THE CRIMINAL'S LOVER

Chapter Twenty-Two

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

E-eustace." Hindi makapaniwalang tawag ni Atara sa lalaking nakapikit habang yakap-yakap siya ng mahigpit. Seeing Eustace hugged her tight made her heart flutter for more.

"I missed you. Don't you miss me too?" He softly said while looking straight into her eyes. Parang nawalan si Atara ng hininga dahil sa sinabi ni Eustace.

His effect didn't vanished for two months of not showing up.

Dahil sa gulat ni Atara ay sinampal niya si Eustace ng malakas at niyakap ng mahigpit. Nag-uunahang tumulo ang kanyang mga luha dahil sa pagkabaliw niya sa lalaking ito.

"Ouch woman! What was that for?" Galit na sabi ni Eustace habang niyakap ang bewang niya at hinahaplos ang pisngeng sinampal ni Atara.

"You brute! I missed you so much! I missed you so much! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said those words. I'm sorry Eustace, I'm terribly sorry for what I had done to you. If only I listened to you, edi walang ganitong nangyari! Nababaliw na ako Eustace, those days that you weren't by my side made my heart die in ache. I love you so much Eustace, I can't live without you, my heart is in pain. I'm sorry." Umiiyak na sabi ni Eustace.

Eustace shut his mouth, his heart was beating fastly as he held his eyes on Atara—who's crying and hugging him at the same time.

The scenario made Eustace feel love as Atara confessed the days he was gone at her side. "I love you Eustace, please don't leave me. I'll be doomed if you'll leave me. I'm sorry, please stay." Her eyes were begging for him to stay.

Ngumiti si Eustace at sinuklay ang buhok ni Atara habang nagmununi ng kanta. He felt that Atara stilled at tumigil na SA kakaiyak.

"Cause Mama, I'm inlove with a criminal,
And this type of love isn't rational—it's physical.
Mama please don't cry, I will be alright.
All reason aside I just can't deny, I love the guy."

Kanta ni Eustace. His voice were husky and raspy, the way he sang the song made Atara flushed and then blushed. Sapol na sapol ang kinanta ni Eustace habang hinihele siya neto.

"If I confessed my sins, will you still stay at my side?" Tanong ni Eustace habang seryosong nakatingin sa kanya. Napatingala si Atara kay Eustace at bahid sa mukha niya ang pagtataka.

"I did something wrong. Will you still stay?" Tanong ni Eustace sa kanya. Lumayo si Atara at umupo paharap sa kanya at pinahiran ang kanyang mga luha.

"Gusto kong malaman. Gusto kong malaman lahat." She said. Kinakabahan siya at nanginginig sa kaba. Maraming what ifs ang nabubuo sa kanyang isipan.

"I was planning to use you for freedom."

After hearing those words, Atara felt her world crashed by some asteroid. Hindi siya nakagalaw dahil sa bigla at sakit na bumabalatay sa kanyang katawan.

"I was planning. But eventually, I fell in love with you. I love the way you blushed when I throw some lines that would make you blush, I love the way you get mad and insulted when I say something that made your nose puffed like a volcano, and I love the way you smile to me, reasurring that you would never leave my side. All those times when I am with you, I fell in love. All those days when I'm at your side, laying down, hugging you, and kissing you made my heart beat faster than the usual. All those hours that you accidentally touches my c*ck made me smile and feel hot all of a sudden. When your at school—all I did was cleaning and when I'm tired of cleaning, I would go to your room, lay down and hug your pillow smelling your scent. I get so crazy to the fact that I used your dress to make me feel that you're at my side. I hugged your dress and drifted to sleep thinking nothing but you. And that's where I concluded myself, I am falling crazy in love with you, Atara Gerona. All those seconds, minutes, hours and days, you never ceased my heart on firing your love, you never stopped throwing your love grenades on my heart. And then I overheard your conversation with your mother, she wants you to join their anniversary. It made me feel anxious and worried, wala ako sa side mo at paano kita mababantayan? And so I gather my strength and planned my actions on getting you back. And then I saw you, dancing with another man. My heart was crumpled to the point that my eyes went blank. My jealousy rose up so I did what I planned."

