#DS7Unbalanced #InoCent #SMCouple #DaggerSeries

CHAPTER TWELVE: WORSHIP

TIARA'S POV

Nag-angat ako mula sa binabasa ko na libro at napatingin ako sa kinaroroonan ni Domino. I found myself struggling to go back to reading when I saw how his white shirt was now clinging to his skin, which was drenched with sweat.

He's been pulling off planks of hardwood flooring that need replacing in the dining room since awhile ago. His muscles are straining as he continues to use on the hardwood floors the pitchfork-like tool that he told me when I asked was a demolition bar.

I felt my face heat when he pulled the ends of his shirt to wipe his face, giving me a glimpse of his well-sculpted abdomen. My gaze followed the V-shaped pathway downward, and I unconsciously bit my lower lip when I realized where it headed, even if it was concealed by his faded jeans.

Itinakip ko sa mukha ko ang unang libro ni Lucienne na kanina ay binabasa ko bago pa makita ni Domino na nakatulala ako sa kaniya.

"Ty bozhevillyny," I mumbled to myself. Crazy. That's the right word for me since I'm slowly losing my mind when I'm around Domino.

Pilit na ibinalik ko sa binabasa ko ang atensyon ko. I've been reading Lucienne's book since breakfast. I was planning to go back to the glass house to continue what I was doing when Domino requested that I stay with him while he worked on the dining area.

I didn't mind. I know this is him doing his job. Most people in a similar situation to mine probably find this kind of thing suffocating. No one likes to be babysat 24/7. But living in this castle-like place, for some reason, makes me feel at ease. Which, again, would feel like prison for some. But come on? What kind of prison looks this beautiful?

Normally, he wouldn't mind that I stay in the glass house while he's in the kitchen or the living room. Kapag tapos na siya sa ginagawa niya ay pinupuntahan niya ako sa glass house. He's the control freak who receives notification whenever anything around this place moves anyway, so I'm not surprised that I have more freedom. But since he's going to work in the dining area and it might get noisy, he wants me to be somewhere he can see me.

Dahan-dahan kong binaba ang libro na hawak ko. My breath caught in my throat when I saw that Domino was no longer wearing his shirt, revealing his well-defined chest that was bathed in glistening sweat.

I raise the book again to hide my face, but I keep lowering it down to look at the man, who is oblivious to how much I'm ogling him.

"I'm blaming Lucienne for this. This is just me absorbing her spirit." I've gone from smiling to laughing to nearly crying myself with laughter as I read her book, Unwritten. I've also read a lot of parts where she was describing Thorn in detail and her... let's just say, active imagination when it comes to his physique. "Zakhisty mene vid spokusi."

My didus often says teasingly, "Protect me from temptation" whenever my babusya cooks his favorite food. He still eats them anyway. I'm saying it now too, even though I still can't stop myself from looking.

This is something that is new to me. I might have just one relationship, but that doesn't mean I haven't been around men. I've danced with different male ballerinas. I've seen them almost wear next to nothing. There are a few instances when I felt what I shouldn't, despite their dance belts.

But they didn't do anything for me. With Domino, it's different. He could just stand on the opposite side of the room, and I... feel him. It's like I'm indifferent to the rest of the world, but with him, I'm hyper-aware.

I shook my head as if it would help me clear it, and I forced myself to go back to reading. It wasn't easy, but when I did, I found myself lost in Lucienne's world.

Natigil lang ako ulit sa pagbabasa nang makarinig ako ng ingay mula sa direksyon ni Domino. And again, I was lost in watching him hammer new planks of wood into the spaces where he removed pieces of wood that needed replacing.

"Maybe I'm ovulating," I whispered to myself. "Yep. That's the only reason. I have an egg that wants to be fertilized. It's science. It's biology. It's normal." My eyes widened when Domino bent to reach for something, making the denim snugly embrace his form. This is criminal. How can a man look that good in worn-out jeans? "No eggs are getting fertilized. I'm going to take a shower—no. I'm going to jump into the pool." Why do his eight-pack abs seem to be getting closer? Do I suddenly have the ability to zoom in my vision?

