Elaine tightly shut her eyes when she heard Tan trying to unlock the door to her room. She gripped her chest and bit her lower lip, waiting for the pain in her chest to subside.
Eventually, her breathing returned to normal. Tearful and sweaty she released the tight hold of her chest.
However, she has no plans of coming out. She won’t let him see her like that. She doesn’t need his pity, but his forgiveness and acceptance. She felt her tear-stained face.
Guilt.
It had been eating her up for the past three years.
No matter how difficult, she deserves to bear it by herself. Until she is able to forgive herself.
Outside the room, Tan raised his clenched knuckle to knock on the door. The door was locked. He was holding the house key Marco gave him a while ago.
Why did he go back? To return the key to Elaine? He’d be lying if he’d say that’s the reason. He foolishly wanted to check on her. She drank a lot and c
“I’ll just share with Danielle and Jenna.” Elaine stood up from where she sat. Should she brought one for herself? Stupid of her, she did not know. She was about to walk towards Danielle and Jenna’s tent when Tan stopped her and held her hand – which he immediately let go.“Just look how small their tent is. Their bags alone would take up all the space in the tent,” he said, pointing to Danielle’s tent which was a few meters away from where they were.He’s right, Elaine agreed quietly. Danielle brought a lot. She hired three porters to carry their baggage up the mountain. These apart from what Jenna, brought along with her.Many different things occupied Elaine’s thoughts these past few days. Bringing a tent slipped her mind altogether and she just packed a few hours before the trip. What would she do now? Sleep outside than try to fit herself with Danielle and Jenna?Elaine shivere
“I-is she having a heart attack or something?” asked Richard. He’s almost stuttering getting his tongue tangled up when he saw Elaine having difficulty trying to catch her breath.If Tan had his way, he wanted to kill Richard right then and there. But he let him run away when he saw his burning glare.Tan knew better. Elaine wasn’t having a heart attack, she just felt like she was having one. Her eyes were out of focus, she looked like she was separated from her surroundings while extreme fear was clear from her enlarged eyes.With such a heavy heart Tan sat beside her. He took her cold and trembling hands from her chest. It was like he was repeatedly being punched in the chest as she held them.Using her thumb, he wiped the tears streaming from her eyes. He saw her blinked then stared at her though the gaze was still not yet focused.Tan gently squeezed her palm.“Look at me, Elaine. I’m here. It’s
It was four o’clock in the afternoon when they reached Ranger’s Station. Like before, Danielle and the group chose Vizcaya trail. After tipping the tour guide, Tan came up to her.“The police station is close by. I’ll go with you to file a complaint and blotter Richard before we go home.”“I-I don’t have plans to file a case against him,” she replied.“After what the guy did to you? You were almost…” Tan uttered in disbelief.Elaine raised her eyes at him, studied him nervously. Did he witness her panic attack last night? She can’t remember. She did not even know how long the episode lasted or how it really ended.“There were witnesses…” said Tan. As if he could read the questions on her mind. “That asshole assaulted and harassed you. He deserved to be in jail but you won’t put him in there?” he asked her with
Elaine forced herself to take her gaze away from Tan. Although she didn’t want to, but her eyes voluntarily landed on Janine who remained quietly seated in her chair. She gracefully took the water goblet on the table and slowly drank it.Elaine flinched when she felt Marco gentle squeeze on her shoulder. She raised her eyes at him. Marco looked away. His jaw flexed when he saw the tears in her eyes. Before the tears begin to fall, Marco hurriedly geared her towards the exit.One last time, Elaine turned to look at Tan. He was also looking at them. The emotion that’s evident in his eyes was unreadable to her, for her own eyes have been blurred with tears.She bit her lip hard, her chin quivered as she tried to rein her emotion. She wanted to cry but he was being held back by Marco’s tight hold.While walking out of the restaurant, Elaine wished Tan would run after her. Wished that he would take her hand and explain to her why he was with
Tito Ralph, sprang in front of Marco soon as he opened the front door. The old man had his arms crossed, glaring at him.“You’re frequently home late, Marco. I passed by the station, they said you left at five in the afternoon. It’s already twelve o’clock, and you just got here.”Marco took off his shoes and put them in the shoe rack near the door.“Did you meet up with her again?” he asked.He straightened up. “We just ate outside, Uncle.”“Marco…”He smiled. “I’ll just take a shower, uncle. I already stink.”Tito Ralph followed him with his worried gaze.Marco sat by the side of the bed when he entered his room. He took out his cell phone from the pocket of his leather jacket. He started scrolling his gallery photos, paused and stared at Elaine’s photos he took when he asked her to fit the clothes he bought for her self-made-fianc
