Please, Forget me Not

CHAPTER 28

"Congratulations to our soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Villareal!"

Our family together with our close friends shouted happily as Zach slid the engagement ring in my finger. I stared at my hands held by him for a few seconds before averting my gaze to him who was still looking at my hand. He then looked up and our eyes met. His lips curled into a smile before pulling me towards him for a hug, placing a gentle kiss full of love on my forehead.

While in his arms, I roamed my eyes around our guests. All of them were watching us as if we were their favorite romance movie. They were all smiling at us.

We've been engaged for a few months already but all of them had no idea about it. And when we told them recently, they couldn't believe we hid it from them that long. But of course, just like Zach and me, they couldn't be happier. Especially Aly because he's the one who knew we already have feelings for each other even though we haven't seen each other yet, while both Zach and I think it was just one-sided. As a best friend and a brother to me, Aly knew that Zach was the right guy for me after witnessing how he waited for so many years before making his move on me. That waiting part was enough to prove to Aly that his brother was deserving of me.

"Happy first anniversary, my soon to be wife. One year down, baby, and we still have forever to go," he whispered to my ears. Napabalik ang tingin ko sa kaniya hindi dahil sa itinawag niya sa akin, kun’di dahil sa huling sinabi niya.

I love how sure he was that it was me and him until the end. As if he was telling me that I don't have to worry about what to come because no matter what it is, he will always stay by my side.

Hindi ako makapaniwala na isang taon na ang lumipas simula noong maging magkasintahan kami. Three hundred and sixty-five days have passed, yet I feel like it was only yesterday because of the way he treats me. He was consistent in showing me how much he loves me since day one. Being in a long-distance relationship these past few months didn't stop him from making me feel loved. To be honest, during those months, I never felt worried about him cheating on me. It never crossed my mind even once. I trust Zach not because I love him… It was his actions that made me trust him.

I always thought that being in a relationship, jealousy, and having negative thoughts are normal. But being in a relationship with Zach made me realize that it wasn't normal at all. I realized that feeling such things depends on how the guy was treating their girl. If the guy was treating their girl right, then there was no room for her to feel jealous and insecure. If the girl was feeling such things, then the guy must learn the love language. Simple as that.

"Happy anniversary, too, my soon-to-be husband." He slowly smiled because of how I addressed him.

When he was about to say something, the people around us started tapping a spoon on their champagne glass, asking for a kiss.

I bit my lower lip as I averted my gaze back to Zach who's now staring at me with a playful smirk on his face.

He then leaned down and kissed me. Napapikit ako nang maglapat ang mga labi namin at hinapit niya ang bewang ko para mas mapalapit pa sa kaniya. I smiled against his lips before we pulled away and faced the people closed to our hearts and thank them for their love and support.

Our wedding was set a few months from now. After the engagement party, we spent a few days together with our family before I flew to Mindanao for my work again.

The days passed by quickly. I didn't even realize that it has been a month since I went back to work and was now about to go home.

I was busy packing my things when Kleah spoke.

"Iiwan mo na talaga ako?"

Looking at her sad face, I stopped what I'm doing and walked towards her. I held both of her hands and gave her a small smile. She's been asking me that question ever since I told her about my resignation. She's being emotional because I'm about to leave her.

"I'll just take a break, okay? Babalik rin ako after my wedding. At sa oras na bumalik ako, I'll request na ikaw pa rin ‘yong maging partner ko." I tried to cheer her up pero mas lalo siyang sumimangot.

"I don't understand why you have to take a leave so early, e you still have more than half a year before your marriage. Are you perhaps pregnant?" she said as she widened her eyes at me.

I laughed at her.

"Why are you laughing at me?" I shook my head.

"Kley, I don't know if you will believe me, but I'll tell you anyway." I bit my lip for a moment before I continued. "Zach and I haven't done that thing yet, kaya ‘wag mo na isipin na kaya ako mag-re-resign ay dahil buntis ako.”

