VIOLENCE IS NEVER THE ANSWER

𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛'𝑠 𝑁𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟

The remote flew out of her grip and crotched beneath the couch beside the metallic standing tree vase when her weight came crashing on him. One of her hands rested on his chin while the other rested on his chest. His left hand orbited the small of her back. Nino knew from the way he knitted his brows in a thin line, that he was just as puzzled and stunned as she was.

She never saw that coming, no one alerted her of what was about to happen if she went into dispute with him. The thing was that she didn't even know this man, his identity- this man is a stranger who invaded her house and here she was in his arms.

His sullen gaze seemed to be torturing her but they remained impassive. Returning his stare, Nino knew this is what she couldn't condone. Why was she reacting this way to the touch of a stranger? Her breath stilled when his hand loosened and trailed down her back.

She couldn't comprehend what was happening, she shut her eyes to assimilate what was going on and reopened them when he raised one of his hands to push back the bangs covering half of her face. He also tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She wondered if that was a figment of her imagination or if he actually did it.

She willed herself to get up but his piercing eyes seem to trap her.

Okay, what's going on? Her heart thumped against her ribs as hot blood rushed to her cheeks. They remained in that position with the staring competition going on.

Toro furrowed his brows in a questioning manner, wondering why the girl on top of him wasn't getting up. He got more confused when a smile appeared on her lips. He wasn't concerned about the look in her eyes but about the fact that she was crushing his organs and it was getting to him.

"You are crush...," he was cut off when a rumble came from the sky followed by a voice, a surprised voice.

"Nino?" She quickly jerked her head behind at the mention of her name from a familiar voice. Her eyes went wide with questions at the sight of him. "Nino?"

It occurred to her she was still on top of this intruder, she hurriedly got off him, facing the man who just walked in. Didn't she lock the door when she came in? How did he get in here? She swallowed, brushing back the bangs that had covered her forehead once again and steadily returned the look of the man in front of them, half beaten by the rain.

The waters dropping from his soaked clothes formed a little puddle beneath the boots he wore. She figured from the way he was standing, he was trembling a little. How long had he been out in the rain and had he been standing there? Watching the two of them.

"Marcus, what are you doing here?"

Toro let out a low groan, standing to his feet. He narrowed his eyes to Nino whose eyes were replaced with a stern look as she stared at the man in front of them. He trailed his eyes to her hands and noticed how she coiled them into fists.

Her eyebrows pulled together, creating a frown. He returned his eyes to the man before them soaking wet but still wielding that shocked expression on his face which was later replaced by a cold look when his eyes darted to him (Toro). Okay, something tells him he might've been caught up in the middle of something.

He tucked his hands in his jersey pants and watched the scene before him. What is wrong with the two of them? Why aren't they talking instead, giving each other cold stares?

"Who is he?" Marcus took steps towards them when she stuck out her hand, stopping him automatically in his tracks.

"What are you doing here?" She repeated her question. "And how did you get in here- as far as I remembered, this door was locked.'

"Nino?" he strode near, breaking her rule of distance. He placed his cold hands on her arms, feigning ignorance at the look on her face. He's been wondering why she completely bailed out on him and not just did she bail out on him, she was here in the arms of another man.

She shook herself, letting his hands on her arms fall. She took two steps backwards, creating another gap between them. 

"What's wrong? You won't answer my calls..."

"I have been busy," she cuts him off, "and you haven't answered my question. What are you doing here?"

"Over five days now? You've been avoiding my calls and my house…..is something wrong?"

𝑌𝑒𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔! Nino wanted to scream out but the words got stuck in her throat instead. She shut her eyes, trying to calm the anger simmering in her. She hasn't forgotten his words that day. 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟, this line echoed in her head.

"Nothing is wrong," she retained the grim look on her face. Seeing him reminded her of that day she could have died if not because of that good Samaritan. He didn't come to find her the next day….what sort of a boyfriend is he?

A man who never for once took her seriously, only after her because of what she got. She was feeling unrest with the many questions troubling her mind.

"I'm perfectly fine, everything is fine. Just busy and….." She tilted her head to the side, her gaze locked with Toro's whose face always has that cold-blooded look. Great, these two men are trying to make her go insane. Before her was her cheating and deceitful boyfriend and behind her was a man who walked into her house, arguing he's the owner of the house.

"You should get going," she added when she returned her eyes to Marcus. "I'm really tired and wished not to be disturbed."

"But Nino, I just got here...and you're sending me out already, in the rain?" Marcus arched a brow inquisitively, confused. "And who is this man….why is he entering your parent's room?"

Marcus darted his eyes to Toro who said not a single word. Just gave them a mop and turned to Nino's parent's room. He was so perturbed about who he was and what he was doing here alone with Nino? For the first time, he felt insecure. The cold attitude Nino was giving him also added to the disturbance and the havoc going on in his head.

