﹏๑✿ ･:*:･♥ ･:*:･✿๑﹏
"I-I don't know what to say."
"Just say you love me, my princess."
"I love you so much, Ryder."
He gave me the most attractive smile that I've ever seen since I met him. "I love you, too, Katie."
I felt tears began rolling down my cheeks then I started crying.
"Hey! Do you really have to cry?" he said while wiping the tears on my face.
"Sinabi mo talagang mahal mo 'ko?"
"Do you want me to take it back?"
"Siyempre hindi!" Yumakap ako sa leeg niya habang patuloy na umiiyak. "Sabihin mo nga ulit."
"You're making fun of me already."
Lumayo ako nang bahagya sa kanya. "Hindi ah. Ang tagal kong hinintay na sabihin mo sa 'kin yun eh. Gusto ko lang marinig ulit kasi baka dinaya lang pala ako ng pandinig ko."
He smiled at me and began wiping the tears on my cheeks. "Silly. Wag ka nang umiyak. Di bagay sa 'yo."
"Bakit di bagay?"
"Because you're too lovely and seeing you in tears was breaking my heart."
"Iiiiiiiih! Kinikilig ako!"
He snickered before leaning over and kissing my lips. "I love you, Katie," he said again before wrapping my legs around his waist and held my hips. He carried me and brought me under the shower. "Let's take a shower now then let's have our breakfast. We're going out tonight also. I'll call a restaurant for a reservation for us."
We helped undressing each other before he turned the shower on.
I hugged him while he was rubbing the sponge on my back. I closed my eyes when I felt on my stomach how turned on he was already.
"Anong date nga ngayon, Rye?" I asked to divert ourselves from from his growing erection.
"Hmmm? May 7."
My eyes widened and leaned my head away from his chest. "Really?"
"Hey, today's your birthday."
"Bakit mo alam?"
"I had you investigated before, remember?"
"De alam mo rin yung birthday ng buong pamilya ko?"
"No. Yung sa 'yo lang ang natatandaan ko because my mom's birthday was May 8. Magkasunod kayo."
Napangiti ako. "Now my birthday has become more memorable. Sinagot mo ko sa birthday ko eh."
He suddenly broke into a fit of laughter and it was really overwhelming and touching my heart whenever he was laughing like that kasi alam kong ako lang ang nakakapagpatawa sa kanya nang ganun. "Bakit, niligawan mo ba 'ko?"
"Oo kaya! Araw-araw kitang ipinagluluto, 'no! Tapos pinapaliguan pa kita tulad ngayon."
He chuckled once again before holding my chin with his thumb and forefinger. He tilted my face and placed a soft kiss on my lips. "I love you, Katie," he murmured before claiming my lips once again.
And how I loved hearing him those three words again and again.
﹏~✿**♥**✿~﹏
"Do you really have to prepare that long?" I said while leaning my side on the door post while crossing my arms over my chest. She was in front of the mirror, putting makeup on her face.
It took her almost forever before she was able to decide which dress she was going to wear for our dinner. And when I thought that she was finally ready to go, maghintay pa raw ako dahil magme-makeup raw pa siya. I really couldn't understand why women had to always wear makeup whenever they were going out with their boyfriends.
Boyfriend
Now I was already someone's boyfriend and my girlfriend was right in front of my eyes. I smirked inwardly. Boyfriend and girlfriend. I really wasn't used to those terms until now.
But really, she didn't have to wear makeup anymore because she was already very lovely in my eyes. Hindi ako sanay dahil hindi naman siya naglalagay ng makeup mula nang makasama ko siya sa gubat hanggang sa makarating kami rito New York. Ngayon lang talaga in this particular night.
"Umalis ka nga diyan. Lumabas ka muna. All women want to look beautiful for their boyfriends on their first date as a couple."
"Is that really a big deal?"
I saw her pouted in her reflection on the mirror and put down the makeup brush that she was holding on the dresser table. "Wag na nga lang tayong umalis. Kontra ka nang kontra eh."
Umalis ako sa pagkakasandal ko sa gilid ng pinto at lumapit sa kanya. I held her chin from behind her and lifted her face up. I bent over and pecked her lips. "Don't get me wrong, princess. I appreciate your effort to look better for me. But you're already gorgeous even without them, princess. You don't need to put those makeup anymore. Besides, I don't wanna get into fight when I see other men eyeing my lovely girlfriend."
A wicked smile slowly broke her lips. "Mamaya ka sa 'kin, Ryder Austin! Ako naman ang re-rāpe sa 'yo. Rawrrrr!" she told me while showing me her fingernails as if they were claws.
I burst out laughing with what she said and with her action. This woman really made me wonder how she was able to amuse me this much. And this girl was mine. My girl. And I would not allow any other men, even her family, to take her away from me.
