Salamat sa lahat ng nagbabasa nito! Di ko akalaing may mga kikiligin last chapter. Haha. Salamat po. Kinikilig din ako at tumatawa ng bongga habang binabasa ko yung mga comments niyo.
Maraming salamat ulit! :)
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Pic of Reeve on the right pala! Brant Dougherty is casted as Reeve. :)
CHAPTER 9
"I-it's really you?" I stammered. Nanuyo yung lalamunan ko ng marinig ko yung pangalan nya kanina. Tsaka sa sobrang bilis ng tibok ng puso ko parang hindi ako makahinga.
"It's me, Drei. No one else. Didn't I say that I wanted to see you in that gown? You look beautiful—"
Hindi ko na pinatapos yung sinasabi niya. I don't know what came over me. Without thinking, I jumped and launched myself towards him. Niyakap ko siya. As tightly as I could.
And with one hug, all the years we were apart faded away. It was like I was back to being six and him being ten and I was hugging him for the last time before he went away. Pero that's not the case now. He was here. He was really here. Hindi sa phone, hindi sa emails or sa chat.
This time, it was all real.
I heard him laugh and then his arms went around me and he hugged me back. Sobrang higpit din na nahirapan ako huminga. But I didn't mind.
Being in his arms? Best feeling ever.
Eto na yung moment na hinihintay namin. Yung matagal na naming pinag-uusapan at pinagpaplanuhan. And it was all that and more. Alam ko dati pa lang na magiging exciting yung susunod na pagkikita namin.
But this, what actually happened, is better than everything I've envisioned.
Yes, sobrang exciting to the point na parang sasabog na ung dibdib ko sa halong kaba at excitement. Pero kakaiba din kasi perfect timing. Nasa isang engrandeng wedding kami. Ang ganda ng background music, ang ganda ng ambiance at ang ganda ng damit!
Perfect fairytale.
"I've missed you, Andreia," he whispered. He always called me Drei. And now he called me by my complete first name. The way he said it... there are no words. Para akong kinilabutan na ewan.
Magrereply na sana ako nang may marinig akong umubo. Binitawan ko na si Reeve and turned towards the source. Yung wedding organizer pala. Tumungo ako. Shocks, nakakahiya! Feeling ko namula nanaman yung buong mukha ko sa kahihiyan.
Narealize ko din na para akong tanga sa biglang pagyakap kay Reeve.
"Okay start walking in five... four... three... two... one. Go!" sabi nung wedding organizer.
Reeve took my hand and placed it on his arm. He grinned and we started to walk. Tumingin ako sa kanya and also smiled. That exact moment, may nagflash na camera. Lahat nakatingin sa amin pero wala akong pakialam sa kanila sa panahong iyon.
Sobrang overwhelmed pa din ako sa pagdating niya at hindi ko pa fully naggrasp na totoo na nga to. Parang panaginip pa din hanggang ngayon.
"I have died every day waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid,
I have loved you for a thousand years...
I'll love you for a thousand more..."
Slowly, the two of us walked down red-carpeted, flower-strewn aisle while the song 'A Thousand Years' played on the background.
Di ba parang panaginip talaga?
Para sakin, our first meeting couldn't have been better. Etong eto na yun. Dahil dito, worth it na lahat ng times na gusto ko siyang makita pero hindi pwede kasi malayo siya. Worth it na din yung promise namin na we'll never send pictures.
Tama si Reeve.
Mas memorable nga na eto ang una naming pagkikita. At kung alam ko lang na ganito na sya kagwapo ngayon, baka na-inlove pa ko. And that's a big no. You shouldn't fall in love with your bestfriend. Bakit? Kasi siya ang taong tatakbuhan mo when all else fails. Pano na lang pag nagfail ang isang relationship? Eh di lalong nawala na lahat?
But from another point of view, people say that you should fall in love with your bestfriend. The foundation of love is friendship and because you're already best friends, the foundation of love is sturdier... stronger.
So ano ba talaga ang tama?
Ewan. Naguluhan na din ako.
But I know this... I shouldn't fall in love with Reeve kasi masasaktan lang ako. We're worlds apart. We're also miles apart. Nararamdaman ko lang yung mga ganitong bagay ngayon kasi andito sya sa tabi ko. Pero pag wala na siya? Balik na ulit lahat sa normal.
Eto ang opinion ko at eto ang applicable sakin. Bahala na ang ibang tao humusga kung ano ba ang tama para sa kanila: to fall or not to fall in love with your bestfriend?
"All along I believe I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you...
For a thousand years.
I'll love you for a thousand more..."
Reeve stopped and that snapped me out of my trance.
Nasa dulo nap ala kami ng aisle. I smiled at him before I removed my hand from his arm. He also gave me a reluctant smile. Tapos, pumunta na siya sa kaliwa kasama yung mga groomsmen habang dun naman ako sa kanan kasama yung ibang bridesmaids.
