Chapter 2

Warning: Language.

"Hello?"

She drew a breathe. "Haze?" she called the other line then looked out on the balcony. "Are you home?"

"Yep. Why calling me at this hour?"

She sighed and decided to get out of bed. She walked closer to the balcony and went out to breathe fresh air. It was passed three in the morning. The sorrounding was still dark and the lighthouse owned by the Mayor of Medellin shone in the distance. There was a faint noise from crickets hiding in the dark.

"I've dreamt of something," she confessed.

Hazel snorted on the other line. "Well, that's normal."

"No. I mean, I've dreamt a weird dream."

The other line laughed. "Oh, well. What's your dream little girl?"

She frowned. She thought of Hazel's drunken face, grinning from ear to ear, in front of her. "Come on, Haze. Stop drinking, okay? I need someone to talk to, then you're like that?"

There was a long pause between them. Then she took another deep breath before telling the story. "It's weird."

"Weird? That word again? How can I help you if you can't quit saying weird?" Hazel said, annoyance was evident in her voice.

Jewel knew that Hazel was not in her right mind so she did not make a fuss about the girl's tone and said, "I've dreamt of something."

Hazel grumbled. "What now? Come on, spill it."

She closed her eyes tightly. She felt her cheeks burned red in embarrassment as she tried to make the right sentence to describe what she had seen in her dream. "Sex. I've dreamt of it."

Another wave of silence passed between her and Hazel. Then, she heard Hazel's awakened voice. "What, little girl?"

"Come on!" She rolled her eyes in both annoyance and embarrassment. "I've dreamt of someone having sex to me!"

Then, laughter erupted on the other line of the phone. She frowned hard and repeatedly slapped her forehead. She had to take the phone far from her ear because it felt as though Hazel was laughing on her side, with that loud laugh.

"What's that, Laine?" Hazel burst into a laugh again. "Are you serious? You must get a guy now."

"Haze!"

Even though she could not see her own reflection, she knew that her face was as red as a ripe tomato because of shame. "That's why it's weird. This is the first time that I've dreamt of it, Haze."

"Oh?" Hazel teased.

She pursed her lips. "I'm not the kind of girl who daydream about it," she said to defend herself. Then she bit her bottom lip.

The truth was that... sometimes she really daydream of a guy but it was not explicit! And she was not out of her mind to admit it. She could not bear the shame of admitting her secret, even though Hazel was her friend.

She heard Hazel chuckled at her denial. "Don't worry. I think that's normal. Tiara called me last night and she told me that she and her boyfriend are doing that in her dream. Hush now, little girl."

Her eyes narrowed while watching the shining lighthouse in the distance. "I think so."

"But ... how does it feel?"

"Feel?"

Hazel resumed her laughed. "You... with someone having you know."

Her forehead furrowed even more. "Uh, just... something wet down there?"

Hazel giggled. "Is he handsome?"

"I don't think so."

"Husky, bedroom voice ... with charming smile?"

"No."

Hazel hummed. "I think you need someone to satisfy you, Laine."

"I think that guy is weird," she admitted.

She remembered the man she was with in the dream. She knew he had a face but she couldn’t remember it. The only thing that was clear in her memory was the man's big arms and elegant physique. But ... why did thinking about the man makes her shiver in fear?

She swallowed hard.

She took a deep breath. "Haze? Don't sleep in your couch. Go to your bed and sleep. I'll hang up now."

"Mmm..." Hazel giggled. "You might find who that man is so don't quit dreaming." Then the girl laughed again.

Jewel shook her head and repeatedly took a deep breath before re-entering her room. She was startled when out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone standing at the corner of her bed. She turned around, and there was no one in the room except her.

She shook her head before entering the bathroom to take a shower.

IT WAS STILL dark when she left her room and went down to the living room. She saw few maids already cleaning the mansion. They greeted her with a smile.

Aling Teresa walked closer to her. The old woman was smiling from ear to ear, looking happy and younger. "You're early, Senyorita. I didn't see Senyorito Gideon come out of the room so it looks like he can't go outside with you."

She just smiled at the old woman. "I can do it. Please do me a favor. Don't tell anyone that I went outside at this hour."

