Love Until It Hurts (Monteverde Series 4)

18

            "Zade..." She muttered as she eyed different shelves filled with books of all sorts and sizes. The walls were lined with huge floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.

            Inikot niya ang mga mata niya at napangiti.

            "You told me once that you'd build me a library."

            Nilapitan ko siya habang nakasuksok ang dalawang kamay ko sa magkabilang bulsa.

            "This is our library," sagot ko habang nakatingin sa masaya niyang mukha.

            I'd give anything just to make her happy.

            "Kailan mo ito sinimulan?" Pinaglandas niya ang kamay sa mga libro.

            "Three years ago," I responded.

            Tumigil siya at bigla na lang may hinugot na libro. I recognized the cover. It was Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera.

            "Tragic.," komento ko.

            "I kind of pity Erik, you know? He really did love Christine even if it was a sick and twisted kind of love." Ibinalik niya ito sa pinagkukunan bago kumuha ng panibagong libro. This time, it was Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights.

            "Heathcliff," she said as she flipped it open.

            "Too many deaths," saad ko. "You want to see my favorite book?" untag ko sa kanya.

            "Ang dami nitong mga librong ito, what could possibly be your favorite?" She queried as her eyes lit up in contemplation and interest.

            "Guess, babe." I smiled. She thought for a while before she answered.

            "The Divine Comedy?"

            I smirked. "Good one, but no."

            "The Catcher in the Rye?"

            "Still a no."

            "Iliad, Odyssey, Aeneid?" sunod-sunod na tanong niya. I shook my head once more.

            "The Count of Monte Cristo?"

            "No, babe."

            "I give up. Sabihin mo na lang sa akin." She replied with a resigned sigh. I chuckled before leading her to the other side of the room. Mayroong isang mesa doon, isang upuan at isang lampshade. I opened the drawer under the reading table and took out a small book covered with a plain black cover.

            Ibinigay ko ito sa kanya. Nagkunot ang noo niya habang nakatingin dito.

            "Ang nipis naman nito. What could this book be?" She questioned.

            "Open it, then." I commanded and she did exactly what I told her to do. She flipped the cover and a look of surprise crossed her eyes.

            "Zade, you... you..." She stammered, her eyes grew hot with tears and I immediately went in front of her and wiped the hot liquid running down her cheeks.

            "Once upon a time there were two kinds of love: one that can turn the world to ashes while the other can keep the ocean calm." I started reciting and more tears appeared on her eyes as she heard the words tumble out of my mouth.

            "And there were two lovers in a faraway land, where the birds were talking and the glitters were sand. So they wondered what kind of love their love was; was it destructive like fire or peaceful as the sea? But their relationship was always sailing smoothly and so they decided that their love was just like the waters that seemed to be in glee..."