Dale Daniel's POV
I woke up hearing her laughter from the kitchen. They are preparing the food, I guess. From my bed, I could see the outside surroundings, the endless glimpse of the deep blue ocean. Titter swept up through my features when I thought back of the moment I fixed my lips on her as the sun witnessed my feelings for her before the twilight enclosed us.
Upon our stay here at this small house that carries a traditional vibe, it felt quite palliative here. I absolutely got a comfy sleep and felt my heart gradually feelin', yeah, alright. I am not that mad like how I used to feel before. There's still pain but it is not that heavy anymore. Ledger was my half-brother and that's a fact. No matter how mad I become, it could not change that truth. The moment I saw my mother again, I was furious. Maybe, even though I denied it, I am still hankering to feel a mother's love, a mother's embrace. Maybe, I am that violent towards him because it was him who received my mom's comfort that was supposed to be me. 
Zyah's suggestion came into my head. She said I don't need to rush myself about that matter. Most things like these require a long time. All I need to do is let my heart be open for acceptance.
After fixing myself, I went to their place. When I saw her, holding a ladle in her hand and tasting the food, it appeared like there was a light glowing on her, making me stunned and focusing my stares on her. This scenario seems odd. She was cooking and I am here seated on the chairs, watching her closely. 
"Hey, you're up?" she asked when she veered around and noticed that I was there.
"Hmm," I spoke softly and gave her bewitching stares. 
She glared at me and pointed the spoon at me yet I could see her blushing as she looked away.
"There! Breakfast is ready!" She clapped when he put the last dish on the table. "Let's dig in!" She started getting her eating utensils.
"Miss Zyah? Mr. Dale?" Mara began. "The meal is already prepared, I shall leave now." She pointed outside.
"Mara? How 'bout joining us for breakfast?" Zyah turned to her, asking her with a sweet tone.
"It's not appropriate, Miss Zyah. Besides, I already had my coffee. That's enough for me," she responded in a shaky voice.
"What are you saying? It won't be a problem if you join us," she said and held Mara's right arm. "Right, Dale?" she asked, looking at me, persuading me.
"Yeah. Come and join us," I agreed. I thought about it. Having Mara with us is good. She and Zyah can have more chitchats and she can have a taste of these luscious foods served on the table. 
"Ehh?" she rubbed her forehead, reluctant to abide by Zyah's invitation.
"Come on!" Zyah pulled her and let her sat down on the chair next to her. Finally, Mara couldn't escape Zyah's persuasiveness.
"Oh! See?" she smiled. "We would be happier to eat together!"
Mara giggled. "You're right, Miss Zyah. Thank you for inviting me to breakfast. This is the first time I experienced this, me, having a meal with a customer."
"I noticed that you're all alone. Where's your family?" Zyah inquired while munching her food.
Mara hung back and looked down. "They're all gone. My parents, my brothers. . . they're all gone. I am all alone." Her voice was coated with anguish. Her eyes get watery too.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Zyah asked without glancing at her.
"They got into an accident." Her voice broke. "Ten years ago," she continued.
"I'm sorry, Mara. I didn't-"
"It's alright, Miss Zyah." She forced a smile. "That already happened a long time ago. I learned to accept their fate gradually."
Hearing her story, we somehow share the same story but what she went through was too much than what I've experienced. Her parents and older brother left because of that accident. Now, she's all alone. Living life all by herself. But look at her, she can manage to smile and be optimistic in life. She is brave. 
A voice inside of me became louder. "You are fortunate, Dale." I still have my grandmother. I also have my friends. I found a woman who is willing to be with me how bad I am. And now, Ledger came into my life, even though he despised me, he is still my brother. Most importantly, I am not struggling financially unlike Mara who is working her bones out just to make it through the day. 
"You know, you two looked like a perfect match" she let out a snicker. "There's a spark in both of your stares to each other."
"Well said, Mara," I silently reacted in my mind. I couldn't join their conversation. You know, girly talks. 
"Your first boyfriend , Miss Zyah?" she swung closer to Zyah and whispered, nonetheless it's enough for me to hear her words. 
Zyah bobbed her head. "Mmm." She raised her gaze and dabbed Mara's elbow. "You're being a gossiper. Just eat!"
I let out a tight smile on the way Zyah called Mara a quidnunc. The way they speak to each other, they are very comfortable with it. Seemed like they were very close siblings. 
Mara laughed. "It's really fun to talk with you, Miss Zyah."
"You as well. I've had fun with you," Zyah agreed. "Don't forget me, huh?"
"Of course. Don't forget to visit here again, Miss Zyah!"
Zyah smiled. "We will. After we got -"
"After both of you got married?" Mara blurted out all of a sudden, halting Zyah's words.
