Maybe I'm Yours (Puerto Viste Series #1)

Chapter 22: In Between

No matter how strong he is, mabilis siyang nawawala sa sarili niya kapag binabanggit ko ang salitang iyon. That he didn't risk everything...just for the girl who only see him as her brother.

I ran as fast as I could. Dinoble ko ang bilis ng takbo ko nang maramdaman kong nakasunod sakin si Calix. His long thighs is a clear advantage to advance this chase.

Unending chase.

I yelped in pain when I stumbled. May biyak na daanan at bahagyan nakausli ang isang parte kung kaya't natapilok ako. Gusto ko pang tumakbo ng malayo. Tumakas ng tuluyan sa realidad. Ngunit hindi ko na kaya. Masyado ng mahapdi at mabigat.

I was sitting on the cemented walking area. May mga napapadaan ngunit pinipiling huwag akong pansinin. Maliban sa isang pares ng paa na tumigil sa harap ko.

He kneeled down on me. Looking so helpless as I am. "Sa susunod na tatakbo ka..." malalim siyang lumunok. "...take me with you. Summer Jade," malumanay na bulong niya. Nawalan ako ng lakas upang salubungin ang mga titig niya.

Napayuko ako. Kumuyom ang kamao. I could almost feel the grasp between my knuckles and the roughness of the ground. It stings.

I overheard Calix as he drawn a deep and hopeless sigh. "Sa infirmary na natin gamutin ang—"

"G-Gusto kita," my strained voice made it happen. "But I'm still in between. Gusto kita pero hindi pwede. Pero alam mo? I'd rather be in the middle because I won't have to choose," my eyes instantly pooled with tears.

Tama ba itong ginagawa ko?

Iniangat ko ang ulo ko at tiningala siya. To say he was dumbfounded was an understatement. Nanlalabo man ang mga mata ay tinitigan ko pa rin ang bawat reaksyon na ginagawa niya. Kita ko ang pag-awang ng bibig niya. Hindi kumukurap ang mga mata ngunit may namumuong mga luha doon.

I even wondered if he's still breathing normally. If I made his hearbeats race into madness. If I made his head lose in sanity. I wonder...what he's thinking about me...right now.

"W-Wala akong masasaktan... W-Walang mahihirapan... W-Walang mababaliw sa kakaisip na... Paano? How did the both of us ended like this?" tumigil ako. Kinailangan kong humugot ng paghinga. "Ako lang. The aftermath... I will take responsibility of everything,"

Nag-uunahan ang mga luha ko sa pisngi. Just like my heartbeats, they are racing as if their lives are on the line. Tahimik si Calix nang lumapit siya upang punasan ang walang tigil kong mga luha. He was very careful and was blinking his tears away.

God. Ako nalang please? Sakin nalang ang lahat ng sakit. Huwag na kay Calix. He already has too much in his plate!

Kinurap niya ulit ang luha sa mga mata niya. May isang tumakas doon. I was about to reach his face and wipe that one solid tears on his cheek. Ngunit kinuha niya ang kamay ko at pinigilan ako.

"Why would you be in between if you can choose both, Summer Jade?" sinabi niya habang palalim ng palalim ang titig niya sa akin.

He held my hand and rested them on his cheek. His words were warm as much as he is.

"Haven't I told you? We will make ours and you will be my queen. End of story," he muttered in a determined manner, making me dumbfounded as it is.

— — —

I was expecting for an upcoming disaster to happen. Ngunit hindi ko inaasahang ganito kabilis. Iyong tipong hindi pa man nagsisimula ang laban, naanunsyo na agad kung sino ang panalo.