My Only Exception

Chapter 23

Come on and just say yes

You know it's time to keep it simple,

Let's take a chance and

Hope for the best

He slightly departed from her and looked straight in her eyes. He sang to her. "Life is short so make it what you wanna. Make it good, don't wait until mañana. I think I'm cool cause your name's on this heart-shaped tattoo. Now the best  thing about me is you."

She knew Ethan wasn't the best singer there is but what she just heard was a promise of forever. It wasn't something that would sell a million copies but it was something that meant everything to her. There were a lot of people humming but she heard his heart sing too much louder than the rest. Pakiramdam nya sya na ang pinakaswerte at pinakamasayang tao na nabuhay sa mundo.

She wanted to throw tantrums and cry because of too much happiness and overflowing love.

He held her hand. "Love... It has been a long journey."

She nodded.

"And there's a long path ahead of us. It's rocky, and it has a lot of dead ends but I promise you that if you hold my hand tight, it will be a smooth sail for you and Cali," he said. His voice started shaking but maintained his calm. "I never let you go, Raffy. When we parted ways, I followed you."

She stared at him. She never knew he did. Ang alam nya lang, hindi na sya hinanap at sinundan ni Ethan kahit kailan.

"I was there when you went out with Seff one time. I saw you drunk. Seff was telling you to move on."

"I asked him to dance while I sing," she laughed, still in tears.

"And you sang that Kelly song while you cried. I hated myself for letting you go thru that pain Raffy," he said. "I was scared that you saw me so I hid behind the post."

"I knew I saw someone familiar and I know it was you. I just thought my eyes were fooling me," she answered.

"And you sat on the sidewalk to cry for a long time. I wanted to run to you and hug you and tell you everything's going to be fine. We'll be back to the old us and I'll start making everything right... But I saw my brother and I saw you wanted to move on so I backed out," he admitted. "I went home the following week. I needed to free you from me."

"If you went up to me, there wouldn't be any gap of five years," she told him.

"But at least, that five years brought back the old me. It was a time given to me so I can prepare for Cali," he said. "I'm not good at this Raffy."

"I'm so sorry I took Cali away from you. It would have been five wonderful years. Cali might have had a sister by now," she cried.

They remained silent for a while.

"It's okay," he answered. "You went to the grocery store the following day. I saw you on the train station and you had your earphones on. I shouted your name but you didn't hear me. You went in the train and I was left outside. I didn't get the chance to catch it."

"I didn't know you did," she cried and held on to his hand tighter.

"I went to the grocery store and talked to one of their baggers. I asked them to tell you that they have some sort of promotion and that you won something," he said and tears fell from his eyes. He took a deep breath to redeem himself.

"Ang hirap naman magpropose," he kidded and laughed, primarily to release his own tension. "And I asked them to give you the winter gloves because I know you always forget to prepare for the weather."