Chapter 35
1132 Words
RIZ
WE were on our way to the bedroom when Justin’s phone rang. It seemed he had no intention of answering it, but when the ringing stopped, it rang again. Annoyed, he dug his cell phone out of his pocket and answered it while still holding my hand. I didn’t see who was calling, and it’s not my habit to look at other people’s cell phones.
“What is it?” he asked the caller. “What do you mean? No, I didn’t. I’m on my way.” He turned to me and guided me toward the room. “I have to leave earlier than expected.”
I heard the door close once we got inside. “Is something wrong?”
He smiled briefly. “Just the usual business stuff. Don’t worry about it. You’ll just stress yourself out. Do you still have the card I gave you?”
“Yes, it’s in my wallet. Do you need it back? I can get it—”
He shook his head. “No, keep it.” He led me to the closet. He opened it and pressed a white button. A safe appeared before me. “If you need cash, there’s money over here. I changed the code yesterday.”
“I’m not buying anything, so I don’t need to open the safe.”
He ignored me. “The code is four digits: the month of our wedding and the day we met at the club, then reverse it.” As he told me this, he pressed the keypad. “Got it?” The safe opened, and I couldn’t count how many bundles of money were neatly stacked inside.
I nodded. “I got it.” I let go of him and sat on the bed.
Justin took off his shirt and headed straight for the shower. I heard the sound of running water. A few minutes later, he came out wrapped only in a towel, water dripping from his hair.
“Do you want me to pack some clothes for you?” That’s what wives do for their husbands when they have to go somewhere. Although I never saw my mom or Madam do that for their husbands, I read about it in romance novels and saw it on TV.
He shook his head. “No. I have clothes in Manila.” He approached me but didn’t touch me. Justin simply looked into my eyes and then leaned over to kiss my cheek. “Thank you, though.”
I couldn’t help but blush. Here I am, carrying his child, and I’m still able to turn beet red. He picked out clothes from the walk-in closet. I was surprised when he came out wearing blue jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt. I walked over to him and buttoned up his shirt.
“I thought you were going to the office. Why are you wearing jeans?”
He smiled. “I’m going to the site, so I don’t need to wear dress pants. Is what I’m wearing okay?”
I wanted to say that even if he wore a sack, it wouldn’t take away from his handsomeness, but he might tease me more. “It’s fine.”
“Just fine?”
I finished buttoning the last button and adjusted his collar. “Yes, why? What do you want me to say? That you’re handsome?”
He grinned. “Why not? That’s what you said to me first at the club before you followed it up with wanting to marry me.”
The last few words sounded muffled because I quickly covered his mouth. He laughed and lightly bit my palm.
“Stop saying that you want to marry me, you annoying man.” I pinched him along with a poke to his side. But he was quick this time and caught my hand.
“It’s true. If you hadn’t left so quickly that morning, I would have married you right away.” He burst into laughter, so I pinched his ear.
“If I hear you say that again, I really will leave you. When you come home, I won’t be here.” I crossed my arms against my chest, unable to stop pouting.
“You’re so grumpy. Where are you going?” He pinched my nose, so I swatted his hand away.
“Anywhere, as long as it’s far from you,” I pouted.
But instead of being annoyed with me, he pulled me close by the waist and kissed my forehead. “Even if you’re grumpy all day and night, that’s fine. Just don’t run away; you might miss me and suddenly start crying.”
His words were so serious, and then he threw in that last line, making it sound like I would cry because I’d miss him. What a rare Justin this is.
I looked at him sideways. “Maybe it’s you.” He grinned, but I don’t know if he agreed or not. He didn’t say anything. “When will you be back?”
“In a few days. The signal at the site is weak, so if you call and I can’t answer, that’s the reason. If you need anything, call Tony. I forwarded you his number. Rowan will be back in about three days, so you can reach out to him around that time too.” He stared at me, cupped my cheeks, and kissed the tip of my nose. “Don’t tire yourself out. I’ll get you an assistant so—”
“I don’t need an assistant.”
“You say that now, but it’s better to have someone with you. When our baby arrives, you’ll also need some rest. I don’t want you to get tired.”
“How can I get tired if I’m not doing anything?” It’s even more tiring to sit and lie around all day. I’m really not used to it.
“Your life is different now. No one will be ordering you around here. It’s the other way around. Ask people to do things for you. We’ll talk when I get back from my trip. In the meantime, enjoy your time with your friends. There’s a nice resort here in Batangas. Use the card and book a villa. There’s a spa there too.”
My life has changed so fast I can barely keep up. And I’m afraid that now that our relationship is getting better each day, it might come with a price. There’s an old saying that too much happiness comes with sadness. So my wish is that even if there are some challenges, let them not be overwhelming.
I walked him to the driveway and watched until I could no longer see the car. Already, I miss him; how much more when we’re not together?
- Writer