"You feel hot?"

Napalunok ako at nabitawan ko ang libro na hawak ko na kaagad nasalo ni Domino bago iyon bumagsak sa sahig. He also stopped the comfortable padded chair I'm sitting on from falling backwards, which I jolted when I suddenly moved, by putting a hand on the backrest.

"Doll? Does anything hurt? Is it your feet?"

I blinked up at him. "Ha?" He's really close. Like really close. He's still holding the backrest, making my face just a few inches from his chest. "Eyes," I whispered. I need new eyes because the ones I have are burning.

"Do they hurt?"

"Yeah," I whispered. "They burn—"

Hindi ko nagawang tapusin ang sasabihin ko nang yumuko siya at umakto na para bang kakargahin ako. I leaned back in the chair and tried to stop him from doing what he was about to do. Only to do that, I need to place my hands on his chest to push him back. I'm not going to think about it. I'm not going to think about how hard his chest was. Nope. Nope. Nope.

"What are you doing?"

Kunot ang noo na nagbaba siya ng tingin sa mga paa ko. "You said you need ice for your feet because they're burning."

"Umm... no. They don't."

"But you just said—"

"Yes. Uhh no." Ipinilig ko ang ulo ko. Get a grip, Tiara. " I mean, I don't need ice for my feet. I need new eyes—" It took everything for me not to scream. Huminga ako ng malalim at pilit na nginitian ko siya. "My eyes are burning. I... I've been reading since breakfast, so I needed to stop, but I couldn't because, well, it's a great book. But... yeah. I need to stop and do something else."

He looked whiplashed by my rambling, but he ended up just nodding. Napapakamot sa likod ng ulo na tinapunan niya ng tingin ang ginagawa.

"Itutuloy ko na lang 'to bukas para makapunta ka na sa glass house."

I shook my head while waving my hands in front of me. "No. You can continue. I can dance later if I want to. Besides, bukas pa naman ang schedule ko kay Olena. I can just rest for today, I guess."

Coach and I will try virtual lessons for now. Kapag pwede na ay may susundo sa kaniya na empleyado ng Dagger at dadalin siya rito.

Pinasadahan ako ng tingin ni Domino. "You're bored."

"I'm not." Itinaas ko ang libro. "I'm enjoying this. It's fun."

Kinuha niya sa akin ang libro at inipit niya ro'n ang bookmark na binigay ni Lucienne na inilagay ko sa unang pahina. "Finish it later when your eyes aren't burning anymore."

Bumuka ang mga labi ko para magreklamo pero itinikom ko na lang ulit iyon. Ano namang sasabihin ko sa kaniya? Na kailangan ko ng bagong mata kasi wala akong ginawa kundi titigan siya?

"Want to help me out?" he asked, tipping his head in the direction of the dining room.

I perked up. "Can I?" I suddenly became hesitant when he nodded. "What if I messed up?"

"Then I'll fix it." Nang mapansin niya na nag-aalinlangan pa rin ako ay inabot niya ang kamay ko at tinulungan ako na makatayo. "Come. I'll teach you how to sand."

He made me wear a mask, and then he showed me machinery that looked intimidating because it's quite big, and he taught me how to use it. Ilang beses niya munang pinakita sa akin kung paano gamitin ang machine bago niya iyon ibinigay sa akin.

Siya na ang naglagay ng mga kamay ko sa hawakan, at pagkatapos ay binuhay niya ang makinarya. I was expecting him to move away, but instead he stood at my back, helping me push the sander.

I was torn between not freaking out that I'm doing something that I've never done before and with Domino standing so close behind me that I could feel the heat coming from his breath fanning the side of my face.

Thankfully, when he made sure that I wasn't going to accidentally run myself over with the sander, he moved away and watched me go back and forth in the huge space of the dining area.