The moment I let go of his hand, gusto ko ulit siyang hilahin pabalik. Sobrang dami naming pag-uusapan! Sobrang dami kong gustong sabihin sa kanya! Pero all those can be done later. For now, yung wedding muna. Sana lang matagal siya dito sa Vegas kasi sobrang daming bagay na gusto kong gawin namin together.
Inevitable naman na magkahiwalay kami ulit. Tulad nga ng sabi ko nung una, we're worlds and miles apart. But before we go our separate ways, I want us to make memories that will last us through several months or years before we can see each other again.
Nagsimula na yung ceremony and I sat down. Nasa likod na row ang mom ko.
"Are you happy with our surprise, Drei?" bulong niya.
"Reeve's here because of you?" I hissed.
Ngiting ngiti yung mom ko. My dad, who sat beside her, just shrugged.
"Oo. Kasi three days ago, tumawag yung parents ni Christopher sa pinsan mo. Naaksidente daw. Kulang yung line-up ng groomsmen at nagpanic kami sa kakahanap kung sino pwede. And then we found out na kakilala pala ng groom yung family ni Reeve. I called him and extended an invitation. Pumayag naman siya agad."
My mom's eyes twinkled after she said this. Ganito yung itsura niya kapag may pinaplano o nangingialam o may ginagawang kababalaghan. Ganito lagi si mommy eh.
"Thanks, mom. It's good to catch up with him."
"You do that. He's here for two weeks just like you. Marami kayong panahon para mag-usap. Anyway, I'm so sorry about Mike, baby. Sana sinabi mo sa kin. Nagtatampo ako sayo dahil sa mommy ni Aubrey ko pa nabalitaan."
Inwardly, I cringed. Chismosa din yung mama ni Aubrey eh. Well, like mother like daughter.
"Sorry, mom. I didn't want to disturb you kasi alam kong busy ka sa pagtulong iarrange tong wedding."
"Oh, it's nothing! Kahit gaano ako kabusy, I'll still make time for you."
But that wasn't entirely true. Laging nagttravel ang parents ko dahil sa business and leisure purposes. Mahilig kasi si mommy magtravel. Nung bata ako, lagi silang wala. Kapag tumatawag ako, hindi naman sila sumasagot. I guess nasanay na lang din ako na wala sila kaya kapag may problema, ako na lang mismo ang nagsosolve or sa friends ko ako tumatakbo.
I was saved from replying to my mom when the ceremony started.
Sunubukan kong iclear yung utak ko sa lahat para makafocus sa ceremony. Sobrang dami ko nang napuntahang kasal pero so far, eto yung pinakamaganda at pinakasolemn.
From across the hall, I caught Reeve's eye. He smiled, showing off those perfect dimples. Parang tumalon nanaman yung puso ko and I smiled as well.
"You may now kiss the bride..."
Tumayo na lahat ng tao habang ako nagpupunas pa din ng luha. Sobrang ganda kasi talaga nung ceremony. Sobrang solemn at ang ganda ng place. Para talagang nawala kami sa real world at ngayon at nasa loob ng isang fairytale.
Kung ako yung bride, worth it na worth it na lahat ng gastos kasi natupad naman ang isa sa mga dreams ko.
Finally, the bride and groom kissed and everyone else shouted. Sumunod na ko sa ibang mga bridesmaid at pumila kami sa may aisle. After the signing of the marriage certificate, the bride and groom will rush outside and we'd shower them with petals, rice and confetti. Yung mga groomsmen naman may hawak na bubbles. Sila naman ang in-charge dun.
Nakita ko si Reeve na tumatawa with the other groomsmen habang finifigure out nila pano paganahin yung bubble gun. As I looked at him, the first word that came to mind was that he was... adorable.
Tapos na yung signing ng marriage certificates and the bride and groom ran towards the exit. Binato ko na lahat ng laman ng basket ko and so did the other bridesmaids. Super dami ding bubbles. Yung ibang bridesmaids, umatras kasi ayaw nilang malagyan ng bubbles ung gown nila. But not me. I even lifted my hands and touched some of it.
Alam ko ilang beses ko na tong inuulit pero parang panaginip talaga.
Napatigil ako when I saw a camera's flash. I looked around pero wala naman na ung mga photographers kasi sumunod na sila dun sa bride and groom. Wala na din yung karamihan ng guests kasi nagsitakbuhan na palabas.
Mga bridesmaids and groomsmen na lang ang natira. Binaba ko na yung basket na wala ng laman at kinuha ko na ung bouquet ko. I started to walk when Reeve grabbed my hand.
"Let's go?" bulong niya.
