"Mommy, me and my friends will swim okay?"

 

 

 

 

"10 more minutes." He said as if he's dozing off which made Zoey giggles.

 

 

"Mommy, I think Daddy's tired."

 

 

"He's not tired, he's lazy." I said and walk away from them.

 

 

 

My mind is too preoccupied with the party that will be happening in just a few hours, we didn't invite a lot of people but Zoey invited a couple of her friends from the ballet class and of course the guys plus Erin. Then I go back to my dilemma, my parents. I know Marcus give his parents a heads up about Erin's presence later in the party.

 

 

 

"Spacing out?" Sasha shakes my shoulder.

 

 

"I'm just exhausted." I said.

 

 

"From what?"

 

 

"A lot of things." I sigh but startled when Ivo drop the chair his holding. "Marcus!" I shout.

 

 

"Mommy!" Zoey shouts. "Daddy said he's asleep."

 

 

"Marcus!" I shout again. "Now!" I hear Zoey laugh then Marcus is walking towards Ivo.

 

 

"How I wish I bring all my employees here to help." I hear him talking mostly to himself.

 

 

"Exhausted from what?" Sasha speaks again. "Elaborate."

 

 

"From everything plus Tori's client wants another set of furniture and i'm running out of idea what should I sketch." I pull my own hair from exhaustion. 

 

 

"I thought you're exhausted because of your ex. I heard from Tori that the guys are here in Manila."

 

 

"They will be here later, Zoey invited them."

 

 

"I know and I think from now on they will come with every event we have." I look at her suddenly becomes more confused.

 

 

"Huh?"

 

 

"Duh! Tori is married to Seungri now. Get my point?"

 

 

"Yes." I sigh. I know from that moment on I will see him often.

 

 

"It will be nice if you help us, don't just sit there." Marcus look at me then hand me one of the chair.

 

 

"Why don't the two of you start dating each other?" Sasha smiles as if her idea is so brilliant.

 

 

"She's not my type." Marcus blurted out in an instant.

 

 

"But you had s*x with her."

 

 

"Sasha!" I shriek.

 

 

"S*x and love are two different things." Marcus laughs.

 

 

"Then have s*x with her, she hadn't done that for a long time."

 

 

"Shut up!"

 

 

"I'll think about it. I have standards you know." Marcus laughs some more.

 

 

"I hate you." I glared at him, I can't even remember what we did that night. I'm too drunk.

 

 

"Yah right." He smirks and walk away from us.

 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

"God! Tori, what the hell are you doing in my walk in close wearing only that?" I point at her, she's wearing the skimpiest and tiniest bikini I've ever seen in my entire life. "its a fre*king pool party for kids, you know toddler kind of kids." I shriek while Sasha laughs as she saw Tori. "And they are the only one's who are allowed to swim. Get changed!"

 

 

"That kind of bikini is for your husband's eyes only." Sasha piped in. "As if when he saw you wearing that, you will experience whole night of rough s*x."

 

 

"I know." Tori smiles. "He saw me wearing this a couple of nights ago and I can't even go for a bathroom break."

 

 

"Stop!" Both me and Sasha shouts.

 

 

"Get out! I need to get dress." I said. "And please change."

 

 

"Yes, i'll change." Tori said, grabbing a couple of clothes on the floor.

 

 

"Wear that." Sasha points. "Don't you dare get out of this closet if you're not wearing the clothes we bought for you."

 

 

"Fine." I said without looking at them nor the dress.

 

 

 

==================================================================================

 

 

 

 

 

 

My heart skips, stops, jump and do the somersault when I saw Love once she opened the door for us. I'm with the guys and Erin, the house is huge, 3 storey high. Big space for living room, kitchen area and a bunch of things I didn't discover yet. Okay let's go back to my girl, she's wearing a transparent black above the knee dress covering her red two piece bikini which by the way I won't allow her to wear in front of a lot of people but I can't do anything right now or in the near future.

 

 

 

"Hyung." Daesung dodge my shoulder.

 

 

"What?" I hiss quietly. I'm in the middle of fantasizing me and Love together.

 

 

"What are you waiting for? Let's go inside."

 

 

"Fine, i'm going in." I mutter under my breath, trying my best not to get caught while staring at Love.

 

 

"Do you have a lot of guests?" I heard Erin asked.

 

 

"We didn't invited a lot of people plus Zoey keeps changing her mind about the theme of the party but she and her friends are in the pool for the past 30 minutes." She explained. "Just go straight in the garden, everybody's there even Tori."She smiled at maknae.

