Chapter 26

I slept so comfortably that Matteo's didn't wake me up last night, but getting so comfortable made me realize something is wrong.

I thought I was just sleeping in Shai's bedroom, but I was in anybody's room right now. Napabangon ako sa pagkakahiga. The room was dark and I couldn't see anything so I tried to stretch my arms to look for something near me.

May nasanggi akong mukhang lampshade so I search the turn on button midst the dark. Eventually, I turned it on and somehow lit up the room.

I am so sure na wala ako sa condo ni Shaira. The room smells different from the lavender scent she used on her purifier. This room smells like a normal hotel room. Malakas ang kabog ng dibdib ko at hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin.

Hinahanap ko ang phone. It wasn't sitting anywhere else inside the room. Maski sa loob ng bedside drawer ay wala itong laman. Umalis na ako sa kama at tumungo sa pinto at nagbaka-sakaling bukas iyon at masyado lang akong paranoid para mag-isip ng ibang bagay.

As I reached for the doorknob then twisted it and didn't budge. At this moment, I know something is wrong and I can't reach out for any help. My emotions are getting high as I'm slowly getting out of options on what to do.

Nilakasan ko ang loob ko. I knocked on the door loudly so anyone on the other side would hear me. I kept calling someone there. Hindi imposible na walang tao ro'n. I know it should be locked on my side of the door, so the probability that this room is locked is high.

I kept calling and calling but seems like no one was there until a paper slipped under the door. It was intended, I think. I can a shadow through the gap under the door. There was someone there and who could it be playing me?

I picked up the paper on the floor and see what was in it. There I saw something written on it.

2 hours.

I'm not sure what does that means, but this doesn't look so good. Alam kong hinahanap na ako nina Shai. Hindi pwedeng may mangyaring masama sa akin dahil marami pa akong plano. Para sa sarili ko at para kay Matteo.

This isn't happening right now. Who in the right mind would do this kind of thing?

"Hello?" muli kong pagtawag sa kung sino man ang tao sa kabila ng pinto. "Nasaan po ba ako?"

Still, no one was answering me. I waited and waited. I'm not aware of the time and I'm not sure how long it has been since I was here. Gusto ko na lang umuwi at makasama si Matteo.

Tahimik lamang ako sa loob ng kwarto and when I've heard noises from the other side, tumutungo ako sa pinto at nilalapat ko ang tainga ko para pakinggan kung anong nangyayari.

Earlier, I was just hearing footsteps and bottles crashing down together. I don't know what was happening there, but at this moment, I could hear someone just come inside. I heard little voices with those conversations made there. Hindi ko naman gaanong maintindihan, but I can assure that those are men.

They've got deep voices and heard heavy footsteps on the ground.

I was waiting for what will happen next and then I heard footsteps getting so loud at where my room is then I heard the clung of the locks outside. I could feel my chest beating so shallowly and fast. When the door opened, a figure of a man stood right on the doorstep. With those stances, I already figure out who was it even though I could barely see his face.

"Ikaw..." I muttered in my shaking voice.

But to my surprise, another man showed up and there I saw the man I left almost two months ago.

"Fabio..." I said through my breath.

My shoulder dropped as soon I as realized it was him, but there was also a little relief found in me when I saw him. I know this wasn't a good time for anything, but I guess he's here for business—me.

He turned on the switch which lit up the whole room and with that, I could see all of him.

"Jacinta." He smirked, putting his hands in his pants pockets.

Instead of getting terrified of him, nilakasan ko ang loob ko. Naglakad ako nang matulin patungo sa kanya, but then the guy who was stalking me immediately come in my way blocking his arm to keep me away from Fabio.

"It's alright," he mentioned and then the guy steps a little away from him.

Kumuyom ang kamao ko. Gusto kong suntukin ang mukha ng lalaking 'to. Nakangisi pa at akala niya natutuwa ako sa ginagawa niya?

"You did this?" I asked angrily.

"Uhuh," he replied, nodding his head.

"You're so fucking stupid, Fabrizio," I scolded. Pero mukhang walang effect iyon sa kanya. "I am leaving."

I was about to, but then he stopped me by grabbing me by my arm. I quickly shove his hands off of me.

"What are you doing to me? I need to go."

"I was looking for you," he said straight to my face with an emotion that made me stunned. "You left Sicily and I kept looking for you, and then I'll find you here. Why did you leave, Jacinta?"

I smiled, smirking, and all the things that happened before floated right back into my head.

"You don't wanna ask, I'm not the bad guy here."

"I am asking, so you answer."

"Okay, fine. You want some answer, go fuck Giana like you wanted to."

"Is that all?"

"You're a cheater... you don't take responsibility for anything... and mostly, you're a prick."

"Can you prove them all, Jacinta?"

"I don't need to prove them for you," I said. "You should know what happened. It's what you did and you know what they are. If there's anything relevant you wanted me to say that is you don't belong in our lives anymore."

"Really, Jacinta? After all the things I've done and we've been through?"

"What you've done is nothing compared to the things I've done for this family. And don't speak like what we've been through was worse. You don't know the story. You don't know what happens."

