Chapter 16: Chapter 16

"Congratulations!" I tell Ella as I stand beside her at the sink. My wish to be alone for some moments got denied when she followed me to the bathroom.

She smiles, but her brows raise as she looks at me.

"On having a baby."

She throws me a quick and confused stare.  My brows also pull together, wondering what is in her mind.

"Oh, that. Thank you. I thought you meant Zed and me,” she says, tilting her head into a radiant smile. She speaks with such elegance and gracefulness that I feel inferior.

Oh, heavens! She's confirming it. They're pregnant!

“That one also. I was worrying for him back then. I was kind of guilty,” I pause, trying to find the right words. I'm sure Zed has confessed everything about us. “But some things just happened beyond our control. So, seeing that he’s happy now makes me breathe freely again.”

“We all fail in life,” she says, holding my gaze; her interlaced hands suspend under the faucet, “but what’s more important is we move on.”

“Right,” I smile, and she waves a hand, motioning that she’s going out ahead of me.

I pull a deep breath as I watch her retreating figure. Her soft, wavy, and blonde curls sway gently at the small of her back. She’s so sexy as hell; her cream, cotton mini dress accentuates her perfect curves and her long, shapely legs. No wonder it didn’t take Zed long to move on; if beauty and gracefulness matters to him.

Struggling to keep my mood up, I walk slowly out of the bathroom. Making my ill feeling worse, I see Zed walking beside Ella, his hands on her waist. Him beside Ella, the both of them look perfect together.

To save myself from further discomfort, I turn to another corner that leads to our table. They are already seated when I come around.

“Don’t we come here for grilled fish?” I hear Zed speaking to Ella.

“It’s alright. I’m full anyway,” Ella answers. I pull my chair out and sit beside Kim. He looks at me and draws me towards him.

“No. We aren’t going anywhere if you can’t have the grilled fish. I don’t want to roam around the city later to look for what is not there.”

Zed then pushes the buzzer and an attendant comes over. “What do you have for grilling?”

“We have Tuna, Tanguige, and Milkfish," answers the waiter.

Zed looks at Ella and she gathers her brows to think. “Hmm. Tuna belly. Six servings.”

Zed shakes his head and chuckles, “Will that be enough?”

“Yes,” she smiles sweetly and Zed pats her head. Ella then leans on his chest.

“Just text me if you can’t consume that. I’d be willing to come,” Ara tells Ella; her grin reaches to her ears. I appreciate how Ara blends easily with her.

“Ar, want some? Let’s get you another order," offers Zed.

“No, no. Thank you. Just kidding.”

“Pregnancy cravings?” Kim asks. I jolt in my seat.

“Yes,” Zed says, casting a quick glance at me. Damn him!

“Yen used to be like that. It will get stronger in the second trimester. But sometimes, I thought it was just her way of getting my attention. So, beware,” Kim says, winking at me.

We all burst out laughing. Somehow, the tension in the air gets lighter. Kim then starts talking about my follies when I was pregnant with the Marthies and Matthews until the attendant comes back with a take-out box containing the grilled fish.

Ella squeals as the attendant places the box in front of her. She quickly opens the lid, but then she scrambles to her feet and runs toward the lavatory sink at the corner. Zed quickly spins around, following her.

“Oh. I can relate,” Ara mumbles, shaking her head.

I watch Zed rubbing her back tenderly as Ella empties her stomach on the sink. And then I remember how he was with me when I was pregnant with our child. Kim is a gentleman, but Zed is way far better than him when it comes to caring for the ones he loves.

“First trimester really sucks,” I tell Kim to ease my discomfort. It's such a pain to see Zed caring sweetly for Ella. Kim is also watching them -- and also perhaps, my reaction.

“Indeed. You made me sleepless before.”

I let out a soft laugh. “I’m sorry, Kim.”

He rubs my head and smiles. “That’s the price of getting a wife pregnant. So why would I complain?”

