My Soul Will Find Yours : The Fulfillment of the Promise

I Knew What Was Going To Happen Next

After dropping off mum at the airport the next day, I went home to shower to freshen up real quick. Afterwards, I took a cab to Market! Market! to meet up with Brandon. Today, he was wearing a casual ensemble consisting of a denim shirt, dark blue jeans, and loafers.

"Lunch?" I asked while offering him a bite of the pita wrap I was munching on.

"Let me guess, you haven't had lunch yet," he said before taking his handkerchief and wiping the sauce that I didn't know was stuck on the corner of my mouth.

"Good guess," I replied as calmly as I could although I was actually feeling the opposite. "After this, let's head inside."

"Okay, but take your time," he smiled warmly. Seeing that I didn't have a drink, he went to a nearby food stall and bought me a bottled water.

When I was done, we walked to where the carts were and entered the supermarket. Aside from lasagna ingredients, we bought some baguettes, herbed butter, fresh greens, chicken breasts, and spices. Thankfully it wasn't rush hour yet so we got home quickly.

Brandon surprisingly knew his way around the kitchen and his knife skills were better than mine. The grilled chicken salad he insisted on making was very delicious, igniting my competitiveness. Although I was only making a pasta dish and garlic bread, I made sure that they impressed him the way his food impressed me.

"Where's your cat?" he asked out of the blue.

"He's resting upstairs," I replied simply. He didn't have to know the other details. Besides, the little devil on my bedroom isn't one hundred percent well yet. I don't want to give him unnecessary stress by forcing him to be in the same room as my guest.

Brandon just nodded and helped me set the table. Neither of us were interested in watching television while eating so I played some instrumental music instead, this added to the restaurant feel of the evening.

"Mmm, this is so good," he complimented with his eyes closed. "This lasagna is bomb."

"Thank you, I'm glad you like it," I smiled happily while placing a couple of garlic bread slices on his plate.

"Yet another reason to pursue you," he smiled before taking another bite.

I felt my cheeks blush at his words, they sounded very genuine. Watching him eat with such gusto, I realized how easy it was to be with him once I let go of my inhibitions. Brandon felt like he just wants the simple things in life, as though just being together was enough to bring him happiness.

The rest of dinner revolved around topics concerning food and trips we've had before. I learned that he's been to every continent save for Antarctica, but he intends to go there next year. Like a true gentleman, he helped me clean up afterwards. He didn't want me to do the dishes so I took care of the leftovers. He was just about to finish up when the knife he was rinsing accidentally slipped from his fingers and wounded him.

"Ow!" he gasped as blood oozed out from the cut on his finger.

"Crap!" I pulled a couple of kitchen towels from the dispenser and pressed them on his wound. "Apply some pressure on it to stop the bleeding, I'll go get the medicine kit."

I then hurriedly took the medicine kit from the cupboard and made him sit on one of the kitchen stools.

"Let me see," I said while gently opening his palm. As I was afraid that I might faint, I started breathing through my mouth. "That's a lot of blood, does it hurt?"

"It just stings," he replied before meeting my anxious face. "You look kind of pale, Hinata. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I lied. I was actually starting to feel dizzy.

"You're afraid of blood!"

"No, no. I'm fine. Let me dress your wound," I started to rummage the kit for the disinfectant and ointment in an attempt to distract myself.

"No, I can do this on my own," he grabbed the medicine kit and made a shooing gesture. "Go get some fresh air. I'll join you once I'm done."

"But..."

"Hinata, I can manage, okay?" he assured me. "Now go get some fresh air, you look really pale."

Wiping the cold sweat off my forehead, I nodded and wobbly left the kitchen to go outside. The night breeze calmed me immediately and the overwhelming feeling of wanting to collapse left me. A few minutes later, Brandon joined me on the porch.

"Is your wound okay?" I asked at the same time he asked if I felt better.

He held up his gauzed up finger before sitting beside me. "What about you, Ms. Hemophobic?" he asked teasingly. "Are you truly fine now?"

"I am," I answered sheepishly.

We sat in silence for a while, the only sounds that could be heard were the chirping of crickets and the occasional noise of vehicles passing by.

"Thank you for tonight, Hinata," Brandon said. "I really had fun."

"I had fun as well, we should do this more often," I replied.

"Really?"

"Yup." I nodded before adding wryly, "Minus the kitchen accident, of course."

He laughed at my joke. "You know, that makes me really happy. After all the failed dates we've had, I thought we'd never have a peaceful one together."

"I'm really sorry about Charles."

"It's not your fault," he sighed. "Although I would like to have a serious talk with him."

I didn't think that it would be a good idea so I just kept quiet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him move to better look at me.

"I'm really serious about wanting to be with you, Hinata. I have no ill intentions nor am I here to play games."

I looked up and saw him staring at me earnestly.

He took my right hand and placed it on his left chest. "In fact, I think I love you already," his eyes gazed into mine with the same intensity as his confession. "No, I don't think I love you... I do love you."

"Brandon..."

As I felt the steady beating of his heart underneath my palm, I realized he wasn't nervous at all. I couldn't say the same for myself, though.

"I've been waiting for you for as long as I can remember," he murmured, his free hand reaching out to cup my face. "I used to always hate waking up from my dreams because I never wanted to part with you... But ever since I met you on that fateful day, my dreams never seemed enough. I wanted to see you so bad... I wished it was you every time my phone rang so that I could at least have a way of connecting with you in real life. Seeing you with Atty. Arroyo for the first time and your cold treatment that night nearly made me give up. I thought I'll never have my chance! But destiny proved otherwise, who would've thought our mothers were old friends?"

Brandon drew his face closer to mine, his warm breath tickled my skin.

"Hinata, the bliss I feel while being with you physically cannot compare to anything in this world. Every fiber of my being craves for you."

When he closed his eyes, I knew what was going to happen next. My eyes also closed in their own accord.

My soul will find yours, Hina.

"Kaname," I said, my voice barely audible. "I love you, my love."

When Brandon's lips met mine, I felt my longing for my husband intensify. The kiss, which was soft and gentle at first, became hungry and probing. As soon as he was able to successfully part my lips, I felt Brandon translate his words earlier into action. His warm tongue searched for mine and mercilessly teased it, deepening the already passionate way he was expressing his yearning for me.