Never Be Tamed

Chapter 28: Rest

"It's okay..." I mumbled, gently patting his back in assurance. "You're doing well, Zack. Don't worry too much about things beyond your control."

Under the minimal light on the lamp post, he stepped closer, gently resting his head against one of my shoulder. Hindi siya nagsalita, pero alam kung pagod siya. Hinayaan kong manatili kami sa ganoong posisyon. Despite being a leader of a prominent hybrid town... he's a person before anything else.

"You need to rest, Zack. You need to get some sleep."

"I wish I could lay down next to you."

My eyelids fluttered with his sudden words. Naramdaman niya ang pagkabigla ko sa kanyang sinabi kaya marahan siyang lumayo mula sa'kin. Nanatili akong nakatitig sa kanya, eyes unblinking when he reached for my cheek and held it with his warm palm.

"It's a thoughtless statement. I'm sorry if it startled you." Inabot niya ang kamay ko para hawakan. "I'll walk you to your cabin. It's getting late."

Tahimik kaming naglakad pabalik sa sleeping cabin namin ni Anabeth. But the silence was comfortable, almost reassuring, habang hawak ni Zackary ang palad ko.

Nang makarating kami sa tapat ng cabin, hindi ako umalis sa tabi ni Zackary. I didn't pull my hand away, instead I faced him. "Lay next to me then."

Napatitig si Zackary sa'kin, tila nakarinig ng biro, saka siya mahinahon na ngumiti at umiling. "I couldn't do that, Eleanor. What I said was a thoughtless statement. You make me feel at ease, calmer. But seeing you is enough."

"Are you afraid?" I asked, seeing the hesitation in his eyes.

Tila may gusto siyang sabihin bago muling umiling. "Eleanor, you don't know what you're saying. It might get me in trouble if you insist on what you want."

"You won't," I told him. "I trust the Zackary I know."

Zackary's eyes remained on me as I said those words. Marahan niyang pinisil ang palad ko.

"Let's go then."

Zackary's cabin was the farthest among the other cabins. It was also a bigger sleeping cabin than what I shared with Anabeth. I hope she didn't mind I wasn't with her tonight.

Zackary opened the door and turned on the lights. Inside was pretty much like all the other cabins, with more room to move and only one bed.

Nagpaalam si Zackary na maglilinis ng pawisan niyang katawan. Nagtungo siya sa bathroom habang pinagmamasdan ko ang paligid. His cabin was well-used. There were drawers for clothes and books on the desk.

Inalis ko ang jacket na suot ko at sinabit ito sa likod ng pintuan. Kinuha ko ang isang libro sa desk bago umupo sa kama. It was a book about town laws. Kahit sa lugar na ito nagaaral siya.

Habang naghihintay, binuksan ko ang libro at binasa ang ilang pahina nito. But I ended up being engrossed with the content, specially with the pages about Van Zanth's residency. Hindi ko agad napansin ang paglabas ni Zackary sa bathroom, basa ang kanyang buhok at nakapagpalit na ng damit.

"Zack," I asked him while he's drying his hair with a towel. "It says here I could become part of this town." I showed him the opened book, pointing the page where it was stated. "I could officially be a resident even if I wasn't born here."

Gumuhit ang maliit na ngiti sa labi niya nang makita ang excitement sa mukha ko. He sat on the bed, opposite to me, watching as though I was saying the most interesting thing, kahit pa alam kong ilang beses niya nang nabasa ang sinasabi ko.

"Of course you can."

"I didn't know this," I told him. "I thought it takes decades to be a resident here..."

"It usually is..." Nanatili ang ngiti sa labi niya. "There are special exemptions for health care providers and staff from the apothecary because you're considered as an asset of the town," he explained. "And there are other ways too."

Nagliwanag ang mukha ko sa narinig. "Zack, I could apply for it! According here, the process might be long, but I don't mind. It's my dream to be a resident here."

"You're beautiful specially when your face glow with excitement."

Natulala ako bigla sa sinabi ni Zackary. It came so sudden na hindi ko alam kung ano ang isasagot.

"Come here."

Zackary lay on the bed, his upper back against the pillow and his head against the wooden headboard on the wall. I remained sat beside him with the open book. He tugged me down a little, falling on the mattress beside him.

"I'll read to you the things you want to know."

Zackary pulled me closer until I lay next to him, my head resting against one of his arms and the side of my face brushed against his broad chest.

He was so close, I could smell the whiff of clean soap on his skin, his heartbeat against my left ear. I've never felt this intimate with someone before, but with Zackary, I feel the safest when I'm in his arms.

Zackary held the book for the two of us to read. He started reading a page, his voice low, and husky. Nanatili akong nakahiga sa tabi niya habang nakikinig sa kalmado niyang boses, sa pintig ng kanyang puso, sa sabay naming paghinga.

It took him several minutes of reading, before I slowly felt the need to sleep because of the long and exhausting day before. Zackary pulled me closer to him nang mapansin na inaantok na ako. Sinara niya ang librong hawak at pinatong ito sa kalapit na desk.

The mattress dipped as Zackary completely lay beside me. Sa gitna ng antok, muli kong binuksan ang mga mata ko upang masilayan ang kanyang mukha.

Zackary was watching me fall sleep in his arms, brushing away strands of hair off my face. He placed a lingering kiss on my forehead, before I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.

***