CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
DINALA niya ako sa labas ng bistro. Hapon na at malapit nang magdilim. The coldness immediately crept on my body. He let go of me when he made sure that we are far from earshot. I immediately turned to him when he halted. My eyes widen when he cupped my face and brushed his thumbs over my cheeks to wipe my tears that I unconsciously shed.
"I hate seeing you cry," he mumbled. Upon saying those, another batch of warm fresh tears fell from my eyes, which he also wiped with his thumb. Hinawakan ko ang dalawa niyang kamay at tinignan siya nang diretso sa mata.
"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be here alone. There are rebels around this place." I should be proud of myself because I said those words without cracking my voice.
"You sounded worried," he stated before taking his hands back. Nag-iwas siya ng tingin at bumuntong hininga habang nakatingin lang ako sa kaniya. I do missed him a lot. I want to memorise each part of him so I can remember him clearly.
"'Yon ba ang tunay mong nararamdaman? I watched you sing your heart out on a sad acapella and I know the lyrics were all about me." Ibinalik niya sa akin ang tingin niya at ako naman ang napa-iwas. He sounds frustrated and agonised. And that just hurt me even more.
"Are you still waiting for me? Or you already found someone?" I gingerly asked. Ayoko nang salubungin ang mga mata niya. Nanghihina ako tuwing magtatagpo ang mga tingin namin. His eyes were so powerful that it can make me vulnerable whenever I look into his white pairs.
"You think I already gave up on you?" He sniggered. "I'm still waiting every single day, hoping you'll pop up out of nowhere or trudge inside my room. Damn, I miss you every single day, hour, minute, every freakin' second. And yet I heard you singing that you don't need me anymore."
Pakiramdam ko ay pinipiga ang puso ko habang pinakikinggan ko ang boses niya. I took all my courage and slowly raised my gaze to meet his. I was surprised to see glistening tears falling from his white orbs. He immediately wiped them away.
"Blaze..." I mumbled, speechless upon seeing him on his vulnerable state.
"If you don't need me, Aia, I do. I am the prince, the next in rule, one of the most powerful sorcerer in the kingdom. Yet I can't make the woman I love stay. If you feel powerless with me, I feel powerful with you." That just broke my heart into millions of pieces. The small fragile organ inside my chest got shattered by his words. Sunod-sunod nang tumulo ang mga luha ko. Pinipilit kong huwag mapahikbi kahit sobrang sakit na. Sobrang bigat ng nararamdaman ko.
"Please come back. I need you," he mumbled. He lift his hand and stroke my hair gently like it's a precious thing. I looked straight into his eyes while wiping my own tears.
"I–I still can't, I'm sorry," I stuttered to say. Hindi ko pa kayang bumalik sa Nevada. Not when I have my family at Granja. I am enjoying my life there with the family I never had. Ngayon lang kami nagkasama-sama at gusto kong sulitin ang pagkakataon. Gusto kong bumalik sa Nevada pero masaya na ako sa kung nasaan ako ngayon.
"Can you give me an assurance that you'll come back? I am willing to wait even how long it would take. I just need an assurance that you'll come back, please," he grovelled. I closed my eyes to calm my trembling hands and lips. I took a deep breath before I face him again.
"I won't promise but I'll try. Just please give me more time," I replied. Napa-buntong hininga rin siya at unti-unting tumango.