"I'm looking forward to that, my princess. Bilisan mo na diyan. I'll wait for you downstairs."
She tilted her face once again and pouted her lips. "Kiss muna, honey-bunch."
I winced. "What the fūck, Katheryne? Don't you ever call me honey-bunch again. That sounds so disgusting."
She cracked up and stuck her tongue on me. "Cupcake na lang."
"No! What the hell? Cupcake?!" I snapped at her. She was grossing me out. "Just call me Ryder. You're turning me on whenever you're the one who's calling my name."
"Rydeeeeeeercake..." she uttered teasingly.
"Ang kulit mo, Katheryne. Bababa na 'ko."
I waited for her downstairs. Hanggang sa forty minutes na yung lumipas pero wala pa rin siya. And I really hated waiting.
You need to calm down, man. You want her to be yours and you love her so you have to deal with her too long preparations.
I laid my body down the couch and stared at the ceiling. Love makes people weak. So does that mean that I'm already weak? My Katheryne made me weak. But why does the thought doesn't seem to bother me?
I heard some click-clock sounds of heels touching the floor so I turned my head towards the stairs. There I saw my woman—yeah, she really didn't look like a girl anymore but a newly blossomed woman—knocking the air out of my lungs as she descended gracefully down the carpeted steps of the stairs.
I unconsciously got up from the couch. She made me focused my whole attention on her. She was wearing a red fitted above the knee dress with a matching red cloth hanging on her both arms, contrasting her fair white complexion. She was also wearing a black high heeled shoes and the end of her jet black hair was exquisitely curled.
When she said that she wanted to look beautiful for her boyfriend, she really did it with flying colors. She looked so stunning she really took my breath away. And she even had to snap her fingers in front of my face to bring me back to reality.
"Na-GGSG ka, 'no?"
I frowned at her. "What? GG what?"
She smirked. "GGSG. Gandang-Ganda Sa Girlfriend."
I smiled at her. "Okay, I'll give that to you. You really want me to get into fights, princess. You look stunningly lovely. And I hate your dress for making you look even more sexīer."
She tilted her forehead proudly. "Okay lang. I'm with my big bad Ryder so I don't need to worry about my safety."
I felt my côck jerked inside my underwear. I even had the need to ran my hand over my bulging shāft unnoticeably. And the woman knows how to boost my ego. And my pet down there was enjoying either.
"Ryder, saan sa tingin mo magandang ilagay itong shawl ko? Sa braso na lang? Pero parang mas okay and more fashionable if I'm going to tie it around my waist. Feeling ko ang taba-taba ko na, Ryder, ang sasarap kasi palagi ng mga pinakakain mo sa akin since we arrived here," nakasimangot na sabi niya habang parang batang nagsusumbong.
"You're not fat, princess."
"Tapos kahit naka-heels na 'ko ang liit-liit ko pa rin."
"You look perfect to me."
She suddenly stopped complaining and stared at me.
"Why are you having so much insecurities, princess? You told me you wanted to look beautiful for your boyfriend so you don't need to worry about impressing other people. You just need to impress me and you already did that the first time I saw you going down the stairs."
"Bakit ang sweet mo?"
"Will you please don't say that about me again?"
"Arte mo. Gusto mo feeling astig ka palagi pero sweet ka naman talaga palagi sa akin. So, saan ko na ilalagay 'tong shawl ko?"
"I actually want to wrap it around your legs because men would surely feast on them."
"Ikaw talaga. Ang lakas mong maka-build ng self-confidence." She retained the shawl on her arms before she clung her arm on mine and blinked her eye on me. "Don't worry big bad Ryder, my whole body is only yours. And hey, you look so gorgeous either." She ran her palm over the coat I was wearing before patting my necktie. "Let's go, handsome."
We went out and walked towards my car.
"Pero maganda yung makeup ko, di ba? Nakakainis ka. Pinaghirapan ko 'to pero di mo man lang pinapansin."
"Yeah. Your makeup looks perfect on you." This woman could be a handful sometimes, but maybe that's also one of her qualities that I really liked about her.
When we arrived at five star restaurant where I booked for a reservation ay hindi na maipinta yung mukha ng ka-date ko.
"Bakit ka ba nakasimangot?" I asked her after pulling a chair for her.
She sat down on it. "Sabi mo ako yung pagtitinginan ng mga lalaki eh ikaw yung pinagpipiyestahan ng mga mata ng mga babae eh."
"At least you're only looking at the girls around us and not on the guys who were ogling you. Smile already. Ang ganda-ganda mo tapos nakasimangot ka. I'm exclusively yours, princess, so you don't have to worry about those women stealing me from you."
After giving and receiving our orders ay kumain na kami agad.
"Mas masarap pa yung mga luto mo kesa sa mga pagkain dito," I told her while eating.
"Grabe, flattered na flattered naman ako. Pero sana imbes na ulo ko yung lumalaki eh yung height ko na lang sana."
