Game of Love Ch. 10

"I believe fate has different plans for all of us." Eric sighed, trying his best to smile. "What's meant to be will always be!"

"I used to believe that, Eric. But now I don't even know what I want. I am so confused." He rolled his shoulders. "My wedding is coming very soon and I don't know what to do. I am confused about my feelings."

Eric slightly closed his eyes. "What's the confusion about?"

Sergio glanced at Eric who had his back to him. "You!" He said simply. "You're the reason why I am so confused. I don't know what I want and... yester night when I kissed you, something awakened in me, maybe the reason why I had been looking for you all this while."

Eric sighed, taking a turn to leave. "I think I need to do something inside."

But he got surprised when Sergio caught his hand, bringing him closer. Their faces were so close that they felt each other's harsh breaths on their faces. Both of them were scared, staring into each other's eyes like there was no tomorrow. Sergio couldn't hold it anymore. He was scared but he couldn't hold in his feelings any more.

"I can't pretend anymore, Eric!" His voice was so low, so passionate. "I can't pretend that I want what is happening in my life. What I see in your eyes..." He paused and bot his lower lip. "...why can't I see that in Trevor's eyes? Why is this happening, Eric?"

"Sergio, please..." Eric gasped, trying his best to let himself loose. But Sergio's grip was too strong. "...I have to go and do something inside. We'll continued this conversation later."

"Eric! Please, listen to me..." He wanted to confess his feelings and tell him the truth. "...the thing is that, I am..."

Before Sergio could even finish his sentence, thunder roared violently and out of the blue, it started raining heavily. Both of them looked towards the sky and got surprised when they saw how dark it was. They could have sworn that it had been clear when they came outside.

Father Rodriguez came running towards them with an umbrella and another one in his hands. He quickly gave one to Sergio and shared his with Eric. They all went inside the building where everyone else was taking refuge. The rain was very heavy and it was accompanied by roaring thunder that scared some of the kids there.

"It looks like it might rain for a while, Mr. Hernandez!" The father had to shout so that Eric could get him. "You should go inside and rest. I am sure you're tired."

Eric grinned. "Don't worry about me, father. I am alright. I'll just stay here with you and make sure that everyone's safe."

Eric had thought the rain was gonna be gone before he knew it. But he was dead wrong. It continued raining for hours and hours until it even got really dark outside. When he glanced at his watch, it was almost 9.pm and it was still raining heavily.

Anyway, he knew Sergio still loved him but he just didn't wanna hear it because it got him scared. He was just happy that Sergio got busy with helping the kids, giving them food and making sure they were safe. But the two of them used to look at each other, smiling sheepishly.

After about 10.pm, one of Eric's guards came to him.

"Sir, the rains are about to stop but we have a problem."

"A problem?" Eric gasped.

"The roads are flooded and the bridge was washed off." He sighed. "We cannot cross it and the floods are not making things any easier. It seems we're gonna have to stay here until tomorrow when they can fix the bridge."

"I can't." Eric shook his head. "I have something very important to do tomorrow morning. I have to get out of here."

He remained quiet, rubbing his head. "Errr... Call David and tell him a send a chopper as soon as the rains stop."

"Yes, sir!" He bowed and quickly left.

Eric felt a bit frustrated but he was okay. He didn't want to spend the entire night there. He still had to do something at the office. As it was, he had spent the entire day away from work. He had to make it up for it.

***

A strange looking woman threw some strange black power on a fire burning in the middle of a drawn pentagram on the floor. Then she raised her hands and began an enchantment so powerful that the energy emanating from the pentagram could be felt. There were candles at each corner of the pentagram and they were burning a bright blue color.

The enchantment was quick and she threw in some red powder and began another enchantment. The flames began glowing red and there was a strange wind that began blowing throughout the room. It was very dark, except for the light from the candles. Whatever the woman was doing seemed powerful.

She did a quick enchantment and smiled at the woman who was seated on the other side of the flame, looking sexy in a black jumpsuit with her hair tied in a ponytail, Giada Sandoval. She had an evil grin on her face.

"Well?"

"You don't have to worry about anything, Giada." The woman spoke in a strange voice. She had studied the dark arts and Giada had used her from time to time. "Your path is very clear. You shall become really powerful and influential. Whatever storm had come your way, it shall remain calm. You shall rule again."

