To @brookemccreaa, for always voting first each time a chapter is updated.
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~~~ CHAPTER 39 - THREE WORDS ~~~
With a really dozy mind, I entered the cake shop. It was so unbelievable how I still managed to work my way to the shop when I was even too drowsy to report today.
Apart from the early call from Mommy Carol, Elena and Kara greeting me on my birthday, I totally didn't have a good night rest.
Nigel, you're to be blamed for this! My mind was furiously shouting inside me.
I was in the shop when I noticed that everyone seemed not around. Where could the people be? Who opened the shop then? Normally, every morning, some crew would be cleaning the customers' place, the cashier would be at the counter and, most of all, Mrs. Riviera would be supervising everyone to make the shop ready for the day.
Really confused, I walked towards the baking area. It felt so weird to be alone in the shop on my birthday and have a drowsy mind. Just as I was opening the door to my favorite place in the shop, a loud greeting bombarded me.
"Happy birthday, Chef Thea!"
Oh, now I knew why everyone was not around in the customer's place! They were all here in the kitchen waiting for me.
The lively greeting kind of knocked something in my head that I had to wake up. I actually felt I was sleep walking. Oh, blame it to the jerk!
"Oh, guys, thank you so much," I said, very grateful indeed for the surprise greeting.
"We love you, Chef Thea!" they even added, still in chorus.
"I love you too, guys!" I said, clasping my cheeks. I was about to cry.
Mrs. Riviera came to me with a big cake covered with a strawberry-colored fondant on her hands. It was big but it was shaped like a strawberry cupcake filled with a variety of sprinkles and cute candles on top.
"Oh, my God! It's so cute!" I gasped, clasping my chest.
"Make a wish. Blow the candles, Chef Thea!" they all said excitedly, surrounding me.
I closed my eyes and tried to search what my heart truly desired.
Then, I opened them.
They all looked at me in anticipation.
"Make a wish! Blow the candles!" Mrs. Riviera reiterated.
No matter how much I wanted to grant their request, something spoiled the fun. My drowsy mind couldn't make up what to wish. I hate you, Nigel Joaquin! I said to myself as I saw him, gazing at me, in my mind.
Without wishing anything, I blew the candles anyway.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
"You look sleepy," Mrs. Riviera commented. "Are you sure you don't want a day off? It's your birthday."
"It's alright, Ma'am. I don't need a day off... but please, let me visit the orphanage at 3:00. It's just that I promised the kids to be with them on my birthday."
"No problem, Thea. You can do anything you want to do today," she said and I was very thankful.
"Happy birthday, future wife."
I blinked my eyes, remembering my encounter with Nigel last night. Why couldn't I forget him even for just a while?
Future wife? Whatever came into his mind that he said that? Was he ever in his right mind?
"How dare you," I said firmly, pushing him and finally having my feet back on the floor. "I'm not your future wife! Don't you ever call me that! The idea of our engagement has long been over and done! We're through! As in totally through!" I yelled at him. Then, leaving him in the kitchen, I strode to the living room.
He followed me. "Althea..."
"You've already eaten dinner and you've already greeted me. So what else do you want from me?" I asked him with hands on my waist.
"A lot," he replied.
What?
Oh, my goodness! This man was really to drive me nuts.
"There are just a lot of things that I've been meaning to tell you," he said, stepping closer to me. "They're all stuck here in my chest and, everytime I think of you, they always pierced me like hell... really hurt me to the core..."
"Oh, my God! It sounds so cheesy and... corny," I commented. I never imagined Nigel to be this soft and vulnerable. So unbelievable!
"Althea..."
"I don't want to hear any cheesy line from you, okay? Please, leave now," I cried out, opening the door for him.
He went closer to me, grabbed the doorknob from my hand, and closed the door again. "It's the middle of the night. Are you seriously driving me out?"
"I'm very serious," I retorted bluntly.
"Althea," Nigel said softly as he scratched his nape with his right fingers, "please, let me stay. I've been meaning to talk with you. Please, just hear me out on this."
I cleared my throat and said, "I can't let a man stay here. People will definitely find this unacceptable... Besides, I'm exclusively dating someone. I couldn't be entertaining two guys at once!"
Hearing my words, Nigel furrowed his brows and startled me by pressing my body to the door with his strong hands. "Exclusively dating?" he asked, searching my eyes.
"What really is wrong with you?" I gasped as I tried to push his body away from me.