"But it's dangerous outside. It's still dark--"

"Aling Teresita," she called. She smiled and held the woman's shoulders. "I can do it. And I'll just take a tour at our hacienda. I'm not going outside so rest easy."

Aling Teresa nodded and accompanied her all the way to the main door of the mansion. "Be careful, Senyorita."

"I will, Manang," she smiled and turned around.

She went straight to the stable and she was right in her suspicion when she saw Pedro was up and bathing the horses. The man noticed her, smiled, and stood in front of her.

"Miss, it's too dark on the road. I can't let you leave early."

She pursed her lips. "I can do it."

"Oh, Senyorita! It's better that you'll ride with Senyorito Gideon, and I can be at ease that you'll go home safe and sound when the sun rise."

She glared at Pedro. "I'm not kidding you."

He laughed, shook his head, and scratched his neck. The man looked beyond her. "Senyorito, Senyorita is really that stubborn so it's up to you now. Please don't let her ride alone at this hour."

Jewel's forehead furrowed and she turned back. She saw Gideon. The man shook his head and folded his arms against his chest. "Such a brat. This early?" Gideon asked with a sly grin on his lips.

Her fist clenched. She hadn’t yet moved on with the man's sarcasm on the Aisle, and she held grudge against him when she almost fell off the motorcycle because of its speed. And why was the proud man awake?

"Pedro!" she shouted. She quickly faced the attendant but Pedro had ran away already.

The attendant bit his goodbye and adviced them to be careful on the dark road. Jewel frowned. She wanted to scream at Pedro. She knew that the two men had agreed to sabotage her plan to ride alone in the dark.

She then heard Gideon laughed in the background. The man stepped closer to her. "You can't ride alone. You know that, Jewel."

Her lips was pursed into one line. "Don't remind me as if I'm a child."

"Then don't act like a child."

"I'm not!"

Gideon was silent for a moment, then asked. "What's the problem?"

"None of your business."

Without a word, she advanced into the stable. She picked Fransisko, put a saddle on the horse's back before climbing up, and she ran the horse away.

She heard Gideon's shout but she did not listen. She made Fransisko ran faster when she sensed that Gideon followed her behind, riding at his favorite horse Gina.

"Jewel!" Gideon called her. At the dead silence of the sorrounding, she heard Gina's galloped behind, followed with the sound of Fransisko's gallop. "Listen to me! You're heeding the wrong way. Stop your horse now!"

But she did not listen.

It had been a few days since her life in the mansion changed drastically.

She remembered how her father smiled when he saw Gideon. He was proud to say that the plan to unite the two powerful families in Medellin will be facilitated sooner. And Jewel's not a fool for not knowing what binding her father referred to.

She frowned, tightened her grip on the horse's reins, and kicked its ass. Fransisko ran faster.

On that unfortunate day, she knew that her life would change, especially when she learned that next summer, she would marry the Mayor’s only child which turned out to be Gideon Manasseh Hernandez. And that man was following her closely behind.

But suddenly, she sensed something was wrong. The air became even more chilly and the smell of moss enveloped her nostrils. As far as she remembered, her hacienda didn't have moss brought by watery sorroundings, unless she was heading to the river. Her eyes widened at the sudden realization. "What the --"

Maybe it's too late to ask for help. She went straight plunging into the dark and peaceful waters of the Medellin River. Even her favorite Francisco did not escape the danger.

She quickly clasped her hands to get back on the surface of the water. She repeatedly cursed in her mind. Her muscles trembled and her chest tightened in the cold water.

She desperately searched the bank of the river but could not find it in the dark. Gradually, she became overwhelmed with fear.

She swam in a direction. She poured strength into kicking her legs and stroking her arms, and she cried out when an arm suddenly wrapped around her neck. Someone pulled her back as her head was held by someone's arm high above waters so she could breathe.

Later, she felt the dry ground against her skin and someone tapped her back gently to get the water out that had to be released.

Then she weakly leaned against something firm yet hot. She closed her eyes and repeatedly drew a breathe. The warmth enveloped her whole being so she silently sighed in relief.

A warm breathe fanned her face and a deep voice dominated her ears. "You, hardheaded brat. Listen to me next time, will you?"

She opened her eyes but she could only see the silhouette of a man. She then hugged the person who had saved her and a small smile tugged the side of her lips.