Chapter 4: Chapter Three

Zev smiled as she sat in a chair under the cassia fistula tree at the back of her house. That place serves as her study and reading place. That's not just an ordinary place but a garden as well. There you will find a variety of plants like Petunia, Drummond, Orientale, California poppy, and her favorite ornamental plant's florist carnation and the sweet william.

In that garden, Zev is not just a beautiful storybook but a lovely goddess. When she was bored or idle, she always hangs out there and reads her favorite novels, the place helps her to absorb the words on every page so easily. Like a woman in 80's she's simple and her wants are simple, books, and music albums.

She had no remorse for choosing that place that Collen had recommended when she came back from Spain. Zev took out her cellphone and played music, indeed Zev feels good. Love Story by Taylor Swift began to play.

She just found herself analyzing. She doesn't know why Reese couldn't recognize her when they met just a few days ago. She was feeling bad about the thought that the latter was drunk when they rescued him together with her dad. Her dad was a coast guard in Spain and she happened to go with him to the Mediterranean for a cruise. Reese was lucky because they saw him and were rescued.

Zev kissed him there on the seashore when his dad left them because he asked for help. She kissed his teasing lips. Yes, she kissed him because she liked him very much even at the first sight. She believed that time that love, at first sight, does not just happen in a fairytale but happens in a real situation. She imagined Romeo and Juliet. Love amidst the chaos, pricked her heart.

She's a great fan of Reese's writing skills and his novels, and of course, everyone knows the young man. Because Reese is always covered in magazines and he was always the topic of some news shows. She finds his name everywhere, in different news outlets, on air, or in printed news. But Reese is down to earth. He's not arrogant.

She knew why he was very emotional at that time back then two years ago, or why he drowned himself, depression is the reason she knows why he does that thing. He was a broken man. Everywhere about him was broken and shattered pieces. Everywhere about him was a lesson.

From a science fiction, mystery-thriller writer to a tragic novelist. Pain and experience indeed change individuals.

She's very attracted to Reese. But over time Zev's feelings for Reese slowly disappear. But when they met just days ago, her heart throbbed so fast. Pounding so hard. It was her heart that was very excited to meet him. Was she in love with him again? Or did she just have the feeling all along and pretended not to care about it?

Coincidence she whispered.

In Reese's eyes, she noticed no sign that he was surprised at their meeting. It was a sign that he did not remember her. There was no sign of surprise and she expected it. But we looked at each other's eyes intently she said to herself then her heart dancing in glee with the song.

It's a love story. Baby, just say 'Yes'.

She thought of what she was doing asking for his number. She wonders if it's right or wrong, or recalcitrance. Reese had no idea that she was looking for the name 'Reese Medel' on the internet but no social media accounts of the young man came up.

Why? He's not a fan of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and damn, etc, old fashioned? His simplicity at worst. Perhaps, he loved email rather than any of those social media platforms.

If he was only using email, then she'll be going to talk to one of his employees and ask for Reese's email address. She thought if Reese is install some dating apps on his iPhone, frivolous, is the right word for her face. If she crosses the line and invades his private life and identity, Reese would be not kind to track her down and she'll end up in jail.

He can't do that for sure if he knows that she's keeping his possession that worth billions. Well, she often imagined being the wife of that billionaire that she'd admired before. She pronounce the word before since she decided to let her feelings go.

A billionaire cannot marry an ordinary girl like her, med-student, coming from a hardworking family. Is marrying a rich man has criteria? If wealth is first on the list, then Zev is out of that.

Reese Medel. Medel is a well-known family in Spain, they're not full-blooded Spanish born with a silver spoon in the castle of the king, but they owned the world wide known automobile company with branches in a different countries in Asia and Western.

Reese. That was the name she saw on the young man's credit card inside his wallet. Because Reese was unconscious when they rushed to send him to the hospital. She had to open his wallet inside his expensive leather sling bag and look for identification and info about the young man so she could answer the nurse's questions. She pulled out ATM cards and his government ID.

His name is quite long. She just remembered his first and last name. Besides what is good about having a long name with almost a hundred letters? Creativity? Uniqueness? She imagined how struggled Reese wrote his name when he was in primary grades. She bet he cried every time his teacher asked him to write his name on five long sheets of paper back to back.

She was forced to lie the other day when Reese asked her how she knew his name, instead of telling the truth she just cited the novel Reese had written. Maybe that was a valid reason because his name is written there in the book.

Zev was here for a purpose not to heal Reese wounded heart. Because he knew how to heal his wound in the chest, his broken heart. 'When you meet a perfect woman Reese, a perfect partner, I will return it for you she assured. She is fully committed to her plan of forgetting and erasing the rest of her feelings for Reese. Her first love, the latter seems possible to love her back even one and a half percent.

