#DS7Unbalanced #InoCent #SMCouple #DaggerSeries

CHAPTER NINE: FOOD

TIARA'S POV

It's the second day since I've been staying at Domino's house. It felt like yesterday lasted longer than my normal day normally does. The shooting, the meeting with the Dawsons, moving into what is now a safe house where I could stay, talking to my mother, and then the dinner with Domino's family.

Kadalasan ay nagsisimula at natatapos ang araw ko sa ballet. I wake up and exercise, I go to Coach Olena, and then I come home and dance in my condominium's small dance room.

But yesterday, a lot of things happened. If they had let me go back to my condo, I would have danced until I could erase the memories of that moment. All that blood... the stillness of the lifeless bodies around me... I would have spent hours exhausting myself so that I wouldn't have time to think about it.

With the Dawsons, I didn't need all that. It was as if they knew, and they helped me without me asking. Without even me knowing that what they gave me is what I need.

Gabi na kami nakabalik ni Domino sa bahay niya. The women wouldn't let me leave, and at that time I also didn't want to. They asked me a few things, but they didn't pry a lot. Instead, they told me stories about them.

Their stories were fun, romantic, and at some point, heartbreaking. I never laughed as much as I did last night, but I also never felt the intense need to cry for someone else. It was a night that I could feel so much. Then we left and...

Napatigil ako sa ginagawa ko na pag warm-up at para bang nakuryente na tumayo ako. I opened my new phone's music streaming app and searched for "Waves", a composition by AVAWAVES, that I love using whenever I want to do contemporary ballet as part of my everyday training.

I can't risk doing anything complex right now, and it would be hard to achieve anyway since I'm only wearing normal socks with grips. I still have the pointe shoes I used yesterday in Olena's studio, but before the end of the session, I already knew that the shoes needed replacing since they were dead. Which wasn't the only thing that died that day.

I shook my head. I didn't like Gary and Boris, but they don't deserve my morbid humor.

Malalim na humugot ako ng hininga at pinikit ko ang mga mata ko. I let my body relax as I listened to the soft music. I ignored everything around me at the same time that I tried to empty my mind. Tuning out what isn't needed and keeping only the delicate embrace of the melody that surrounds the room.

It wasn't long before my body started moving as if it were an extension of the music itself. I raised my hands, creating patterns in the air as if I were a painter designing a masterpiece. I made a few series of spirals, covering the huge space of the glass house with each turn.

Each sway is made of whispered words, lyrics from music that doesn't have one. Each turn is a promise, each leap an emotion. A small smile curved my lips as I folded my body, letting myself fall gently to the floor. I extended my hand as if reaching for something. And like an imaginary pull, I went into a kneeling position, then I made a piqué turn where my one leg extended, and I lifted myself up into a graceful half spin.

It's a rare moment that someone can pull me away when I'm lost in music. But the moment I felt it... I just knew.

My eyes immediately went in one direction, and I wasn't even surprised to see him watching me. He's standing at the now open door that I probably didn't close properly. It was as if he was just about to pass by and stopped when he caught a glimpse of me from the glass house.

Napatigil ako sa ginagawa. I suddenly felt embarrassed. Not just with the way I look. I'm only wearing a loose black shirt and leggings in the same color. My hair is probably sticking out in all directions since he has the rest of the bobby pins that I have.

But those weren't the only reasons. I also felt embarrassed about falling asleep in his car, which would have been normal except that when I woke up, it was already morning and I was in a bed that was not familiar to me. He carried me to bed like I'm a baby.

Nag-iwas ako ng tingin sa kaniya at lumapit ako sa phone ko. I fumbled with it a bit before I managed to stop the music. The moment it ended, I heard the door of the glass house open. Nag-iinit ang magkabilang pisngi na nilingon ko si Domino.

When I woke up and went down the stairs, I knew that he was already up since I could hear sounds coming from the kitchen. Dahil nahihiya ako sa kaniya ay imbis na puntahan siya ay dumiretso na lang ako sa glass house.

The man's gorgeous smile curved his lips into a perfect arc. "Good morning."

"Good morning," I said back, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I was waiting for you to wake up. I checked the time, and that's when I saw a notification from the glass house."

I blinked in confusion. "The glass house... talks to you?"

Kumibot ang mga labi niya na para bang pinipigilan niyang matawa. "No. I meant to say that the glass house system is connected to my phone. Kapag may nagbubukas ng pintuan, automatic na mayroon akong notification." He shrugged when he saw me staring at him without saying anything. "The same goes for the house's main door, the one that leads to here, and the door at the back of the house. I also receive the same thing from the sensors from the gate and surrounding perimeter of the whole property."