Elaine’s head was spinning. Her eyes were begging him to spare her but the man didn’t even flinch a little.Then the elevator door opened. When the guy let go of her, Elaine automatically touched her neck, coughing hard, gasping for air. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor sitting.The guy squatted beside her. “This is the price you need to pay for being alive, Elaine.”Elaine was slowly drifting off but she heard what he said. In a blink of an eye, she saw flashes of images and noises burst through.“This is the price you need to pay for turning your back on your father, Elaine!”“Die! Die! Just Die!”Elaine went literally still. Her whole body trembled in fear. She couldn’t tell where the fear was coming from or when it’ll end...August 18, 2017QuezonCity, Philippines
PRESENT TIMETAN quickly put his right hand between the elevator doors to stop it from closing. When it opened, it revealed Elaine slumped on the floor- trying to catch her breath.“Elaine…”She seemed trapped in her own world, but she looked up at him anyway. Her troubled and alert gaze darted at him. Although she seems to be looking through him, he saw the very same emotion in her eyes as that from Benguet.Fear.As if another person will attack or attacked her. His throat tightened. He went closer to her and kneel down in front of her.“Stay with me, Elaine. Those flashbacks weren’t real. You can get through it,” he said. His voice calm and soothing.Elaine’s tear fell from her eyes. Tan's eyes followed her hand as she touched her neck. Fingers that left a mark on her smooth and fair skin didn’t escape his sig
Continuation of flashback...Before Elaine entered the private room and started to walk towards him, Tan has been staring at her. He tried not to, but he can’t help but follow her every step as she approached.He wanted to move, go to her, reach for her. But he knew it was impossible and she won't even like it so he had no choice but to stay. Tan sat with his back on the headboard and wait until Elaine comes near.His eyes were fixed on her. He didn’t notice when Janine stood or if she said goodbye before she went out to leave them two alone.Elaine was staring back at him. When she stopped in the centre of the room- one meter from him, she stared at him over in a swift gaze. Then her eyes fell down to his feet which were still in a cast.She didn’t seem surprised at what she saw. She surely would have heard about his bone fracture. The gir
One and a half year laterTan just finished bathing, although he was in his sleeping clothes, his towel was still on his head to dry his hair after he emerged from the bathroom. He looked at the clock. Eight in the evening. He went home on time as usual. He arrived while Elaine was playing with Sean and Thera’s twins. They ate dinner together with the couple.After eating, Jassy Mikaela started throwing tantrums but turned quiet when Elaine carried and entertained her. They decided to bring her to their room while Lucah Gabrielle was brought to the guest room by Thera and Sean to be put to sleep. It was the second time Sean’s family visited them and stayed overnight.Sean has an important meeting and didn’t want to leave his family at the villa. Until now, the two was making up for the time they were apart. Tan was genuinely happy for them. They deserve to be happy after all they’ve been through.
Tan looked back at Elaine who’s catching her breath and leaning her hand on the tree he just passed by. He smiled when she looked at him. She waved and signalled for him to go ahead. But instead of doing so, he went back for her.Tan took the insulated water bottle from his bag’s side pocket, opened it and handed it to her. He took the back she was carrying. Elaine wanted to protest but she didn’t have the strength. She knew it wasn’t heavy because she made sure to put just a first aid kit, one hundred ml mineral water and some crackers in it before they started to climb.Tan hired a guide and porter to carry their bags and tents for them. Elaine brought a lot of stuff... From ready-to-eat food to sleeping gear. While he just brought a survival kit and first aid kit aside from clothes good for two days of camping.The climb was easy, he realized. They had to cross a somewhat deep river with big rocks a while ago but since the current wasn
Handcuffed(Continuation of Chapter Thirty-Six)Tan didn’t remove his eyes from Marco since the time he approached the bar counter to order a drink and even when he went to the two-seater table he occupied. He sighed when the police started pouring alcohol into two glasses served by the waiter slash bartender a while ago.He wanted to refuse the guy’s offer to ride in his car but aside from the fact he left his car in the Fuego mansion when he was taken by the police a while ago, he also wants to hear directly from the police’s mouth what was his real intention for getting close to his wife.They were in The Hub, Marco chose the place which made him wonder. The table they occupied when they came in was for two and in the corner. It was Tuesday and the bar was almost empty.“I’m treating you for a bottle of whiskey. But you don’t even know how to drink,” he said, He pushe
