Wanting Her

APOLLO was sending messages to Zero’s social media account when suddenly, Isla softly whimpered.
Isla opened her eyes and her forehead creased as she wondered where she was. She moved her head, and her gaze darted to Apollo.
“Hey,” Apollo greeted as he moved closer to her, “—how are you feeling?”
She tried to get up, but she could feel that her body was weak. “W-Why am I here?” she asked.
Apollo sighed and sat down on the chair. “Aren’t you feeling unwell the past few days? Are you having a hard time at school?”
“What did the doctor say?”
“It’s because of stress—”
“Yeah, staying up late at night because of my activities is the reason,” she uttered and sighed. “Can I go home now?” she added.
Apollo shook his head. “No. It’s not,” he said, which made Isla turn her gaze on him.
“W-What do you mean?” she asked.
Apollo looked intently at her. “I want to ask you a question. Please, answer it honestly, okay?”
Suddenly, Isla started to feel jitters. It seems like Apollo found out something.
“I will not get mad at you. I just want you to answer me, honestly,” Apollo cleared.
Isla then nodded as she pulled the white blanket above her chest.
“Did you have sex with Zero?”
The moment Isla heard about it, her eyes widened, her heart thumped fast, and her mind was sent haywire. She doesn’t know, but the fear lingers on her as her hands start to tremble.
“Princess…” Apollo called, but still, she did not react, “—I will not get mad at you. I just want to know the truth, to tell the truth…” he asserted.
Isla frowned because of the sudden confusion because of Apollo’s words. “W-What truth do I need to know—” she didn’t finish talking when her brother cut her off.
“Answer my question first, Princess. Did you have sex with Zero?” he asked once again. Even if Isla won’t answer it, Apollo already knows the truth. However, he just wants to hear it from his sister.
‘Damn it,’ he cursed inside him when he saw how tears poured down his sister’s cheeks. He sighed. “Princess… I will not get mad at—” he paused when he saw Isla nod.
“Y-Yes. I did,” she replied and lifted her head to meet Apollo’s gaze, “—I am so s-sorry—” she choked.
Apollo grabbed her right hand and tapped it. he flashed a smile at her. “It’s okay. With Zero, of course, he won’t control himself, and he dared to seduce—”
“It’s my own will. I let him because I want to. But the things between were already buried. I don’t care about him anymore,” she replied.
Apollo took a deep breath and sighed. “Zero has been really a jerk ever since we’re in college. And you are aware of that, Princess. I warned you, but of course, I can’t dictate what you’re going to do, and even if I told you that, don’t get near him… it was your decision. So, I respected that. I don’t want you to feel that I’m strangling you,” he smiled and squeezed her hand gently, “if there’s a person that I get mad at, it will be that jerk, Zero,” he added.
Isla laughed.
“There, you’re more beautiful when you’re happy,” Apollo asserted.
Isla just grimaced.
“Anyway, mom will be on her way here already,” Apollo informed.
“Did you tell her?”
Apollo nodded. “I have to. And I don’t want mom to worry too much for us—”
“She will get worried because you told her about this,” Isla replied.
Apollo let go of her hand and leaned on the chair. “Anyway, how’s the feeling of having sex with Zero?” he asked.
Isla’s eyes widened, and in a swift, she grabbed the pillow and slammed it into Apollo. “Do you have to ask that?!” she exclaimed while she kept on hitting Apollo with the pillow.
Apollo burst into laughter as he tried to stop her. “Shit!” he cursed when he remembered what the doctor said.
Isla stopped and looked at him. “You’re making my condition worst,” she joked as she laid her back on the hospital bed and stared at the ceiling.
“I’m just trying to lighten your mood. Anyway, congratulations and to us,” Apollo uttered, making her face turn in his direction.
She met his eyes and frowned. “What are you saying?”
“Mom will gonna be a grandma soon,” he replied.
Isla’s eyes grew bigger. “You impregnated—”
“And I’m gonna be an uncle soon,” he added.
“Wow—w-wait… What?” Isla asked as her heart started to thump fast.
“You’re four weeks pregnant,” Apollo said, and when Isla heard it, her world started to spin faster, and chills lingered in her body. Did she listen to it right? Then suddenly, tears streamed down her cheeks.
ZERO CAN’T slept for days now. It’s been a week or two since he received messages from Apollo. Stating: “Karma will haunt you down!” Apollo sent it fifty times, which really creeped the hell out of him.