"Is that why you are so angry at me?" he asked. "Remember, you left Sicily without saying a word, Jacinta. You left."

"And you deserve to be left. You don't deserve us. And if there's nothing you'd say, I'd better be leaving because my son's waiting for me."

"And where is he exactly now, huh?"

"It's none of your business."

Umigting ang panga niya. "It's my business, Jacinta. He has my blood."

Napangisi ako saka ako napahalukipkip. "If he's your business, how many of us are your business? Did Giana give birth to your son? The one who you kept hiding from me."

Tumalim ang tingin niya sa akin pero mas mamuo ang confusion sa mga mata niya.

"What are you saying?" he questioned. "Jacin—fuck. You don't understand."

"It's easy to understand. I mean there's no explanation needed there."

Umalis ako sa harapan niya at binangga ko siya. Ako lang din ang nasaktan sa ginawa ko dahil ang tigas ng katawan niya. Before I could leave the room, I asked for my phone. The guy who was stalking me and kept me locked received an order from Fabio to give my stuff back.

I aggressively snatch my things from his hands.

"This isn't over, Jacinta. I'll get you back to Sicily."

Hindi ko siya pinansin kung hindi ay tuluyan na akong lumabas ng room at tumungo sa elevator. My legs are shaking and so when I entered the elevator heading down to the lobby, lumambot ang tuhod ko na para bang gusto ko na lamang mahiga sa sahig.

I searched my way out of building and grabbed a taxi heading back to Shai's condo. I could still feel my chest beating so fast. When I arrived at the condo, pagkapasok ko ng building ay naabutan ko sina Shai at nanay niya na nasa lobby naghihintay at baka sa mukha nila ang takot.

But as soon as they saw me walk in, there was a sign of relied found on their faces rushing towards me and locking me in a tight hug. They were so worried. I could sense it.

Gustong bumigay ng emosyon ko. I wanted to cry but feels like I'm already immune to it.

They are already asking me how am I, but all I could answer was I am okay and a nod. Pumanik na rin kami sa unit niya kung saan naabutan namin ang lalaking kapatid niya na si Kent na karga-karga ang anak ko.

"Ate Jacinta!" sigaw nito nang makita akong pumasok. Sa sigaw niya ay nagulat si Matteo kaya nagising ito at umiyak.

I attended to him and that was the moment I instantly cried.

Lumapit si Shai sa akin at tinabihan ako sa sofa. Inabutan naman ako ng kapatid niya ng isang baso ng tubig habang pinasuso ko si Matteo. I could feel their worry circling around me and that's fine.

Mayamaya lamang ay may tumawag sa phone ni Shai.

"Nasa baba na sila..."

"Sinong sila?" taka kong tanong.

Shai looked at me, caressing my arm like she was sorry about it. "I didn't know what to do, Jace... I reached out to your parents... they knew you were missing. They are here."

"Ha..."

"Kent, puntahan mo sila sa lobby at paakyatin dito," utos ng nanay nila. Sumunod naman ang anak niya at lumabas ng unit.

"Was I missing for 24 hours?" I asked.

"Hindi pa," Shai answered. "We asked for help sa pulis, but they wouldn't take an action kung wala pang twenty hours nawawala ang tao. So, we tried reaching out to your parents. They answered... they seemed so confused at first pero base sa pakikipag-usap ko sa kanila, they sound so worried, too."

I'm not sure what to feel. I bow my head down and stare at the face of my baby. He was calm feeding on me. They don't know Matteo... they don't know anything that had happened for almost a year so I have no idea how to face them.

While waiting for them, Shai asked me what happened.

"Ano bang nangyari? Saan ka nagpunta? I remembered last night, naghihintay lang dapat tayo ng sasakyan natin ng pauwi pero pagbalik ko hindi na kita makita. I thought you went home first pero pagdating ko rito sa condo, you weren't here."

"I jumped into someone else's car... which I thought was the car you booked."

"Oh... kaya pala. And?"

"I didn't tell you anything about this, but someone was following me."

Nanlaki ang mata niya sa sinabi ko. She held on me. "Jace? Why didn't you?"

Umiling ako. "Ayokong mag-aalala ka... and I thought that was nothing."

"Was it someone you know?"

I nodded. "This person, I don't, but the person who ordered him, I know him very well."

She gasped covering her hand on her mouth. Her eyes widened at the news. "No way... he found you?"

I nodded once again. "He found me."

She was about to ask more when my parents arrived. Upon entering the room, their eyes searched for me and saw that I was feeding a baby wrapped around my arm. Pansin ko ang gulat, lito, at ibang emosyon sa mukha nila.

I was just looking at them until my mom rushed to my side and open her arms wide enclosing into her arms.

"Jalessa..." she murmured.

"Ma..." I muttered.

Lumapit din si papa at niyakap ako. He couldn't take his eyes away from Matteo pati na rin si mama. They were confused and wanted to know what was happening, but would I leave them to be part of this life when they don't want anything of me for the past year?

Things are very complicated for me this time and I have no single idea how to deal with them. For god's sake, if I could just undo all the things that had happened, I would. Very much so.

#BirthOfLiesInSicily #BOLISChapter26 #WTS9