Zyah choked and gasped. I hurriedly looked for a glass of water and passed it to her when I got one. 
"Are you okay?" I asked. 
She responded with a quick nod without throwing me a gaze. Again, she faced Mara and left a punch on Mara's arm. 
"Stop it," she said. "Let's enjoy our food."
Clarriese Zyah's POV
After our breakfast, I immediately went to the bathroom. I washed my face with cold water to ease the tension I felt within. Why am I always hearing that word lately? Wife? Getting married? I simultaneously washed my face again and pulled out a deep sigh. Why are they being like this to me? They made my heart beating fast. 
"Woman? What happened to you?" Dale asked when he came into my room.
"Ah?" I asked him back. I didn't get what he meant by that.
"You're getting red. Are you sick?" He took another step closer to me and was about to check my temperature. 
"Don't touch me, lalaki!" I shouted and avoided his hand. I turned around and went to the other side of the bed. 
"Silly! I'm not going to kill you!" A smile flickered across his face and sat down on the other side too, facing me. He is not that far from me. 
"Ngi? Kill, really, lalaki? Aren't you being harsh on me?" I uttered in a low tone, giving him a weak stare.
"What do you want me to say? I'm not going to eat you?"
I glared at him and threw him the pillow I grabbed near to me. 
"Kidding. Just teasing you," he simply replied. 
"Happy?" I asked, sarcastically.
"Hmm." He moved closer and sat next to me. He met my eyes and didn't break his stares on me. "Look, you're about to explode now," he said in a teasing tone.
I punched his chest. "You're making fun of me!"
"Oh. Because you are my happiness," he uttered, staring straight into my eyes.
I couldn't move. I was just opposing his stares just like I am being hypnotized by his dark hazel eyes. My heart started beating rapidly. I tightened my grip on the bedsheet as he brought himself closer to me. We are an inch away from each other now but I couldn't look away. 
"Can I kiss you, woman?" he asked softly. 
I could feel his breaths on my cheeks. His manly scent made me even more speechless. A gleam in his eyes took all my words I wanted to let out. The way he looked at me seized all my strength to decline it. 
The next thing I knew was I closed my eyes before his lips touched mine. My heart beats crazily. I felt a burning sensation inside my heart when I felt his soft lips gently snapped on mine. 
"Silence means yes," he said after he broke that kiss. 
"Ah?" I still couldn't pull myself together. My mind was still on what he just did a moment ago. 
"Aww!" I complained when he pinched my nose. 
"Want more?" he asked, deliberately teasing me.
I stretched my hand to reach for the pillow near me and hit him right into his face. 
"Get out of my sight, lalaki!"
"I won't," he firmly replied, which made me throw the pillow again.
"Being stubborn, huh?"
"Yeah. I am. What can you do to me, woman?"
The next day, we continued our adventure. We wander around the town, going to places we haven't seen yet. We joined some recreations and really had fun. The people here are very welcoming. They entertained us a lot. 
After our adventure, we went back to our stay house to pack our things because it would be our last day here.
"It really didn't come across my mind that you have evidence in your hands against him!" I started and sat on a small chair, facing him.
"I just accidentally saw that ring when I came to you at DZ Place. About the other things, it was Vince who did the work. He is good at computers, you know?"
"How are your thoughts towards Ledger now?" I asked again after I zipped up my suitcase. 
"Getting better, woman," he answered. "But woman. . . "
"What?"
"About that "Chubs". Are you that close?" he asked seriously.
"Yeah. I know him. We always played with him. Then one day, he suddenly disappeared. Later, we heard the news of him getting transferred, so far away. Until Dwight and I entered Sapian National High School, we still didn't know anything about him. After our 7th grade, we and Tita Lavianna moved here to Dreem."
"So, you know that he likes you?" he asked next.
"Of course, no. Honestly, I don't know his name. We are just playmates back then. I called him "chubs" because the majority called him that and he was a chubby kid at that time. I didn't know much about him at that time. I don't have any idea where his house is." I paused and let out a disappointed smile. "I never expected that he would be Ledger. We are getting along with each other but I won't be lying if I say I only know him with just his personality he shown at school. Did I hurt him badly, lalaki?"
"Woman, you-"
"I know that he cared for me when we were at Riona. I really appreciate those. I just never thought that he did all those things because he likes me. I really, really only saw him as my older brother and a friend."
"Don't blame yourself, oh?" Dale looked at me with those comforting stares. 
"Right now, I don't want to think of him. It's quite confusing."
Dale smiled at me. "I was expecting you to say that he has his own story he went through."
"I know. It happened so suddenly. I didn't expect that he would do such a thing."
"If he'll ask you forgiveness, will you forgive him?" He asked in a tone coated with seriousness.
"Of course, I will," I replied. "I just need to understand his story." 
