"Can you stop touching me every time you had a chance?" Rere asked curtly when they finished their photoshoot.
"I can't. I don't know why but my hand just wants to keep touching you."
"What a flirt."
Dino put his hands on his waist and looking at Rere with a smile. Rere was aware of Dino's actions.
"Why did you smile? Is there anything funny?" For some reason, Rere keeps getting angry when she is with Dino. The scars from Dino's misunderstanding didn't just disappear the minutes he apologized.
"Smile is a worship." Dino smiled again to annoy Rere.
"Stop pretending to be wise."
"Are you still angry?"
"What do you think?"
Tia shook her head at Rere and Dino's small argument. Tia doesn't want to interfere as both of them are adults. Tia was sure that Dino was able to handle Rere. Tia busied herself by helping the makeup artist and the photographer to clean up the mess after the photo session.
"Re, you must be tired to hear this, but I'm really sorry," Dino said quietly with a pitiful face. Dino couldn't act stubborn when talking with Rere. He started to know the character of the woman who had given birth to his child.
"Did you think it's easy to forgive?" Rere said while holding back her tears. Rere tries to keep her tears from falling, thinking that she must keep her prestige and dignity.
"I know it's not easy for you to forgive. I know you went through a lot when you conceive Leon. I know you have to endure a lot of insult and humiliation when you were pregnant. I understand how you feel."
"I've lived happily with Leon. Why did you come to our life?" Rere hit Dino's chest, venting her anger.
"Destiny brought us together. God doesn't want you and Leon to face the world alone anymore. God brought us together through Bara and Dila. I feel guilty about everything that I've done. I made a mistake by slandering you after you help me. If you did not come and help me, that damn prince would succeed in ruining my future. He must be very happy over my misery. Did you think I was happy with everything, Re? It hurts, Re. That mad prince tried to kill me after he killed my wife. I really don't know what to do. I am truly sorry." Dino wanted to touch Rere's hair but he stops before his hand touch the girl's hair. Rere seems to watch the birds fly over the lake while standing with her back on Dino.
Rere just kept silent and didn't say anything to Dino's confession. Even though Dino has apologized, she can't just forget everything abruptly. She can't give her forgiveness that easy to the man. The man had slept with her and made her felt the pain of humiliation from society. Rere is aware that she lives in Indonesia, and not in some foreign country, the places where people can easily turn a blind eye over women's pregnancy before marriage. The people in Indonesia still keep up with the value of decency. Children born out of wedlock are a disgrace.
"Re." Dino approached Rere then touched her shoulder.
Rere slapped Dino's hand away, dislike Dino's touch.
"What did you say to Bara so he forced me to marry you?"
"I didn't say anything."
"You are lying." Rere is not convinced by Dino's words.
"I am not." Dino tried to make Rere believe her.
"Then why did Bara force me to marry you?"
"If you don't want this marriage, it's better to cancel before it's too late," Dino said with a ridiculing smile.
"Don't talk nonsense. We've already come this far and we have sent out the invitations. I don't want to embarrass my family for a second time."
"What's the point of continuing this marriage if you are suffering every second of it. Marriage cannot be done if one party is forced to do this. A marriage is invalid if one of us felt obliged to do this."
"You should have never proposed to me." Rere started to blame Dino.
"I want to be responsible for you and Leon. Just let me do my duty as father and husband. I want to be your protector."
"I don't need your protection. Bara can protect us."
"Bara has a wife who needs his protection. He can't take care of you."
"Of course he can. If you didn't step into the picture, the problem wouldn't be this complicated."
"How many times do I have to tell you that we can't arrange our meeting. You cannot change God's plan. We will unite if God wants us to be united. God wants me to atone for my past sins of taking your virginity."
"You can atone your past sin by being responsible to Leon, without marrying me. This marriage tortures me." Rere tries to catch her breath after taking with so much anger. Her breath hitched when she said that.
"Do you still love Angga?"
"Don't say his name in front of me." Rere's anger that begun to subside flare again when Dino talked about Angga.
"If you really love him. I will let you marry him. I'll take care of Leon. I don't want to ruin your future."
"What kind of nonsense did you talking about? Leon is my life, my breath. I am the one who gave birth to him and raised him. You have no right to take Leon away from me. I'd rather lose Angga than Leon. The love between lovers can disappear as time goes by, but parents' love will never disappear." Rere starts to get Emotional. She couldn't imagine her life without Leon.
"Then what do you want?" Dino questioned Rere.
"Whether I like it or not, I have to marry you." Rere exhaled slowly. "I have some condition that you must obey in our marriage."
Dino was silent. He listened to Rere's words carefully. Even though he felt strange about Rere's request, he still heard it. In a matter of days, the woman in front of him would become his wife.
"I don't have the power to cancel this marriage. My hands are tied. The first point that you have to crave in your brain is you can't touch me."
"I can't touch you?" Dino's brow furrowed. The man was quite shocked to hear Rere's words. How could Dino keep his hand away from Rere? As a normal man, he has a need that requires his wife's touch, especially when his wife is beautiful, has white and smooth skin, and 14 years younger than him. Dino doesn't know how long he can last without his wife's touch, especially when they are going to sleep in the same room and share the same bed.
"Yes. I forbid you to touch me."
"What kind of touch did you refer to?" Dino started to joke around. "Which area is forbidden to touch?"
"Every part of my body."
"Then how are we going to make love?" Dino laughed teasingly at Rere.
"That's the point of the rule."
"Don't be crazy, Rere. How can we be in a marriage with no physical touch? Husband and wife relationship is definitely tantamount to physical touch. They share their affection through physical contact."
"Stop defying my words."
"Okay." As a grown man, Dino tried to give in.
"Second, never regard this marriage as a normal marriage. We got married just for Leon's sake. Keep this in your head and don't cross the line. To me, you are only Leon's biological father, not my husband. We got married because we are forced to, not because we love each other."
"Love comes from familiarity, Re. Maybe we don't love each other now but we don't know what will happen in the future, re. God can change people's hearts easily. We might fall in love with each other. Don't be too arrogant. I'm sure you will fall in love with me. I will trap you in this marriage before I trap you with my love."
"Are you sure?"
"I am. I can make you fall for me. Maybe you can't see it now, but it will start to grow. I believe we will love each other in the future. I will make you fall in love and crazy about me."
"Don't talk nonsense. The third point, never ask me to act like a wife. You will have to prepare all your needs by yourself. I don't want to serve you." A sense of relief spread throughout Rere's body as she conveyed her thought to Dino.
"You are sure?"
"Yes. I'm sure. Why do you ask?"
"Marriage is not a toy. Marriage is sacred. I want this marriage to be my last."
"I was forced to marry you. It's not that easy to accept you in my life. You agree or we don't have to get married." Rere emphasized the words 'we don't have to get married'.
Dino fell silent. He didn't respond to Rere's words. He could refuse Rere's conditions but he did not want to add another reason to fight. He knew Rere was too young and childish. Dino agreed to Rere's condition but he knows that he won't keep his words.