I nodded. He intertwined his fingers with mine and squeezed. Sobrang laki ng kamay niya and it completely engulfed mine. Then we, too, started to run; just like the bride and groom did.
I laughed while we ran. Kakaiba yung feeling eh.
Exhilarating.
Kahit tumatakbo akong naka high-heels at alam kong lampa ako, wala akong takot na naramdaman. Hawak naman ni Reeve yung kamay ko eh. Nothing bad's going to happen. Kung matapilok man ako, alam kong hindi ako susubsob kasi hawak niya ako.
We stopped when we reached the exit. The other groomsmen were already mounting their black horses. Pero wala na yung mga carriage naming bridesmaids. Ginamit na daw ng mga older guests para hindi na sila maglakad papunta sa venue.
"Come on, Drei. You ride with me," sabi ni Reeve. Ano daw?! Bago ko pa maitanong, hinihila na niya ko papunta dun sa isa sa mga black horses.
"What?!"
"Do you know how to ride?" tanong niya.
Napalunok ako at umiling. "Nope."
Reeve just smiled.
"Do you trust me?" tanong niya. Bago pa ako makasagot, he jumped and swung one leg towards the horse. Sobrang bilis. Parang sa isang kisapmata, nakasakay na agad siya.
And he did it so effortlessly...
"Err. Yes? But please don't make me regret it," I teased.
"Never," he promised.
He offered me his hand and I moved closer. Pano naman ako sasampa? Alangan namang tumalon ako kagaya ni Reeve? Una sa lahat, hindi ko kaya yun. Pangalawa, nakadress kaya ako!
Reeve bent down and instead of taking my hand, he hooked his arm around my waist and lifted me high. Sa sobrang bilis ng pangyayari, ni wala man lang akong oras para tumili. Nagulat na lang ako na nakaupo na ko sa kabayo, side-saddle. Ibig sabihin nito para akong nakatagilid sa upuan. Hindi yung kagaya ni Reeve na nakastraddle sya sa horse. Mas okay yung ganito kasi nakadress ako. Sa ganitong position, hindi sya malulukot.
And besides, ganito sumakay ng kabayo ang mga prinsesa. I wasn't able to stop myself and a giggle escaped my lips. Sobrang pantasya na talaga tong fairytale wedding na to.
Nawala bigla yung ngiti ko nung tumingin ako sa baba. Bumilis nanaman yung tibok ng puso ko. Sobrang taas! Nakakalula!
Muntik na akong ma-off balance pero biglang nasa may harap at likod ko na yung arms ni Reeve. Hawak niya yung reins nung kabayo. Napaka-relaxed niya habang ako parang mamamatay na sa kaba.
"It's okay. You won't fall. Just lean on me," sabi niya sabay pat sa may shoulder niya. Also, he had that smile that made my heart stop. "Right. But if I fall and I die, I'd haunt you for the rest of your life," I teased. Medyo OA pero okay na yun. I leaned into him and for the first time, inhaled his perfume.
Sobrang bango lang.
At eto yung eksaktong amoy nung pillow na regalo niya sakin!
Reeve laughed. "You won't," sagot niya.
And then the horse started to move. Pansin ko lang, parang sanay na sanay na si Reeve.
"Back in London, in one of our villas, I have a horse. His name's Eion. He was my dad's gift to me when I was younger. That's how I learned to ride."
Aba'y parang nabasa yung isip ko. I closed my eyes as he talked. Iba kasi yung feeling ng naririnig yung boses niya ng hindi sa phone. Gusto ko tong maaalala. Ngayon, meron akong isang box ng memories sa utak ko. Lahat ng mangyayari sa two weeks na nandito si Reeve ay ilalagay ko lahat dun.
"Cool," I replied.
"Hey, do you mind if I take a picture? I guess now that we've seen each other, there's no more social media and picture ban, right?"
"Nope! We can take all the pictures we like now!"
Sobrang naexcite ako.
This would be our first picture together!
Reeve reach inside his tux and withdrew his phone. I smiled and we took several selfies—may mga wacky at may mga seryoso. After, hiniram ko yung phone niya para tignan yung pictures. Gusto ko tignan yung pictures para na din madistract ako sa fear ko dito sa kabayo. Tinignan ko lang lahat ng pics and both Reeve and I laughed sa mga wacky pics.
Yung pinakalast pic caught my eye. It was a picture of me looking up and smiling while bubbles were all around me. Ngayon alam ko na kung ano yung camera flash na nakita ko kanina.
Si Reeve pala.
He coughed and fidgeted. "I just had to take that picture. You looked so perfect at that moment."
I snorted. "Nobody's perfect, Reeve."
"Some people come close, though." he answered.
Oh. My. Gosh.