"That's a bit—" I stopped for a moment as I tried to think of the right word, and when I found it, I opened my mouth and blurted it out. "—controlling."

He grinned, and I noticed instantly that the serpent-like glint in his eyes was back. "I like control." I gaped at him, and his smile just widened. "Come. I made breakfast for you."

Sinarado ko ang mga labi ko at tumango ako. Kinuha ko ang remote ng glass house para patayin ang aircon.

"By the way, that remote also has different functions."

Kunot ang noo na nilingon ko siya. Inilahad niya ang kamay sa direksyon ko at nagtataka man ay lumapit ako sa kaniya.

May tinuro siya na buton. "You can press this if you want to connect your phone to the glass house's built-in speaker." He pointed at another button with a curtain symbol. "If it's too sunny in here, you can use this one."

I watched in amazement as the glass walls and roof of the glass house frosted over. Domino pressed the button again, and the frost became a little darker.

"Wow," I whispered.

Nangingiting inabot niya ang kamay ko at iginaya ako palabas. Before we stepped out of the glass house, he hooked the remote to its wall mount.

"I'll give you a full tour later," he told me when we were inside the main house. "Though I don't know if you'll be interested in it. Not all the rooms are finished, so you won't see what I plan for them yet."

"The room I woke up in looks beautiful. You were the one that renovated it, so I'm sure the other rooms would be as great too."

"Thanks," nakaangat ang sulok ng labi na sabi niya. "But if you want to do something else, we don't have to do the tour. Maayos na rin ang swimming pool sa likod."

"I'll love to see the whole house," I said.

I was being honest. I'm curious about the place. I feel like I'm in a different world.

I was expecting Domino to let go of my hand, but he didn't. Instead, he pulled me along with him as he walked in the direction of the kitchen. "I talked to your manager last night."

I grimaced. "You should have waited for me to talk to her."

"I had a feeling it would be like talking to your mother, and I wasn't wrong." Nagbaba siya ng tingin sa akin at umangat ang sulok ng mga labi niya nang makita niya ang pagkagulat sa mukha ko. "I saw how tense and stressed you were when you were talking to your mother. I didn't know if the same thing would happen with your manager, but I wanted to talk to her first before you did."

He didn't need to say it for me to hear it. He was taking the brunt so that I wouldn't need to.

"You didn't have to do that," I murmured.

He shrugged. "I don't mind. I don't want to see you upset."

Why? I wanted to ask him that, but I didn't. "What did she say?"

Binuksan niya ang pintuan ng kusina. A delicious smell hit my nose.

Domino winked at me as he gestured for me to come in. "Nothing much. I didn't let her demand anything. I told her what she needed to know and what I expected her to do for you."

It's only morning, and he has already surprised me multiple times. I can't believe he handled Naomi that easily.

"I also talked with your personal assistant. Daria?" He pulled the high stool up for me and helped me up. "Wonderful woman, by the way. She was really concerned for you. She said she would head straight to your condo after the call to pack your things so that she could send them to Dagger today early."

Daria's one of the few people who doesn't often stress me out. She makes my life more bearable, not just because she's my personal assistant but because she's a joy to be around.

"I was expecting her to have it delivered at Dagger before lunch time, but Kuya Axel messaged me at five in the morning and he told me that your things are already there."

"Daria's very efficient."

"And she cares for you."

I didn't say anything. Daria's a good person, and I like having her around, but like with the other people in my life, I always have boundaries that I can't manage to pull down, even if I want to. I hate that I'm like this. I wish I'm not like this.

"Will I have my things today?"

"Not yet. Dagger will check them over, then they will send them here. You'll get them tomorrow. Sabi ni Kuya marami raw pinadala si Daria." Domino placed a plate in front of me. "Here." There are two small pancakes on it. Sa ibabaw no'n ay may hiwang mga banana at strawberry. There are also walnuts sprinkled around them. "It's a banana-nut pancake."

I eat breakfast, but it's usually just an apple or a banana. "Umm..."

"I slaved in the kitchen just to make all these."

Hindi ko mapigilang hindi mapangiti nang nagpapaawang tumingin siya sa akin. He even pursed his lips as if he were a child about to cry.

"I don't think I can finish this."