"I honestly didn't like your height before pero gustung-gusto ko na ngayon. Kasyang-kasya ka kasi sa katawan ko kapag pinatutulog kita sa ibabaw ko."
"Yun naman eh! Kaya super loves kita, ang galing mong mambola."
"Hindi bola yun. Sa tingin mo ba marunong akong mambola? I'm a very frank person, princess. I always say what I want to say kahit masaktan pa yung ibang tao. Kaya maniwala ka na lang sa akin."
After we finished eating, I ordered some red wine for us but she refused it, telling me that she was allergic to alcohol. She just watched the piano performance on the stage while waiting for me.
When the performer was finished, the lady stood up and said her thank you.
"How about our guests for this lovely evening. Anyone from the guests who want to play the piano and perform a song for everyone in this very romantic place?"
"Me!"
Muntik ko pang maibuga yung iniinom kong wine nang biglang magtaas ng kamay si Katheryne.
"Ryder, dito ka muna ha," paalam niya sa akin before she gracefully walked towards the platform. Then I saw her talking to the lady there.
"Now ladies and gentlemen, Miss Katie here would like to perform a number for us. So let's give a hand to our guest, Miss Katie!" said the lady.
Nagpalakpakan naman yung mga tao sa paligid namin. Pati ako ay nakipalakpak na rin habang nakatitig sa kanya. She went in front of the piano and sat on the chair in front of it. Hindi ko alam na marunong pala siyang tumugtog ng piano but I knew she could sing very well kahit na isang verse lang ng kanta yung kinanta niya noon habang naliligo siya sa ulan.
"Good evening, everyone," she greeted on the microphone. "I want to sing in front of all of you tonight but I'd like to especially dedicate this song to the most special man in my life right now." She focused her gaze on me and smiled. "Ryder, this is for you, baby."
I heard the people cheered for her and turned silent when she started pressing the piano keys.
I caught my breath inside my throat when she bagan singing a familiar song.
"If there were no words, no way to speak. I would still hear you. If there were no tears, no way to feel inside. I'd still feel for you♬
"And even if the sun refused to shine. Even if romance ran out of rhyme. You would still have my heart until the end of time. You're all I need, my love, my Valentine♬"
I continued gazing at her as she sang while closing her eyes. She really amazed me how she could play the piano very well at talagang napakasarap pakinggan ng boses niya kapag kumakanta. But what really took my attention was the melody and the message of her song.
"All of my life I have been waiting for all you give to me. You've opened my eyes and shown me how to love unselfishly♬
"I've dreamed of this a thousand times before. But in my dreams I couldn't love you more. I will give you my heart until the end of time. You're all I need, my love, my Valentine♬"
I couldn't contain my smile. It stirred something inside me when she sang the line, 'I will give you my heart until the end of time.' It made my heart really flutter. Sobrang naapektuhan ako ng pagkanta niya.
Now I saw tears already rolling down her cheeks. And it fascinated me how she was able to make me fall for her again and again. This time, right at this very moment, I was falling again for her fierce and hard.
I took a stem of red rose on the floral arrangement on the center of the table and slowly made my way to the platform.
"And even if the sun refused to shine. Even if romance ran out of rhyme. You would still have my heart until the end of time. 'Cause all I need is you, my Valentine. You're all I need, my love, my Valentine ♬"
I heard the loud applauding of the people around us but I didn't mind them. I just concentrated on my princess and helped her got up from the chair.
"That was really amazing, princess. Thank you for that song." I wiped her tears first before I pressed a kiss on her lips and I handed her the flower on my hand. "For you. I love you so much, Katie."
She smiled at me before she took the rose from my hand. "I love you so much, too, Ryder."
Then I heard the loud cheering from the audience before my princess pulled my head down and placed a kiss on my lips.
After having dinner, we already went straight to our house.
"Thank you for the date and for the dinner. It was truly fantastic and romantic," she said while walking on the pathway going towards the front door. Her head was lifted up as she gazed up on the starry sky. Napatigil lang siya sa paglakad nang hilahin ko siya sa braso. "Bakit?" she asked after turning her head to me.
I took something out of the pocket of my pants. She gasped and her eyes widened when I opened the small box in front of her.
"Shucks! Are you proposing to me already? Kakasagot mo lang sa akin kaninang umaga."
I pinched her nose. "I just thought of giving you something that you still don't have. You already have a necklace that your siblings gave you. You have your bracelet either. I want to give you something to take care of also which came from me."
She became teary eyed again. "Aaaaw... It's beautiful, Ryder. You really are so s—"
I quickly put my forefinger on her lips to silence her. "Wag mo nang ituloy."
She pouted her lips. "Suot mo na nga sa akin," she said as she lent me her hand.
I slipped the ring on her ring finger. "It fits your finger perfectly."