Nang kailangan na niyang palitan ang abrasive ng machine ay siya na ang tumapos ng ginagawa ko. When he was done sanding the rest of the hardwood floor, he pulled a vacuum out.

Mukhang siya na sana ang mag-va-vacuum pero lumapit ako sa kaniya. "I know how to use a vacuum," I said proudly.

He didn't say anything, but there was an amused glint in his eyes when he handed me the cleaning tool. Binalikan niya ang mga gamit niya at may kinuha siya roon.

"What's that?" I asked loudly so that he could hear me above the noise of the vacuum.

"An edger."

He started sanding the parts that the bigger sander couldn't reach. He's so meticulous. Domino seems to be the kind of person who doesn't just give his one hundred percent to something that is important to him. Baka nga higit pa sa two hundred ang kaya niyang ibigay.

This place would be beyond beautiful once it's done. Not just because of how it looks but because Domino's is pouring everything into this place. The woman who gets to live in this place would be really lucky. When that day comes, he'll probably strip off the glass house and turn it into something that the special person in his life could use.

I ignored the twinge in my chest. I'm not blind to the fact that there's something going on between us. That his actions point to one answer, and that is that he likes me. But we're forced into this situation. He was forced to take me in. Paano ako makakasiguro na walang magbabago kapag natapos na ang lahat ng 'to?

He feels responsible when it comes to me. It is in his personality to be protective, and he's that way to me. But when the danger is no longer here, how can I be sure that whatever his feelings for me wouldn't disappear with it?

Ballet takes hours. I would be training non-stop. I would be away more than I would be present. He travels just to see my show, but I can't say that I can do the same. I can't see how any relationship could survive that. Not when it would be so unfairly unbalanced.

Relationship? Getting a little ahead of yourself, Tiara?

Ipinilig ko ang ulo ko at ibinuhos ko na lang ang atensyon ko sa ginagawa ko. Nang matapos ako ay sakto namang tapos na rin siya sa ginagawa niya. Kumuha siya ng mop at napakunot ang noo ko. Kailangan pala no'n?

"It's a tack mop," he explained as if reading my mind. "To make sure that all dust was collected."

I nodded and stayed to the side. Pinanood ko lang siya habang pinapasadahan niya ang malaking area. This dining room would be perfect for his family. Ang laki kasi ng pamilya niya. To think na hindi pa kasama ang lahat noong pumunta ang mga iyon noong nakaraan.

"Want to rest, or do you want to help me seal?"

"I want to help," I said quickly.

He grinned, and he left me for a few seconds. Nang bumalik siya ay may dala na siyang dalawang mahaba na roller at isang kulay puting galon. He gave me one of the rollers, and I couldn't help but smile while looking at it.

When I have the time, I always find myself watching Youtube's painting videos. I always find it oddly satisfying when they use rollers to paint.

Itinaas ni Domino ang hawak niya na galon. "This is a sealer. Kailangan nating lagyan ang buong area na walang iniiwanan na spots."

He explained to me about his "game plan" but I realized that when it comes to technicalities that are outside the boundaries of ballet, my mind just wouldn't cooperate to absorb anything. Kaya natagpuan ko na lang ang sarili ko na tumatango kahit wala naman akong naiintindihan. How hard could it be? I just need to paint the floor with the sealer.

Domino poured some of the contents of the container into another one, and he gave it to me. He went to the middle of the room. Hati kami dapat. I think he told me about leaving a space on the side, but I'm not sure. Pinanood ko muna siya sandali at nang makita ko na simple lang naman ang gagawin ay nagsimula na rin ako.

The dining area was gigantic, but I don't feel tired. I don't know if it's just because I have great stamina and endurance or if I'm just really enjoying myself. I always thought ballet was the only thing that could empty my mind for a moment, but it seems to me that doing this works as well. Maybe I should find my own project once everything is back to normal.

Hindi ko alam kung gaano na katagal ang lumipas. I was so absorbed in my task that I didn't notice how long it had been. I was also so focused because I didn't want to mess up and ruin his hard work.

