Chapter theme above:
Stolen - Dashboard Confessional
"P-piper please don't be mad... Riley..." Braylee was on a panic, looking at Piper and Riley with begging eyes. Fear and distraught was written all over her face.
"Have you forgotten about how his friends treated us? How he treated Warren?" Riley looked confused while talking, still in great disbelief of what's going on.
"S-sabi ni Warren bati naraw sila ni Hawthorn." It was Lucho. He spoke up, feeling heavy and bothered seeing the confrontation between his best friends unfold right in front of him. A great deal of guilt and regret lingering his chest.
"That doesn't even make sense!" Riley yelled, his eyebrows furrowed and his rosy lips formed into a frown. "What if he's just using this to mess with Warren again?! What if he's just using Braylee to get back at Warren?!"
"Let's go home. You have to rest, B. Let's talk about it tomorrow when all of us are thinking straight." With desperation in her eyes, Piper suddenly started walking towards Braylee. She grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the door, Braylee could only follow in forlorn. But as they were about to take a step out of the gate, Braylee suddenly stopped at her tracks.
Realizing that Braylee just stopped walking, Piper turned around, surprised at her friend's uncharacteristic action. Piper looked at Braylee, confused and shocked.
"B?" Piper could only whisper underneath her breath.
Braylee didn't say anything. She was just staring on the ground, avoiding Piper's eyes.
"Braylee?" Piper uttered her name. She looked at Braylee's eyes and it gave her an idea of what could be going on her friend's mind. Like an older sister tending to a younger sister, Piper held Braylee's cheeks. "I'm sorry... Braylee, we're sorry for what we said earlier. It was wrong of us to pressure you into being with Warren. It was dumb... we were dumb. We were just so distraught... we weren't thinking straight. We were desperate to make Warren happy and we're sorry for everything we said."
Piper's words made Braylee sob. And seeing her sob made Piper's tears stream down her face.
"But Braylee listen to me... kahit sabihin nating bati na nga sina Warren at Denver, hindi maalis nito ang katotohanan tungkol kay Denver." Piper said, earning her a confused look from Braylee.
"Braylee, Denver Hawthorn is a fuckboy just like his friends." Piper said sternly, but in tears. "All he did was break girls' hearts after getting what he wanted from them. I can't bear to see you broken and crying because of a fuckboy, Braylee. You're like a sister to me and I don't want to see you hurt over some damn fuckboy."
"A fuckboy who happens to be the estranged brother of your best friend who loves you all these years! You realize how complicated this is right? We're just trying to protect you, Braylee!" It was Riley. He followed them, now standing right behind Piper with his arms folded.
Braylee could only cry, helpless in a confrontation she doesn't want to be part of. To her, confrontations are kryptonite.
Riley sighed as he raised his chin-up. "It's bad enough that you don't love Warren back and now you're fooling around with his Brother? His brother who happens to be the same guy who ruined his life back when he was younger! Get out of this mess before this gets worse bray! This isn't about school rivalry, this is between brothers, this is too complicated for you to handle so stop being dumb! Use your brain! Get out of this mess since you're too weak for this!" Riley put emphasis on his last sentence, raising his voice and flailing his hand.
"Riley!" Piper yelled out as she turned to Riley, giving him a glaring look, telling him he just crossed the line that they shouldn't.
"Do you really think I don't know that?"
Hearing Braylee's soft but cold voice, Piper and Riley both returned their gazes to her.
Braylee's eyes were still darted to the ground but her eyes had a glint of emotion none of them has ever seen. "You have no idea how bad I feel about not being able to love Warren back! You have no idea how horrible I feel about myself! You have no idea how much it hurts! You have no idea how painful I feel everyday! And you have no idea how happy Denver has made me feel!"
"Braylee," Riley could only gape.
For the first time in her life, Braylee Emanuel snapped. And for the first time in her life, she finally had he guts to speak out against the ones she love the most. Standing up for what she believes in is easy for her, but standing up for what she believes in against the people she loves is torture for her.
Tears were still dripping from her eyes as she continued. "You have no idea who Denver Hawthorn really is... you don't know him the way I do. He did some bad things in the past but out of all the people in the world, who hasn't?!"
Braylee wiped her tears using her trembling palms while her friends look at her in shock over her words. "I'm not as dumb as you think I am, I know how horrible and complicated this is. Back then, I thought maybe it was okay for you to think of me as a really dumb and naive girl because my dumb actions always made you laugh and happy but I guess the joke is all on me because you guys never took me seriously," she said, sobbing uncontrollably. "I can't pretend and lie to Warren that I love him when the truth is my heart flutters for someone else."
