"FAMILIAR KISS"

I subtly pushed Marius away from me. I felt like I was melting like ice cream because of the warmth of the kiss he gave me. Given the reality that I wanted to subtly convey that his proposed idea was not a good one, I thought of a way.

"I think I heard a knock on the door," I lied.

Marius' eyes questioned me, staring at me intensely. Then he moved and headed towards the door.

I quietly watched Marius approach me. As he did, I noticed the increasing pace of my heartbeat. I was nervous, and I knew why.

Why did I even ask him how the baby was conceived? In reality, I already knew the answer. And because he claims the child, it's only natural that something happened between us.

"Do you know that we filled your house in Baguio with passionate moments?" he asked me.

My face immediately warmed up at his statement.

I wasn't sure if he was asking in a way that he wanted me to remember everything we did or if he was just saying it because he wanted to. Because I initiated the conversation.

"But you're not serious about what you're saying, right?" I asked, my tone betraying my nervousness.

I saw Marius raise his thick eyebrows. Even though truth be told, I wanted to let go. I still made an effort to keep staring into his eyes. But in those moments, I felt like I was about to faint. The warmth in my face intensified when he spoke, and I heard what he said. It was the reason for the amusement in his eyes and the aura on his face.

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

At that point, my chest rose and fell rapidly. Then I tried to force myself to answer, but it was still the same. I was still nervous. Even if I didn't admit it to Marius, I knew he could tell.

"Isn't it obvious?" I asked and answered him, then looked away from him at that moment.

He nodded, and I bowed my head, allowing him to subtly kiss my lips.

"I was just kidding," he said to me with a smile and a playful wink.

I don't know where the feeling came from, but it was as if I suddenly breathed a sigh of relief after hearing what he said.

"It's good if that's the case," I said to him, then subtly rolled my eyes.

Marius's loud laughter filled the entire room. And as he laughed, I couldn't help but admire him.

Why not? Marius looks so handsome in that state. I mean, when he laughs like that,. It's like life becomes so much lighter.

And I can't deny that in my heart, there is a longing to always see him like that. I also wish to be the woman who witnesses all those laughs from him.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, perhaps noticing that I was staring intently at his face.

I seemed to snap out of it and blink.

"Yeah," I replied, then smiled shyly.

Marius continued to gaze at my face. I don't know, but the discomfort caused by his eyes was really intense. It's as if those eyes have a magnet that draws all my strength. So, I chose not to look at him after a brief glance.

"Oh, why do I still feel the trembling in your voice?" he asked, and at that point, he didn't hide the amusement he felt towards me.

I blushed again.

"Stop bullying me!" I pretended to be annoyed.

Once again, I heard a soft laugh escape from Marius' throat.

"I'm not bullying you," he said to me, then gently pinched the tip of my nose.

Of course, I didn't believe what he said. I rolled my eyes at him and distanced myself.

"I'm going to sleep. I'm sleepy," I said, with a slightly annoyed tone.

Yes, I admit that at that point, I was really getting annoyed with him. But, of course, I know within myself that it's not right to nurture that feeling. It's not right to stick to my onion-skinned demeanor.

Marius nodded again, and I bowed my head once more. This time, he kissed my forehead—a simple yet tender kiss.

"Okay, go to sleep if you're sleepy," he said, gently guiding me to lie down.

I remained silent and instead stood by my statement. Even though, in reality, at that moment, I wasn't really sleepy,.

"Where is your province, Marius?" I decided to ask him after he had gone back to the door, which he had locked a while ago.

With that thought, I couldn't help but feel amusement for him. But, of course, it wasn't just pure amusement. It also came with a mix of excitement and discomfort.

Honestly, when this man has been by my side since I regained consciousness—even though I claim to have no memories—I really can't deny the myriad of emotions that are tumultuously swirling, or perhaps it's more accurate to say, colliding emotions within me. It's something I really can't explain, causing profound confusion in my mind.

His eyes sparkled as he returned to his seat, and a beautiful smile once again graced his face. Then, he held one of my hands and gently squeezed it.

"Are you excited?" he asked me. He still hadn't let go of my hand, and I could feel the warmth of his palm, sending strong electric currents through every fiber of my being.

Despite the electricity, my heart couldn't help but revel in the excitement. So, I smiled and bit my lip while nodding.

"That's my girl," he said to me.

"But you haven't answered my question yet," I insisted, in a tone that served as a reminder.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I got carried away with your excitement about coming with me to my province," he explained.

I didn't say anything in response to Marius's words. Instead, I showed him through my demeanor that I was still waiting for an answer to my question.

"Bulacan, that's my province. That's where my house is—I mean, the ancestral house that I inherited from my parents. They inherited it from their parents," he explained.

"Yeah?" I asked, seeking further clarification.

He nodded. "My father, actually," he added.

"Did you grow up there?" I inquired.

He shrugged, his lips twitching as he prepared to respond to my question. "Not really. But I used to go there when I was a child for vacations."

"What do you mean?" I asked again, sensing a hint of confusion in his voice.

"When I was a kid, my parents would often bring me there. My grandparents were still alive back then. But when they passed away, a caretaker stayed there. And since my father has his own house and family, he only goes there to clean up, you know, to water the plants," Marius explained again.

"So, you really grew up in Manila?" I asked once more.

Marius nodded. "We weren't that wealthy with my mom, so I attended a public school."

"What do you mean?" I asked, still puzzled and curious.

"My parents are separated. That house is the only inheritance my father left for me, aside from his surname."

For some unexplainable reason, I suddenly felt pity for Marius, and I couldn't hide it from him.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said.

He nodded and squeezed my hand again. "I haven't even told you about it yet. Not even before the accident happened," Marius admitted.

I was surprised, and my eyes widened at what he said. "Really?"

"Yeah, and I'm sorry about that," Marius said with sincerity in his tone.

"You got me pregnant and all, but I didn't know anything about your life story?" I couldn't help but express my bewilderment once again.

I heard him release a deep sigh before looking straight into my eyes. "Because I'm proud of that part of my life, I didn't share it with you," he explained, and the emotions behind each word were evident in his tone.