Shocked was written all over her face right after I said that. Her hands flew to her mouth while looking at me.

I laughed again at her reactions. "What was so shocking about that?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"As in never?" she asked for assurance. I nodded my head.

"Hanggang make-out lang kami. We were preserving it for our wedding night. So, don't think about me being pregnant, imposible ‘yon.”

“Grabe, hindi ako makapaniwala na sa panahon ngayon, may nag-eexist pang couple na gan’yan ang mindset. You’re sleeping alone together, sometimes making out pero napipigilan ni Zach ang sarili niya? Sh*t. Girl, I’m so happy because you already find the right man for you in your first boyfriend. Prayer reveal naman diyan.”  Natawa ako sa huling sinabi niya. Baliw talaga ‘tong babaeng ‘to. “Pero bakit nga ang aga mong mag-resign?”

“The reason why I'm taking a break is that I need to rest, although our job was enjoyable still it was so tiring. And I need my energy so I could prepare for my wedding." Binigyan niya muna ako ng pilyong ngiti bago siya nagsalita.

"You indeed need energy because I'm sure your honeymoon would be earth-shattering, nerve-wracking, and mind-blowing. All in one." She laughed hilariously upon seeing my flushed face. That thing never crossed my mind.

"Ewan ko sa'yo, Kley. Kung anu-ano ang napasok sa isip mo. Hindi healthy 'yan. Tsk tsk," I joked before I went back to finish packing my things.

Habang nag-iimpake ako, kung anu-ano pang advice kuno ang sinasabi niya sa akin na tinatawanan ko na lang. Pagkatapos, hinatid niya ako sa airport and there, we bid our goodbyes.

Being tired from work, I just slept the whole airplane ride. When the pilot started to announce our landing, I woke up.

After getting my luggage, I sent a message to Aly that I'm already at the airport. Sa kan’ya kasi ako nagpapasundo dahil ayaw kong abalahin si Zach sa trabaho. This past few days kasi sobrang busy niya dahil nagkaproblema siya sa isa niyang project and there's a lot of things that need to be done, so I decided not to ask him to pick me up. Hindi naman busy si Aly ngayon kaya siya na ang inabala ko.

After a few minutes of having no response from Aly, I put my phone in my pocket. Readjusting my bag on my shoulder, I started to walk towards the exit.

A famous song by the band Parokya ni Edgar was playing over the radio, echoing through the airport. I started to roam my eyes around, hoping to see Aly if he was here already here, but he wasn't.

Maybe he got stuck in traffic, rush hour kasi ngayon.

I combed my hair using my hand before I turned to look at my wristwatch when my eyes caught a glimpse of a man leaning against a pillar. I have to double-take, intently looking at the face beneath the cap on his head.

My heart skipped a beat as my eyes widened.

Zach smiled at me.

He was dressed in a white button-up, rolled at the sleeves and unbuttoned to perfection, tucked in onyx slacks and handmade leather shoes. The cap on his head doesn't match the business look he's got, but he was able to pull it off perfectly.

He removed his cap and there, I can now completely see his handsome face that I never get tired of staring at.

I smiled and ran towards him. I jumped and hugged my legs around his waist as he carried me. I can't believe he was here instead of his brother.

He chuckled at my reaction and tightened his arms around me to hold me in place before he spoke.

"I'm mad at you." I heard him say, so I pulled my head to face him. Staring at my confused expression, he continued. "You asked Algid to pick you up instead of me. Is he your fiancé, huh?"

I broke into a smile upon hearing the last sentence he said. He rarely got jealous and when he did, I found it so adorable.

"Don't smile at m—" I pressed my lips against his lips to cut him off.

"I'm sorry, okay? I know how busy you are, and I don't want to disturb you... kaya naisipan kong kay Aly na lang magpasundo." He frowned.

"If it's anything that concerns you, there's no such thing as disturbing me, okay? I can always make time for you, Kaiah." I nodded and closed my eyes when he placed a kiss on my forehead before putting me down.