"If this isn't an engagement ring, then what do you call this?" she asked me while staring at the simple band on her finger.
"The sales clerk told me that it was a promise ring."
She lifted her head and looked at me inquiringly. "Promise ring?"
"To promise you that I'll always love and protect you, princess. So don't ever remove that ring from your finger. Hanggang suot mo yan, that would serve as a poof to me that you will love me no matter what happens and no matter how many obstacles we're going to face and go through together."
"Sweet!" she quickly said before she playfully stuck her tongue on me. "Very very sweet ayyymmmpp!" she teased before I slammed my lips to hers to really silence her.
﹏~✿**♥**✿~﹏
I stared at Katie while she was still sleeping beside me.
Since we arrived here five days ago, everything just seemed so perfect especially when I finally admitted to her my real feelings for her. Parang lumuwag yung pakiramdam ko. Parang nakalaya ako sa pagkakakulong mula sa matinding galit na bumalot sa akin para sa buong pamilya niya for the past years. But I still do want to avenge my parents' death. At naguguluhan ako dahil ayaw ko nang madamay siya sa paghihiganti na yun.
I heard my phone vibrated on the top of the bedside drawers. Tiningnan ko kung sino yung caller. I sighed and decided to just ignore the call. Pero hindi na iyon tumigil sa pag-vibrate. Baka magising pa si Katie kaya dinampot ko na iyon saka lumabas ng kwarto.
"Trev."
"Tangina, Kuya! I've been calling you almost nonstop for the past three days! Why the hell aren't you answering my calls?!"
I chose not to answer his question kahit alam kong galit na galit na yung tono niya. "Bakit may nangyari ba?"
"OO! MALAKING-MALAKI! TANGINA, KUYA! WE'RE ALREADY LOSING HUNDRED MILLIONS OF PESOS SINCE THREE DAYS AGO!"
I suddenly felt like somebody kicked my chest hard because of what he said. I clenched my jaw. "What do you mean we're already losing hundred millions of pesos since three days ago?!"
"Hindi ko rin alam kung paano tayo nagawang manakawan sa airlines at shipping lines. Sinisimulan nang imbestigahan ng legal department yung mga nangyayari. Pero isa lang ang nasisiguro ko. Malaki ang kinalaman ng mga Monteverde at mga Montreal sa mga nangyayari dito sa mga kumpanya natin!"
I shouted some strings of expletives. Hindi pa nga namin nababawi lahat ng mga nawala sa amin noon, ngayon ay kinukuha na naman sa amin yung maraming taon naming pinaghirapan!
The door of my room flung opened and Katie went out worriedly. She probably heard me shouting kaya bigla siyang nagising.
"Send me the report immediately, Trev! BŪLLSHĪT! I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW THIS THING TO HAPPEN TO US AGAIN! THEY'RE GETTING BACK AT US BECAUSE THEY ALREADY KNEW THAT WE HAVE KATHERYNE WITH US!"
"Bumalik ka na rito sa Pilipinas, Kuya! Hindi ko na alam kung anong gagawin ko sa mga problema rito!"
I glanced at Katheryne's worried face in front of me before I looked away from her. "I can't do that right now, Trev," I told him while squeezing my eyes tightly and massaging the bridge of my nose to make myself calm down.
"Anong hindi mo pwedeng gawin?! Kuya, ang dami nang nawawala sa atin! Gusto mo bang ma-bankrupt na tayo nang tuluyan?!"
"Let's just wait first for the report of the legal department for now."
"Kuya—"
I immediately ended the call before I trew my phone hard against the wall. I clenched my fists while panting furiously as I stared at the broken cellphone already lying on the floor. Būllshīt! I suddenly didn't know what to do. Parang biglang nablangko yung isip ko.
Katheryne went around to my front. "Ryder, bakit? Ano ba yung nangyari?"
"Wag mo muna akong kausapin, Katheryne," sabi ko sa kanya habang nagpipigil dahil baka sa kanya sumambulat yung galit ko.
"Ryder..."
I walked away and left her there to calm myself down first.
﹏๑✿ ･:*:･♥ ･:*:･✿๑﹏
Sorry sa paghihintay nang matagal. I know I'm already losing many readers dahil sa kabagalan kong mag-update, pero ano magagawa ko? Super busy kasi. Dami lagi trabaho kahit sa pag-uwi sa bahay. Di ko tuloy maasikaso ang pagta-type dahil kapag may free time na ako pag weekends, kusa na lang akong nakakatulog dahil palagi na lang akong pagod at puyat. Actually, I just came from being sick. Nakasagap ako ng virus at dahil ang baba na ng immune system ko, ayun, agad akong tinablan at nagkaroon ng viral infection. Hope you'll all understand. Thank you.
Song used: Valentine-Jim Brickman with Martina McBride
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