Loving a Believer

Chapter 10: A Spark of Hope

S T O R M

Fara still looked beautiful despite the black shade below her eyes, an evidence of her lack of sleep. She looked peaceful while asleep, a large contrast to her distressed and fearful face when she was awake. I ran my fingers through her hair, which caused her to stir. I retracted my hand slightly when she slowly opened her eyes.

"Sorry," I whispered. "Just continue your sleep."

She stared back at me. "Storm," she uttered in a soft voice.

"Hmm?"

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

I squinted at her a little. "Doing what?"

"Giving me false hope."

I was about to speak when I heard a few knocks on the door.

"Come in!" I called.

Mayamaya lang, bumukas ang pintuan at niluwa niyon si Tyler na may bitbit na isang box ng pizza.

"Hey, bro!" he greeted.

"How was your business?" I asked as I approached him and get the box from him.

"All was well." He sat beside Fara with a smile on his lips. "How's my sis?"

Fara sat up and hugged his brother but she did not say anything.

"I bought pizza. Let's eat!"

***

"Thank you, Storm," Tyler told me as we stood outside the house.

It was midnight and Fara already went to sleep.

"I don't know if I deserve to receive that thank you because nothing changed in her condition."

He heaved a sigh and said, "I think... she's right."

I looked at him with brows furrowed.

"Her depression has no cure. Medicines can't make her whole because she's really broken inside," he said with his eyes fixed at the night sky.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"You don't have to say sorry." He glanced at me. "It's all my Dad's fault."

I remembered when Fara told me that she was not Tito Francis' daughter.

"Have you heard her say that someone will kill her?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. I wanted to ask you that too. I was wondering why she thinks like that."

"Can I trust you, Storm?"

"Of course."

"My mom's death was not an accident. It was Uncle Franco's plan, my Dad's twin." His jaws clenched. "She's Fara's real father." Hindi na ako nagulat nang sabihin niya iyon dahil nasabi na iyon ni Fara sa akin. "And he died last year. My Dad killed him."

My eyes widened as the confession sunk in. Fara's family was really complicated. No wonder she was really burdened.

"Fara hated Dad so much that she came to this point. I can't deny that Fara grew up without enough attention from our parents. She grew up unloved and unhappy. She had a best friend; it was Kirby... but now, he died. She had a boyfriend once but she had to break up with him when Dad found out about their secret relationship. He threatened Fara that he would kill her boyfriend if she wouldn't stay away from him."