Zoey: the Road leads to Rome (Completed)

Chapter 8- Spots

Rome's POV

"Cailee, si Zoey?" I asked Cailee when I saw her sitting at one of the benches inside the campus.
Binaba ni Cailee ang binabasang libro saka tumitig sa akin.
"Ano ba talaga ang pakay mo kay Zoey, Rome?" deretsang tanong nito.
"Hindi ba pwedeng tanungin ko lang?" Defensive na tanong ko.
"Liligawan mo ba si Zoey?"
"Fuck, no... Kaibigan ko kayo... Nababaliw ka na ba?"
"Then I will warn you Rome. Zoey is my best friend. One of the truest people I know. Kung hindi mo siya siseryosohin, huwag mong paasahin. Huwag kang magpakita ng motibo... Huwag kang maging sweet sa kanya. Huwag kang pa-fall... Rome, huwag mong gawing biktima si Zoey. Don't ruin her." Sabi nito.

Hindi ako kumibo. Am I a bad person to her eyes that she needs to tell those warnings to me? Nakaka-offend minsan na ang past mistakes mo, nagiging batayan ng pagkatao mo habang buhay.

"She is my friend Cailee." I replied.
"Good. Because if you hurt her, friends or not, I will hurt you too."

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"Rome, come here." Tawag ni daddy sa akin. Kinakabahan ako.
"Can you see this?" Tinuro ni daddy ang spot sa monitor. Tumango langako.

"That is your baby." Dad said. "Your baby is on 10 weeks..."

Oh God. I see a spot with a heart beat. My baby... I have a baby... I can see my baby...
Ginalaw ulit ni daddy ang probe and the image change.

"And you have a twin." He said.

And now I see two spots with a heart beat.

  "A twin?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong. I will have a twin.

"Yeah... And it looks like an identical twin. So it would be either two boys or two girls." Dad replied.

For the first time, naramdaman ko ang sinasabi ni Mang Tonyo nakakaibang saya.

I looked at Zoey who is fighting her tears.

"We will have a twin..."
"Yeah." She replied softly.

"Does she needs to rest, dad?"
"Well, she needs to rest alright. Having a multiple pregnancy is not easy." Dad replied.
"May cravings ka na ba?" Dad asked Zoey. Tinulungan ni Cailee na mapunasan ang mga gel sa tiyan ni Zoey bago siya umupo.
"I think po yung cupcakes sa Sweet Bells..." she replied. Natawa si Gab at si daddy.
"Ang layo ng bibilan natin nyan, Zoey." Gab commented.
"Yung tinatawag nilang lihi, hilo, pagsusuka, laging inaantok, doble ang mararamdaman mo nun Zoey. Dahil doble ang hormones naipo-produce ng katawan mo. Try to minimize your work. Wala naman masama kung matulog ka lang maghapon. Bibigyan na kitang vitamins mo... and drink plenty of water."

Nahihiyang tumango si Zoey.

"I need to talk to Brook." I told dad... so Zoey can hear it too.
"Samahan ko ng umuwi si Zoey sa Soledad." Tumango si daddy saka ngumiti.
"Congratulations to the both of you." He beamed at me and tapped my shoulder.
"Thanks dad."

"Are you ready to go?" I asked Zoey. Tumango lang siya.
"Kayo, paano kayo nakarating dito sa Vicente?" I asked Cailee and Gab.
"Horse." Cailee replied.

Kung wala lang akong hang-over kanina, mapapatulan ko 'tong war freak na si Cailee.

I smirked at her. "Then you can ride your horse back to Soledad."
Nanlaki ang mata ni Cailee.

"You will not dare..." Simula nito.
"Oppss..." I raise my hand to stop her. "Sinipa mo ako kanina, kung nakakalimutan mo. At wala ka sa Country Club."
Tinalikuran ko siya habang tumatawa si Gab.
"Tara na Zoey." Yaya ko dito.
"Paano si Cailee?" Pinipigilan nyang huwag tumawa.

"Tito Tristan, tingnan mo si Rome. Napaka childish mo Rome. You will let us ride a horse back to Soledad with this heat?" Protesta ni Cailee.
"Gab, mauna na kami. Kita na lang tayo sa Soledad." Tumango si Gab at nagpipigil ng tawa.
"Dad?"
Tumango si daddy.

Hawak ko ang kamay ni Zoey ng lumabas kami sa clinic.

"Tito..." protesta ni Cailee.
"Rome... bwisit ka talaga..." Sigaw ni Cailee buhat sa loob ng clinic.

I chuckled habang nagdidrive ako pabalik sa Soledad. Galit na galit ang prinsesa ng country Club.
Tahimik si Zoey na nasa passenger side. Tahimik naman talaga si Zoey kahit noon pa.

"Zoey, I think you need to move to Vicente." I said to her.
"Okay naman ako sa Soledad. Saka walang kasama si Brook." Sagot niya.
"Brook will be fine alone. Hindi ako makakalipat agad-agad sa Soledad kung merong emergency sayo. And besides, hanggat nasa Vicente si daddy, matitingnan ka nya. We will go back to Manila or even to Country Club kapag safe na sayo ang magbiyahe."
Hindi ko narinig na sumagot si Zoey so I risk looking at her. Nakatingin siya sa akin.

Huminga siya ng malalim bago nagsalita.
"Alam mo, hindi ka dapat magpa-pressure kay Cailee at sa gustong mangyari ng parents mo. Okay lang ako maging single parent."
"You will not be a single parent..." I replied to her.
"Hmmm... hindi kita pipilitin sa hindi mo gustong gawin. Sabi mo nga di ba, hindi lang tayo ang magpapalaki ng mga anak ng hindi nagsasama. We will be fine..."

Hindi ako kumibo... If Zoey told me that statement on the day that Mom and Dad taked to us, baka pumayag pa ako. But now, nagdadalawang-isip ako kung tama nga na hindi kami magsama.

We will have kids... dalawang bata. Walang anak ko ang magiging bastardo. If this will be the first time I will do something right... I will do it without having doubts.

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A/N
Rome is coming around...
And they have identical twins...
How cool was that?!