"Tiara?"

Napatigil ako sa ginagawa at nilingon ko ang pinanggalingan ng boses ni Domino. Napakurap ako nang makita ko kung nasaan siya.

He's a few distance from me, but he's closer to the door of the dining area. He already covered the space he was working on with the seal, and there are only a few parts left. I realized that I'm almost stepping on the part where he started from at the beginning, and I would have if he didn't call me.

Domino grimaced, eyeing the floor beneath me. I looked down in confusion, but my eyes slowly widened when it dawned on me.

The reason he told me to leave some parts on the side was so that I could leave the room without stepping on anything. But since I put a seal on everything, I'm now trapped in a rectangular space.

"Oh," I whispered. I looked down in embarrassment. He trusted me to help, but it looks like I'm just giving him more problems. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he said reassuringly. "You can step on it. I'll fix it later."

Umiling ako. Guilt is really gnawing at me. He's been working on this for hours, and now it's ruined because of me.

"Doll, if you don't come here, I'm going to get you."

"No!" Nagpalingon-lingon ako. There must be away. "Wait. Let me think."

"It's okay—"

"It's not!" I shouted, stomping my feet. I probably look like a child, but I don't care. Ayoko na siyang bigyan ng problema. I'm already the personification of that word. I am a big headache that came into his life.

I enjoyed doing this with him. I was happy with the idea that I'd done something. That I might not be here when the time comes that his house is finished, but at least I've contributed this tiny, trivial thing. That even if he fails to remember someday... I wouldn't.

I eyed the distance between us. He's far, but if I jump... "Catch this, please." I throw the roller in his direction, which he manages to catch with ease. I stepped back until I was at the edge of the unsealed space, and I rolled my ankles to prepare them. "I need you to be ready."

His brows furrowed. "Ready for what?"

"To catch me."

After saying that, I ran through the remaining space, and I flung myself into the air.

He looked taken aback for a moment, but his reflexes kicked in and he immediately braced himself to catch me. It wasn't long before I felt my body slam into his, and his arms hooked around my waist, firmly holding me so I wouldn't topple over.

"What was that?" he breathed.

My lips curled into a grin, and for some reason I found myself clapping. "Nice catch!" When he just stared at me, I raised my hands and copied the scene from a Disney movie that I watched on a plane. It was from Moana, I think. "Domino, Domino, Domino." I put a hand on the side of my mouth and whispered. "You're so amazing!"

He blinked at me a few times, as if he were trying to process everything. I let myself widen, and his gaze dropped to my lips. "I don't know if I should throw you over my shoulders and worship you or bend you over my knee to punish you for scaring the life out of me."

Did he... did he just threaten to... spank me? "W-What?"

Shaking his head, he put me down on my feet carefully. Akala ko ay bibitawan niya na ako pero sa pagtataka ko ay hinawakan niya ang kamay ko at iginaya ako papunta sa kung saan.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Matagal pa bago matuyo ang seal. We can't put the finish yet. We'll have a snack first, then we'll get back to it."

I decided to just let him do what he wanted. It's not like I can say no to him when it comes to food. Para kasing ginawa na niyang parte ng trabaho niya ang masiguro na hindi ako parang daga kumain. His words. Not mine.

"You're Millie Mouse but you shouldn't eat like one."

Nasa kusina na kami nang may maisip ako. "Domino?"

"Hmm?"

"Why does throwing me on your shoulder mean worshiping me?" I found myself asking.

He stopped in his tracks as if he didn't expect my question. When he turned to look at me, I swallowed nervously when I saw that the familiar glint in his eyes was back. Serpent.

"Throwing you on my shoulder wouldn't be worshiping."

"But you said—"

"It would be when we reach the place where I can put you down that it would start," he murmured.

The door of his bedroom flashed in my mind. Because I just know... I am sure... that I wasn't the only one who had it in mind. He has too.

In fact, he was already thinking about it before I did.