 

 

 

All of us went to the backyard and its huge. On the left side is a mini bar for the adults in the party, on the right side is where the food are placed. They have a large pool nestled in the middle of it, atleast 20 to 30 people can fit in that pool. Around the area are tables and chairs, Zoey is busy playing with her friends in the pool with Kevin's supervision. I unconsciously rub my jaw where he hit me more than a month ago, he'e really mad at me to the point that I think he could kill me.

 

 

 

"Man, what's up." Nash is in front of me, all smiles. 

 

 

"I'm good." I shake his hand. "How are you?"

 

 

"Still the same." He smiles. "By the way to bad I didn't  have the chance to talk to you in the wedding."

 

 

"You're so busy that day." I say.

 

 

"I heard what happen between you and Kevin. i mean I hope you won't get mad."

 

 

"I'm not, I understand him." I sigh and look at the others, they're just listening to us.

 

 

"We all thought that after the wedding we will attend Kevin's funeral because Gian is so furious."

 

 

"Really?" Youngbae butted in as if he saw the light he is looking for a long time.

 

 

"Yup! Gian scolded Kevin the whole night." He laughs loudly that the other guests looked in our direction.

 

 

"Love!" I heard Zoey squeals from the pool. "That's my Love." She said to the little girl beside her.

 

 

"Hey you!" I startled even though my eyes are close I know who that voice belonged to. "Why are you sitting there?"

 

 

"Me?" i look at Nash, for a second I thought she's referring to me.

 

 

"Who else?" She said. "You should be in the pool helping Kevin with the kids."

 

 

"But i'm a guest here."

 

 

"I don't care." Love said, full of authority and my heart goes to Nash. I want to laugh poor him and Love's seductively cute.

 

 

"Hi Love." Zoey beams at me. "I thought you won't come."

 

 

"I promise you that I will come right? Happy birthday." I smile.

 

 

"Thank you Love." She tugs Gian's hands. "My mommy gave this swim suit as a gift."

 

 

"Its nice, you look pretty. It really suits you well." I said.

 

 

"He likes it Mommy." Zoey look at her. "Do you like Mommy's outfit as well?"

 

 

"Yes." i said without hesitation and look at her but she didn't glanced at me.

 

 

"That's my boy!" Seungri taps my shoulder. "Noona, I would like you to meet the most handsome and finest bachelor in town."

 

 

"What's a bachelor?" Zoey asked.

 

 

"It means he's single." Seungri says.

 

 

"My Mommy's not interested to Love." She pouts. "I'm hungry Mommy."

 

 

"Mommy Erin bakes chocolate cake for you." Love say.

 

 

"Really?" Zoey whipped her head to Erin's direction. "Thank you."

 

 

"Welcome and Happy Birthday. Can I hug you?" Erin said in a crooked voice. Zoey hug her. I look at Gian who is smiling to Erin then my eyes caught Marcus looking at his daughter and ex lover.

 

 

"Your dress is wet." Zoey wiggles and point at Erin.

 

 

"Its fine, don't worry about it." I look at Erin, I wonder how it feels to be in front of her daughter but it doesn't recognized her as the mother. I wonder what will Love feel if suddenly Erin takes away Zoey from her and Marcus.

 

 

"Mommy, I want to eat." She drags Love slowly away from us.

 

 

"Serve them food." I heard Love say to one of the server. "Look Zoey." She points at the guy who I think just arrived.

 

 

"Uncle Oliver."

 

 

"Who's that?" I look at Erin.

 

 

"Best friend of Marcus." She said. Nash taps my shoulder and stand up, walking towards the bar. Seungri also vanishes, for sure he went to his wife.

 

 

"Can I ask something?" Jiyong said. "Who do you think knows the real situation?"

 

 

"Besides us?" Erin stops. "I think Oliver knows then Sasha and Tori. I'm not sure about Nash and Kevin."

 

 

"I see." Jiyong nods.

 

 

"Love, I want you to meet Uncle Oliver then that's Youngbae oppa, Daesung oppa and Jiyong oppa. You met Seungri oppa right? And this is Mommy Erin."

 

 

"I know her." He looks at Zoey. "Hi!" He smiles and kiss Erin's cheeks.

 

 

"Love, don't leave okay? I will show you something." She smiles and pinch my cheeks. "You're so cute."

 

 

 

-------------------------------------

 

 

 

"Come with me Love." Both me and Jiyong are in the bar grabbing a drink while smoking. "Why are you smoking? Tsk that's bad."

 

 

"Where are we going?" I ask.

 

 

"Upstairs. Hurry." She tugs me and all I can do is stab my cigarette and stand up then tug Jiyong as well. "I want to show you something."

