"Mara!” He shouted as he continued to ring the doorbell of the del Valle’s mansion. Mara sleepily stood up from her bed and took the robe lying beside her bed to cover herself as she gazed at the clock of her room that reads 2:00am.
She hurried herself to open the door only to be taken aback by a drunken Christian Torralba, her best friend since childhood, on her doorstep.
“Christian! What in the world is wrong with you?” She asked as she wraps his one arm around her, so she could guide him to the sofa. She could hear his soft sobs here and there as he continue to drink from the bottle of liquor he was holding on his right hand. Mara, being the good best friend, gently laid him on the sofa and took the bottle away from him.
She went to the bathroom and took a basin and filled it with lukewarm water, she then grabbed a towel and return to the drunken Christian who’s now wasted on her sofa.
“Ugggh! This guy!” She said as she dips the towel to the warm water and remove the excess water it off and before she started to wipe his handsome face with it.
It’s been more than 10 years since she met this drunk young lad who is sleeping helplessly beside her, they we’re just five or six years old when they first met, since that fateful day, they become inseparable, despite being her best friend, she secretly wishes every night that one day, Christian would actually see her more than just his best friend, that they could actually be lovers. She’s been with him through thick and thin, she knows his weakness and so are his strengths, she watched him fall in love with a girl who she knows all too well that doesn’t deserve Christian’s love.
Christian felt the warmth of the towel on his face and the lightness of a delicate hand that he has grown familiar of, he slowly opened his eyes and saw Mara taking care of him, like always, whether his heart gets broken or whether it’s about his mom or some other family issues, Mara will be always there to put the pieces of his heart together again.
“Mara…” He muttered under his breath before he falls into a deep sleep. Mara just sighed upon the image of her best friend being helplessly drunk, “Why has he been drinking too much lately? He must be having another problem,” Mara thought to herself, but realized she could figure it out the next day, when he is no longer drunk.
She studied the face of the sleeping Christian, the face of the only person she ever loved, the face of her best friend, yup, just her best friend.
“Why can’t you see me? Why can’t you love me?” She said as she continued to damp on the warm towel around his body, she carefully unbuttoned his shirt revealing his masculine chest and his delicious abs.
“Stop it, Mara! He is your best friend!” She mentally scolded herself. After a while sleep catches up to her and before she realizes it, she has fallen as sleep beside him, her head resting on his masculine and strong chest.
Christian was awaken with the sunlight from the mansion’s enormous window, blinding his eyes as he felt weight on his chest and found his best friend sleeping peacefully on it. A smile crept on his face as he traced her face trailing it using his point finger, from her forehead down to her nose and then to those delicious-looking lips that he always wished he could kiss.
“I love you so much and I wish you knew” He said tenderly and softly not wanting to wake her up. If only he could, he would like to stay in their position forever. He has been loving her secretly for many years now and as much as he wanted her, he just can’t take the risk of making a mistake and lose her forever. She’s too special for him to lose, and the idea of losing her scared the hell out of him, he is willing to do anything and everything just to have Mara by his side at all times even if that means they could be nothing more but best friends.
He comes from a broken family, he’s afraid he’d end up being someone just like his dad. He’s afraid he won’t be able to meet the expectations of the world about love. He is afraid of love. “I hope I could be like you, Mara. You’re strong-willed, open-minded, determined and uncompromising. I hope I could tell you I love you and fight for you, for us.”
He cautiously removed the hair that covers Mara’s pretty face. And as he continued to stare at her, she was awaken by his delicate touches on her beautiful face, she opens her eyes leisurely and was met by those dark brown eyes staring exactly at hers.
“I’m really pretty, am I not?’ She joked breaking his thoughts, he gave her his famous cute smile and wink.
“Well, in this angle, you actually are.” He replied. She checked their position and it was indeed embarrassing she could feel herself blushing furiously, she then quickly stood up from their awkward position and fixed herself.
“Christian! Why are you so drunk last night? What the hell’s wrong with you?” She asked with hint of anger in her voice as she tried hard to change the topic.