"I caught you, pull you inside your car and kissed you. I was happy when you kissed me back and my jealousy went down. But then you change and blamed me for what happened next. It broke my heart Atara, all I did was saving you from your so-called fiancé. All I want was to get you back because in the first place, you were mine. I was hurting because you blamed me, and then I confessed my love accidentally. When you looked at me shock it made me realize that I was wrong on confessing. So I left you and stayed away as far as I could. But you know what? Even though I'm badly hurt and mad at the same time, I followed you everywhere. In your school, in your jog, in your work, I followed you everywhere and keeper you safe. But I actually failed when I saw you laying down unconciously. Gusto ko mang pumasok sa hospital ngunit masyadong strikto ang polisiya ng hospital. I waited outside for you, everyday. It pained my heart when you blamed me but it hurts the most when I saw you lifeless. Doon ko napagtanto na bobo ako. I'm so sorry Atara, I'm so sorry."

Atara remained froze and didn't talk. Then she felt warm when Eustace hugged her again. She can feel his heart beating fastly inside his ribcage.

"Atara, I love you so much." He said and kissed her senselessly.

And with love, she kissed him back, incircling her hands on her nape— deepening the kiss they shared. It was an all out make out inside her room, no one else can see but themselves.

Eustace cupped her cheeks and stopped the kiss while looking at her with full of love. It made Atara grin, her first love just confess his love to her.

"Atara?" Tawag pansin sa kanya ni Eustace. Tumingala si Atara at tinignan si Eustace habang nakayakap pa rin ang kanyang bisig sa batok nito.

"Kung tatakas ako, sasama ka ba?"
.
.
"Bhie? Buksan mo pinto mo!" Sigaw ni Sheena habang hawak-hawak ang pizza na dala niya at inumin. Balak niyang damayan si Atara ngayon lalo't wala si Eustace.

Speaking of Eustace, it's been two months na wala pa ring pakita ito.

Naiinip na siya sa kakahintay kaya ng hinawakan niya ang doorknob, kumunot ang kanyang noo at bakit bukas iyon. Kaya pumasok siya at dumiretso sa kwarto nito.

Nagtataka na siya dahil bakit ang dilim ng kanyang bahay at parang walang tao eh bawal pa siyang lumabas sabi ng doktor.

Ng iksaktong kaharap na niya ang pintuan ni Atara, pinihit niya ito ngunit napansin niyang lock ito. Gumawa siya ng paraan habang nakakaramdam na ng pangamba sa sarili.

"Atara? Atara! Buksan mo ang pinto please!" Sigaw ni w habang kumakatok ng malakas sa pintuan. Kinakabahan siya at baka nagbigti na si Atara sa loob, kinakabahan siya at baka totoo ang kanyang hula.

"Ano bang nangyayari?" Tanong ng Ginang sa kanya. Hindi niya napansin na nasa likod na pala ang Mag-asawang Gerona.

"Lock ang pintuan ni Atara at ayaw buksan! Baka nagbigti!" May pangamba sa boses ni Sheena. Takot na takot siya habang kumakatok pa rin sa pintuan.

Naramdaman niyang natigilan ang dalawa kaya agad na tumawag sa mga police at body guard ni Sheena. Ng dumating ang lahat ay binaril ng gwardya ang doorknob saka pumasok sa loob.

Napansin ng lahat na walang tao ang kwarto ni Atara at bukas ang bintana nito, habang nasa kama nito ang cellphone niya.

Agad na sinuyod ng mga gwardya ng buong kwarto. Ngunit natigilan ang lahat ng biglang sumigaw ng napakalakas si Ginoong Gerona habang nakatingin sa papel at telepono ni Atara na may kasamang lalaking na pumatay sa Asawa ng kapatid niya.

"VALIENTE!" Sigaw ng malakas ng Ama ni Atara.