"I already made them small for you because I know you will try to get away from eating them. Baby steps for now until we can gradually bring you to a healthier portion." He caught my eyes, and the serpent instantly coiled itself around me, trapping me in his gaze. "Are you going to turn me down, doll?"

I found myself immediately answering him. "N-No." I cleared my throat, and I grabbed my fork. "Thank you."

Ipinatong niya ang siko niya sa center island at pinanood niya ako. I cut a small piece, and I popped it in my mouth. An involuntary sound fell from my lips. I couldn't help it. It's really delicious.

Napatigil ako sa pagnguya at napatingin ako kay Domino nang maramdaman ko ang paglapat ng hinlalaki niya sa gilid ng bibig ko. His finger lingered there for a moment before he pulled it back. I watch as he puts his finger in his mouth, his tongue darting out in a quick second as if to taste it.

"You like it?" he asked.

At that moment, I would have said yes even if I was eating a spoonful of nails. "Y-Yes." I shook my head as if it would help to clear it. "I didn't know pancakes could taste like this. Daria tried making one for me before, but I didn't like it. It's too dense."

"Did she use a boxed pancake mix?"

"Yes." I put another small piece in my mouth. "Didn't you?"

He shook his head. "I made that from scratch."

Is he like some kind of surprise generator? Because I swear. He just keeps on surprising me. "You know how to cook? Kasama ba iyan sa training niyo sa Dagger?"

Nangingiting kinuha niya ang sarili niyang plato at nagsimula na rin siyang kumain. "No. But my mother taught me and my siblings how to cook. Lalo na kaming mga lalake. She told us we needed to learn so that one day we could feed ourselves without relying on food deliveries or a woman. Hindi raw lahat ng babae marunong magluto at hindi rin daw iyon responsibilidad lang ng mga babae."

"She sounds like a great person." I gave him a small smile. "And she's right. Not all women can cook because I happened to be a nightmare in the kitchen."

"That's only because you hate food."

I scrunch my nose. "I don't hate food."

"You just hate eating."

Napapabuntong-hininga na nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya. "Has someone told you that you don't know how to hold back? Most people will tiptoe around with a person like me."

"Like you?"

I shrugged. "Someone that isn't normal."

Ibinaba niya ang tinidor niya. He turned his body so that he was fully facing me. "There's nothing wrong with not being like the rest of the world, Tiara. We all have different lives, and we also struggle differently."

"I—"

"Have you ever talked to a professional about your eating habits?"

"I have." I wasn't planning to say more, but when he just kept looking at me, I sighed. "I'm not anorexic. I'm not bulimic. I don't have ARFID either. I don't have a distorted view of my body. I don't binge-eat. I don't purge. I don't fit into any eating disorders. I crave things. I also feel hungry. But when I eat, I don't feel any satisfaction."

"What did your therapist tell you?"

"That I associate food with control. An apple for breakfast, a lunch that would give me enough nutrition, a few pieces of fruit for dinner, and a glass of fruit juice before I go to bed. I only eat like it's part of my routine. If I step out of that routine, say, giving in to a certain midnight craving, then I feel like I'm letting go of that control." I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not the only one who likes control."

"Liking control is different from being forced to take it." I froze, and there's a flicker in his eyes that tells me that he noticed it. "How about you let me take it from here?"

"Feeding me is not part of your job description... or whatever you mean to say."

Sandaling hindi siya nagsalita. I would have thought that that was the end of it, but his gaze remained locked on mine.

"But you will let me." His hand inched to my face, and his forefinger gently grazed my cheek as he pushed away strands of my hair. "Because you're my sweet doll, aren't you?

My. The word sounded possessive. I would have tried to argue with myself that he didn't mean it that way, but the way he looks at me tells me that I'm not mistaken.

Doll. It's a word he always calls me. The word that people often use to describe me. I look like a doll. They said I'm pretty like a doll. I hated it. It makes me feel like I'm some mindless puppet that is only allowed to move if the strings are pulled. Strings that people want to play with, not minding if they get tangled. Not caring if it breaks.

But for some reason, when the word came from his lips, it felt like a whisper of promise. That the strings wrapped around me are not connected to a wooden cross brace but instead are connected to him. When he moves, so do I. When I do, so does he. Like a dance made for two. Like a dance that is just for us.

"Do you want me to teach you how to cook?"

I blinked at his question. "What?"

"You'll like food more if you know it better. Then one day you'll be surprised that you're already falling in love."

Why do I have a feeling that we're not just talking about food?