O L I V I A   V A L E Z

Everybody has a reason why they wake up every morning. It could be because of school, family, dreams, friends, or to continue breathing until they find their purpose. For me, it has always been working since I've entered adulthood. I set myself to work, work, and work. The first thing that would force me to wake up was my blaring alarm clock, or sometimes the chirping sound of the birds outside my window, but today was different.

Instead of the deafening sound of my alarm, it was replaced by a hot and tingling sensation. My head faced the other side of the bed as the feeling didn't stop spreading to my body. I felt a grip on my thighs, which was the last call to open my eyes. Confusion infiltrated my mind when I saw an unfamiliar room—there were no windows to my right, and the color of the walls was too dark. This isn't my room. Where the hell am I? 

My confusion melted when I felt a hot and wet thing brushed my pussy, making me pop my elbows up to see what was happening down. I saw a long honey-drenched colored hair between my legs and big warm, calloused hands gripping my natural tanned thighs. I was about to say something when I felt another flicker of Atlas's tongue on my clit, making my head fall back. I arched my hips closer to his face. He stopped lapping my folds and looked up at me. 

Atlas heavenly blue eyes shined more than the morning sky as he looked at me, even if it was half-open. He popped himself up a little and kissed my legs with his wet and little swollen red lips. 

A small smile formed on his lips, "Good morning, Baby."

I gulped before answering him, "Good morning too."

The sight was too much. I couldn't take it this early in the morning. My mind was still hazy from sleep, and I woke up with a man looking like a god between my legs, eating me like I was his break-fucking-fast. 

"Woke up on the right side of the bed?" Atlas asked as he caressed and made a trail of kisses on my legs.

I closed my eyes and savored the feeling of his kisses and touches on my skin. "Well, It would be the right side if you were beside me and not down there."

He let out a chuckle and bit my skin a little, "I wanted to wake you up, but you looked so beautiful while sleeping. I couldn't find myself breaking that unless I did it in a good way."

I rolled my eyes at the way Atlas emphasized the last words. I tried closing my legs to tease him, but he gripped my thighs and smirked at me.

"Nuh-uh, weren't finished yet." Then he dipped his head down again and started working wonders again on me.

I couldn't help but moan and moan until I felt my throat scrapping and my fingers gripping a little too hard on his hair. It was too early in the morning for me to see the stars, but when Atlas's tongue entered and sucked me. I saw the stars under my eyelids as I came. I was breathing hard as I tried to catch it. I opened my eyes and saw Atlas crawling with his devilish smirk. And when he reached my face, his lips crashed to mine in a heartbeat. 

"I still haven't forgotten what you did, Baby Girl. You do know how to cast your spell on me, but I'm afraid that won't last long. Care to explain why you avoided me?" 

I put my hand on Atlas's chest when he settled on my side, "I was feeling guilty," I said in a small voice.

I heard him sigh and sit up. The sudden movement made me panic. Why was he suddenly sitting up? Would he walk out from me? My heart started beating faster, and cold dripped into my stomach. I sat up too and hugged him behind to stop him from standing up.

"Don't leave me," 

Memories of him years ago started flashing in my mind. The feeling of not seeing him suddenly, the emptiness that I felt, the loneliness that ate me alive, and the pain of being left behind kicked me in the guts like it happened yesterday. 

Atlas unwrapped my hands and reached for my face. "What are you saying? I'm not leaving. I just wanted to sit up to talk properly. Come here and sit on me."

He lifted me to his lap. It was warm and comfortable enough, but it didn't last long when I felt something hard poking me. I looked at him with wide eyes, and he just smirked at me again. Atlas wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my shoulders. And all this simple gesture made my panic go away and calmed my heart. I didn't know how he could do this to me. Atlas was the only person who could make me feel different emotions in just a little amount of time. 

"Now, we could properly talk. Start explaining, Baby Girl, or I might do something that includes you pleading to me." 

I looked at him bewildered as I felt the heat invading my face. I fake coughed before starting to plea my case. 

"What happened to Liberty shocked me too much that I wanted to blame anyone. And blaming the culprit wasn't enough to shake off the ugly feeling on my heart that I started blaming me." I felt him stilled as I continued my explanation, "I blamed all the happy things that happened to me. I blamed the thing that we had. I thought if I didn't feel happy with you, maybe the pain wouldn't come to hunt me down. Kung siguro hindi ako masyadong naging masaya, baka hindi agad 'yon binawi sa akin, at baka hindi 'yon nangyari kay, Liberty."

