Chapter 1 (His Words)
Final Pain and Pleasure
"Catalena!" Cindy sighed as she looked at what I had done. I giggle.
"Why? It's cute!"
She shook and hit me. "Are you crazy already? You know you're so in love with him! He doesn't like you!"
Ezekiel Montenegro. I didn't listen to my friend's bumps. At least sometimes she didn't like dealing with me when the man I wanted.
Every time I see him, my heartbeat is different. Even since I first saw him, his impact on me has been different.
"You know you can only support me. Aren't you a friend?"
I took some more and put them in the picture album. She rolled her eyes.
"Yes, I'm your friend, so I'm concerned! We're so young! And that man is old! "
"And so? Age doesn't matter! It matters on the ruler!"
I burst out laughing, but she kicked me.
"Crazy! Maybe I'll take him for you if it was just Tristan."
"I don't like him," I answered and ignored the rest of what she said.
This afternoon I will go with Papa again. I want to see him again.
I dressed in a mustard dress and paired it with sandals.
I also curled the lower part of my hair so I looked like a fairy. We own a large sugarcane plant here in Manila. Back then, it was here that I first met the man I liked.
Since then, I couldn't help but take a picture of him in the distance and stick it in my picture album.
The more he stuck up and ignored me, the more I became obsessed with him.
"Papa!" Papa was getting ready to leave and frowned when he saw me.
"Oh! My unica hija is coming with me?"
"Yes! I'm already bored here."
He messed up my hair, so I almost got depressed when it messed up.
"Papa! Ugh!"
"My daughter is a girl now! All right, come on! And I have a transaction with Mr. Montenegro."
My heart pounded immediately.
I was young when my mom died in an accident. I don't have a mother anymore; only my father raised me. I can only see her in pictures.
When I exited our car, the sunlight landed on my skin.
I fixed my hair and clothes. I have to say how I feel today because I heard he would return to their Hacienda when his transaction with Papa ends.
So before he left, I should have told him about my feelings for him.
Our family has an extensive mango and sugarcane field and flowers in the same place but in different lands.
Hacienda Condez is a prosperous land here in Manila. My dad took care of it. He has been taking care of it since her mother died.
Dad has an office here. Behind his office is a quarter of our workers.
"I'll leave you here, huh? I'll check the fertilizers."
I smiled at Dad. "Go on! I'll go around. "
"Don't go too far away."
"Yes, papa!"
As usual, I immediately went to where I always take pictures of him. And I was right.
Below the truck, he helps load pipes for our workers.
He was naked and sweaty!
His abs glowed with sweat. And! I counted his abs!
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight!
Oh my god! He's hot!
I didn't bother to take my Polaroid camera and took a picture of him.
I smile at the capture until he is gone from camera vision.
"Huh?"
Before I could find him, someone grabbed my camera. I almost fainted because he was next to me!
He stared at me intently, and his eyebrows met. He always seems to hate the world, but his handsomeness is too much. I also saw his older brother then, but he had a girlfriend, and this man in front of me captivated my young heart.
"When will you stop?"
My heart jumped when I heard his voice.
See ?! That's how he affects me!
"Uhh, just Pictures."
He looked at my camera, and I saw he had deleted everything.
Suddenly he returned my camera to me.
"Don't do that again, kid."
I took a deep breath as he turned around and removed his t-shirt.
"I love you, Ezekiel," I said.
He stopped and slowly faced me.
"I love you."
He grinned and faced me again. He arched his brows mockingly.
"You love Me?" he mocked. I nodded.
The side of his lips rose.
"I don't know the word "love" anymore, so stop that."
Then he left me. He left me with his words.
As the days went by, Ezekiel became even more mysterious to me. Each time he mocked me as I watched him adjust the sugarcane load, I fell even more for him.
I will not give up until I get an Ezekiel Montenegro.
Even as a child, I knew my feelings for him would never fade. My friend scolded me because Ezekiel was so old to me. Who cares, right?
"Is that for him again?" Cindy's voice was sharp as she looked at the collage pictures of Ezekiel I was making. I will laminate it later and give it to him. I am still determining when he will return to their Hacienda, so every drop of time is essential to me.
"Just support me, Cindy!" I smiled at her. She glared at me and blew her lollipop again.
"Seriously, Cindy? You look like a child with that lollipop." I rebuke.
"Seriously, Cat? Even an older man without teeth is a can-eat lollipop. You are immune!"
I burst out laughing and punched her. "It's what we call Mature, not immune!"
"It's still like that!"
Cindy and I were walking to the cafeteria when my cell phone vibrated. Every passerby smiles at me and greets me. I am popular at this school. I'm the Miss Sweetheart at Miss Southland High School. Dad is also one of the sponsors here at our school. Each room must be air-conditioned, and each floor has its cleaner.
Our uniform is violet in color with a thigh-length skirt. Our neckline is cropped, and the top is light violet. At the same time, our left chest is branded Southland High School. Southland also has a college extension, but I will study at another college.
From Tristan: I'm here at the canteen. I will treat you a food!
I was shaken to read his message to me. We headed to the cafeteria and saw Tristan alone there. He was wearing big eyeglasses and carrying a book.
Cindy whispered to me. "The handsome."
"He's not my type. I like Zeke." I whispered to her back. It bothered me.