"Lalaki. . . " I uttered softly, looking at him. "How 'bout you? Will you be able to forgive him?"
"I think I do," he responded. "Who knows?"
His words made me smile. Finally, he can tell it without having second thoughts. 
"So, let's go?" he stood up and fixed his suitcase. 
I rummaged through my mini bag, searching for something that I wanted to give to Mara before we left. I felt heartbroken to leave because she is too good for me, for us, but I need to. I wanted to give her a gift, an appreciation gift. 
"Woman, you drop something," Dale announced behind my back. 
I looked back. "Huh? What is it?"
I saw that he bent down to reach for the thing I dropped. But it put me in horror when his expression darkened and formed his hand into fist.
"Clavey? Is he your dad?" he asked calmly yet with grinning teeth.
"Yes. Why? You know him?" I asked, still wondering what got into him. I know that my Dad looked kinda uncomfortable in that photo but why is he getting mad? Is he mad because my dad didn't look good in that photo?
"I know him, Zy." He raised his head and face me.
A tear escaped from the corner of his eyes. Wait? What happened to him? Is Dale having bipolar disorder or something?
"I know him because he was the one who killed my dad!" He shouted. He is furious. His eyes were burning with anger. 
"W-what?" I felt weak from what I just heard. I even haven't noticed that my mini bag is already out of my grasp. It felt like a thousand bolts of lightning just struck me at the same time. And the thunder was rumbling around me.
I didn't believe it. No way! My dad can't do that crime! He is the best dad for me. No way. Impossible.
If Dale's stares could hurt me, I guess I am already beaten up. He forces his suitcase and goes outside, angrily.
Dale!" I called him with tears welling in my eyes but he never looked back rather he walked faster. 
My chest tightens. I can not breathe. I've never felt this kind of pain before. I didn't expect it to be this painful. It felt like a knife was pushed into my heart. It's unbearable.
My vision went blurry because I was crying hard. I couldn't stand the pain, I tumbled down on the sand. It felt so heavy, dragging my whole world down. My tears were still running down to my cheeks. Never-ending. I couldn't help. Sobrang sakit. 
"Dale. . . " I cried, still on the ground
He noticed what happened to me, he turned his back on me. I saw his hands were formed into fists. I know that he's still holding that photo. I wasn't wrong when he threw that with anger on the seashore. 
"You know, woman?" His face was distorted with rage. He's madder than what happened before. His stares at me right now strike differently. This is not the stares from the man I love wholeheartedly.
"The world played a big trick on me! I was a fool loving you, Zyah!"
My tears fell again. It hurts so bad. I forced myself to stand up even though my knees were shaking. He's killing me with his words. 
"Dale-"
"It hurts like hell, woman!" he shouted while punching his chest. 
"But we promised each other right? That as long as we love each other we can-"
"Zyah, please! Let this be our denouement!" 
"Dale, what are you saying? What if it's not what you think? My dad is not that kind of person!"
"I was there, Zy! I know that it's him!" 
I couldn't help but cry louder. I am aware of my difficulty in breathing. My head was a mess and my heart aches. With the thought that it was my dad who killed Dale's father, I couldn't bear it. My father is my role model. And now that impression was shattered. I only have a doubt now even how I convinced myself that it was not true. 
Also, I am about to lose the other man who made me feel I was loved and safe in his embrace.
It hurts like hell . . 
I couldn't bear its weight. . . 
"I was nearly there, Zy!" He shouted yet in an unsteady tone. It was covered with pain, hatred and regrets. "I was nearly there. I was about to open my heart to absorb everything! I strived to move on from my father's death. Zy, I was about to make it! I could almost say that I already accepted it! But. . ."
"Dale. . ." I sobbed. As I held his raging eyes, I felt weak. The gentle breeze was enough to make me shiver. I could feel on the ground again, anytime. 
"But then, I just knew that it was your father who ruined my life! It was him who ended my dad's life!"
"No one wants that to happen, Dale!" The words were automatically out of my mouth. I don't even understand if I said it right or wrong.
"I know. Let's not hurt each other anymore, Zy. We are both bleeding. Let's just close our book here."
Argh! This man! He still knows how to play with words in moments like this. What a brain he has.
Hearing that he wanted to end it here, all I could feel was the pain was gradually killing me. He started to turn his back on me. My tears ran down my cheeks and my heart was being squeezed. It stings like a knife was pierced on my chest.
"Dale!" I gathered all my courage to call him regardless of how devastated I am. "Did you ever love me?!"
He paused and stood still. He didn't turn his head to look back at me.
"I did, Zy. I did," he replied and then continued his steps.
I fell down again and wept my heart out. I was there alone as the waves of the ocean touched my feet. 
Why does it need to hurt like this?