The one that got away

12. Consolation

Jin Hye woke up the next morning feeling -- different. She slowly opened her eyes and those emotions that she thought she had forgetten flashed through her being. She couldn't believe the fact that she woke up with Calen by her side. 

He was still asleep, his eyes were still closed, he looked like a little boy. Nag-init ang mga mata niya. How could she have loved this man so much? She asked herself again why the hell didn't she picked Calen back in those days? Marahil, kung ito ang pinili niya ay natupad na nito ang ten years from now promise na binitiwan nila noon sa isa't-isa. Seven years na, three more years to go and at ten years na. Maybe by that time, Calen would have married her. Siguro ay masaya pa rin sila ngayon, marahil ay sila pa rin ang magkasama, siguro... 

She let her tears fall... 

Ang dami-dami niyang regret. 

Totoo talaga iyong kasabihan na nasa huli ang pagsisis because that was what she was feeling right now. 

She touched Calen's face, kahit paano ay napangiti na siya. She wanted to kiss him, pero magiging mali ang lahat, hindi na ito sa kanya, at kahit inis na inis siya kay Danni ay nirerspeto niya ang kung anuman ang meron ito kay Calen. 

She sighed... 

"If only, Calen..." she whispered. Saglit siyang lumayo rito. Masaya siya dahil nabungaran niya ito. Masarap pala sa pakiramdam na ang unang taong makikita mo sa umaga ay ang taong mahal mo and in her case si Calen iyon. 

"Cinderella..." 

Her body stiffined and she automoatically looked at Calen. He called her name.Napaluha na naman siya. She looked at him, making sure if he was awake pero ganoon na lang ang disappointment niya nang makita niyang nakapikit pa rin ito. Tinawag nga siya nitong Cinderlla pero tulog naman ito. 

"Nakakainis ka..." bulong niya. She stood up and went to the bathroom to fix herself. She was reminded of the fact that her stepmother was here and that she needed to face her again after two weeks of being away from her. Nang makapag-ayos ay lumabas na siya, naroon pa rin si Calen sa kama at tulog na tulog. She just sighed and left the room. 

The only consolation she had this morning was the fact that Calen called her Cinderella. Siguro nanananiginip ito. Siguro, siya ang napaniginipan nito. That thought alone made her smiled. 

Calen had dreamed of her. 

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"Good morning, Madam Won." 

Calen greeted Jin Hye's stepmother who was having coffee at his porch that morning. He really hates this woman. Inis na inis siya sa pagmumukha nito. Ni hindi nga niya alam kung paano natagalan ni Jin Hye ag makisama dito. She did nothing but hurt her, tapos ito pa ngayon ang may karapatan na mag-demand sa kanila ni Jin Hye. 

"Caleb..." He smirked when the woman called him Caleb. Hindi talaga siya sanay at hinding-hindi siya masasanay. No one had ever mistaken him for Caleb. The last time that happened, they were still kids and their mom couldn't tell them apart because they dressed up alike.

"Yeah, whatever." he said. He sat down the chair adjacent to her. He made a face. Gaano kaya kakapal ang make up na nilalagay nito sa mukha nito. He looked like the clown in the SAW movie. He almost laughed at that thought. 

"Good morning Cal..." He heard Jin Hye greeted him. Agad niyang nilingon ito. May dala itong isang tasa ng kape at inilagay iyon sa harapan niya. He couldn't help but smile. Jin Hye looked exceptionally pretty today. She was wearing one of the dresses he bought for her yesterday. Her hair was falling freely at ngiting-ngiti ito sa kanya. Suddenly he remembere his dream last night, some parts of it was already blurred to his memory, but he knew that he had dreamed of her last night.