Chapter 47

Celine Claire Presley

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After we watch sunset yesterday bigla nalang siyang naging okay—I mean she is smiling at me na. Hindi ko alam kung epekto ba to ng sunset or dahil sa Ara girl na yon.

Nakauwi na rin kami sa bahay. Yes, inuwi ko ulit siya sa bahay kung pwede ko nga lang siyang dito na patirahin ginawa ko na. Hindi naman sa winiwish ko na palayasin siya nila Ryleigh at Allisha pero sana nga.

"Uyyy si Ate Rhainne! Sino yung baby na kacall mo?" I heard Crystal's voice

Baby? Tinawag ni Alethea na baby?

"Issue ka talaga Crystal!"

"Susss deny pa! Sumbong kita kay Ate"

"It's nothing Crystal"

"Pero baby ang tawag"

Bakit ba ang hilig nitong pagselosin ako?!

Naiinis na bumaba ako.

"Who's baby?"

"Ayan na" bulong ni Crystal pero rinig naman.

I coldly look at her. I saw her gulped. I mentally smirked. I still have some effect on her.

"I-it's nothing" nauutal nitong sagot saakin

I raised my eyebrows at her

Tumingin ako kay Crystal na ngayon ay may mapaglarong tingin.

"Baby, I'm going home soon. Did you missed me?" Tila pang gaya nito

"What the—hindi bagay sayo Crystal" sagot naman nung isa

I mentally facepalm. Seriously? Imbis na depensahan ang sarili niya mas inuna niya pang laitin si Crystal

"Mapanglait ka na ngayon Ate Rhainne ah. Okay lang at least ako di UNDERstanding"

"Under—what?"

"Stop it you two" agaw ko sa atensyon ng dalawa "and you" I pointed at Alethea"follow me"

"Good luck Ate Rhainne sana makalabas ka ng buhay"

"Shut up Crystal"

I waited for her in my room. Akala ko pa naman sumunod agad to saakin hindi pala.

"Sit"

Agad naman siyang naupo kaso nasa malayo

"Not there"

"Ha? Eh saan?"

"Here" and I tap sa tabi ko.

Medyo alanganin siyang tumayo at onti onting naglakad papalapit saakin.

Ang bagal niya kaya hinila ko na siya.

Naiinip ako.

I wrapped my arms around her naramdaman ko namang bigla siyang di gumalaw kaya tintignan ko ito.

"Why?"

"N-nothing"

I'm not convinced

"Why?"

"Y-your uhmm the" she let a heavy sighs at nag iwas ng ng tingin saakin

"Youreboobsthey'retouchingmyarms"

Hindi ko naiintindihan

"Huh? Talk slowly"

"Y-your boobs nakadikit sa braso ko" nag iwas siya ng tingin, kita ko ang pamumula ng muka niya

Tsk.

I couldn't resist teasing her, a playful grin draw at my lips as I whispered, "Let them. Nahawakan mo na nga 'yan noon, eh." Her cheeks immediately flushed a deep shade of crimson, and I could see the shyness in her eyes as she tried to look away, her voice stuttering in a soft protest.

"P-pero kasi... hayst," she murmured, her words trailing off, caught between hesitation and embarrassment.

I couldn’t help but chuckle quietly, but instead of letting go, I pulled her closer, wrapping my arms around her even tighter. The warmth of her body against mine was almost overwhelming. "Don’t mind that," I murmured into her hair, my voice low and calm, a soft reassurance against the tension in the air.

The room fell into silence, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. No, it was a silence that felt heavy with unspoken words and emotions. The quiet only seemed to heighten the rhythm of our hearts—her heartbeat, fast and wild against my chest, matching the rapid beat of my own.

I could feel the pulse of her heart, racing with the same intensity as mine, like we were both caught in this fleeting moment, suspended in time. Her breath was quick against my skin, and I wondered if she could feel the way my heart beat louder whenever I was close to her.

In that silence, it was all I could hear: the pounding of our hearts, intertwined, beating faster, as though they both knew this moment wasn’t something either of us wanted to let go of.

"Your heart....." I said kaya napatingin ito saakin "it's pounding fast" as I giggled and point at it

"Don't mind that" pang gagaya niya sa sinabe ko kanina kaya tinignan ko ito, para siyang nagpipigil ng tawa.

"You’re so unpredictable!" I blurted out before I could stop myself, my voice thick with confusion and disbelief. But before I could even gather my thoughts, I found myself asking, "D-do y-you still love me?"

