Chapter 4.1: BK

DAPHNE was about to knock when the door to BK’s room opened.

“Have you eaten? Maybe you’d like to join me,” she offered.

He stared at her again before nodding. She smiled sweetly at him before turning away.

She fixed the table and the plate her husband would use. She didn’t even realize she was smiling while preparing BK’s dinnerware. But that faded when she noticed her husband staring at her again.

“Sorry about earlier. I hope you understand my point. I was right, wasn’t I? Keep in mind that we’re at a hotel owned by my parents.”

She smiled and nodded. “I understand. I’m sorry, too. Let’s forget about it. I’ll just go sightseeing somewhere else, like you said.”

“I’ll give you an itinerary later if you want. Just avoid places where Filipinos hang out.”

“Okay. Let’s eat,” she said, which made him smile. She smiled back. His smile really made him look more handsome.

Their dinner went well. They talked a lot—random things, like where he went earlier. He said he met a lot of people. He even mentioned he had a date tomorrow.

Lucky him, he already found someone to date. Meanwhile, she had no one. Anyway, she wasn’t into guys.

She couldn’t help but laugh to herself. They just got married, and he’s already thinking of dating. Well, she had no right to stop him. That was part of their deal. They weren’t supposed to meddle in each other’s lives.

Most of the conversation was about his life and interests. She didn’t really have much to share. They were poor. She hadn’t experienced what he had. He was born with a silver spoon, while she had nothing. He probably wouldn’t relate if she talked about her and her mother’s hardships.

She realized her husband was the carefree type. He only cared about his own happiness. He said there were still so many things he wanted to try in life. He even had a bucket list. She asked what his parents would say if they found out, but he said he didn’t care if they got hurt. They’d get over it. What mattered was he followed their wish to get married.

She couldn’t really say anything about his mindset. It was fine since she wasn’t serious about the marriage either. So it didn’t matter to her if they separated early.

The topic shifted to her. She said she wanted to go to Scandinavia. That was all she had to share. He promised to help her leave soon so she could find her father.

Just like he said, BK gave her an itinerary. But she didn’t follow it. She kept herself busy with her phone and laptop. She was really preparing for her dream trip anyway, and her husband had promised to support her.

She and BK were just going to survive the honeymoon without anything actually happening between them. They weren’t like newlyweds who stayed in the room together. They acted like tourists on their own trips.

On the sixth day, she thought about swimming by herself. It was still summer, so there were many tourists around. Most were Filipino because the Hernandez family’s hotel was well-known among Filipinos. She had spoken to many of them. They said it felt like being on vacation in the Philippines. Even the food was mostly Filipino dishes.

She wore a trikini top, one of the things BK’s mom bought for her. She just wore a cover-up at the bottom. A T-shirt felt awkward. Everyone else was in Bikinis. She’d be the odd one out. Then again, Hawaii was more liberated. And it was normal since they were at the beach, unlike in the Philippines, where people talk too much when they see someone in a bikini.

The hotel staff had set up a bench for her, so she placed her things there.

She looked around. She was the only one alone. Everyone else had family, partners, or friends. She suddenly felt jealous. Maybe she should’ve brought Amelie so she wouldn’t feel so alone. It was kind of sad.

Wearing stylish sunglasses, she decided to lie down on a wooden beach chair. Her legs showed a little on the left due to the way her cover-up was tied. The wind blew it, so she sat up to fix it.

She was about to lie down again when she heard loud laughter from a group. Her mouth opened in surprise when she saw her husband, BK, with a woman. They were surrounded by the noisy group. He had many companions, and most of them were couples.  BK’s right arm was wrapped around the woman’s slim waist, which made her raise an eyebrow.

She let out a bitter laugh. Her husband must have forgotten they were at Hotel De Astin. What if someone took a photo of him with another woman while she sat there alone on the bench? She shook her head.

She eyed the woman from head to toe. So BK liked brunettes. Why not her? They looked pretty similar. She was beautiful, too. The only edge the woman had was her confidence in a two-piece. But maybe she was even prettier.

Is it really bad to hype yourself up?

BK might have noticed she was staring, so she looked away. But it was too late.  Her husband was already looking at her. His handsome face frowned slightly. But she ignored it. Her eyes were fixed on his chest, partially exposed from his unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt. Her husband was good-looking but not fun to be around. He wasn’t into her. She grimaced at the thought.

When she saw him staring at her body, she looked down. It felt like he was undressing her with his eyes. His brows furrowed as his gaze landed on her exposed thigh.

“Honey,” said the woman with him.

BK shook his head and turned to the woman. He smiled at her and pulled her closer. Probably to get away from her.

Well, wow!

A sudden wave of sadness hit her. They were supposed to be together. They were the ones who got married.

She flopped back down on the chair. She let the wind blow her cover-up. Why bother hiding? Others weren’t even wearing one. She was the only one being dramatic. Too conservative.

