6
976 Words
Cain's POV
"Ha ha..." But she was crying.
It felt like I had been stabbed in the chest. It hurt.
No'ng nalaman ko ang tungkol kay James, this is how I felt too. The thoughts I'm having right now... they're the same as back then.
Does she not love me anymore?
Am I no longer enough?
Where did I go wrong?
Is there nothing I can do?
"I-I'm sorry." She stormed out of the room.
Normally, I would have stopped her, forced her to stay, made her listen. But is that the right thing to do? She is supposed to be my partner, not my possession. Just because she sinned once doesn't mean I get to control her.
I palmed my face. What should I do?
She cheated, Cain! She shat on your head!
I smacked my head with my palm a few times to shake off the intrusive thoughts. I thought these voices had gone away!
"f**k!" I shouted, throwing a pillow across the room. But then—
A gasp.
I turned toward the doorway. Ponzu stood there, crying.
Did she come back?
"I-I didn't mean to..." Her sobs grew heavier. "I w-went back to a-apologize, I'm sorr—" She stopped when I reached out to her.
"B-Baby..." I stepped closer, but she started screaming frantically.
"I DIDN'T MEAN TO LEAVE THE ROOM! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"
She dropped to the floor, screaming apologies through her sobs. My body moved on instinct, my arms wrapping around her waist—
"GYAAHH!"
She thrashed wildly, hitting and pushing me, landing blows against my chest, my arms. I barely managed to restrain her, pulling her tightly against me.
"Shhh... baby, shhh..." She kept struggling, squirming, but I held firm. I didn't even realize I was crying, too.
"I'm sorry!" Her voice cracked, hoarse from all the screaming.
"Baby, it's okay." No matter how tightly I held her, one of her hands still slipped free—
SLAP!
My head snapped to the side.
Silence.
She froze, her face draining of color. Horror filled her eyes as she scrambled away from me, backing into the wall.
"'W-Wag... I didn't mean to..." Her voice trembled with pure fear.
"P-Ponzu..." I barely recognized my own voice.
My mind was blank. I didn't know what to do. I stepped toward her—
"'W-WAG! PLEASE! H-Hindi ko sinasadya!"
"Baby... I-I'm not gonna do anything, hey..." I reached for her, but before I could touch her, she grabbed my hand.
Then she pressed it against her wet cheek, pleading.
"Not my hair, please... D-Don't pull my hair again. H-Hindi ko naman talaga sinasadya sampalin ka..." Tears welled in her eyes as she nuzzled into my palm like a wounded animal begging to be spared.
I was speechless.
"S-s*x?! Right! I-I... I can, now... J-Just don't hurt me..." she stammered frantically.
Just... just what have I done?
"I-I'm sorry, baby." I cupped her face, my thumb wiping her tears.
"Calm down now. Alam kong hindi mo sinasadya 'yon." I leaned my forehead against hers, pressing a kiss to her nose before gently pulling her into an embrace.
"Sorry, Cain..." She was still hiccupping, but she didn't push me away this time.
"No..." I held her tighter.
"Ako ang patawarin mo. I caused you so much pain."
"W-Wag, Cain..." Her voice was so small. "Wag mo na akong saktan..."
"Not anymore, baby," I whispered.
"Wag na ulit, Cain..." she murmured before passing out.
Damien was not happy. It showed on his face as he carefully examined Ponzu.
"She's better, but she hasn't recovered yet. Bakit mo siya kailangan biglain ng gano'n?" His tone was sharp as he checked his watch.
"It's only been two weeks since we started her medication. Hindi ka ba makapaghintay?" His irritation was obvious.
"Sorry, dude."
"This isn't magic. We can't just undo the trauma you caused her. You need to be patient."
I didn't say anything. But I understood. I wanted to fix our relationship, but I knew that taking care of her had to come first. I wasn't trying to rush her—I was just happy she wasn't pushing me away anymore.
"Honestly, I'd suggest you both see a professional psychologist about this, but I won't interfere."
We stared at each other.
"For now," he added firmly.
I sighed. "Thanks, Damien. I owe you a lot."
"I don't give a s**t about you, bro. To be honest." He packed up his things. "I'm only doing this because Ponzu is my friend. And no matter how much I understand where you're coming from..."
He paused, exhaling sharply.
"She still deserves none of this."
I wanted to shrink. Shame coiled in my chest. I had been a d**k. I couldn't see it before, when jealousy had devoured me whole, but now... I saw how much I had destroyed her.
"Alam kong napakasakit. I was mad at Ponzu at first, too. But the way we handled things? That was wrong. She shouldn't be here, and I never should have let you keep her."
"Damien..." I spoke quietly.
"You're lucky I'm helping you at all. The only reason I'm here is because I choose to care about Ponzu's well-being. That's why I endure these long trips. That's why I give you advice even when you don't ask for it."
He gripped my shoulder, his expression deadly serious.
"Promise me—never again. If you two have problems in the future, talk them out properly. Getting physical, letting your emotions control you—that won't fix anything."
I swallowed hard. "I've learned my lesson. Thanks, dude."
I patted his back. "I know where I f****d up, man. I'm going to make it right."
He studied me for a moment, then finally nodded.
"You wouldn't go to such lengths if you didn't love her. That, I'm sure of."
He patted my back.
"I trust you."
- Writer
