"Pride is all I have. I won't let you break the protective walls I set onto myself."

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"Oh, that's too bad. I just arrived to join the party."

Five sets of scrutinizing eyes landed on the topless man wearing his white jersey short only, with a bottle of beer on his hand, while Zach's eyes were fixed on the woman who sat on the poolside.

I'm just thinking of the mushroom and here he is—appearing suddenly even without rain! Yrrah thought.

"Oh! oh golligosh! Isn't he that Mr. Most Handsome of DMCS?" Princess asked Yrrah agitatedly, covered her mouth at once by her right hand, closed her eyes, and cursed herself silently.

"DMCS?" Yrrah asked. Her eyebrows furrowed and tried to remember what's that acronym stands for; it really seems familiar. Her eyes switched from Princess to Zach and vice versa, trying to read their reactions if they knew each other.

"No-nothing. I just thought I kn-know him," Princess stuttered.

Yrrah caught when Zach's eyes squinted while eyeing Princess who's swimming back to her boyfriend.

"Hi, Fafa Zach!" Barbie shouted while waving her hand at the far-end of the pool.

Zach didn't even spare her gay friend a glance.

So snobbish! What should I expect! The window of Yrrah's soul rolled heavenwards.

"Hey, bud," Aeron greeted in friendly tone.

"Hey." Zach nodded to him. His burning eyes were fixed on Aeron's arms that's snaking on her wife's smooth legs. His jaw clenched and wanted to kick that man in an instant, but instead his lips curved into slyly smile.

Be cool, self. At least, she's not wearing two-piece in front of that jerk. He thought.

Yrrah's on her ordinary daily attire at home; a checkered sleeveless polo paired with a decent length denim short. She hasn't had any plan to swim anyway.

"Aren't you gonna introduce me to your friends, Caz?" he asked in a sweet yet, sarcastic tone.

Their eyes locked, both with silent warning message with each other.

Don't you dare tell them that you're my ex. Yrrah's stares meant, yet her mouth was sealed. It's not the right time to let them know about him.

When she came back home on Christmas night, Aeron and Barbie didn't even ask where she'd been. In which, she's grateful. She planned to admit it to Aeron in respect for him as her current boyfriend but, she's still finding the right time to do it.

"Yaya Fe told us that you're Yrrah's godbrother and you two are like real siblings," Aeron said. He lifted himself from the pool and extended his hand to Zach, for a handshake. "I'm Aeron, bud. Your little sister's boyfriend."

Oh, that's explain why they didn't ask me. Yrrah concluded.

Zach shook Aeron's hand warmly, but at the back of his mind, he wanted to crush it. "Call me Zach, not bud. I'm not gonna bloom into a flower anyway." He chuckled.

Lucas and Barbie also laughed. They got out of the pool as well, and walked towards him.

"Nice joke, bro. I'm Lucas." He shook Zach's hand as well. "And this beautiful lady is Princess, the real princess of my life." His voice really sounded that he's so inlove and proud of her girlfriend. Princess on the other hand, just timidly smile to Zach, with a silent wish that he won't be able to recognize her.

"And I'm Barbie. Single, available and the most beautiful among my gurlush friends." Her eyes twinkled while extended her hand. Zach took it with a grin on his lips. "Ouchy!" She shook her hurting hand yet, her lips lifted to a wide smile once again.

"My little sister have an interesting set of friends," he said with sarcasm. "But Caz isn't actually my lil sis, we're not even blood related at all. She's not gonna be happy if we are, right wi—?"

"Why don't you enjoy the party, Kuya Zach?" She cut him off and emphasized the last two words, then the edge of her lips raised a little. "Excuse me, guys, I really need to retire early." She even massaged her temples. It just her way to exit the awkward situation. "You should rest early too, if we're going to hike tomorrow."

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Yrrah kept tossing on her bed since she went up. There's a silent battle in her mind and heart that's happening between Zach and Aeron.

Zach said he wants me back but he kept on ignoring me for days, without even a text or call. While Aeron is treating me like her queen.

She put a pillow on her face. "Urgh! I'm so confused. What game are you trying to play this time, Zach?" she asked herself.

"Nothing at all. I just wanna win you back."

Yrrah's body automatically sat up on her bed upon hearing that baritone voice, her eyes widens in disbelief. The owner of that voice was leaning confidently on the wall, beside her bed with a mischievous smirk on his lips, while crossing his arms coolly like a model posing on the front page of The Bachelor's Magazine.

"How d-did... How did you get in?"

She pointed to the locked door. Then, she looked at the balcony's sliding door. The curtains that were pulled to the sides are dancing gracefully as the glass door was left widely open, but not the screened-door to keep-off the bugs. The fresh cool breeze is circulated in her room mixed with the fruity smell of the trees in their backyard, and the chirping of the birds and insects soothes her ears with the relaxing sounds at night.