Her eyes weren’t hurting thanks to her sunglasses, so she just stared at the sky.

She hadn’t gotten far when someone blocked her way. Max’s smiling face greeted her.

“Knew it was you! How are you?” he said, smiling.

She smiled back.

“I’m good. You? Sorry about the other day,” she said, remembering when she left him at the restaurant.

“I’m okay. I was just wondering—why aren’t you with your husband?” He glanced toward her husband. She looked, too. BK’s face was dark, so she turned to Max.

“Can it be a secret again?” she said.

“Alright. I won’t bug you. Just let me keep you company. It’s sad being alone.”

“Okay. Just one arm’s length away. Don’t want BK to scold me.”

“Really? But look at him, glued to his girl.” She laughed at the way he said.

“Let’s just leave him be. Let’s enjoy the moment instead.”

“Alright. So we’re going to talk like we’re yelling at each other?”

“Yeah, you’re right,” she laughed and waded into the water.

The one-arm rule didn’t last. Max led her to deeper water, so she held onto his arm. They just wanted to see how far she could go. She couldn’t swim well in deep water, so they went to a shallower area.

BK and his companions were gone, and she felt a wave of relief. At least now, she wouldn’t feel awkward. She and Max had been in the water for over thirty minutes before getting out. He excused himself to buy some drinks, and she agreed—she was feeling thirsty too.

Panting, she sat on the bench she had claimed earlier. She grabbed her towel and began drying off. The breeze brushing against her skin was getting cold.

She had just finished wiping herself down when someone approached. She was still adjusting her towel, with her back turned. She assumed it was Max again.

“Were you able to—” She stopped mid-sentence when she turned and saw BK. He looked serious. She had really thought it was Max.

She swallowed when she realized he was staring hard at her. He was holding a robe.

“Put this on. What you’re wearing doesn’t look good. Go back now. I had food prepared. I’m sure it’s almost ready.”

“But I wasn’t even—”

“Just follow me, Daph. Please? Get some rest because we’re going out tomorrow. Remember, it’s our last day. Mama called. She’s asking for updates. She also wants some pictures of us together. I’m pretty sure they’ll look for those once we get back, so I need your cooperation,” he said, turning on his heel and walking away, leaving the robe on the bench.

Her husband was so bossy. She hadn’t even been in the water an hour, and he was already calling her back, and she’d actually been planning to go back in. She just shook her head.

She waited for Max to return and then said goodbye. He looked a bit disappointed, but there was nothing she could do.

She was just obedient to her husband.

“Just endure it, Daph. This is for your dream,” she told herself.

She couldn’t go against her husband—her trip to Norway depended on this.

When she got back to her room, the food was already waiting for her. BK could be thoughtful, sure—but also a total killjoy. She grimaced at the thought. Hopefully, he didn’t bite his tongue just now. He might say she was thinking too much.

She didn’t see BK again that afternoon or evening. Before heading to bed, she even knocked on his door, but he didn’t answer—it seemed like he had gone out. She went to bed slightly annoyed.

The next morning, she woke to her husband knocking. Groggy, she opened the door.

“Oh, f*ck!” she heard him mutter, and that snapped her fully awake. Her eyes followed where he was looking.

Her mouth fell open when she realized her nipples were standing through her thin sleepwear.

She quickly turned her back to him and hugged herself.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Did you forget what we talked about? We’re going out, remember?”

Of course not! she wanted to say. She was the one worried he might forget. That’s why she even fell asleep thinking about it.

“I didn’t forget. I’m just going to take a shower. I’m closing the door now,” she informed him, still not facing him.

She gasped when his arm brushed against her skin. He walked right past her and flopped down on her bed. She breathed out in relief.

She shut the door and walked toward her closet. She didn’t bother covering her chest anymore since he was lying face down.

“Wear the ones Mama bought.”

She quickly turned when he spoke. He was sitting up now. She’d forgotten to cover her chest again, so he was once more staring directly at it. She hastily covered it with her towel.

“They’re small—you don’t need to hide them,” he said.

She gulped at his remark.

Maybe that’s why BK wasn’t attracted to her—because he didn’t like her body, especially her chest. Well, the woman with him the other day was proof enough. Her melons— were big.

He stood up and approached, and she instinctively backed away until she hit her closet.

“BK,” she said nervously. His intense gaze made her uncomfortable.

Her breath hitched when he leaned in closer. They were barely an inch apart, and she started swallowing hard. His eyes flicked down to her lips when she licked the bottom one.

His shoulders twitched.

‘Is he going to kiss me?’ she wondered.

She closed her eyes when their bodies nearly touched. Later, she couldn’t help but stare at his chest rising and falling.

Then she shut her eyes tightly again as he moved even closer. She waited for a kiss… but it never came.

She expected it. How embarrassing!

“Wear this. It’ll look good on you,” he whispered, placing a swimsuit in her hand.

She opened her eyes just as he returned to the bed. He collapsed back down, face-first again.