JAY-JAY'S POV
"It's been a long time! I'm getting impatient," I complained while sitting on the bench with both feet up.
My feet had just been treated for warts. He even applied ice. The callus on my foot was thick—maybe it got blistered from the heat of the sand I ran on earlier.
"Give me ten," he said.
"I don't have ten pesos. Do you have any coins? I think I have twenty in my bag."
He chuckled softly. "I meant ten minutes. Or maybe ten kisses. That'll do."
"Idiot!"
"I'll throw a chair at you," I threatened, though there was no real danger. "How long is this going to take? I'm starving."
"Just a little longer, okay?" He sighed. "Serving a wife is hard work." ❤️😂
"Wife, my foot!" I scoffed.
He laughed again, walking back and forth from the fridge to the sink before placing something on the stove. What kind of cooking takes this long? Shameless.
I'll slap it if it's not good.
I don't know how much longer I have to wait, but I can already smell what he's cooking, making my stomach growl.
My pets are losing their stomachs.
Obviously, he was just waiting for the culprit to be cooked. After a while, he took two wine glasses from the cupboard—one for me and the other for the seat opposite me.
When the dish was finally ready, he plated it with such skill that he could rival a professional chef. The moment he set the plates down, my mouth involuntarily watered at the rich aroma.
He turned away for a moment, and when he returned, he was holding a bottle of wine. I looked at him intently.
"Are you sure about that?" I asked sarcastically.
He glanced at me, then at the bottle in his hand. He hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.
"Probably not."
He returned the wine and, instead, brought a jug of juice. Maybe he was afraid of getting roasted in the fire himself.
He poured the juice into our glasses, and once he was sure everything was ready, he turned to me with a proud smile.
"Enjoy the salmon steak."
He was obviously very pleased with his own cooking. I was already exhausted before he could even start bragging about it.
To be fair, it could compare to Eman's cooking. Salmon is fancy—it became a steak. If you were cooking at home, you'd be drenched in oil while frying it, with half of it undercooked and the other half stuck to the pan.
A true Filipino dish.
He started eating as well. My usual dinner is rice—just a little since it's already late. About three spoonfuls of rice and a big chunk of the main dish. Tita doesn't allow pure meat at night; she says it's bad for you. That's why our dinner is usually vegetables or fish.
"So, how's life been while I was gone?" he asked, sounding like a man talking to his girlfriend after disappearing for ages—cheating, hurting her, and then waltzing back in as if nothing had happened. Like there's a factory in Marikina where you can just buy forgiveness.
Stupid!
I shot him a glare while eating my fish. I chewed slowly, swallowed, and took a sip of juice from the wine glass. Because I don't drink wine—otherwise, I might just end up sacrificing him to the fire.
"Fun. Promise," I answered emotionally. "Enjoy the kidnapping," I added with a plastic smile.
He nodded. "It's my fault—"
"It's good that you know!" I cut him off.
"Look—"
"Can you stop it now? I'm eating," I complained, and he seemed to get the hint.
We ate in silence. I really enjoyed the sushi salmon. Even after finishing our food, the silence remained. I had a feeling he was already thinking about how to order me to wash the dishes.
Well, I won't. No way!
"Would you like—"
"I'm not washing the dishes!" I interrupted before he could finish.
He burst out laughing. "I was about to ask if you wanted some dessert."
"What... what is it? Is it delicious?" My curiosity got the best of me.
"Of course," he replied, standing up.
He opened the fridge, took something out, and grabbed a plate from the cupboard. After a few minutes, he handed me a serving of chocolate ice cream topped with whipped cream and vanilla syrup.
Soooooo gooooood!
I was still grinning as I took my first bite.
"You like it?" he asked.
"Who wouldn't?"
He chuckled before suddenly frowning while looking at me. That's when I noticed—he didn't have any dessert for himself.
A strange feeling washed over me. "W-what did you put in this?"
"Whipped cream and vanilla syrup," he answered casually.
I rolled my eyes at him, narrowing them more than a Korean or Chinese person's.
"That's all? That's really all?!"
He frowned. "Should I have added something else?"
"There's really nothing else? You didn't put anything weird in it? Like the water you made me drink before?" I accused suspiciously.
He seemed to understand what I meant. He shook his head while smiling.
"No, I didn't put anything else."
I poked him with a spoon. "I'm telling you! I will really beat you up with Kuya Angelo."
"Like I'm scared," he whispered, but I still heard him.
I'll report you to Kuya, I thought.
I just continued eating the ice cream. He was still looking at me, as if he enjoyed watching me eat happily.
"I missed you," he suddenly said. 🩷
"I missed you too." The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.
My eyes widened as I realized what I had just said. I looked at him and then at the ice cream I was eating.
"I missed you, ice cream! I missed you too!" I quickly added, poking the ice cream with my spoon.
"Of course. You missed the ice cream," he said with a crooked smile.
He always smiled and laughed. It would feel so good to punch him until all his teeth were gone.
"You suck!" I said, annoyed. "Why did you come back?"
His smile disappeared, and I wouldn't deny that something in my heart tightened when his eyes turned sad.