"Exclusively dating Suarez? That Suarez?"
I inhaled and exhaled deeply when I failed to thrust him forward. "Yes, I'm exclusively dating Javier Suarez."
"F-ck!" he grunted and he even pressed his body to me. "The politician---"
"Yes, so keep your your hands off me now because---"
Before I could finish what I wanted to say, Nigel's lips crushed into mine as he imprisoned my body within his arm and my nape with a hand. I shivered in both shock and disbelief. He hurriedly slanted his face and totally possessed my mouth like I was his to keep... like he owned me... like there was no more escape from here... Though it wasn't my first time to make out with him, it still startled me when I felt how warm and soft his lips were, how active his tongue was drilling inside my mouth, and how tight he was embracing me.
It was a time when you wanted to rebel and slap someone's face repeatedly, but for some reason you were surprised why your body wasn't even doing anything to object.
Yes, it started out as one stolen kiss but turned out long, hungry, and fervent. It sent electric shocks in all my nerves. I couldn't believe the sparks I was seeing around us. I felt everything around was piping hot like how my mouth and how my whole body responded to his kisses.
I knew I was in my complete awareness of what was happening but it seemed like I couldn't afford to put an end to this. Perhaps, I was going crazy now. What happened to my being an expert on self-control? Though I was leaning on the wall for support, I still shivered and was afraid that my legs would get cramped anytime soon if not because of Nigel's arms enveloping my body to keep me from falling down.
I shut my eyes and, for the meantime, I didn't give a damn. Even if this was a big sin for me, would it matter anyway? Could I just not give myself a freebie even for just a while? or, perhaps, a gift for my birthday? just for my birthday...
I couldn't decide how long it took us to do that. I just decided to lose myself into it.
And then, he ended it. He groaned as he gasped air to breathe. I did the same and we faced each other locking our gazes.
"I was your first. I will make sure I'll be your last, Althea," he said, caressing my cheek.
Realizing now what I just did, I became totally aghast about myself. I pushed his hand away from my cheek.
Even if it was already too late for me to express my objection, I still tried to raise my ego to its highest level. I was ashamed of what just happened and, in order for me to hide my great shame, I needed to show my damn pride.
"Don't be too confident about yourself," I commented sourly.
"I can't ever allow that Javier Suarez or anyone else to be with you."
"Oh! Why on earth he can't be with me?"
"Because you're mine." It was a firm statement coming from him. "You're mine, Althea Ruiz," he then repeated it in a whisper with a scary tone that brought chills to the hairs just beside my left ear where his mouth almost rested.
Now he was claiming me!
B---shit!
"Wow, very nice, Nigel Joaquin!" I sarcastically said as I found myself a chance to escape from him. I strode fast to the couch, took his suit jacket and his tie with my hands, and let them fly in the air as I threw them at him.
Of course, he looked at me very bewildered while the jacket fell to the floor near his feet.
"I've never been yours and I will never be yours!" I said, battling with my temper. "Now, get out!"
Slowly, he bent down and took his jacket and tie from the floor. Finally, when he stood up straight, he cast me again that sad look in his eyes.
"I'm sorry..." he spoke.
I cut him off with my hand, then I said, "Let's make it clear. Sorry or not, you don't have a place in my heart, so please leave me in peace."
Nigel didn't move, neither did he speak. With his jacket in one of his hands, he stood in front of me like a lost creature. His eyes shot me a blank and worried stare, his shoulders drooping.
"I know that I've done a lot of things that make you hate me this way, Althea," finally, he spoke after several seconds. "For so many years, I know I made your life miserable. I mistreated you, bullied you, and hated you like you were the most hateful person on earth. But, please, if you'll only give me a chance, I'll prove to you that I've changed. I want to make a fresh start with you. Please, give me a chance to prove myself."
Chance? He was asking a chance from me! Why? Did he ever give that to me when I was still the one asking him that? For how many times in the past that I had begged him to love me and, in all those times, did he ever listen to me? Did he ever give me the chance to prove it to him?
Now, who was he to ask me that?
I walked past him and went back to the door. "I've already moved on, Nigel. I hope you'll also move on. Let's just separate our ways and be happy with each of our own lives without each other," I said as I opened again the door for him. "Please, leave now and don't ever come back."
Finally, he moved and walked slowly towards the doorway. "Is our two years of separation not enough for you to get rid of the hatred you have for me?" he asked before he went out of my apartment.