An evil grin appeared on Giada's face. "Well, that's nice to hear. I hope that whatever you've told me is the truth. My husband's illegitimate son has returned and he is causing problems for me and my son. My son's wedding is in three days and I was wondering if..."

"You know me, Giada!" The woman was really strange and her voice sounded like a robot. "I do not kill."

"I wish you did. Because what you did for me five years ago, it still came back."

"And I remember telling you that I saw a very powerful, a stronger force in your future. I told you that it was either going to help you or come against you. Didn't I? It's come to pass. I do not lie about what I see, what my spirits tell me. You wanted to kill this boy but I told his spirit his spirit is very strong. He's got a pure heart."

"I don't care!" Giada seethed, balling her fist. "I know he's gonna try to seduce my son in law in order to stop this wedding. But I want you to do something. I know you have the power to do this. I need your help."

She took out a bundle of money and threw it on the floor, near the strange woman with dreads. They both grinned evilly at each other.

"I can tie your son's soul to that of the man he loves." The woman said with a giggle. "They'll be together forever no matter what. I cannot do anything to your step-son because his heart is pure and his spirit is very strong. It will jeopardize the entire plan."

"I never wanted to do this. I wanted my son and Sergio's life to not be tempered with. But now, I have no choice but to do this. Even if it's just until they get married."

She took out Sergio's photo and her son's and handed them over to the woman.

The woman took the photos and then tied them together with a red clothe. Then he put them in a small pot filled with roses. She threw in some oil and began her enchantments. They were long but she eventually finished them and smiled at Giada.

"It's done!" She chuckled manically. "You can now go, Giada. You have a smooth wedding coming your way. Rejoice and do everything you want. Afterwards, I am seeing a very rich woman, powerful and influential. You're gonna defeat your greatest enemy."

Giada took a deep breath, smiling like an evil queen. "I always knew that I was gonna outsmart that boy. Thank you so much!"

"Now go!" The woman gestured. "Go and rejoice and when everything I have said comes to pass, you're gonna come back and thank me."

"Of course!" Giada laughed, getting up from where she sat. "Thank you so much!"

"Go well, my child!"

Giada slightly smiled and then took her bag, getting up. She wore her shoes and quickly left. The woman laughed and then began her chants again. She closed her eyes, focusing her energy on whatever she was doing. Then suddenly, there was a terrible wind that blew her door open. She was ripped off the floor without even realizing what was going on. Then she was sent flying out of the pentagram, hitting her head terribly. She felt it break and she winced in pain.

The woman slowly got up, taking her eyes to the pentagram. What she saw there scared her so much. The fire had been put out and the pot where she had put the photos she had tied together was broken. To make matters worse, the only picture she saw was Trevor's. The other one had been burned to ashes.

Seeing that, the woman's heart started pounding in her chest and her breaths became harsh. She had a cut on her forehead and she was bleeding but she managed to get up, slowly walking to the pentagram.

"What could this mean?" She muttered as she looked at the burnt picture. "How did this picture burn when the fire was set off?"

She quickly took her bones and started an enchantment, consulting the spirits. Then she threw them on the floor. What she saw not only shocked her but it weakened her. She gasped in fear, covering her mouth.

"What's been tied together cannot be separated!" She gulped, her eyes almost popping out of her sockets. "What does this mean?"

She was confused and she continued staring at the bones like she was expecting something to come out of them.

***

Eric slowly walked to the window, hugging himself. It was a very cold night and he could tell from the whirling wind outside that it was worse outside. He was in Father Rodriguez's office where he had been sleeping but was now up. It was almost 5.am and the rains had stopped but that didn't make anything any easier.

As he was staring outside, Eric felt something cover him and he almost jumped out of his skin, quickly turning. It was Sergio and he had the brightest and warmest smile ever. Eric couldn't help but smile at the guy back. He was only wearing a shirt that was halfway buttoned up and folded at the sleeves.

"I figured you were cold since it's a cold night." Sergio gestured to the jacket he had put on Eric.

Eric smiled brightly, pulling the jacket closer to himself.

"Thanks a lot. But what about you? You need to keep warm too. It's a cold night. Maybe..."