She smiled slightly, and bitterly. She had to look away to control her tears from dripping. She loves Reese. But she needs to give up her feelings. She loved him even before. But it will be vague and impossible.

She doesn't want to daydream. But she wanted Reese to meet a sensible woman. A woman that loves him, the way a woman loves a man. Because she felt sorry for his bitter experiences in life.

He wasn't a failure, it's the destiny of love that always dropped him and he shattered.

She heaved and minimize the volume of her cellphone. She looked at the wooden circle table in front of her where her favorite books were lying. Later, she suddenly thought of ordering La Ultimo online. She expressed a sigh of relief when her bookseller friend online has a lot of La Ultimo stock.

Then suddenly some hands covered her eyes which almost startled her. "W-who are you?" she asked trying to protest.

"Guess."

"Uhmm ... Collen?" she asked, laughing.

"Jerk! I wish I had changed my voice earlier," she said pretending to be disappointed but Collen hugged her and sat down in the empty seat. "Several books, will it make you sexier even more?" she added to ask.

"You again, trying to throw judgment. Hey, you're not even memorizing the Filipino alphabet and here you are-hmm..." Zev smirked.

Collen chuckled. "Am I that stupid?"

Zev just shrugged her shoulders.

"Am I stupid, hah?" she asked again.

"Well, you said that so you're STUPID, uppercase." She laughed.

"No es verdad." (That's not true)

"Spanish Hah."

"Welempeke." (Filipino Slang for I don’t care) Collen's snob.

"¿Que quire decir?" (What does it mean) she asked her.

She grinned "Have mercy on me. Oh, Zev the virgin one," she said pretending to cry. "Oh, my holiest virgin friend."

"Airheaded." She chuckled.

Collen's eyes widened. "What on Earth are you saying.? Airheaded? How the fuck come that the air had a brain, eff?"

"You'll die if I tell you."

"That would a bookworm stupid exactly say."

"Best award for you again." She laughed and slapped her friend slightly on her shoulder. She laughed again when she saw her reaction which seemed to wince in pain.

Zev massaged it quickly so gentle. She looked into her friend's eyes. Collen was also looking at her. Zev bites her own lower lip. Collen's eyes widened in reaction to what Zev was doing. Collen snatched her and her face close to Zev and their lips were only about three inches away from each other. Collen knew that Zev was going to kiss her so she pushed her away.

"Zev, what the fuck! Are you a lesbian?"

Zev nodded. But then she laughed. She likes to prank and that fits her serious face.

"By the way what brings you here?"

her face was serious.

"Was that just a joke, the thing that happened earlier?" she wanted Zev to answer her question right away.

"You haven't answered my question." Zev reminded.

She flipped her long brown hair as part of her Madame act. Collen always overacting like an antagonist madame in a French film Therefore it wasn't surprising if the way she walks, talk, sit and wear her clothes are full of exaggerating act. This woman-Collen became madame Channel, Collen Coltburn Jacoby always find ways to claim the best actress award. What a jerk!

"W-what the-," she said in surprise when she noticed the wedding card Collen was holding. "Damn you're getting married?" she added interestingly.

"Yes!" Collen answered tearfully.

"Felicitaciones, me alegro por usted." Congratulations, I'm very happy for you She smiled, then wondered who is Collen's fiance. As far as Zev knew Collen had no boyfriend. She wasn't even announcing her engagement yet with the love of life. Yes, Collen is still single and hasn't claimed any knight in shining armor yet.

Assuming.

Collen gave her the wedding invitation card. The names written on it shocked the innocent Zev. Reese Hughbrett Wallace de Franco Lawther Medel and Nicky Roscoe Pousette Nuptial. That long name again.

Not a perfect match. She knew Nicky her former high school classmate. Bad taste, naughty. Her usual night activity was hanging out with men every night in the pub. Men-Plural. But if Reese accepts her, then there is no problem, besides men like Reese loves a lady who is good in the bed.

Zev's heart was crying. It was in pain. She could hear it sob. Zev thinks that the rest of her feelings will disappear but every time she hears or reads Reese's name her feelings grow deeper even more. He makes you crazy dude you're bewitched, says a part of her brain. Was it a protest? She lost her nerve.

"They've only been in a relationship for five months Reese proposed. Cheap." Collen announced.

So it means he hasn't known Nicky thoroughly yet? She asked herself. It's the weirdest of all things.

"Oh, you're quite there Madame." Collen noticed it.

She chose not to answer.

Collen said, "he's very wise in choosing his partner. But cheap."

"Wise? Reese was a brainless one, he needs to know his future wife. He's stupid indeed. Cheap indeed." She stood up and walked away.

"She's rich and fits in Reese's family, beautiful and-" But Zev was already out of sight. She's walking away while her heart pounding so hard in her chest.