Elaine felt a slight tightening of her chest while her and Marco’s eyes were still holding each other in a gaze. She didn’t want to lose a friend but she also didn’t want him to keep hurting because of her.The fear and worry she heard from his voice a while ago, wasn’t just concern of a guy for a friend. She wasn’t that stupid not to feel that. And she was not selfish to make him hope only to be hurt in the end. Marco was a good person. He deserved someone who would love him wholeheartedly.Elaine swallowed the imaginary lump in her throat when Marco smiled and started to talk.“Whenever I see you sad, whenever I know you have a heavy burden, whenever you’re crying and hurting but you try to hide it, those were the times I wanted to take you away from your husband, Elaine. But on each of those times, I was a fool who keeps restraining myself because I know whatever I do, whatever I give up, no matter how I try to dry yo
But Elaine's broken smile started to change into a mischievous grin. Along with the intentional hardness in the expression on her face, Elaine slouched a little to level their gaze.“Why not? If you’d come and visit me every day again?” she said in a soft voice but enough for her to hear.Mrs. Crisostomo gasped. She went literally still as if her neck would screech if it turned towards her.Elaine straightened up. Guilt crept into her heart when she saw her slightly shaken. But Mrs Crisostomo needed to taste a dose of her own medicine.Mental health problem was not a character failure just like what she wanted to imply. Sandra kept telling her that and she tried to put that in mind many times. She was glad she was able to voice it out now, unlike before she was scared to admit it even to herself.Perhaps she was a little different but she was still worthy of respect and of dignity. Her painful family background and her past experi
Elaine woke to the penetrating sunlight in Tan’s room. Her eyes opened wide when she realized the time. It was past nine in the morning, said the clock that was hanging on Tan’s bedroom wall.Her original plan was to wake up early so she could prepare breakfast for Tan. But as she was about to get up, she was stunned to find Tan’s huge hand around her shoulder.She looked up to Tan who was still sleeping. She took few deep breaths to calm the beating of her heart. This was her favourite sleeping position. Lying on Tan’s chest and clearly hearing his heart beating.For a long while, it was just last night when she truly felt peace, security and love again. She fell asleep fast and slept easy on his arms. After all the nightmares that passed and tested their life, she felt as if she just truly awakened last night.Carefully, she removed herself from Tan’s embrace. She sat by the side of the bed and watched him sleeping. She was
Elaine stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was glowing, it wasn’t obvious that she was nervous and anxious while parking her car inside their rented house. She could call Tan to let him know she was coming home but she chose to just wait for him there.She has a lot to say and explain to her husband. Sandra called. She admitted everything to Tan. Though the clever doctor laughed in the end saying she doesn’t have the right to file a case against her because she only told the immediate family.Elaine was thankful though. It’s as if a heavy weight was lifted from her chest. No matter how hard she tried to work up her courage, she couldn’t bring herself to admit everything to Tan if not for Sandra’s help.She was always scared that her husband might not be able to accept her. The person she loved might leave her because she was unacceptable- she was lacking and she was not whole.After the terrible things that happ
“Ma’am…”Elaine opened her eyes. Anne was in front of her with an uneven smile. She looked around her surrounding. She wasn’t in Tan’s rented house but inside Ainsdale. Tan wasn’t there as expected. So it was just a dream.“I was hesitant to wake you, but your phone keeps ringing. It might be important.”She moved. Locating the cell phone in the handbag.“Sorry, I must have dozed off. What time is it?” she asked while going through her bag.“I must have dozed off.”Elaine was surprised to hear herself say that. She never once felt sleepy while on the job.“Almost closing time, Ma’am. Seven o’clock.”She slept for almost half an hour. She was waiting for Tan for almost eight hours already. According to Drew, his husband would certainly ask her to eat out. But why until this time, he hasn’t shown
Elaine walked for several minutes while Tan quietly followed on the opposite side of the road. Tan had mixed emotions in his heart and he cannot remove her from his sight not even for a second.The wind softly blew Elaine's hair and the hem of her blouse follows her every step. Just like before, everything she wore fit perfectly to her slender body. The same body he’d adored and worshipped.Tan came to a realization that for the last three years, he had never gone an entire day without longing for her. The yearning was deep and strong it was consuming him. And maybe, he intentionally traded those feelings with anger.Why- it was the question that was too painful for Tan to ask and the answers to that ‘why’ scare him ever since their paths crossed again.Why did Elaine leave him? Why was it so easy for her to forget and throw his love away? Why the span of three years, she didn’t see him even once. Didn’t she miss him