NERVE WRACKING—that’s what Zariyah was feeling right now. Kaya kanina ay nagpunta siya sa powder room ay para pakalmahin ang sarili niya. She was able to but only for a bit. Hindi niya inaasahan na sa pagbalik niya sa mesa nila ay naroon na si Kylian.
Inilahad niya ang kamay rito. “Hi, I’m Zariyah,” she greeted with a smile on her face. May ilang sandali nitong tinitigan ang kamay niya bago tinanggap iyon.
She could her own heart pounding fiercely out of her chest as she took the seat beside him. When Mr. Fontanilla called her early this morning at inaya siya nitong kumain sa labas kasama si Kylian ay hindi na siya nagdalawang-isip pa. Isang mabilis na oo ang ibinigay niya. She was excited at nagpaalam pa siya kay Mr. Laxamana na mag-u-undertime siya.
“By the way, I already ordered Zariyah. Maya-maya ay darating na rin ang pagkain natin.”
Tahimik siyang napatango. She doubted she would enjoy their food, not when she could feel Kylian’s gaze on her.
“So what’s the occasion?” Kylian asked. Ang tingin nito ay nagpalipat-lipat sa kanilang dalawa ng ama nito. “Are we here to celebrate something or…” he trailed off. Ang tingin nito ay sa kanya na nakapako.
“You’ll know later,” Mr. Fontanilla replied.
Magsasalita pa sana si Kylian pero saktong dumating ang waiter dala ang mga pagkain nila. The foods look appetizing at kung sa ibang pagkakataon lang ay baka ma-enjoy pa ang mga nakahain sa harap niya but not this time. She could sense the tension between the two and it was making her uncomfortable. Halos hindi na nga niya yata malasahan ang kinakain niya.
“So… who are you?”
Napatingin siya bigla kay Kylian. Her brows furrowed in confusion. “I… I already told you my name.”
“No, what I mean...” he paused, taking a sip of his wine, “Paano kayo nagkakilala ni dad?”
“Oh, that…” anas niya. Hindi niya alam kung paano sasagutin ang tanong nito.
“Anak siya ng driver natin dati,” pagsingit bigla ni Mr. Fontanilla.
She breathed a sigh of relief, at lihim na nagpasalamat sa ama ni Kylian.
“Oh, is that so? Sino sa naging driver natin?”
“Huwag mo ng tanungin dahil hindi mo rin naman matatandaan kung sino kahit sabihin ko ang pangalan.”
“T-that’s right. You were still young back then so I doubt you would remember my dad,” she added, with a forced smile.
Kylian nodded, at dahan-dahang napasandal sa upuan. “Oh, really?” anito na tila ba hindi naniniwala sa sagot ng ama. “Well, to be honest, I just find it weird at bakit kailangan ka pang kasama sa dinner namin, when you’re just the daughter of a driver.”
Zariyah bit her lip, her grip on the spoon tightened. Hindi niya gusto ang tono ng pananalita nito at ang pangmamaliit nito. Was this the Kylian she used to know back then? But then, matagal na rin ng huli niya itong makita. He could probably change during those years that they weren’t together.
“Are you my dad’s woman?”
Her mouth went agape. Hindi niya inaasahan ang tanong nito. Kung sa ibang pagkakataon ay baka tinawanan niya lang ang sinabi nito sa pag-aakala na isa iyong biro. But not this time.
“Wow! I just can’t believe this,” Kylian continued, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re already old para sa ganitong—”
“Enough!”
Pareho silang napapitlag ni Kylian sa biglang pagtaas ng boses ng ama nito. Anger shown in his face.
“He’s not my woman, Kylian. She’s the woman you’ll be marrying.”
Mr. Fontanilla dropped the bomb with the announcement. Silence surrounded them all of a sudden—it was the heavy kind that made her want to hold her breath at pakiramdam niya ay anuman sandali lang ay biglang sasabog ang dalawang kaharap niya.
“What?” Kylian paused, and shifted his gaze from his father to her. He made no attempt to hide the disgust in his eyes. “Is this some kind of a prank?”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
Kylian’s face darkened with anger, “Do you really hate Lexie that much to the point that you would even ask some stranger to marry your son?”
Stranger.
She didn’t expect the pain that spiraled through her just because of that one word. It was the same feeling she had when she was told that Kylian had forgotten her.
“I already told you that I don’t like that woman. And Zariyah is not a stranger! She was—”
“Bullshit!”
She almost jumped out of her skin sa biglang pagtaas ng boses ni Kylian. His voice echoed around the room. Nang iikot niya ang tingin sa buong paligid ay nasa kanila na ang atensyon ng mga tao na kasalakuyan nasa restaurant.
“Kylian, will you please calm down?” aniya. Hindi niya gustong nasa direksyon nila nakatingin ang lahat.
But Kylian ignored her. Ang atensyon nito ay nasa ama. “From the start, iba na ang kutob ko ng inaya mo akong mag-dinner sa labas. I already had a hunch that it would be about Lexie again,” he paused, his brown eyes narrowed as he looked at her. “But never did it cross my mind that you would pull something like this.”
Mr. Fontanilla spoke, his voice was calm, “I’m doing this for your own sake.”
For a moment Kylian stared at his dad in disbelief—and then his eyes flared with renewed fury. He scoffed, “My sake? No, you are doing this for your own good.”
“Don’t misunderstand—”
“Please,” Kylian begged and balled his fist on top of the table. “I’ve had enough of this bullshit.”
Zariyah watched in surprise as Kylian stood up and left. Nilingon niya si Mr. Fontanilla at ang akala niya ay susundan nito ang anak pero nanatili lang itong nakaupo. She couldn’t help but feel upset at how things turned out.
“I’m sorry about that, hija.”
Hindi siya kumibo, and instead she decided to follow his childhood friend. Naabutan na niya ito sa labas patungong parking area. She called out his name pero tila ba bingi ito at hindi man lang huminto. She grabbed him but he jerked his arm away.
“Kylian, please…”
And for a moment, Kylian stood there silently. The intensity of his gaze made her stomach do a flip. Ang kung ano man ang sasabihin niya sana rito ay biglang naglaho sa kanyang isipan.
“How much?” he asked. His voice sounded cold and distant.
Confusion crossed her face, “I don’t get what you’re saying.”
“How much did my dad pay you para sakyan mo ang kalokohan niya? Sabihin mo at tatapatan ko. What else do you need? Car, house, job; you name it, and I’ll give it to you.”
Her eyes wandered across his face. She kept her own features impassive, but his words pierced her to the core. Sa mata ng kababata, she was nothing but a desperate woman. And she wouldn’t argue with that dahil totoo naman yun. But it was because of that desperation kaya kaharap na niya muli ito.
“I don’t need any of those,” she said, her voice was little more than a whisper. “It’s because it is you that I want, Kylian.”
He grabbed her arm, locked eyes with her and rasped through gritted teeth, “Well, sorry to say pero wala akong balak sakyan ang kahibangan ng aking ama,” he paused, then whispered in her ear, “Nor do I want to marry a stranger.”