"No, don't!" Sergio quickly held Eric's hand, preventing him from taking off the jacket. "I insist. I wouldn't want you to be cold while I am warming myself."

Eric felt a bolt of joy pass through his system. He couldn't help but blush. He felt really happy and he sighed happily, looking through the window. It was a bit dark outside but he loved the view.

"I have heard a lot about Zelda's rains. But this is the first I experienced its wrath." He chuckled nervously, glancing at Sergio. "My mother used to tell me that it sometimes rains like this but I never believed. I guess I am gonna have to tell her about it. It was like the rain was trying to keep me here or something."

'Yes, Eric!' Sergio thought with a grin on his face. 'The rain was trying to keep you here with me. Seeing you here, spending some time with you even though it was just a few minutes together, I appreciated it a lot.'

"But I guess it's for a good reason. I got to spend the entire evening with the kids. That's something that I never get every day." He spread his hands, chuckling like a little kid. "I really missed this city a lot. This is home to me and I'll always love it. How I wish I could just go out and dance in the rain. I would give anything to just dance in the rain."

Sergio was getting emotional with every word that Eric used. It was reminding him of his past, how happy they used to be although everything was a lie.

"Listen..." He gasped. "...Eric, please, don't get mad at me with what I am about to say. But I really appreciate your forgiveness. I still can't believe that even though I had broken your heart, I literally used you for own selfishness but you still forgave me. I am thankful! And I am sorry that everything is as it is right now. If only I could turn back the hands of time."

Eric lost the smile on his face, lowering his head. He took a deep breath and then looked at Sergio without even smiling at him.

"I won't get mad!" He shook his head. "I understand that everything happens for a reason. No matter how much someone tries to avoid his or her destiny, what's meant to be will be. I believe you when you tell me it wasn't intentional. I know it was Giada who had used what we had against me.

I am just glad that I found a changed man when I returned, a man who loves his family and with a heart for charity. For that, I am thankful. There are a lot of people that love you and I am one of them."

Sergio's heart jumped with joy and tears welled up in his eyes. He slowly started raising his hand to caress Eric's face but...

"Oh my God!" Eric gasped, quickly gripping Sergio's arm. "How did you get hurt? You're bleeding!"

"What?" Sergio quickly glanced at his hand and found a wound near his elbow. It looked fresh and he had no idea he had even gotten hurt. It was big.

"How did you get injured?"

"I don't know. It's just a bruise. It will..."

"Nonsense!" Eric threw his head, carefully blowing on Sergio's wound. "What are you saying? That's not a bruise. Come and sit down, I'll do something about it before you get infection."

"But..."

"No, Sergio!" Eric warned, pulling him towards the couch. "I don't wanna hear anything. Just come and sit down and then let me treat it."

Sergio couldn't argue. He followed Eric to the couch and sat carefully. Then Eric moved away to the table where he had seen the antiseptic together with the first aid. Eric opened the antiseptic and poured a bit on a small cotton wool.

He took Sergio's hand carefully, examining the wound. It a bit deep and he knew he had to treat it to stop any infection. He took the cotton wool and then started cleaning the wound carefully. Sergio winced, trying to pull his hand but Eric started blowing on the wound carefully. God, Sergio's pain went away the moment he saw what Eric was doing. He was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. With what he was doing, it was like everything started moving in slow motion.

Sergio's heart started racing. He got stuck staring at the boy and he didn't even realize that a smile had popped up on his face. The way Eric was carefully taking care of his wound, blowing it like he was handling a child and the look on his face. He was hypnotized... he couldn't feel the pain anymore.

What he felt was a peace and a pleasure he'd only felt long ago. He was so lost staring at the boy that he didn't even realize that Eric had cleaned his wound and had also tied a bandage on it. He didn't feel a thing.

Eric on the other hand was about to tell Sergio he was done but when he raised his head, he felt Sergio's hot breaths on his face and his body vibrated in ecstasy. He got caught, smiling and scanning the man's features and how wonderful he was made. Those breaths on his face, they awakened a fire deep within him that made him feel cold and hot at the same time.

