DASHER: THE DASHING DEVIL

CHAPTER 25 - FINALE

DASHER gazed at the woman who slept like a baby beside his hospital bed. Nakauklo ito malapit sa ulunan niya. Mabini ang paghinga nito tanda ng payapa nitong pagtulog. It's been three days since he came into that hospital. Tatlong araw na rin itong halos walang pahingang nagbabantay sa kanya...at nasasaktan.

He sighed. Kinailangan niyang magsinungaling at gawing kasabwat ang doctor niya na sabihing malala ang kondisyon niya, na ilang araw pa ang kailangang hintayin bago siya tuluyang magising. Kahit na ang totoo ay daplis lang naman ng bala ang natamo niya.

He just needed to gather up his strength before he faced her again. Dahil batid niyang sa oras na kausapin niya ito ulit ay kakailanganin niya ng lakas para pigilan ito sa napipinto nitong muling pag-alis. He clenched his fists. Hinding hindi na niya ulit hahayaang makaalis ito sa paningin niya. Kaya nga kahit nakapikit siya ay pinakikiramdaman niya pa rin ito.

He only slept whenever she slept too. At bago siya matulog, sinisiguro muna niyang hawak niya ang kamay nito. Nagigising lang siya kapag inalis na nito ang pagkakahawak sa kamay niya. His gaze fell on their intertwined hands. Lalo siyang napangiti. Sa tatlong araw na pananatili niya sa ospital ay wala na itong ibang ginawa kundi ang alagaan siya.

At umiyak habang humihingi ng tawad sa kanya. He sighed.

Umangat ang isang kamay niya upang hawiin ang ilang hibla ng buhok nito na tumatabing sa maamo nitong mukha. He carefully tucked her hair behind her ears. He itched to touch her smooth and silky face but he didn't want to wake her up yet, so he stopped himself. Mayamaya'y hinugot niya ang kanyang cellphone mula sa ilalim ng kanyang unan.

"Is everything ready?" tanong niya nang angatin ng nasa kabilang linya ang tawag.

"Yes, master," sarkastikong sagot ni Blitzen mula sa kabilang linya.

If he just weren't nervous, he would've scowled at Blitzen. Napalunok siya nang painot-inot na kumilos si Donnie Marie. Cold sweats started forming on his forehead and his hands got cold. Napahigpit ang pagkakahawak niya sa kanyang cellphone.

"G-Get ready and wait for her to open the door," aniya rito bago pinatay ang tawag.

When she purred, his stomach clenched. Dammit! He was worse than a nervous thirteen-year-old virgin who's about to take his first ever girl to bed. Dati rati, tinatawanan niya lang ang mga lalaking napapanood niyang nagpro-propose sa girlfriends ng mga ito. Until that day...

Akala niya dati, basta may singsing at bulaklak, okay na. All his life, he's always heard yes. He never accepted "no" for an answer. He's always been too sure to get a yes. Well, he was gorgeous, rich and powerful. Every sane woman would be honoured to marry someone like him. But Donnie Marie was half sane and half insane. He couldn't be too sure about her answer.

Her "yes" scared him too. He'd lived all his life with his freedom. He'd done everything without considering someone's feelings. At alam niyang sa oras na pumayag ito sa proposal niya ay magbabago ang lahat ng mga nakasanayan niya. He would be committed to her—forever.

That thought scared the shit out of him! Pinakiramdaman niya ang kanyang sarili. Suddenly, he envisioned how Donnie Marie bossed him around, how she nagged him for going home late. How the cries of their baby burst into their room while they were making love. Nalukot ang ilong niya. That wasn't cool, he thought.

But when he stared at Donnie Marie, he envisioned her glowing face and her bright smile while she was wearing the grandest and the most beautiful wedding gown he'd ever seen. She was walking down the isle, holding a pretty flower that matched her beauty.

Yes, she was crazy, she was violent, she was crooked and she was sly but she was his Donnie Marie. She made him open his heart and conquer his own fear. She taught him that loving is trusting. Tinuruan siya nitong tignan ang kabutihan sa isang bagay imbes na kapintasan. She taught him how to accept himself regardless of his past.