Hindi na ba mauubusan to ng mga linyang ganun? Ilang beses nang humihinto yung tibok ng puso ko. Mamaya biglang may sabihin sya tapos di ko na kayanin. Tuluyan na kong atakihin. Ang bata ko pa no!
Syempre, OA nanaman ako.
After a few minutes, dumating na kami sa reception area. Nauna si Reeve bumaba and then he assisted me down. Pano? By asking me to jump and then catching me by the waist. Takot na takot ako tumalon pero syempre may tiwala naman ako sa best friend ko. Never pa naman niya sinira yung tiwala na yun.
Accidentally, nahampas ko pa siya nung bouquet pag talon ko pero tumawa lang siya as he shook his head to clear away the rose petals. I fixed my skirt and then we entered the reception area hand-in-hand.
Sobrang saya ko nung nakita ko yung seating plan at magkatabi kami ni Reeve. Sa wakas, makakapagusap na din kami! Reeve pulled out my chair for me and I sat. Umupo na din sya and smiled.
"So what's up?" tanong ko.
"Well, first of all... I'm so happy that I'm here right now and we've finally seen each other again."
"Awww. That's so sweet!" I gushed. "How long are you staying here?"
"Two weeks. Consider this as my vacation. I think this is the only one I'll be getting in a long time. I'll be busy in the upcoming months."
Sa unang part, masaya ako kasi two weeks syang andito! Makakasama ko siya and finally we'll get to do the things we only talked about. Things like manood ng movie, magdinner, magswimming at kung ano-ano pa!
Pero during the second part, yung sabi niyang magiging busy na siya... Medyo nadisappoint din ako. Alam ko naman na busyng tao si Reeve. Pero mahirap kasi yung hindi ko sya makausap ng matagal.
It's like he's already a habit. Our late night conversations, text messages and emails are already a part of my life.
Pero hindi dapat ako magdwell sa negative. Positive na lang muna. Andito sya ngayon at magkasama kami for two weeks. That's what matters. Sobrang daming pwedeng mangyari within two weeks. At for sure more than enough memories ang mailalagay ko dun sa box.
"Busy with what?" tanong ko.
He looked very uncomfortable. "Business stuff. This and that," he answered. "How about you? What's up?" tanong niya.
Napatigil ako. Eto na yun. Opportunity ko na sabihin sa kanya yung nangyari last week. Pero pano? Should I just blurt it out or soften the blow first?
I took a deep breath and braced myself. Reeve was one of those people who wanted to hear it directly. So dederechahin ko na lang siya.
"Reeve... Mike and I broke-up. It's over."
His reaction wasn't the one I was expecting. His smile widened and then he threw back his head and laughed. Sobrang lakas ng tawa niya na kala mo sinabi ko yung pinakanakakatawang joke sa mundo.
"Good for you! Congratulations."
"What?" tanong ko na may kasabay na hampas.
"He's just not the one for you, Drei," sagot niya.
I rolled my eyes and glared. Lalo lang siyang natawa. He took my hand and wrapped both of his around it.
"It's just that you deserve someone better, Drei. Clearly not someone like him."
"Then, who?" I asked.
Hindi sumagot si Reeve. He just smiled and inclined his head.
Natahimik kami pareho at ngayon ako naman yung naging uncomfortable. Pano ba naman kasi, nakatitig pa din siya sakin! Sobrang nakakahiya na parang ewan. Gusto ko din sana siyang titigan kasi ang ganda talaga ng mata niya pero magmumukha naman akong sira-ulo nun.
Sinubukan ko na lang palitan yung topic kasi ayokong pag-usapan namin si Mike. Ayokong malungkot at sayang naman baka masira pa ang araw ko.
"Anyway, why are we talking in English? I thought you were learning Tagalog?"
Reeve shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Mahirap! My tongue gets all twisted!" he shouted. Dahil dun lalo nanaman akong natawa. Sobrang halata yung accent niya! And sobrang nakakatawa talaga.
"How am I supposed to learn when every time I try you laugh at me?" tanong niya. Nag-pout pa ang loko. That pout did silly things to me. Parang biglang nagkabutterflies sa tiyan ko. Para akong ninerbyos na ewan.
I coughed. May point sya dun. "Sorry. I'll try not to laugh next time."
"Okay. If you say so," he grumbled.
Suddenly, music started to play. Tumayo na yung ibang guests at dumerecho sa dance floor. Reeve looked at me and titled his head. Then, he stood up.
"Dance with me, Andreia?" tanong niya.
He held out his hand and bowed. He remained in that position as he waited for my answer. Natawa ako. Hinampas ko muna siya ulit ng bouquet kasi ang cheesy niya! He was this super big cliché.
Pero deep inside, nakakakilig ang cliché.
I grinned and stood up.
"Yes," sagot ko. I also did a small curtsy before I took the hand he offered.
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