tossed the useless bottle onto the sand, and they continued their unsteady walk.After a few moments, one of them stopped and pointed towards the water, close to where the waves were crashing onto the sand. He let go of his friend's shoulder and waded in to retrieve whatever was floating there, pulling it towards the shore. It was a large sack tied with a rope, and something was inside.They struggled to untie the rope. From inside, something round began to emerge from the sack's opening.Suddenly, both men sobered up and started shouting, for there on the sand lay the head of a lifeless woman. Her long hair spread out on the sand, played with by the waves as if wanting to pull h
Elise“For real? My God, Elise! Poor Tootsie! What kind of heartless person would do that to a poor dog?” exclaimed Alia on the other end of the line, shocked and on the verge of tears. I had called her first thing when I woke up in the morning.I sighed, massaging my forehead. “I don’t know. Anna was the first to find her, so she’s been crying nonstop. She even needed to take a tranq to calm down and rest.”“What about you, and Inay and Itay?”“We’re still in shock. But Tootsie has already been buried in the garden.” I realized tears were streaming down my face. I had been so worried about Anna that my own grief over what happened to our pet was just catching up with me now. “Alia…?” I said, wiping my tears. “Is it okay if we… if we have a pet there at our house?”“You’re thinking exactly what I’m thinking!” she exclaimed.I smiled. “I want to take one of the puppies once they’re stronger. I want to help take care of Tootsie’s remaining puppies.”“Please, pretty please?! I want to he
EliseI RECOVERED my senses as he showered sweet kisses over my face. I started to hear the waves again, and his hand that had worked wonders was arranging my clothes over me as if he had not wreaked havoc on the body that those covered.My heart was still beating very fast, and my mind was still stunned.“Welcome to the world of adults,” he whispered with our lips barely touching.My reply was to lift my chin to give him a passionately grateful kiss.It took a moment more before I could move. We laid in the sand in a tight embrace, and I moved my head. He looked down at me.“How do you feel?”I couldn’t help but smile. I felt so languid like I was warm liquid. I felt like I was dreaming but I knew I was not. “I feel wonderful.”“That’s great. I hope you don’t get mad at me…”I was still smiling like an idiot. “Why?”“It’s just that when we fell…? I landed on your rose.”I stared at him for a moment before my mind caught up. “What?!” I pushed him away so we could sit up. “Where?” I cr
EliseI PUSHED AWAY from him to get up, but I heard him grunt, and then I realized that my elbows were sticking to his ribs. “Oh!” I adjusted my position. “Sorry.” And I started to get up again.But his arms tightened around me. He looked winded, but he was smiling. My heart pounded as warmth spread somewhere in the vicinity of my lower abdomen. “Gian…”“You do know that all that stupid play was to get you exactly where you are right now? Minus this small accident.”I laughed. “Really? You didn’t plan to bump into my head?”He sighed. “I know… I should have just kissed you the moment Anna left,” he said, then reached up and pulled me by the nape of my neck so our lips met.I responded to him right away. As soon as he felt my response, he groaned and kissed me deeper. His mouth opened, and the next moment I tasted the sweetness of the chocolate we had shared in our heated kiss.I felt warmth permeating my body. His arms released me but his mouth didn’t. He worked his jacket off, kissin
EliseI GOT UP before Anna completely lost it. She was covering her entire face with her hands, feeling incredibly embarrassed that Gian heard what she said. She was also extremely thrilled.“It’s Valentine’s Day, so I brought flowers for two single, beautiful ladies I know are here. Here’s for you, Anna.”Anna quickly extended her right hand to take the flowers and chocolates, while still covering half her face with the other hand. “Thank you, Gian. Happy Valentine’s Day! Eeeeh!”Still screeching the longest screech ever, she turned and ran back to the beach house.Gian and I laughed while watching her, and Tootsie, who momentarily didn't know whether to follow or stay, eventually ran after her. Tootsie was, for all intents and purposes, really Anna’s dog.Then Gian turned to me. An awkward moment passed as he seemed unsure of what to say.“I thought you didn’t do Valentine’s?”He handed me a box with a long-stemmed rose and a ribbon-tied chocolate bar. “I don’t want you to be lonely
EliseAFTER A BURP and a sigh, I settled back in my chair, smiling. We had dinner on the balcony of the beach house that evening, at a long table filled with our favorite recipes cooked by Itay Jess. I was surrounded by soft conversation and laughter, and the atmosphere was relaxed. The smell of barbecue from the grill lingered in the air. The soft music of 2Cellos played from the speakers by the side of the house. The best part, though, was the steady white noise of waves lapping on the beach. I planned to get out there to walk or swim tonight, so I was wearing a bikini under my top and shorts.Right now, I felt so lazy.And happy.And without a care in the world.I heard the sound of a chair being pulled and looked up. Inay was standing up with the help of Itay Jess, who pulled her chair away from the table.“Look, guys. We need to scram.”Anna was all smiles. “Enjoy!”“Whe
Prelude IV“AYYY… wait, wait. Let’s stop. Stop…” The overweight woman stepped aside from the jogging trail in the woods and leaned against a tree. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her right hand before fanning herself. “Haaaay. Whose bright idea was it to come here? Why did I get dragged into this again?”Her jogging companion, a woman who had run ahead on the trail, jogged back with a grin. “Because you have a crush who only dates sexy women? C’mon, Betty. We’re almost done. Then you can have breakfast.”“Breakfast? My tongue’s already hanging out, Lorna. I don’t know if I can make it out!” Betty wailed, almost in tears.Lorna reached out and grabbed Betty's arm, trying to pull her along. But Betty was heavy, and Lorna momentarily lost her balance, bracing herself against the tree trunk. The two of them laughed.“You thought I was light, huh?” teased Betty.Lorna was about to respond but suddenly stopped. She crinkled her nose. “Why does it smell so bad? Like so
EliseMorning came when I woke up. I wasn't surprised to find that Gian was no longer beside me, but I grabbed the pillow where his head had rested and hugged it.He had stayed until almost morning. Before he left, he whispered that he needed to get up and go back to his room before his mother checked on me. I remember his touch on my cheek before I fell asleep again.As I slowly awakened, memories of the previous night started to come back. My drunkenness... the things I said...I opened my eyes, gazing at the rotating ceiling fan above the bed. Did I tell him I liked him? It felt like I did, but the details were hazy. Did I mean it in a simple way or something more?I slowly got up, feeling the ache in my entire body. I needed my medicine. My head throbbed, and I craved a cup of coffee. I needed a hot shower.I had to be ready when I face Gian again. And only because I couldn't hide fr