He stood up and sat relaxingly on the couch, he felt dizzy and his head hurt a little so he placed his hand on his forehead and started to massage his temple.
“That’s what you get for drinking too much!” She said angrily but in a worried voice. She gave him some medicines which he took without any further arguments.
“Now, do you mind telling me what happened last night? Why were you so drunk?” She said in her calm and worried voice.
“I saw my Dad with his new family, it could’ve been me, mom and dad eating happily in that restaurant, what’s worse is Mom was with me when I saw them. I saw the pain in my Mom’s eyes.” He explained, his face was straight and showed no expression of anger or sadness, and to that, Mara knows he was once again wearing his mask.
“Christian, we’ve been best friends for so long and you know you could never hide your true feeling from me” She said as he pulled him into a bear hug. He smiled knowing that Mara would always be beside him no matter what happens.
“Hey, Christian, you want to scream it all out? Let’s go to our secret place! It’s been some time since we last went there.” She asked and he just nodded.
After they fixed themselves up and she has finished a picnic basket full of delicious food for the two of them, Mara asked permission from her parents that she will be out today. Mara and Christian left the mansion and went to their secret place.
The drive to their secret haven was silent but a comforting and reassuring one. Once in a while they’d steal glances of each other and when they caught each other’s eyes, they’d give a healthy giggle.
“We’re here” He said as he pulled over the car near their wish tree. He opened the door first and went by the passenger seat so he could open her door for her.
“You know what? This place may have changed in time but the memories we share here when we were a lot younger will never change.” Christian said out of the blue. “It’s just so amazing how every time I come here with you, everything seems to be at peace. Everything seems to be so soothing and calm. And it never fails to amaze me how much of our memories this place holds and it will be holding more.” Mara said in response to Christian’s statement.
They laid the picnic blanket near their wish tree. Christian sat down first and leaned his back on the tree behind him, he reached out his hand to assist her whom she willing took, and she took a sit in between his legs and leaned her back on his chest. In another person’s point of view they’d look like lovers rather than best friends.
“Mara…” He said softly which made her looked at him.
“Yes?” She said in her sweet, childish voice.
“Thank you…” He replied
“For what?” She asked
“For never leaving me, for being my best friend…” He said “and for being the love of my life..” Christian added on his mind. She gave him her knowing and reassuring smile, wishing that one day, she could be more than just a best friend to him.
“You should be thankful! What would happen to you if I was never by your side?” She teased.
“I’ll be a broken man, I won’t be who I am today.” He thought to himself. And said, “Still Christian Torralba, I guess?” in reply to her question, earning him a playful strike on the chest from her.
“Hey, what was that for? It hurts, you know?”
“I just want to hit you, maybe you’d come to sense.” She thought to herself, but replied, “I just feel like hitting you.” as she stuck her tongue out and prepared to run.
“So, you just want to hurt me, huh?” He said, he was about to grab her when she stood up and started to running happily away from him.
“Mara, you come back here now!” He yelled as he chased her. In no time, he caught her, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him causing both of them to lose their balance and fall. She was on top of him, their eyes locked to one another, and for that moment they felt the world freeze before them.
Their longing stares where like the opposite ends of a magnet, pulling them closer to one another. With no hesitation he captured her lips which she returned gladly, he cupped her face so he could deepen their kiss.
When they broke the kiss, she rested her forehead on his, as they continued to look at each other longingly and lovingly.
“No, Christian, this is wrong, very wrong.” she said as she stood up and prepared to leave, but he was quick enough to stop her as he grabbed her wrist once again.
This is it, it’s now or never, he got to let her know, kissing her earlier broke all his defenses, he’s been in love with her for quite a long time now and she has to know.
“Mara, wait…” He said as he stood up so they could be on the same level.
“Let’s just forget that this ever happened.“ She said as she removed her hands from his strong grip and ran quickly.
He felt like he was statued on the ground, he couldn’t move his body nor speak, This is not what he wanted, he doesn’t want to forget their first kiss.
He wants her. More than a best friend. He wants her in his life. Forever.