"Let's now go home. Mom is preparing dinner for us." He grabbed the luggage on my side and held my hand using his free hand as we made our way to the curb of the exit.

"How did you know I'm going home? And where's Aly?" I asked when we're already in his car.

"Aly was about to go, but he got a phone call, so he asked me to pick you up before he left in a hurry." He shrugged. Tumango ako at iniba na ang topic. After almost an hour, we arrived in front of my house. He carried my luggage to my room before pulling me to their house.

The aroma of different food invaded my nose as we walked toward their kitchen, making me hungry all of a sudden.

"Welcome back, Khyrss!" tita greeted me when we entered the kitchen. She walked towards me to kiss me on my cheek.

"I miss you, Tita." When she heard what I called her, she glared at me playfully.

"I told you to call me Mom. You're now my daughter, so I don't want to hear tita from you, okay?"

"Yes, mom," I answered.

"Lovely." She curled up her lips and pulled me towards the dining table. "I cooked all your favorite dishes. I'm sure you miss my cooking so much." I can't help but smile at how sweet she is to me. She really wants me to be part of her family.

She then began putting different food on my plate when I sat down. My gaze lifted to Zach who was watching us with a smile on his face.

"She missed you so much," he mouthed at me before he took the seat beside me.

I grabbed the glass of water in front of me and took a drink when tita spoke.

"You have to eat a lot, so when you get pregnant with my grandchild, you're healthy." Bigla akong nasamid nang marinig ko 'yong sinabi niya.

Zach handed me the napkin immediately while rubbing my back.

"Are you okay?" he asked using a concerned tone. I nodded my head, refusing to look at him. I don't want him to see my flushed face.

“Mom, I told you not to pressure her about having a child yet. She still wants to enjoy her career.” He’s right, I don’t want to have a child yet. I’m still young and I still want to enjoy my career for the meantime while I’m still not running my family’s business. Dahil only child ako, walang ibang magmamana no’n kung hindi ako. Ang swerte ko nga kasi despite that, hinayaan ako ng parents ko na i-take ‘yong kursong gusto ko talaga imbes na i-push ako sa business-related course. Kaya habang ang parents ko pa ang nagma-manage ng business namin, I’ll use my time to enjoy what I really love to do.

Naiintindihan naman ni Zach ‘yong desisyon ko. Aniya, hindi naman siya nagmamadali at hihintayin niya ako hanggang sa maging ready ako na bumuo ng pamilya kasama siya. At isa pa, gusto niya rin munang magkaroon ng sariling architectural firm so he can support our future family with his own money. Ayaw niya kasing dumepende sa yaman ng parents niya. He wanted to earn his own money with his talent and skill as an Architect. He’s the eldest son, pero he didn’t want to inherit their family business. Kaya nag-business si Aly kasi alam na niya ang mga plano ni Zach sa buhay. Bata pa lang sila, alam na niyang siya ang magpapatakbo ng business nila pagdating ng panahon dahil ibang business ang gustong patakbuhin ng kuya niya.

“Okay, hindi na. Kay Algid na lang ako hihingi ng apo. Apo lang, e. Ang damot,” parang batang maktol ni tita habang nakanguso na ikinatawa ko.

“Be patient, mom. When she’s ready, I’ll give you a grandchild right away.” Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi ni Zach at pasimpleng kinurot siya sa kaniyang hita. He ignored that and made our hands intertwined with each other.

Pagkatapos naming kumain, napagdesisyunan kong bumalik na lang sa bahay ko. Gusto sana ni Zach na samahan ako dahil wala akong kasama sa bahay kasi nasa Ilocos ang parents ko, pero nakatanggap siya ng tawag from his co-architect about sa isang design nila na kailangang baguhin as per their client’s request. Kailangan daw nilang matapos agad ‘yon dahil may meeting sila with that client tomorrow morning.