"That's not your fault, Baby. It was an accident."

"I know that, but I was stupid. Hindi ko mapigilan 'yung sarili kong humanap nang masisisi. I know to myself na bobo talaga ako mag handle ng emotions ko. I would always resort to the dumbest shit just to make the pain go away. Kaya naisip ko na layuan ka muna kasi tuwing nandyan ka masaya ako. And I felt guilty to feel happy when Liberty was laying on that fucking hospital bed. Her dad didn't visited her even her mom. No one in her family did. It was too heartbreaking to watch her there without a family's care. Feeling ko hindi dapat ako makaramdam ng saya habang gano'n 'yung kalagayan niya. It felt like I was betraying her somehow."

Atlas held my cheek and caressed it. His hand was warm like the morning sun. He planted a feather-like kiss on my lips. And all the sadness that crept into my heart as I remembered Liberty's situation. How couldn't a parent care for their child? It was their blood and flesh that gave life to their child. Gano'n na lang ba 'yon? Pinili n'yong buhayin ang anak n'yo, dapat hangang huli ay nando'n kayo para sa kanila.

He didn't leave much of a distance between our faces when he said, "You're a good friend, Oly. But next time, you could lean on me. When things get heavy, you could rely on me. I would help you lift all the burden. I would try to take all the pain. Please, don't leave me out. I'm not here just to make you happy. I'm here so you can have someone to share your problems and your troubles with."

"I'm so sorry," my voice cracked as I felt my tears start forming on the corners of my eyes. But before they could even fall on my cheeks, Atlas kissed them away. 

"You are not alone. Baby."

"Thank you... I'll lean on your shoulders when I feel sad. I'll never leave you out again." 

Atlas looked at me in the eye with his heavenly blue eyes like he could see my soul inside, and then he gave me his goofy smile and pinched my side, "Don't worry, my shoulders aren't only for leaning on. You could always put your legs up here too."

Now, I believe that there will always be a rainbow after the rain. Liberty got out of the hospital safe and healthy. She didn't even look like someone who got shot. And dad came back to work, kaya naman nabawasan na ang work load ko, kaya naman nakahihinga na ako nang maluwag ngayon. Agad ngang napansin ni Sue ang pagiging magaan ng aking mood kaya eto balik na naman siya sa pangungulit sa akin.

"Alam mo, Ma'am. Iba 'yung glow mo ngayon." sabi niya habang tinititigan ako nang mabuti.

Hindi ko siya tinignan at nagpatuloy lang sa ginagawa. Hindi na gano'n kabigat ang trabaho ko, pero medyo madami-dami pa rin dahil may paparating akong seminar kasama ang iilang katrabaho. Kaya naman hinahabol ko ang ibang gawain para wala na ako masyadong iisipin pa.

"Ano namang glow 'yang pinagsasabi mo? Anong tingin mo sa aking glow stick?"

"Joke ba 'yan, Ma'am, tatawa na ba dapat ako?"

Tinignan ko siya at tinaasan ng kilay, "tatanggalin na ba kita sa trabaho mo?"

Agad namang lumapit si Sue sa akin at pinalo ang braso ko sabay tawa. "Grabe, ang benta ng joke mo, Ma'am!" 

"Ano bang pinunta mo dito, Sue?"

Nginitian niya ako, at napairap na lang ulit ako dahil alam ko ang meaning ng ngiti niyang ganiyan. May nakita siyang pogi.

"Nakita ko si Sir Oliver kanina. Grabe! Ang gwapo talaga ng daddy mo! Baka p'wede ko rin siyang maging daddy?" Sue even wiggled her eyebrows.

I made a disgusted face. Parang biglang nagtayuan lahat ng balahibo ko sa sinabi niya. Wala talagang matinong sinasabi ang babaeng ito. 

"Wala akong balak magkaroon ng kapatid, at wala ring balak mag-ampon si dad."

Muli niya akong pinalo sa braso. Aba nakaiilan na ang babaeng ito, a? Napasasarap yata siya kapapalo sa akin? 