 

 

"Where's your mom?" I look around but I can't see Love anywhere.

 

 

"She went out with Aunt Sasha." I frown and look at Jiyong.

 

 

"What?" He ask but I shake my head. She went out wearing that c-tru dress?

 

 

"That's my room then the other one is my dad's room. Let's go to the third floor." That is one thing bugging me out, their arrangement in this house. Don't tell me she and Marcus sleeps in one room, I will raise hell if that is true. "And this is my Mommy's space."

 

 

 

The third floor is spacious as well, as big as it gets. Its like a house within a house. There's a living room, kitchen, dining table for four and a terrace.

 

 

 

"Is she sleeping beside your Dad?" That's the worst question I've ever heard from Jiyong.

 

 

"No. That's her room." She points.

 

 

"This one?" Jiyong asked.

 

 

"That's a bathroom for her visitors." She open the other door reveling a white and black themed room. "Come." She walks inside then opens up another door and its a walk in closet. "Get that Love." She points at the top of one of the cabinets.

 

 

"This one?"

 

 

"The other one." She said. "Then open it."

 

 

 

When I opened it the notes I wrote and stuffed inside the balloons are all there, she already read it and it's folded neatly. The pictures we have in the different countries we go to are also there, souvenirs and a lot of stuffs.

 

 

 

"I told you Love she kept everything and there's the small box." She grab and give it to me. I opened it, her engagement ring and the necklace I gave her when we got back together. "Do you think my Mommy likes Love?" I heard her ask Jiyong then it hits me like a lighting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Sh*t!" Jiyong's curses brings me back to reality. "Sh*t!"

 

 

"Mommy, up here!" Zoey shouts.

 

 

"Finally you're back to your senses hyung. Hurry! If she found out that we're here and looking in her things, she will be mad."

 

 

"Zoey, where are you?" I heard Love shouts.

 

 

"Third floor Mommy!"

 

 

"Carry Zoey." I whisper and put back the box where I get it.

 

 

"Hyung hurry!" Jiyong says in a low voice. Walking out of the room with Zoey. I immediately followed them then Love appears.

 

 

"What are you doing here Zoey?"

 

 

"Bathroom." Jiyong smiles. "I can't used the bathroom downstairs because its too crowded so Zoey brings us here."

 

 

"Are you done?" Love asked.

 

 

"Yup!" Jiyong nods and point to the other door.

 

 

"Good! Zoey someone's looking for you."

 

 

"Who is it Mommy?" She wiggle and Love carry her.

 

 

"This place is nice noona." Jiyong said. "Spacious."

 

 

"For visitors." Love answered. "So that they have their own space while they're here to stay."

 

 

"Why is everybody lying?" Zoey pouts. "That's bad,"

 

 

"White lies." I said. FAVORS.... 

 

 

 

Then my heart stops beating while Zoey is very happy. Love's parents just showed up in front of us, all smiles to Zoey, greeting her a happy birthday, kissing her cheeks and asking her how is she. I don't know if I want to just vanish or allow myself to be swallowed by the walls or the floor. Gian's mom smiled at us, give Jiyong a hug. I thought she will curse me or slap me but instead she gave me a warm smile just like before. Kissing my cheeks before giving me a bear hug.

 

 

 

"I'm very thankful that Gian and her parents love Zoey as their own."  That's what Erin told me a couple of nights ago. "They love Zoey with all their heart, they treat her as if she really belonged to Gian."

 

 

 

"You know Love, Grandma?"

 

 

"Yes of course." Love's mom smiled. "I know him very well."

 

 

"Are you in love with him as well?" 

 

 

 

And I realized something. I look at Zoey, Gian is carrying her again, she's smiling sweetly and telling endless. I love you Mommy. I realized that i'm fond of Zoey because she love Gian wholeheartedly. She's caring for my girl endlessly. Her love for Gian is beyond anything, that's my mission in life to love and care for her but I choose to leave her. Now I finally realized that what we had is the best thing happened in my life. Why didn't I think of this before? Why only now that everything is over?

 

 

 

"How are you my darling boy?" I blink a couple of times.

 

 

"I'm fine Mom." I said as I hug her again. "I'm sorry I hurt her again."

 

 

"No need to apologized. I know you have a good reason for leaving her." She smiles at me. "She told us that you want to focus on your career." I frown. "She understands. We understand."

 

 

"What?"

 

 

"Don't be mad." She caress my face. "I know she promise you that she won't tell us the reason but its okay."

 

 

"Mom... What Love say...."

 

 

"Its fine." She smiles and look at Dad. He smile to me as well as he pats my back. Why did she lie to them? She still protects me even though I hurt her. Why?