I walked straight to the closet when I entered my room to get my nightwear before I headed to the bathroom. I took a quick shower and did my night routine before I slumped on the bed.

I checked my phone and smiled immediately when I saw Zach's message.

Zach:

Are you sure you're okay being alone in your house?

Me:

Yes, I am. Sanay na ako, so don't worry about me.

I put my phone against my chest after sending him my reply. Not long after, my phone vibrated.

Zach:

I'm starting to think you don't miss me. First, you asked Aly to pick you up instead of your fiancé, and now you didn't even want me to stay with you.

I laughed after reading his reply. I can imagine his handsome face frowning right now. Gusto niya kasi sana na dito na lang gawin ‘yong trabaho niya para may kasama ako pero hindi ako pumayag kasi gusto ko siyang mag-focus sa gagawin niya para mabilis siyang matapos. Baka ma-distract siya ‘pag kasama niya ako, e.

Me:

We both know you can't get anything done if I'm around. ‘Wag ka nang makulit, Zach. Finish your thing first. You can come here if you're done. Bye, I'll sleep na. You can do it. I love you.

After sending my last reply, I closed my eyes. Being tired from my trip, I fell asleep immediately. I woke up around midnight when I heard thunder roaring outside. I rubbed my eyes before roaming it around my room and found no signs of Zach. I stood up and strode towards the window of my room. The light in Zach's room was still open. Maybe he's not yet done with his work.

I looked up in the night sky when a series of thunder roared again. I closed the window and walked outside my room.

Bumaba ako sa kusina para uminom ng tubig at pagkatapos ay agad ring bumalik sa kwarto ko. Nahiga ulit ako sa kama pero hindi na ako dinalaw ng antok. Nakatingin lang ako sa kisame, sinusubukang hagilapin ang antok pero wala pa ring nangyayari, mulat na mulat pa rin ako.

Napabuntong hininga ako bago tumayo. Bago pa bumuhos ang nagbabadyang ulan, lumabas ako ng bahay at tinawid ang kalsada papunta sa bahay nila Zach.

Using the spare key that I have, I was able to open their house. I sneaked inside and closed the door behind me. It's already one a.m., so the whole house was quiet. I went upstairs and stopped in front of Zach's room. I knocked softly and waited for him to open the door.

Not long after, Zach appeared in front of me, his right hand on the door frame while the others were on the door handle inside.

Shocked was apparent on his face as he opened the door widely and ushered me inside.

"Akala ko tulog ka na?" I sat on his bed before answering him.

"Nagising ako at hindi na ako makatulog. When I saw your light still on, I decided to come here. Dito na lang ako matutulog." I stopped as another thunder struck again. "Aren't you done yet?" My eyes went to look at his working area before it landed on his face.

"I'm almost done. But if you want me to accomp—" I held my hand to stop him.

"You don't have to. Just finish what you are doing." I laid my body on his bed as the rain started to pour outside.

"Okay." He covered me with his comforter and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "If you need anything, just call me." I nodded my head and watched his back walking away from me. I shifted my back in his direction and closed my eyes to sleep.

I fluttered my eyes open then shifted to another position after a few minutes. I've been shifting my positions around the bed from time to time, but I'm still wide awake. My eyes flew on his wall clock. It's almost two, and the rain outside has stopped pouring already. I came here because I was hoping I could fall asleep easily, but I was wrong. I badly want to sleep but my body won't let me. Sighing, I stood up and walked towards Zach who was still busy on his computer. When he sensed my presence, he turned to me.

"Zach, I can't sleep..." I said frustration was visible in my voice.

"Maybe because your body is craving for my embrace." I glared at him. He ignored that and pulled me instead to straddle at him.

He then guided my head on the crook of his neck while gently caressing the back of my head. His unique scent invaded my nose.

"Try to sleep now," he gently whispered in my ear and planted soft kisses on my head. Feeling comfortable with our position, I hugged him and closed my eyes.

Indeed, my body was craving for his embrace because right after he held me in his arms, I fell asleep.