SWEETHEART 13: Someday My Prince

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Mixed emotions filled her. Nangibabaw ang galit. "You think that declaration explains everything? For the hurt and torture that I felt for the past years?"

"It was hell for me, too, Lana. Pero iyon ang totoo. I started to realize that when I saw you with Jordan coming home that night hand in hand." He sighed heavily. "I was so jealous I wanted to strangle him."

So she had been right in her assumptions all along. "Go on," she prompted.

"Then that summer when you were nineteen.. Oh, god, Delaney, you drove me mad when you kissed me."

"You kissed me, too, Prince, remember? And you said you only did it to indulge me."

"That was a lousy lie, sweetheart. Wala akong
itinulog nang sumunod na mga araw sa kaiisip sa iyo. The pain of wanting you so much was killing me. But... but I promise Zach and Kaila that I would protect you, take care of you-"

"So you sent me home," she interrupted. "You were trying to be noble." She groaned.

"Hindi maaaring hindi kita makita nang hindi ko ipagkakanulo ang sarili ko," patuloy ni Prince. "And I have to protect you from myself, sweetheart. All your life you have this crazy obsession to follow me wherever I go. You thought you loved me.." She opened her mouth to say something but Prince beat her to it.

"Hindi ako naniniwala roon," patuloy nito. "You only wanted me because you can't have me. Hindi ko pustong ituring mo akong katulad ng mga kabataang nahuhumaling sa iyo. Kasintahan ngayon at bukas ay iba naman..."

"I didn't know how to deal with that. I wanted to protect you as a guardian should butI also wanted you for myself. Pinagseselosan ko ang ibinabalita sa akin ni Nana Mameng na iba't ibang boyfriends mo." Sakabila ng lahat ay pinamulahan ng mukha si Delaney. "In a way, I have spoilt you, too. I was obsessed in giving you back all that was lost. I wanted you to live in a big house again... to give you all the things and comforts money can buy.."

"I only wanted you, Prince," she said softly. Prince smiled at her vwith aching tenderness. "I know that now. Pero kahit na pinaniwalaan kitang mahal mo ako ay hindi ko pa rin magawang tugunin ang damdamin mo, Delaney," he said, "dahil tama ka. I was trying to be noble. How could you love someone like me? Lahat ng ako ngayon ay utang ko sa mga magulang mo. You deserved someone better."

"And you are that someone, Prince... " she said with love in hereyes. "I am nothing without you."

Prince kissed her brow. "Nang araw ng graduation mo ay bisperas ng araw ng pag-alis ni Cleo patungong Australia. Pinakiusapan ako ni Don Enrique na ihatid ang anak niya sa airport. At nabigyan ako ng pagkakataong ipakita sa iyong hindi ako ang lalaking nararapat para sa iyo, Lana. Tinulungan ako ni Cleo sa balak kong mangyari. And she was even a better actress than I thought..."

"Yes," she agreed sarcastically. "Nagtulungan
kayong saktan ako."

"I was a fool, darling," he said with regret in his
voice. "Pero nang gabing iyon na datnan kita sa swing, gusto kong sabihin sa iyo ang totoo... gusto kong bawiin ang ginawa ko. But Iheld myself. Masasaktan lamang ako kung tutugunin ko ang inaakala kong mapaglarong damdamin mo para sa akin."

"Isa akong bastardo, Lana. Hindi ko alam kung sino ang ama ko. Ang buhay ko'y isang pakikipagsapalaran at pakikihamok. My life before Zach was bleak, uncertain. Binago ni Zach ang takbo ng buhay ko. He trusted me... he gave me a future na ang paglinaw at paglabo ay nasa mga kamay ko. He also gave me something that I should hold on to--You. And I felt that loving you was a betrayal of Zach's and Kaila's trust."

Delaney's heart was screaming for her love of this man. The bastard young man her father trusted with his daughter's life and future.

"But you married me nevertheless, Prince. And you left me.." Halos hindi niya marinig ang sariling tinig.