Did he do something again—it’s not that he’s afraid of karma since there’s good or bad. And he knew the bad one was for him. But he just did what was suitable for him and Isla. He loves the girl so much that he can’t let her life be at risk.
“Boss, the delivery will be tonight,” suddenly, he heard the voice of his secretary.
Zero nodded.
“And Miss Tilda is on the phone again. She wants to talk—”
“I don’t have a business with her. And how the hell she knew our number?”
“Your father gave it to him, Boss,” the secretary replied.
Zero shook his head. “Just drop it. And what time is my appointment this afternoon?”
“It’s 3 o’clock, Boss.”
Zero nodded. “You may leave,” he said, making his secretary exit his office.
He heaved a deep sigh as he turned around and watched those glimmering skyscrapers. Tilda constantly nags him. That woman is in New York while he’s in Spain at the moment, but damn, she really won’t stop. However, the hell does he care? It’s not like he will give a damn about that woman.
He turned his swivel chair to the side, grabbed his phone, and called someone. “What’s the status, Fred?”
“I think she stopped going to school. She’s not living in her condo also.”
Zero sighed when he heard about it. Damn it, he cursed.
“What else?” he asked since it’s been three weeks since he called Fred to check on her.
“She was confined for two days at the hospital, and after that, she never went to her school and lived in her condo.”
Zero frowned. “Do you know why?”
He heard Fred’s sigh. “I tried to ask Apollo—”
“And?”
“Apollo told me it’s because of you. She’s suffering stress since you left, and it might be the cause of why she lost consciousness.”
Zero leaned on his chair and sighed. “Thanks, Fr—”
“Why do you need to do this? You’re just making yourself suffer. You part ways—you choose to stay away from her, but you can’t stop thinking and worrying about her. Dude, you’re really pussy-whipped.”
“Fred—”
“I am telling the truth. If you want her, then coax her. Not that you want to be a coward just because you don’t want her life to be at risk?” Fred laughs on the other line, “—dude, if I were you, I would take the courage to tell—to confess what I truly feel. So, what if your enemy uses her? Why? Don’t you know how to defend her?”
“Apollo doesn’t want to—”
“Apollo is not the problem, Zero. If I know that guy wants you to. You know, Isla’s feelings and happiness are more important to Apollo. And if he sees that his sister loves you, why not, right?”
“He threatens me when he finds out,” Zero replied, making Fred laugh on the other line.
“It was just a joke, Zero. You knew Apollo. Well, I guess that’s what it is. And no matter how many times I knocked on your senses, if your will is to stay away, then I respect that. But it would be best if you think wisely, Zero. And don’t you ever come to me and cry that you can also not have her because of your age gap. Dude, a person can even marry a sixty-year-old man while she’s just eighteen,” Fred scoffed, “—and you’re just twenty-eight,” he added and ended the call.
Zero shook his head. He doesn’t want to overthink why Apollo rushed Isla to the hospital. What if…?
“Ugh!” he groaned and stood up, then left his office.
“ARE YOU sure that you don’t want to go to school?” Apollo asked while sitting on Isla’s bed.
Isla sighed and nodded. “Soon, my tummy will get big and round. Homeschooling will do,” she replied.
She’s still lying on her bed since she’s too lazy to get up, and it’s just Zero in the morning. There she goes again with the word: Zero. Well, I guess she will not forget him that easily, especially now that she carries their child.
“That’s what mom told me too.”
“I don’t want to stop. So, I will study at home. Besides, we can get a private tutor, right? And I will take online classes too.”
Apollo nodded. “Uhm… can I ask something, Princess?” he asked, making Isla’s forehead crease. “What is it?”
“Do you plan to tell Zero about your pregnancy?”
Isla heaved a deep sigh. “I… I don’t know. Zero is not into commitment. He cleared it for me, Apollo. He doesn’t want to settle down. So, how can I tell him about our child?”
Apollo’s eyes squinted. “Are you sure Zero doesn’t want to settle down with you?”
Isla frowned. “Apollo, please. Don’t mention his name. I’m trying to forget that name,” she replied.
“What will you say to your child when he or she grows up? Are you going to hide the true father—”
“Apollo… I don’t want to think about it at the moment. Please….” she uttered as she met her brother’s gaze.
Apollo nodded. “Okay. I let you be. But you have to think about it,” he said and left.
Isla hugged the pillow as she turned to the side. Would Zero accept the child if she told him? Would it change his mind and start a family with her? Would there be a chance for them to spend their lives for a lifetime?
Or are those just situations that will stay in her imagination?