I am about to answer him, but I see Zed and Ella coming back to the table. Once again, I put on a smile.

“Okay, now?” I look at Ella. She’s still pale from too much puking.

“A little better but maybe we should go. I want to rest,” she says, moving her eyes between Zed and the three of us.

“Sure. I know the feeling,” I say worriedly, but deep inside, I mock myself.

“Indeed. It’s frustrating,” Ara adds. Unlike me, her concern sounds real.

“D-d...Yen, Kim, Ar, thanks for the dinner. I guess we should head out now.”

Dear... I feel tickled deep inside. Zed hasn’t gotten used to calling me with my first name yet.

“You’re welcome. See you around next time,” Kim answers. Ara and I also wave and say goodbye, smiling like they are mere friends.

“I also need to go, Yen, Kim. Need to put Ralph to sleep.”

I rise from my seat and Ara also stands up. Then, I walk closer to her, wrapping her in an embrace.

“You should come to the house and meet the twins.”

“Of course, “ she says, hugging me back. Although we do video calls while she's in the USA, she hasn't met my kids yet.

We wait until Ara pulls out from the parking lot before Kim and I walk to our car. He opens the door for me before walking around to the passenger seat.

“Are you alright?” Kim peers at me while his fingers are on the ignition key.

“Of course. Why?”I ask; my heartbeats immediately pound hard against my chest.

“Nothing. It’s your first time meeting Zed.”

I sigh. I’m afraid my emotions showed moments ago. Suddenly, I don’t know how to answer him, but I don’t want to lie, either. I’m not really good at hiding.

“I’d be honest to say that I was uncomfortable. It was I who left him, so I was worried for a long time. And now that he’s apparently happy and in love with Ella, I’m already at peace.”

It’s my first time confessing my feelings. Kim never asked me how I felt before. Perhaps, he was just afraid to know the truth.

I love Kim, but I also loved Zed despite his flaws. He loved me tenderly and cared for me like I was the most fragile thing in the world. While I was happy after finding out that Kim and I had kids, I was also hurting for Zed.

“If you say so."

I stare at the road fidgetting, my mind is a mess. But then I realize we’re not on our way home. We’re in front of Jakara Hotel, the hotel he names after me.

“What are we doing here?” I ask as Kim pulls over the parking lot.

“To spend time alone with you.”

“Why? We’re always with each other,” I ask. After we got back together, I became Kim’s right hand, assisting him in running the business. That wherever I am, he is also there.

“That’s different.”

“As you wish.”

Kim undresses me the moment he opens our suit. I laugh; he looks like a hungry wolf attacking me.

“What’s wrong? We have all the time to ourselves.”

“I want you badly.”

He kisses me right away, his hands roaming wildly on my body. I kiss him back while my hands fumble on the buttons of his shirt.

“Shouldn't we shower first?” I ask. Kim is always the paragon of cleanliness.

“Later.”

Lifting and laying me on the bed,  he withdraws for a few seconds to remove all his clothes. He then kisses me again, probing his tongue deeper in the next second. I welcome him, letting my tongue swirl and dance along with his. Then, his mouth starts running down my neck, my collarbone -- and finally resting on the hardened buttons of my peaks.

Still glowing after the bliss of making love with Zed, waves of pleasure immediately wrap my body. I even squeal as he starts sucking my right bud. Driven by my reaction, his left hand crawls over my left breast, caressing it with his fingertips. I moan and close my eyes, arching my body to give him easier access.

I feel I’m going to lose my mind as Kim continues his ministration on my body. I groan the loudest when his mouth finally claims me down there, sucking and licking it like it’s the most delicious food he has ever tasted. Yet, no matter how well he does it, my mind still goes to Zed.

Because of Zed’s sexual flaw, he had mastered the art of oral stimulation, just to make it up with me. And I even feel he’s getting better with it. I know it... I felt it a few hours ago.

“Your moans are louder tonight, love. Am I still the one in your mind?”