He had sorrow written all over his face.
"For my siblings. For my friends." He stopped and looked at me. "FOR YOU." ❤️
I suddenly lost my appetite. I stared at my bowl, poking the ice cream with my spoon.
"Why didn't you stay? Your relatives are there. You could find new friends. You could find a new girl."
"It's easy to find a woman. But it's not easy to find someone to love." He shook his head. "And why should I search when you're here?"
What kind of answer is that?
"Am I your girl?"
"No. But I love you." 💞
Idiot!
I quickly finished the rest of my ice cream before standing up. I didn't want to hear what he had to say next.
"I don't feel like it anymore. I'm going to rest," I said, turning around.
"Jay, please." His voice stopped me.
I held my breath and faced him again.
"It's scary to listen to what you have to say. What if it's not true again?"
"I have no reason to lie to you anymore."
I shook my head and looked away so he wouldn't see the tears forming in my eyes.
"More than a month. To others, it might seem like just a moment. But for me, waiting for your explanation felt like an ETERNITY." I quickly wiped away the tears that escaped. "I have so many questions I want answers to. I told myself over and over not to get my hopes up, but I still tried." 🥺💔
He was about to step closer, but I immediately turned my back and walked away.
"I want to rest," I said without looking at him.
Even though my feet ached, I still found the strength to climb the stairs back to the room where I had woken up earlier. As soon as I entered, I closed the door and wiped my tears.
Look at you.
I told myself that we shouldn't be alone together. If I don't go home pregnant, I'll go home with a broken heart again.
I want answers. I really do. But every time I think about his words, I wonder—what if they come true? What if I get hurt again? I don't think I could handle it. I'd probably end up slapping everyone who plays with my feelings.
I frowned as I walked into the bathroom. That lady had said there was a cabinet inside with clothes I could use. She was right. It was a huge cabinet, almost like a walk-in closet if it weren't directly connected to the bathroom.
The door was folded. A bifold door, I think, because it automatically folded in half when I opened it. Nice.
Inside, there were tons of clothes—everything from casual wear to bikinis and underwear. I checked the sizes, and my eyes narrowed when I realized they were all my size.
Animal! How did he know my size?
I grabbed a t-shirt and pajamas before heading straight to the bathroom. My eyes widened as I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror—I still looked better than a beggar, despite my blemished skin and messy hair. Then, I acted in front of him.
I just snorted before stripping off my clothes and stepping into the shower. It was well-equipped—shampoos, conditioners, soaps, body washes, feminine washes, foot scrubs, and all sorts of other cleansing products. Brainwash, even.
After showering, I let my hair dry for a while before going to bed. I knew that snake couldn't sleep here since there were other rooms available.
And one more thing—he wouldn't even dare to try. If he did, I'd spank him. Just let him try and start a conversation.
I'd kick him.
I thought I would fall asleep quickly from exhaustion, but I ended up tossing and turning several times. My mind was still wide awake. I turned off the lights, closed the window, and turned on the ceiling fan, but nothing worked.
I even counted sheep—ones I could eat. Then cows, goats, pigs, deer… even pythons. Still, my eyes refused to shut.
Maybe I should drink some milk. They say it helps with sleep. I hope there's some here.
I slowly opened the door. The living room lights were off, but the front door was still open. Maybe they hadn't bothered to close it since there was no one else around.
I was about to head straight to the kitchen when my eyes wandered outside. The king of serpents was sitting on the terrace, sipping from a bottle of wine. Luko seemed to have had plenty—three empty bottles sat beside him.
I knew he had a strong liver and a high tolerance for alcohol, but I couldn't help but wonder what was on his mind.
I decided to go back to my room. I didn't want us to run into each other, and I definitely didn't want him bringing that matter up again.
I lay on my side, staring at the closed window for over an hour—until I heard the door open.
I forced myself to close my eyes, gripping the bedsheet even tighter as I felt the mattress sink behind me.
Are you crazy?! You're really beautiful!
I almost lost my breath, especially when his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me into an embrace. I wanted to scream, but I held it back.
"Jay," he whispered against my neck. "I know you're awake."
Queen! Queen! Queen!
"Relax. I'm not going to do anything to you," he said, and I finally let out the breath I had been holding.
"L-let go of me, you animal," I ordered.
"Please, just let me sleep like this. I've been having trouble sleeping since I came back. My body clock is still adjusting," he explained.
"I-I can't. I-I'm leaving."
Instead of letting go, he hugged me even tighter. His grip made it even harder for me to sleep. 🩷
I could fight him off and break his bones to get him out of here. But suddenly, I felt a pang of pity. In truth, I felt even sorrier for myself—for everything he had put me through.
I let him stay as he requested, but I had no intention of sleeping. I needed to stay awake and make sure this traitor's hands didn't wander.
"It hurts," he said, making me pause. "It hurts so much to see you in pain. And it hurts even more knowing that I'm the reason behind it." His voice cracked. "Every day, I keep wishing that your feelings for me won't change. I'm so scared that one day, I'll wake up, and you won't love me anymore." 🥺💔
He held me even tighter, and then I felt his body shaking behind me. He was crying. It felt like my heart was being squeezed. Silently, I cried along with him.