"Althea! Hello! Are you still with me?"
I blinked my eyes and Mrs. Riviera was there in front of me. "Yes, Ma'am?"
"You seem lost. I wonder if you ever heard what I just said."
Huh?
She touched my forehead with her palm. "Are you alright?"
Was I alright?
"I'm fine, Ma'am. It's just a little headache but I'm fine. Please, don't worry about me."
It was true that I really had headache and it was all because I hardly had slept even a wink last night. I couldn't sleep after Nigel left. I really hated him for this.
"Then, you need to take a rest," Mrs. Riviera insisted.
Just as I was about to complain, the door opened and someone peeped in.
Mrs. Riviera exclaimed, "Now, I should really give you a birthday leave today!" Then, she greeted the newly arrived visitor. "Hello, Javier."
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
"Happy birthday, love," Javier handed me his bouquet of flowers. It was a very beautiful bunch.
Flowers. It was Javier's signature sytle. Ever since we were still in senior high school, he showered me with those every single day. Too bad in my younger days, those flowers ended up in the trash bin.
"Thank you. I thought you're not visiting me today!" I exclaimed after I remembered him calling me a couple of days ago and telling me he wouldn't be able to visit me on my birthday.
He chuckled. "Well, surprise! I'm here! I can't let your birthday slip without me here, you know. I'd kill myself if I wouldn't be here."
As soon as Javier arrived, Mrs. Riviera left the both of us in the kitchen. Now, we were alone and I guided him to sit on a stool. "Yeah, you really surprise me, Javier. Thank you so much for your time."
"Don't thank me, Thea, please," he said as he sat on a high stool. "Everything I do for you is my pleasure. If I could only spend every single day with you..."
I sat also on a stool beside him. "No, you can't do that, Javier. It's not possible."
"Hence I wish it were possible. Really hate this distance, Thea. Wish I could take you home with me."
Oh, my God! Javier was thinking of big things already.
"How about you come with me in Sta. Fe, Thea?" he soon asked which made me bit my bottom lip in total surprise.
"No, you can't do that! What am I going to do in Sta. Fe?" I asked confusedly. He couldn't be serious.
Javier's expression turned gloomy. "Well, sorry. It's just that I really want to be with you everyday."
Oh, I knew he was this sweet...
I just smiled at him. "Enough with your impossible thoughts."
"Can't it really be possible, Thea? You and me in Sta. Fe? Together?" he said, eyeing me seriously. "Don't we really have a chance?"
Okay, here he went again. As much as I wanted to say 'yes' to him, I still thought that I needed more time checking on my feelings.
I decided to change the topic. "So, what can I offer you? Breakfast? Let me see..." I stood up to offer him something to eat.
He gripped my elbow and pulled me gently to go back sitting. "No need, love. I've just taken my breakfast."
"How about a cake slice? What do you like? What's your favorite flavor?"
"There's really no need, Thea. Well, let me tell you, I am on a diet," he expressed, finally succeeding to let me sit down.
"What? On a diet? Why?" Oh, I was truly surprised with what he just told me.
"Just according to my nutritionist.... Well, sweets can have some bad effects on our body, you know."
Whew! I never expected that from Javier!
"But you ate my cake last time!" I interjected.
He smiled, "Because I couldn't refuse to you. I'm not supposed to eat it but, for you, I had to do it."
Okay, now I knew I wouldn't force him anymore into eating my cakes. I just didn't know Javier was this conscious of his health.
I shrugged my shoulders, "Okay."
"So, where shall we celebrate your birthday?" Javier changed the topic.
Well, I planned to spend it here in my baking area, I wanted to say to him. Then, go later to the orphanage.
"Let's go out," Javier suggested. "I've heard Mrs. Riviera is giving you a birthday leave. Come on, let's spend the day together."
"Go out? Yeah, why not?" I said, thinking about the orphanage kids and Javier's love for charity work. "I'll bring you somewhere. I'm sure you're going to love it there."
He furrowed his brows. "Where?"
"You'll know later. I'm sure you're going to love the place as I love it myself."
He smiled widely. "Hmmm... That sounds a very interesting place. I'd love to go there."
"But you need to wait for minutes for I have to have my cupcakes done first. Will you wait?"
"For you I will," he stated heartily.
"Thanks, Javier."
"I said no need to thank me, love."
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
While we rode on a taxi, Javier was asking me every now and then where we were supposed to go. He was even asking why we were bringing cupcake packages.