Meanwhile, Sergio kept on scanning Eric's face all the way to those lips that looked kissable and inviting... the smooth skin that was inviting him to touch it and those eyes, those beautiful eyes that were hypnotizing. He bit his lips, suppressing a moan as his hormones started preying on him. His breaths quickened and his body began trembling.

Their faces were so close and the space in between them was closing without even realizing it. They were being controlled by their feelings for each other and they had no idea they were. There was only one thing at the back of each of their mind, forget what was surrounding them, the world and just taste those lips once again.

They were almost close... their noses were brushing on each other and their eyes were already closing. But suddenly, there was a knock on the door that got them back to the real world. Eric quickly rose, moving his eyes to the door. His guard was standing there with a stern face.

"The chopper is here, sir!" He announced. "We are ready to leave if you are."

"Yes! I will be there. Thank you!"

He then looked at Sergio and gave a sheepish smile. He was yet to recover from the impact of his feelings.

"Well, it's all done now, Mr. Alvarado! I have to go now." He took off the jacket and handed it to Sergio who was staring at him like he wanted to devour him. "Thank you so much and take of yourself."

He turned and started leaving.

"Eric!" Sergio quickly got up.

"I'll see you later, Sergio!"

With those words, Eric left the office. Sergio felt cold and abandoned. He was staring at the door with a smile on his face. Then he stared at his arm and just went crazy with happiness when he saw how carefully Eric had attended to his wound.

"I love you so much, Eric!" He muttered. "And now I know you still have feelings for me."

He dropped to the couch and then giggled. He started day dreaming about Eric and couldn't wait to meet him again. But his heart was troubled again and he lost the smile on his face. What was he going to do?

***

Sergio got out of his car, stretching his arms. He was feeling extremely tired and dirty. It was almost mid-morning. The bridge had taken long to fix but at least, he was home. He started heading inside, whistling to himself after having a great day. Being so close to Eric had made him so excited that nothing was gonna ruin it for him.

But as soon as Sergio reached the living room, he got a surprise when he found Kim moving from side to side like she was waiting anxiously for something. When she saw him, she rushed to him.

"Where were you, Sergio?" She snarled. "Do you know how worried I got yesterday? You even switched off your phone."

"Oh, sorry!" He apologized, smiling at her. "I had trouble with the network. I went to donate some things to a charity organization not far away from the city. The heavy rains ruined the bridge and so I had to spend the night there. I am so sorry, mom. I should have called."

He took her in his arms tightly, kissing her forehead. But then suddenly, Kim smelt him and she quickly pushed him away.

"Sergio, whose cologne do I smell on you?" She asked, a frown appearing on her face. "Where were you really last night? Whom were you with?"

"What are you talking about? That's my cologne!"

Kim shook her head angrily. "No, Sergio! That's not your cologne. I am your mother and I know how you smell. Whose cologne is that?"

"But mom..."

Sergio paused and remained still, his mind taking him back to when he had put that jacket he was wearing on Eric. It was probably his cologne that she smelt. Sergio felt a shiver go down his spine and he gulped.

"Well? Why aren't you talking anymore?" She snapped. "You were with that boy, weren't you? Despite my warnings, you still continue to see that boy. What do you want me to do, Sergio? What should I do so that you can just sit your butt home?"

"Mom, I wasn't with him."

"Do you think I am stupid?" She threw her hands in the air. "Do you think I am blind? I know what's going on here and so don't you deny it."

"Fine!" Sergio said angrily. "If that's what you wanna hear then, fine! I was with Eric but it was just a coincidence that we were at the same organization. He's the benefactor and..."

"So you're telling me you spent the entire day and night with that boy?" She held up a finger, her chest rising and falling with harsh breaths. "How dare you, disobey my orders! I can't believe you're my son. I can't believe I have been so stupid as to trust you. What has that boy fed you, huh?"

"Mommy, you're taking this the wrong way?" He tried to touch her hand but she retaliated.

"Don't touch me!" She warned. "I am not stupid, okay? Don't take my silence for weakness. You were having sex with that boy and..."

"Enough!" Sergio barked, stomping his foot on the floor. Kim gasped in shock, holding her chest while her eyes widened. "What do you want me to say, mommy, huh? You're my mother but you don't have any right to pry too much in my private life. I am an adult and I know what I am doing!"