Her room is located at the third floor, its balcony at the back of the mansion and a little bit of the right side, where you can see the swimming pool. There's no branch of the trees closer to it, and it's five meters apart from the other room's balcony. Impossible for any ordinary people to enter there, unless for super heroes that only exist on fantasy movies and books.

There's two more bedrooms in the third floor; the Master's bedroom which occupied the front side of the mansion and the other room beside hers. Her dad said, that room was supposed to be for her sibling, but they were not blessed with another child, and yet, they never used it as a guest room, though, it was fully furnished. All the guest rooms are at the second floor.

"Those doors are not the only ways to get in here." He pointed his lips to the bathroom door.

"How did you know about it?" The bathroom in her room is connected to the other room, though it has locks from the inside in their own bedroom and the bathroom doors as well. "You're not allowed to go in there."

"I'm not? Since when? I always use it whenever I sleep over here when we were kids."

Anyone could read the confusions on her expression at the moment. Then, she arched her right eyebrow. "Why didn't you tell me that we knew each other from childhood?" There's a lot of unanswered questions that she wanted to ask him, since she discovered that they were childhood friend.

"Is it important, if you couldn't remember me at all?" His playful expression vanished and she felt sadness on his voice. "Am I really that easy to forget and replace, Caz?"

She swallowed an imaginary lump. Why does he ask as if I'm at fault?

In the first place, they've only been married in paper. He never expressed any sign of affection towards her for two years. They've seldom seen and talked with each other. He treated her so cold as if her existence in their small domain was a burden that he needed to surpass. And now, he asked that question like they were lovers and she was the unfaithful one, and worst, she felt guilty about it.

"Tss. Don't act as if you're affected. We both know that we don't love each other," she said in presumptuous tone. She even managed to have eye-contact with him as if she's a rock-hearted like him, but at that very moment, her heart was like being crumbled.

Zach drew a heavy breath. He stepped toward her and sat on her bedside. Yrrah on the other hand, moved back closer to the edge, as if it's a sin to be closer to him.

"Are you not planning to tell them that I'm your husband?" he asked while their eyes still locked.

"Let me remind you that we're divorced already. So, technically and legally, you're not my husband anymore. But of course, I will eventually tell them."

"Maybe it's better not. You don't know your friends anyway," he said with assurance, as if he knew something that she doesn't.

"What do you mean by that? I met some of them a year ahead of you." Her blood suddenly boiled. She only had this small set of friends and she started to trust them. But it seems that Zach wanted to take them away from her.

"How well do you know each one of them?" he asked, giving her a pressurized stare.

She stood up and walked towards the balcony door. Then, faced him and asked, "How about you? Do I really know you, Zach? Don't you ever tell me that we knew each other since we're kids. I have no memory of my early childhood and you never ever existed on my teenage life. Dad didn't mention you to me as well." Her heart started to feel heavy again, yet she wanted to let it all out. So far, it's the longest conversation that they have and who knows, if they ever had a chance to talk again like this?

She continued, "The two years that we've living under one roof was not enough to know you. You never opened up with me. We're like housemates who couldn't stand the presence of one another. I didn't even know that you're a great chef, and you probably laugh behind my back because I couldn't cook well." She started to choke, but she tried to hold her tears. She heaved a heavy sigh, then let out a faint smile.

Zach walked towards her but she raised her two hands in front of her chest, gesturing him to stop.

"I was fully aware that you did me a favor but you got more than enough of your share..." She paused and breathed in and out several times.

Oh, please tears don't you ever dare to fall right now.

He got more than enough, not just the money but more of herself. And she hated being vulnerable in front of him. "So, tell me, Zach. Should I trust you more than my friends? Why do you want me back? Did you already spend your share and you need more? Did you just realize that you should take it all?" The edge of lips raised a bit while stabbing him with her sharp stares. She congratulated herself for not stuttering.

Zach's face became emotionless like it'd been turned to a stone as she smashed his ego. She thought she's winning but she actually felt uneasy as goosebumps crawled in every parts of her body when his eyes turned to ice.

She never expected his next move. She just found herself wrapped in his protective arms, as he whispered, "I'm so sorry for letting you feel that way. I'm sorry that I left you after your accident. I'm sorry that I failed to protect you from those who bullied you. I'm sorry for not coming back sooner. I'm sorry that we need to meet again in inappropriate time and event. I'm sorry for being a jerk."

Though, she's not looking on his eyes, the sincerity of tone and the loud fluttering of his heart, broke her wall of pride. She let her tears flown freely on her cheeks silently, and flooded the shoulder part of his white cotton shirt.

His hand automatically patted her back gently. "I might not be trustworthy in your perspective, but you were entrusted to me by the person you trusted the most." He let her go of his embrace, and cupped her face to meet her eyes. "Would that be enough to trust me? Can you give me a chance to make it right? Can you let me court you? Please..."

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UNEDITED
29.May.2020