"Hindi ko alam kung joke ba 'yon o talagang inosente ka? Daddy as in sugar daddy, asukal de papa, papang minatamis, name it. Hindi 'yung tatay talaga!"

Mas lalong nagtayuan ang balahibo ko dahil sa sinabi niyang 'yon. I couldn't imagine my dad with another woman. I may not see my mom with dad, but imagining him standing with another woman felt weird. I couldn't get the idea of him kissing or hugging another woman other than mom. Maybe, I'm too naive to think like this. Dad had been single for too long, and he's a man with needs like any other man. And I knew that, but my mind couldn't grasp the idea. 

Maybe someday matanggap ko rin. I mean, tanggap ko naman na baka magmahal ulit siya. Masasanay rin ako 'pagdumating ang panahong 'yon. H'wag lang siguro ngayon.

I looked at my wristwatch and saw that it was still working hours. "Sue, are you here because you're slacking?"

"Of course... Not! Tapos ko na kasi 'yung gawain ko." Hinawi niya pa ang nakakulot niyang buhok pagkasabi no'n.

"Gusto mong dagdagan ko?" pagbibiro ko sa kaniya.

Agad naman siyang umiling-iling at tumakbo papuntang pintuan ko, at walang paalam na umalis. Napangiti na lamang ako sa kakulitan ng isang 'yon. Nakatutuwa lang na may kaibigan ako sa trabaho na gano'n kataas ang energy lagi. Nakahahawa kasi lalo na 'pagpagod ka tapos makikita ko siyang energetic pa rin, parang nagkaroroon din tuloy ako ng energy. Nang matapos ko na ang aking trabaho ay agad na akong umuwi para makapag-ayos sa seminar na aking a-attend-an. 

Halos magkasunuran lang kami ni Dad na umuwi, kaya naman nang parehas kaming nakapag-ayos na ay tinawag na namin si Liberty para sabay-sabay kaming kumain. Dahil sa pagkaoospital ni Liberty ay naging tahimik ang bahay, pero ngayong okay na siya, ay parang biglang bumalik ang sigla ng bahay namin. Naging maaliwalas na ito ulit. Hindi man maingay ang bahay dahil never naman itong naging maingay bukod 'pag nandito ang mga pinsan ko or when Liberty's dog barked. 

Generous amount of prawns sautéed with chili pepper flakes and paired with an oyster mushroom, cucumber, and corn salad was everything I needed on a tiring day: refreshing, colorful, and crunchy, with just enough fiery zest to wind me up. As I took a bite, I couldn't help but have more until I found my plate empty. I put down my fork and dinner knife and wiped the corner of my mouth using the table napkin.

I reached for my wine and swirled it before taking a sip. I looked at the two people I was eating with. Liberty was enjoying her food and minding her business. At the same time, Dad looked at her as he slowly chewed his food. My forehead creased at the scene I just saw. Oliver Valez never took off his eyes on his plate when he was eating unless you talked to him. I stared at my dad to see if he would sense that I was watching him.

"Libs, when are you planning on getting back to your restaurant?" I asked as I still watched over.

Liberty stopped slicing her food, "I was still thinking about it, pero this week siguro babalik na rin ako sa work. The opening is fast approaching, and I don't want to delay it further."

I nodded, "I'm delighted to see you here and not in that fucking hospital bed, Libs." 

I was surprised that dad didn't even call me out for saying profanity in front of the food. He never liked it when he heard curses when we were in front of the food. It was one of the greatest sins a person could commit here in the Valez mansion. But now, it was like he was too focused looking at Liberty that he didn't hear me say a curse word. Holy fuck. 

Liberty smiled and said, "Yeah, me too. Thank you for being there." then she faced my dad, "Thank you too, Oliver."

I took another sip as I observed his eyes. He was looking at Liberty with a light in his eyes that I had never seen before. He never looked at me like that or anyone that I have known. I didn't know what with that glow in his eyes. Was that worry? 

Fuck, I hope that it was worry and not something else. 

~TBC~

Sorry, second sem na kasi namin, and I was busy preparing for the things I needed. 6 majors ko ngayon. Wish me luck. Malapit na naman matapos 'tong SA#2. Less than 10 chapters na lang.

Please, bear with all the typographical errors. This is the first draft.

Feel free to share your thoughts, and keep safe, everyone.

Love lots! :>>