I didn’t know why the question slipped out so suddenly. It was as if my heart couldn’t hold it in any longer, desperate for an answer, even if I wasn’t prepared for it.

Her response came quickly, and it felt like a dagger to my chest. "No."

The word hit me like a cold wave, and I couldn’t help but stare at her in disbelief. My heart sank, as if all the air had been sucked from my lungs.

Why did it hurt so much?

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady, but it shook with a vulnerability I couldn't hide. "I-is i-it real? Y-You’re joking, right?" My hands trembled, and I felt the warmth of tears begin to sting my eyes, sliding down my cheeks before I could stop them.

"No," she said again, this time in a soft, almost regretful tone. "In Tagalog, hindi."

The word was final, a heavy weight pressing down on me. Slowly, my arms loosened around her, and I let go, as if releasing her physically might make it easier to release the truth that was sinking in.

"Is t-that so?" My voice faltered, barely a whisper, as if I were afraid to hear the answer. "Am I-I too late? M-may i-iba na b-ba?" The words were thick with pain, and I struggled to keep my composure. I could feel the tightness in my chest, the ache of something breaking inside me.

I closed my eyes for a moment, desperately trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to rise in my throat, the warmth of my tears falling freely now as I fought to hold myself together.

"No. Walang iba," she answered quickly, her words sharp and certain, as if there was no hesitation in her mind.

I blinked, my chest tightening. "T-then, w-why n-no?" My voice cracked as I struggled to get the words out. "B-bakit h-hindi m-mo n-na a-ako m-mahal?" My tears kept flowing, slipping down my face as the pain of her answer tore through me. I felt so small, so powerless in that moment, overwhelmed by the ache of not understanding.

She paused, then looked at me with a soft confusion, almost as if she hadn’t realized the weight of what she’d said. "Huh? I never said that."

I stared at her, wiping my tears with trembling hands, but they didn’t stop. The grief was suffocating, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was slipping through my fingers. "Y-you d-do," I whispered, my voice barely audible, choking on the pain.

For a moment, she said nothing. Then, her voice came low, but steady, with an intensity that made the world around me feel like it had stopped moving. "I answered 'no' in Tagalog, 'hindi.' But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you," she said, her eyes meeting mine with a look so raw it almost broke me. "I never tried to forget. I never wanted to move on. I’ve let myself drown in the love I still have for you—only for you."

Her words hit me like a wave, crashing over every doubt, every worry I had. My heart stopped for a moment, unable to process the magnitude of what she was saying. She still loved me. She never stopped.

I felt a rush of emotions overwhelm me, and my heart leapt in my chest, beating with a new, fierce rhythm. The weight on my chest lifted, and the tears that had been flowing now turned into sobs of relief. She still loved me. After everything, despite everything, she still loved me.

I let out a shaky breath, my chest rising and falling rapidly, overwhelmed with the joy and disbelief.

I couldn't speak, not yet. The emotions were too overwhelming, too much. But I knew one thing: I would never forget this moment, this truth.

SHE STILL LOVED ME.

"Now please, stop crying na po Miss" lumapit siya saakin at dahan dahang inangat ang muka ko as she slowly wiped my tears I pulled her into a hug

"You're mine"

"Huh? Ang bilis mo naman" natatawa niyang sagot

"No. Isang buong linggo na kitang gustong lapitan but oh gosh you and you're friends are avoiding me!"

Natawa naman siya.

"Tsk. They're just protective especially Rayla"

"And you didn't even do anything about that"

"I'm just following them. What can I do? My parents told me not to go home ng hindi tayo nag uusap."

Suddenly a smile flush on my face

My soon to be Mother in law

"Yeah I know"

"Wait what? Paano? Don't tell me pati sila oh gosh lahat talaga gagawin mo?" she said in disbelief.

I just chuckled. If she just only knew.

"Of course Love. I'll do anything just for you" I move closer to her and kissed her—smack lang naman.

"You're so fast"

"Yeah I am. Now you will marry me and have a kids with me whether you like it or not."

Agad na nanlaki ang mata niya

"Hoy! I never agreed to that!" reklamo niya

"I didn't ask for your permission. I don't need it. Your parents already agreed to it and besides ready na ang lahat ikaw nalang ang kulang" I unbotheredly said

I smiled when I saw her shocked.

I'll marry you.....and you have no choice but to marry me.....