Tears formed in Riley's eyes while Piper continued to look at Braylee with so much guilt and pitty. Piper took a step towards Braylee but she was quick to take a step back.
"Can I be selfish just this once?" Braylee asked with nothing but forlorn in her eyes. "I've always tried to make the people I love happy, so this time, pwede bang ako naman? Can I prioritize my own happiness just this once?"
Piper and Riley are out of words. Both of them could not speak.
"I know how horrible i'm being and I hate myself for it, I won't stop hating myself for it. I won't stop apologizing to Warren. And if you don't want to be friends with me again, i'll accept it even if it hurts." Braylee cries.
"So you're choosing Denver over us?" Riley gaped.
"Neither, i'm choosing myself," Braylee shook her head as she wiped her tears again. "But the choice is yours if you still want to be friends with me or not. It's your choice to accept my decision or not."
Before anyone could move or speak, Denver suddenly came out of the house. Grabbing Braylee's hand and taking her towards the motorcycle. All Braylee could do was follow.
*****
With how fast Denver was driving, it wasn't long until they arrived to their destination. Throughout the ride, both stayed silent, not exchanging a single word. But as Denver took of the helmet that he made her wear, Braylee could only cry again.
"You think they won't speak to me ever again?" Fear and worry was all over Braylee's face.
"Your friends just learned about Warren's illness, they're distraught and in so much pain. People say and do the most irrational things when they're in so much pain. But your friends love you. We both know they do. And it won't be long until everything is okay again," Denver said, sure with his words.
"You don't have to lie," Braylee took a deep breath as she continued to wipe her tears.
"Why would I lie?" Denver left out a small smirk. She held Braylee's cold hand and started walking, Braylee could only follow.
Braylee could only gape, realizing that they're in the same nature park where they first went. She was too caught up with her emotions that it took her long to notice the blue neon lights against the dark tall trees covering the night sky. She felt the cold blow of air and heard the waves crashing down below and it somehow calmed her senses.
Denver made her sit and put his jacket on her, trying to protect her from feeling too cold. His gesture didn't go unnoticed as Braylee glanced at him, feeling grateful of his comfort.
As both of them were sitting next to each other, near the cliff, listening to the waves crashing below them, both were silent again. Braylee looked up at the sky and no star can still be seen.
Braylee folded her knees and hugged them, looking up at the sky.
"Do you really love me?" She broke the silence.
"You have no idea," he said underneath his breath, looking at her direction.
"Paano kung makiusap sayo ang tatay mo na layuan ako? Paano kung makiusap si Warren na layuan mo ako? Lalayo ka ba? Magpaparaya ka ba? After all, they're your family," she said, looking back at him, her eyes may be tearing up but she's not hesitating with her words.
"Kung gusto mong magparaya ako, gagawin ko. Kung gusto mong ipaglaban kita, gagawin ko. Kahit anong gawin ko, ikaw parin ang masasaktan at maapektuhan kaya hahayaan kong ikaw na mag-desisyon," he said, looking at her helplessly. "If it's up to me, i'd ask you to fight for me but I don't want you to feel like you're---"
"Don't give me up," she said, cutting him off.
"Then I won't... never..." Denver said, shaking his head, looking relieved. He cups her face and kisses her without hesitation. And this time, she moved her lips, kissing him back.
As their lips parted, Denver leaned his forehead on hers.
"I love you," Braylee finally admitted. Making peace with the fact that she's inlove with him.
A smile formed in Denver's face as he immediately kissed her back.
***
Just before the sun rises, Denver and Braylee began driving back to Filimon Heights. Despite of how bad she feels from the confrontation between her friends, Denver's words can somehow make her smile and feel at ease.
"Magsuot ka na ulit ng helmet!" pangungulit ni Denver, diretso parin ang tingin sa madilim at tahimik na kalsadang kanilang tinatahak.
"Wag muna! I want to feel the fresh air!" giit naman ni Braylee, tinatangay ng hangin ang mahaba niyang buhok.
"Sige ka magjo-joke ako!" pagbabanta ni Denver.
"May joke din ako," giit ni Braylee.
"Ano?" tanong ni Denver,
"I love you," pabirong sambit ni Braylee dahilan para agad mapabusangot si Denver.
"Teddy! What the heck are you--"
"Denver!" otomatikong napasigaw si Braylee nang bigla na lamang lumitaw sa gilid nila ang liwanag na nanggagaling sa isang sasakyan.
END OF CHAPTER 49!
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