5

Umupo sa kaniyang tabi si Tyson while serving her a spaghetti on her plate. Hindi niya alam kung hihindi ba siya o kakainin nalang iyon dahil ayaw niya namang mawala ang masayang ngiti sa labi ni Tyson. This is the first time that her husband cooked for her dahil palaging busy ito at walang oras para sa ibang bagay. "Try it, I'm sure it taste delicious like you always eat," pag-uudyok nito habang nakapantay ang kutsara sa bibig niya para subuan siya.

"U—Uhm, I can eat using my own hands,"

Umiling ito. "No, I'll feed you." Pamimilit nito. 

Bakas sa mukha nito ang determinasiyon. Pagod na siyang umalma kaya sinunod niya nalang ang gusto nito. 

"It taste good, right?"Unang kagat palang parang mahihimatay na siya sa lasa, hindi niya alam kung ilang kutsarang asin nilagay nito sa spaghetti sauce. She can even feel the solid rock of it. Parang hindi pa natutunaw iyon dahil minadali yata ang paghalo-halo ng lahat ng ingredients.

Nakangiwing tumango nalang siya rito and wiped her mouth. "I actually ate my dinner kaya kunti lang kakainin ko ngayon." Palusot niya kahit hindi pa talaga siya kumakain at gutom na gutom na siya. Mas nanaisin niya pang magutom kaysa ipilit na kainin ang hinanda nito para sa kaniya.

"That's okay, atleast my cooking isn't that bad as you say so." Masayang saad nito. Gusto niyang magreklamo habang patuloy na kinakain ang laman ng plato, pakiramdam niya babaliktad na ang kaniyang sikmura kaya mabilis siyang tumayo.

"I—I n—need to go, I'm really s—sleepy. Thanks for the dinner. It's g—good." Nahihirapan niyang pagsasalita dahil nagpipigil siyang sumuka sa harapan nito. Pakiramdam niya ay namumutla na ang kaniyang mukha habang pinagpapawisan.

Ngumiti ito sa kaniya. "Are you not going to finish your food?" Tanong nito habang natitig sa natira.

Mabilis siyang umiling. "N—No, I mean—I need to sleep early because I'm exhausted." Hindi na niya hinintay na makasagot ito at agad na pumasok sa kanilang kwarto saka nagtatakbong pumasok sa c.r para isuka lahat ang nakain niya. Nanghihinang napaupo siya sa tiles dahil ilang minuto din niyang nilabas sa tiyan na lahat nang nilunok niya. F*ck, her husband is really a terrible cook. Kaya hindi ito nagluluto because a side of being a workaholic person, hindi ito marunong magluto. Akala niya pa naman kanina nag-improve na ito, mas lalong lumala lang pala ang kakayahan nitong magluto. 

She bathed and change her clothes, mabilis siyang humiga sa kama at nagtalukbong ng kumot pagkatapos gawin ang routine niya sa katawan at mukha. Habang patuloy na nagmumuni-muni sa mga sinabi ni Erin ay hindi niya namalayang nakatulog na siya.

"Mi Reina,"

Umungot siya dahil pati ba naman sa panaginip si Erin parin naririnig niya. Ayaw ba siya nitong patahimikin kahit isang buong araw manlang?

"Mi Reina, I know you're already conscious. Get up, you need to eat a proper dinner."

Napasinghanp siya ng mapagtantong hindi siya nanaginip dahil naramdaman niya nalang na kinarga siya nito at pinaupo na naging dahilan para imulat niya ang kaniyang mga mata at tumambad sa kaniyang harapan ang nakatagilid nitong mukha. The lights are off but she can still see his side profile and dark gaze making her gulped multiple times.

"E—Erin?"

"Hmmm?" He responded while busy putting the foods on a tray. It looks like it was a homemade food not a take out. Napatingin siya sa paligid at sa kaniyang tabi, hinahanap niya ang kaniyang asawa.

"He's not here, he went out somewhere. Your maids told me that. They also said that they witness that you didn't eat properly because of your husband's terrible cooking. Kaya naman umuwi ako ng maaga sa bahay ko para ipagluto ka. I was very busy when they called me but I still left my unfinished work because you're my top priority."

Nagulat siya sa sinabi nito. "What? You're busy? Bakit mo iniwan ang trabaho mo doon? Your boss might fire you for leaving suddenly. Unahin mo trabaho mo huwag ako. We're just stranger to each other, bakit mo ba ako inaalala? Besides my husband might caught you here in our room, baka magalit iyon—"

"Why are you afraid that he might caught us? He cheated first, you're just making him taste his own medicine. You don't love him, why bother hiding my presence?" He stopped and no emotion can be seen in his eyes. "I have a flexible hours, kaya pwede akong umalis kahit kailan ko gusto sa trabaho ko. Our business can survive without me. Did you forgot that we're not strangers anymore to each other? We already knows our names and I know everything about you."

Tumaas ang balahibo niya lahat sa katawan dahil sa sinabi nito. She can sense something on how the way he delivered that last words.

"You're asking why I'm so attentive and caring to you? It because that's part of my responsibility as your other man, I can give you the attention and love that you're yearning for years that you can't have with your own husband.

Nagtatakang tinignan niya ito. "What are you trying to say?"

He smiled faintly. "I'm in love with you, it may sounds so sudden and unbelievable because we've just met but I'm telling the truth. My attractions towards you became something that I didn't expect to be, dahil sobrang bilis ng pangyayari at hindi ko alam paano nangyari."

Napasinghap siya, she didn't expect that he's feeling that way, akala niya Erin is just playing with fire with her because he loves thrill and fun but she didn't know he had a deep reason why he's doing all of it to her. Kahit sinong babaeng lalapitan ng lalaking ganito kagwapo ay talagang iisipin na gusto lang nito maglaro dahil walang magawa ito sa buhay.

Erin is giving her signs but she's acting d*mb para hindi umasa sa mga sinasabi nito sa kaniya. She's thinking that he might just playing with her and slowly wrapping her into his fingers para makuha nito ang gustong makuha sa kaniya but it turns out different. He's actually telling the truth that she caught his attention and heart. Akala niya isang lame na banat lang iyon para pakiligin siya at para mabilis na bumigay rito. Hindi niya alam that he's actually telling his true feelings to her and she mistook it as a joke.

"E—Erin, I—"

"Please don't." Putol nito sa kaniya at umiwas ng tingin. "Please don't talk about it anymore, I don't know why I'm doing this, hindi naman kasi ako ganito kahit nagkakagusto ako sa isang babae noon, I always give way because I know at the end of it. I will lose. Pero ngayon? I'm doing the contrary. I'm not like this but I'm willing to do something bad just to be with you. I know you're married but just let me show you how much I love you."

She's hurt because she don't know how to reject this man.