Why does it feel like I'm the one to blame for his pain? Did I want this? Is he the only one who has the right not to be hurt?
Damn you.
"I know you won't forgive me that easily," he murmured. "But I'll still take my chances."
I chose not to speak. It felt like I was crying silently. I don't know how long we cried until I eventually fell asleep.
I woke up when I felt someone kissing the spot behind my ear. My hand instinctively shot up to strike the offender.
"Oh," he complained weakly.
I scratched the back of my ear before rolling over—a huge mistake. I felt someone press a KISS against my LIPS, trying to deepen it. His arm was still wrapped around my waist. ❤️
Gago!
I immediately opened my eyes, now fully awake, and saw the shameless fool. He still had his eyes closed, greedily feasting on my lips. Without hesitation, I slapped him, forcing him away from me.
He held his cheek, looking at me in disbelief.
"You pervert!" I shouted, jumping out of bed.
"W-what? What was that for?"
"What?! Do you really need me to spell it out? I should slap you again!"
I stood up and moved away from him. Who knows what else he might try?
"Good morning to you too," he said sarcastically.
The nerve of this fool—pretending like he didn't know what he just did. But he couldn't fool me. I knew he was just acting clueless to get away with it.
He had promised not to do anything.
I shot him a glare before heading straight to the bathroom. I made sure to lock the door—just in case that cockroach tried anything else. I showered and went through my usual morning routine before changing into fresh clothes.
Thankfully, I found a hair clip. I used it to tie my messy hair, a result of my laziness to comb it. After all, real beauties hate brushing their hair.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, I glanced at Kei, who was staring blankly into space, seemingly deep in thought—probably still wondering why I had slapped him.
"Get up! Let me cook!" I ordered.
He raised an eyebrow at me. "After slapping me? Cook your own breakfast." He scoffed and lay back down.
Look at this gago.
I approached him and kicked him. "Are you guys really like that? Once you get a girl's attention, you stop serving her?"
His eyes widened as he suddenly got up. I laughed weakly because his hair was still messy.
"Excuse me. I haven't gotten what I want from you yet."
"And what is that?"
A mischievous smile appeared on his lips. "Many children," he said and was about to pull me toward him, but I immediately planted my foot on his face.
"Are you a child? Here! Take my foot! Go ahead! Take it!"
I hadn't scrubbed my feet yesterday. I guess the smell is worth it.
"Ugh!" He backed away, holding his nose. "When was the last time you washed your feet?"
"Maybe yesterday," I answered with a teasing smile. "Get up. I'm going to have breakfast."
I turned my back on him and headed straight to the kitchen. Luckily, I didn't have to wait long. He had already changed his clothes and washed his hair, though it was still messy.
I chuckled softly, making sure he didn't notice. I didn't want him to think I was completely okay with him. But I won't deny that after hearing what he said, I felt a little sympathy. What if he had also been hurt by what he did?
Well, that's good!
My stomach growled as he placed fried rice, hotdogs, longganisa, tocino, and eggs on the table. I didn't wait for him and immediately started eating. He was about to sit down when we heard a sudden sound from the radio. It was as if someone was speaking, followed by a signal noise.
Kei-kwanan quickly got up and went over to check. He picked something up from the table in the living room before leaving the house. I let him go and continued eating. I almost finished everything, but he still hadn't returned. Something seemed off.
I left some food for him, knowing he might get mad if I didn't. I saved him a bitten hotdog, a slice of tocino, a longganisa, an egg, and a spoonful of fried rice.
There is plenty for someone like him. I don't want him to think that I don't care about him.
It's a good thing I'm still here.
I covered those at the table first before following him outside. He was still talking to someone on his walkie-talkie. I slowly approached to find out what they were discussing, but it seemed like it would take a long time for him to finish.
So, I just went to the beach and played with the sand. I built my house and castle—ugliness is not allowed here. Then, I decided to add a dragon and a lion. But I could also put Kuya Angelo—he's even scarier than both.
I also drew snake faces in the sand, along with Percy's and Aries's faces. Now, I've proven that I'm good at drawing. That's why they don't look human.
I heard the person Kei-kwanan was talking to say goodbye, so I approached him.
I already have him.
"What was that about?"
"We have a problem," he said seriously.
A wave of nervousness washed over me. "What's the problem?"
"Angelo is looking for us."
Dead! Hill! Funeral!
"Does he—does he know we're here?"
He shook his head. "I just bought this island. The papers are not yet processed under my name."
I wasn't sure if I could breathe easily.
"But there's another problem," he added. "We can't leave this island. He will surely find us."
I ran my fingers through my hair. At this point, I'd rather die at the hands of Kuya Angelo—or he could just die instead. I was kidnapped! I'm innocent!
I looked at the sea. I'll swim! I'll swim away from this place.
"Jay?" He called me, but I ignored him.
"I'm going home," I said and quickly ran toward the sea.
"Hey! It's dangerous!"
"I don't care!"
I'd rather go home as a cold corpse than go home with a dead body. Either way, I'll die.
I'm going home!