My Only Exception

Chapter 9

He hugged her tighter. "Marry me, Love."

She stood still.

"I think I've earned enough. Okay na yung restaurant. I have savings. Tutal pag nagset naman tayo ng date, I can still earn during waiting. We can start our life together. I want to build my family with you Raffy."

She faced him. "Ethan, I'm not marrying you until you realize what's going wrong with us and until you make it right."

Instead of answering, he started kissing her passionately. At first, she wasn't responding until she gave in. He carried her and made her seat on the sink and continued. They haven't really shared any intimacy for quite a while now, not even a kiss.

It went deeper and deeper with the next minutes that passed. He went lower and kissed her on her neck. His hands started roaming around and she felt his hand go inside her shirt.

She then opened her eyes and held his hand to stop him.

"Why?" he asked her.

"I don't want to have sex with you," she said and went down. She went out of the bathroom and he followed.

"Sex? Is that really how you see it? That I just wanted to have sex with you?" he argued with her.

"Ano pa ba? After all these times na wala kang panahon para sakin, the next minute we're hitting on each other, anong tawag mo dun?"

"Raffy, don't question what I feel for you. Kahit nababawasan yung oras ko sayo, all that I am doing is for you. Para sa pamilya na gusto ko buuin kasama ka," he said.

"Kasama ako? Bakit, ako ba kasama mo sa araw araw? Di ba hindi? Mas madalas ka pa nga makita ng mga regular customers mo kesa sa akin di ba?"

"Alam mo naman how I manage my business. I do it hands on. If there's any issue about us not seeing each other, then you move in here. Dito ako uuwi palagi sayo," he said.

"I don't want to argue any further Ethan," she dismissed him. "Matutulog na ako. Good night."

"Pano natin matatapos itong bagay na ito kung nagwawalk out ka na lang palagi pag nagtatalo tayo?"

"AYOKO NA MAKIPAG-USAP, PWEDE BA?! BUKAS NA LANG. BUKAS NA LANG ULIT," she screamed and hid underneath the covers.

••

It had been like that for half a year. No month would pass by that they would not argue about him losing time for her. It even became worse when someone gave him an idea of starting a printing business. He was given a feasible study. It wasn't final and he wasn't sure yet about it but he'd given it a thought.

He continued missing some dates and he would make up for it by giving her a surprise visit at work. There was even one time when he asked his brother to meet her where they were supposed to dine. Seff came in with a bouquet of flowers Ethan asked him to get.

"So since when are proxies allowed during romantic dates between couples?" she smiled at Seff. Even if she was already pissed off, she maintained being civil to him.

"Well... I don't really know," Seff laughed. "Ako na lang lagi taga-bili ng bulaklak ng kapatid ko."

"Lagi? Ngayon ka lang naman nag-abot sa akin? Kadalasan naman delivered," she said with sadness.

Seff didn't notice it. "You just don't know. I bought the flowers he gave you during your second year anniversary. Nagulat ako na paggising ko nasa bahay sya and he didn't know you were on his place waiting. Agad na umuwi si loko saka ako kinulit na bumili ng bulaklak. Didn't he tell you?"