One Lost Summer (Brave Series #2)

Chapter 41: Grale

Ashton Grale Buenavista

Grale was calm and quiet the whole ride but deep inside he's anxious as shit. Walo sila sa loob ng van nila Bree na nakaupo sa front seat habang si Dean naman ang nag d-drive. After them, is where he and Majarlika were sitting. Nasa likod nila si Cora at Tria habang nasa pinaka likod si Migs at Cathy.

All of them were quiet the whole ride and the eerie silence honestly drive Grale crazy. He knows what awaits them in Pampanga—what awaits Majarlika—and yet he couldn't silence the thoughts in his head. Tulog si Majarlika sa kanyang balikat at hindi niya mapigilang ilagay ang daliri sa pagitan ng ilong at labi nito para i-check kung humihinga pa ba ang nobya. It was an awful thought but he does this because he talked to Doctor Venson before they left the hospital.

Binigyan siya ng sandamakmak na paalala at bilin nito. Ilang beses din nitong ipinaalala na kailangang makabalik kaagad ni Majarlika ng ospital para makapag undergo na ito kaagad ng mga tests at malaman ang totoong lagay nito. Majarlika refused, that was Doc Venson told him when he and her had a private talk and the Doctor informed Grale about it.

It breaks his heart knowing that Majarlika doesn't want to be treated anymore. She was losing hope, no matter how much she hides it with her sweet, sweet smile. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang pinaka dahilan kung bakit ayaw na nitong magpagamot but he felt like it has something to do with her mother.

Majarlika was silently blaming herself all these years. Now she was torturing herself to death because maybe for her it was the right punishment for her.

Hindi alam ni Grale kung paano kukumbinsihin ang nobya na mali ang lahat ng iniisip nito. Na mali na sisihin nito ang sarili sa trahedya ng ina. But he hasn't met her mother in person yet. Yes, they sometimes talk over the phone and he already recognized her cold and aloof personality, but he has never yet seen her look at Majarlika just like the way his girlfriend implied.

And that makes him more anxious. Because for Grale, Majarlika deserves all the beautiful things in the world and if he sees that her mother cannot see that, it would pain him. He just can't accept that someone can take such a beautiful and kind girl for granted. Kaya't sana hindi ito ang makita niya. Sana mali lang ang nobya sa lahat ng iniisip nito at para makumbinsi niya na itong magpagamot.

He doesn't want to accept the thought that she's just already accepting her fate because damn it he is willing to question the heaven and defy fate itself just so they could have more time together. Grale needs Majarlika and if she dies, he will in a heartbeat, too.

Gumalaw si Majarlika sa kanyang balikat kaya't mahina niyang tinapik-tapik ang balikat nito. "Malapit na ba tayo?" She asked with drowsy eyes.

"Almost there, baby," he whispered, kissing her temple.

Inangat na nito ang ulo sa kanyang balikat kaya't mabilis niyang hinawi ang ilang hibla ng buhok na nakataas sa mababang ipit sa likod nito at bahagyang humarang sa kanyang mukha. He tucked the loose strand in her ear. "How do you feel? Do you want anything? Water?"

She just smiled a little, shaking her head. Umayos na ito ng upo at naglakabay na lang ang mga mata sa labas ng bintana. Nanatili namang nakatitig lamang si Grale sa nobya na nasa malayo na ang tingin. He noticed her hand and how she slightly trembled and how she hides it by gripping her cardigan.

She has a lot of things going on inside her pretty head, Grale could tell. Pero katulad ng dati, ay tahimik lamang itong nakatupi sa kanyang isip at hindi pa handang ihayag ito sa kanya. He respects that, but it still couldn't help but make Grale anxious.

So Grale slid his hand to her and squeezed it. Their fingers interlaced and not breaking apart. Nilingon siya ng nobya kaya't binigyan niya ito ng isang ngiti na nagsasabing narito lamang siya para sa rito. Isang ngiti at muli nang naglakbay ang tingin nito sa labas ng bintana.