"None of your business," her cold response proved to him that something was off.

"Sweetheart, what's going on?" He grabbed her arms again, his fingers dug into her skin and no matter how much she tried to shake off his hands, he remained adamant and held on. Nino was getting pissed off by his presence but she chose to keep calm.

"I'm your boyfriend..."

"Used to be," she interjected and threw her gaze from him, resting her eyes on the exquisitely orange Palmera floor lamp made from ostrich feathers placed on one side of the wall. That must have cost her parents a fortune.

"Huh?" His hands slacked off her arms, her replies left him speechless. He quivered a little when he took a little step away from her. Surprise was written over his face but it didn't move her. She won't fall for his sweet words or his calm sweet voice anymore.

"Are you intoxicated? I'm Marcus, your boyfriend."

"As I stated earlier, you used to not anymore and you gotta leave now. I'm busy right now."

"Busy in a stranger's arms, huh?!" He drew his brows in a frown and clenched his jaw. Nino jerked her head at him and contorted her face. The anger riling up in her was twice multiplied.

"You haven't told me who that guy is and what he's doing here…..not only that, you allowed him to enter your parent's room. A stranger? Ever since we became a thing, you never let me in there."

"Are you cheating on me?….." Nino ogled at him. She let out a low shaky laugh. That question should be reversed, she should be the one asking that. Ask him why he played her for a fool, why he made things so perfect but were all a camouflage.

His words from that night echoed again in her head, her chest tightened as the pain rode in. A knot formed in the pit of her stomach, which she couldn't take in any more. Even her eyes were tearing up but she took an oath never to spill a tear over him most especially not in his presence.

"I said LEAVE!" her raised stern voice made him shudder, he never expected this from her. He had to risk his body to come to see her with the rain pouring outside and all he got was this? A cold absurd behavior from her? What's gotten into her? The Nino he knew never talked to him this way even when she's upset.

"Nino?" he tried to touch her but she pushed him, turning him towards the exit door.

"GET OUT! And don't ever step your feet in here again." She kept pushing him towards the door until he was completely out of the house. "I don't care if you get drenched in the rain, I just don't want to see your face ever again." 

She raised a finger, warning him when he wanted to speak up before shutting the door on his face.

He stood glued to the ground, staring at the door before him. Failing to understand the incongruous activity that just took place. What sort of drama did she put off there? Or was that mood swing stuff? He remained in the rain as it did as it wished with his body.

Nino stared vainly at the door as a single tear she tried hard to keep in rolled down her face. He dared to show his face after those words he said that night? That night she couldn't think straight, Marcus was everything to her. He became her whole world after she lost her parents mysteriously.

Up till now, she couldn't seem to wrap her fingers around the mystery behind her parent's death. Her emotional distress was interrupted when a voice spoke up.

"You sure are a firecracker when you are all riled up, huh?" 

 She turned and saw him walk out of the room and made his way to the kitchen. She couldn't tell if that was a question or a statement and was he waiting for Marcus to leave before he could dash out?

"But violence is never the answer." He added when he walked back to the sitting room with cold bottled water.

Was he eavesdropping on her conversation with Marcus?

She shrugged and wasn't in the mood to counter words with him. She marched to her room, shutting the door behind her. She slumped on her bed and stared aimlessly at the ceiling. Then cried herself to sleep.

~~~~

Awoken by five taps on her door, Nino jolted from her bed but her eyelids were still heavy with sleep. She tried to look through her heavy eyelids as she made her way to the door. She rubbed the sleep off her eyes but the sleep wasn't ready to leave any time soon.

She yawned and stretched her bones, walking to the door. She yanked her door open and on her doorpost stood a man dressed in black except for his face which kinda looked like a Greek piece of art, a strand of his jet-wavy hair dangled on his forehead. He was dressed in a black long-sleeved turtle neck sweatshirt coupled with the black pants on his waist.

A black finely made unbuttoned blazer draped over the sweatshirt he wore. Even though her eyes were half shut with sleep, they traced the silhouette of his abs behind the shirt he wore.

She wondered who this fine creature was standing before her.

"You aren't dressed yet?" That creature's voice came. Even his voice sounded so divine. "And you are still sleeping by this time of the morning?"

"Why should I get dressed?" She leaned her weight on her door, draping one hand over the door's head.

"Mr Warren. We are meeting him today….over the issue of house ownership?"

At the mention of Mr Warren and house ownership, she became fully awake. She forgot about that, about the intruder who maneuvered with Mr Warren and illegally bought her house. She thought all that happened yesterday was a dream.

"Are you already dressed up?" She folded her arms against her chest. Savoring him with her eyes. She must admit he's a very good-looking man but the fact remains he invaded her house…..her home. She mustn't forget that.

She must get her house back even if it meant applying force. This intruder must evacuate her house.