Stealing Hearts [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

PAGKAPASOK ni Sapphie sa kanyang kwarto ay agad niyang tinungo ang aparador at kinuha ang kanyang mga damit doon at inilagay sa ibabaw ng kama. Nagmamadali ang mga kilos na kinuha niya ang maletang nabili niya noon upang magsimulang mag-impake. Nag-uunahang tumulo ang kanyang mga luha at kahit anong pahid ang ginagawa niya ay hindi parin tumitigil sa pagtulo ang mga iyon.

Siguro nga ay ito ang karma niya sa mga pinanggagawa niya noon. She made money by scamming people. This must be the universe's way of paying her back. Tatanggapin ko naman kahit anong parusa, 'wag lang sana ito. Palihim na sabi niya sa kanyang sarili.

Napalunok siya nang biglang bumukas ang pinto. Hindi na niya kailangan pang lumingon dahil alam niyang si Jacob ang pumasok.

"What are you doing?" Tanong nito. Hindi siya sumagot, patuloy lamang siya sa kanyang ginagawang pag-impake. Hanggang sa maramdaman niya ang paglapit ni Jacob. Hinuli nito ang kanyang kamay upang pigilan siya sa ginagawa. "I'm asking you, Sapphie. What are you doing?"

"Y-You want me out..." Hindi na naman niya mapigilang umiyak. Lalong uminit ang sulok ng kanyang mata kaya pumikit siya.

"That wasn't for you," sabi ni Jacob kaya napadilat siya ng mga mata.

"But you said—"

"That was for Venice, hindi para sa'yo." He whispered. Ikinulong nito ang kanyang mukha sa mga palad nito. He gently wiped her tears away and kissed the remnants of them on her cheek. "I could never tell you to get out of my house. Why would I tell you that? When all I ever wanted was for you to be in it."

Napasinghap siya sa sinabi nito. "Pero akala ko, naniwala ka kay Venice. She showed you pictures."

Umiling ito. "I couldn't care less if the pictures were true or not."

"The pictures are true, but they're not like what you think." Agad na paliwanag niya. Bago paman ito makapagsalita ay nagpatuloy siya. "The pictures were taken days before we met, 'yung araw na pumunta kayo sa tent ko. Nakalimutan ko kung ano 'yung tinanong niya noong araw na iyon but I could remember having a customer with a face mask, and she took a picture of us. Hindi ko lang na-realize na si Venice iyon."

"It doesn't matter to me," anito at hinaplos ang pisngi niya. "It's all in the past. Mom was right about her, and I know that now. With or without your intervention, I'm glad that Venice and I are over."

"B-But I swear, Jake, hindi kami magkasabwat. Hindi ko alam kung paano niya nasabi iyon pero hindi talaga kami magkakilala. And I'm not a gold-digger, I swear."

"And I believe you. I didn't doubt you for a second there." Sabi nito at muling uminit ang sulok ng kanyang mga mata. Jacob's eyes softened when he noticed her tears. "Nung tumakbo ka sa kwarto mo, I quickly realized you might have the wrong impression na ikaw 'yung sinigawan ko. But it was actually Venice. Agad ko siya kinaladkad palabas ng bahay. She was hysterical but I didn't care."

"H-Hindi ka galit sa akin?" Mahinang tanong niya sa binata. It was as if she were scared to know that he was mad at her. Na guni-guni lang niya ang mga sinabi nitong hindi ito naniwala kay Venice.

"No, I'm not. Also, I didn't believe anything Venice said about you. And most importantly, I didn't believe you were a gold-digger." He assured her. Hinalikan ang tungki ng kanyang ilong bago siya ikinulong sa mga bisig nito. Napabuntong-hininga si Sapphie at ipinilig ang ulo sa dibdib ng binata. All her doubts and worries disappeared. "I love you so much, Sapphie."

"Hmm." Tumango siya at ipinikit ang mga mata. "Wait, what?" Lumayo siya rito para tingnan ito sa mga mata. "Anong sinabi mo? Tama ba ang narinig ko?"

Marahang tumawa si Jacob, kasabay na inipit nito sa kanyang tenga ang ilang hibla ng buhok. "You heard it right. I love you, Sapphie. I've never been more sure of anything in my life than I am of the fact that I love you and I can't stop loving you. When you bolted earlier, I couldn't help but go straight to you. I can't imagine my life without you, Sapphie."

Napasinghap siya at natutop niya ang bibig. "Y-You love me?"

Lumawak ang pagkakangiti ni Jacob. "Yes, I do. I do love you, Sapphire Velasco. You stole everyone's hearts, my mom's, Khael's, mga tao dito sa bahay. And you shamelessly stole mine, too."

Nangingiting niyakap niya ang binata. "Mahal din kita, Jacob. If I had to pick the favorite moment of my life, I would pick the moment I first met you. Falling for you was the best thing ever."

"I love you so much, more than you know." Muling sabi nito at naradaman niyang hinagkan nito ang kanyang buhok. Inangat niya ang kanyang mukha upang tingnan ito sa mga mata. "Do you know why I came home early today?" Umiling siya sa tanong nito. "I want to ask you out on a weekend getaway."

Nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata na na-excite siya. "Weekend getaway? I'd love that. Pero saan naman tayo pupunta?"

"Sa Coral Cove," tukoy nito sa isang island tourist spot na ilang oras lang ang biyahe mula sa kanila. The island was packed with underwater caves and white sand beaches, waterfalls, mangroves, iron woods, inland lakes, fishing grounds, and corals. Hindi pa siya nakapunta roon pero iisipan pa lang niya na kasama niya si Jacob magpunta roon ay hindi na siya mapakali.

"Let's go," aniya. "Tamang-tama, nag-impake na ako." Sabi niya na may nakakalokong ngiti.

Tumawa si Jacob. Then he gently cupped her chin and kissed her. Slowly at first, but when she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, he deepened the kiss. They both ran out of breath when pulled away gently. "Have I told you that I love you?" He whispered, his eyes twinkling.

Sapphie giggled. "I'm yours..."

"I love the sound of that," he said as he tapped the tip of her nose. "My Sapphire..."

-WAKAS-