Charity work. Javier loved it.
For sure, he would really be surprised if we would finally arrive at the orphanage and he would finally meet the children. For sure, he would also loved them just like how I loved them.
Javier was someone I chose to befriend. For this, I wanted to share to him my passion and my love for orphans.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
"Please, meet my friend, Mother Clarita. He is Javier Suarez," I said as both of them stood facing each other.
An 'Oh' shaped Mother Clarita's mouth.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mother Clarita," Javier said, clasping her palm.
"Oh, hello, dear! I'm glad to finally meet you," she said as she hugged him.
Indeed, when we arrived at the orphanage, Javier was surprised. He didn't actually expect that I would bring him there. He later understood that the cakes were for the children.
"Yes, I've learned that Thea's been volunteering. I'm glad to finally see the place. It's a beautiful home for the children, Mother Clarita," Javier stated, smiling widely.
"Please, excuse us, Mother. We'll go and meet the kids now," I said, grabbing Javier's arm.
"Yes, yes, dear. Go ahead," Mother Clarita spoke, "The kids are waiting for you."
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
It was a wonderful time I had with the kids. I bet Javier had a great time as well. He chatted with them, played with them, and ate with them. This time, he couldn't anymore refuse eating a piece of cupcake. The kids kind of forced him and I was laughing when I saw him munching it.
The little celebration ended with picture taking. Javier was the volunteering photographer. Well, as he said, he wanted to take pictures of the children.
Overall, I was happy with my birthday celebration in the orphanage. I was thankful that eventually my sleepy head got to adapt the joyous meeting with the kids so I was able to keep up with their energy. It wasn't supposed to be the day of my visit because it was Friday but I intended to be with them just for my birthday.
Looking at Javier mingling with the kids, I felt happiness in my heart. I was never wrong with how I saw him as a person. Javier was truly a good soul.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
The day never ended without a dinner date with him. We went to our usual restaurant.
We were done eating when Javier handed me a red box.
"What's this?" I asked.
A gift for my birthday? What could it be? The wrapping looked so expensive.
No, no, no! It couldn't be an engagement ring or any of that sort. The box was bigger than that of a ring's.
"Just open it, love."
"What's this for?"
"I can't just let this day pass without something for you. You're the most important girl in my life and it's your birthday. Come on, open it."
I was astounded to see what was in it. It was a silver bracelet with silver stones so beautifully decorated all over it.
"Javier... this is beautiful, but I don't think I can accept this," I hesitated, catching my breath.
Well, it was just I wasn't used to accepting gifts from guys.
I only accepted once, a cellphone from Nigel, which I kept hidden now. I never used it in two years and I didn't know why I was still keeping it.
"Thea, come on. It's my first gift for you. You can't refuse it, okay?" He said, fluttering his eyes as if begging for my reconsideration. Indeed, he appeared very sexy on that kind of facial expression.
"B-But this seems very expensive..."
"Because I only want to give the best for you," he explained, smiling at me and grabbing my wrist. "Okay, let me try it on you."
Indeed, when the bracelet was already worn on my wrist, it took my breath away. It was so beautiful.
"I love you, Thea," Javier stated softly while he was holding my hand.
Javier...
Three words. I love you.
Though I was facing Javier right now, these three words reminded me of something that happened last night, making it the sole reason why I wasn't able to sleep even a wink.
Nigel moved and walked slowly towards the doorway. "Is our two years of separation not enough for you to get rid of the hatred you have for me?" he asked before he went out of my apartment.
"A million years won't even be enough," I replied, appearing strong, as I stood in front of him.
He sucked in a deep breath when he heard my statement. "Then, I guess, I have to endure your hatred."
"You'll never endure it. You'll give up soon. You will never make it to the finish line," I reminded him.
"I'll make it," he said as if he was certain of it. "I will make it because I love you. I love you, Althea Ruiz."
Three words. They were like daggers flying to my chest.
Three words that I longed to hear from him... but now that he finally said them, these words had lost all their meaning.
First time. Yes, it was the very first time that I heard that statement from him.
Was he mocking me this time?
Not knowing what to do, I slammed the door right before his face.
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A/N
So, he finally said it. Now it's up to her.
With still so many unresolved issues between them which she has tried to set aside, what do you think will happen next?
Hey, if you like this, don't forget to VOTE, COMMENT, SHARE, and FOLLOW!
Always,
(sapphiregirl22) ~_^