This is the last chapter we will be hearing Tate's Point of View. Thank you to everyone who loved and admired her clever character. It's my pleasure to read all your thoughts throughout this wonderful journey. Keep safe! :)
Chapter 40
"Sabi ko na nga ba at may continuation pa kayong dalawa, e! Obvious naman kasi na mahal mo pa rin itong si Papi, Tate. Mahilig ka lang talaga mag deny." sabi ni Vanya na ikinaikot ng mga mata ko.
Few months of being in a relationship with Zadriel, we both decided to visit Switzerland again. Pagkatapos manggaling kay Lola Valerie sa Zurich ay nagtungo naman kami dito sa Lauterbrunnen para dalawin si Vanya. We have also decided to stay in the hotel here for the mean time. Nang sa ganoon ay hindi na rin kami makaabala kay Vanya.
Talaga ba, Tate? Para ba hindi makaabala o para... magawa niyo ang gusto niyo nang walang abala?
"Hindi naman tayo masiyadong madaldal ngayon, ano?" sarkastikong saad ko habang nakangiwi ang mukha.
Vanya laughed as she spin the pasta through her fork.
"Totoo naman! Whenever I asked you if you're still in love with him, sasagutin mo ako ng hindi! Etchusera ka rin, e."
Napatingin ako sa gilid ko at naabutan si Zadriel na nakatungo at nagkukunwaring abala sa pagkain ngunit may nakakalokong ngisi naman sa mga labi.
"Tuwang-tuwa ka na naman?" tanong ko sa kanya.
He lifted his head, shot his brow up and acted like he doesn't know what I am talking about. Binitawan niya ang hawak na tinidor at marahang dinampiang ng table napkin ang labi niya. Pagkatapos ibalik ang pamunas sa ibabaw ng hita niya ay ipinatong naman niya ang kamay sa sandalan ng upuan ko at dumukwang sa akin. Ako naman ang nagtaas ng kilay sa kanya.
"Why were you denying it, hmm?" he whispered.
I rolled my eyes. "Of course! Alangan namang aminin ko sa kanya na deads na deads rin ako sa'yo."
He chuckled. "Itatanggi mo pa rin ngayon?"
Narinig ko ang mahinang tili ni Vanya. Sinilip ko ang kaibigan at nakitang titig na titig ito sa amin, ang mga kamay ay parehas pang nasa mga pisngi. Natawa ako.
"Hustisya para sa walang boyfriend dito. Saka mo na ako tanungin, kapag tayong dalawa na lang at walang naiinggit."
"Ang sama mo, Tate!"
Zadriel glanced at Vanya. He licked his lower lip and let out a deep chuckle.
"Sorry. Guess we need some time alone so I can ask her. Would that be okay with you, Van?"
Kumunot ang noo ko sa naging tanong na iyon ni Zadriel, masiyadong diretso. At saka... para sa tanong na iyon kailangan pa namin magsolo? Ganoon ba kahalaga ang magiging sagot ko roon? Maisipin rin talaga ng isang ito.
"S-Sure! No problem!" Vanya laughed, awkwardness can be heard through her voice.
Matapos ang naging almusal namin na 'yon ay nagpasya kami ni Zadriel na magtungo sa may berdeng patag kung saan mas malapitan naming matatanaw ang Swiss Alps.
"The mountains around us looks like a backdrop," I chuckled as I looked at the picture we've just captured right now. "Sobrang ganda."
I was smiling widely in it while Zadriel was behind me, locking his arm around my neck. There's an evil smirk plastered on his lips that made him look like a sexy devil.
"Mas lalong gumanda dahil sa'yo." bulong niya sa tainga ako bago ako pinatakan ng halik sa aking pisngi habang nananatili pa rin nakapulupot ang braso niya sa leeg ko.
Humagikhik ako. "Harot!"
Ibinalik ko ang mga mata sa cellphone at pinagmasdan ang mga kuha namin. Silence lingered in the air. Hindi ko alam kung saan nakatuon ang atensyon ni Zad dahil maging siya ay nanahimik na rin.
"Can you already see your future with me, Tate?" he asked, smashing the silence with those words.
Natawa ako, hindi gaanong pinaguukulan ng pansin ang tanong na iyon.
"I don't know,"
He chuckled, the tone of his laughter laced with amusement.
"Let me change my question then," he fired back, his arms are now wrapped around my waist and his chin leaning over my shoulder. "Can you see your future with somebody else aside from me?"
That question finally stole my attention from the pictures I was checking at. Ibinaba ko ang cellphone, nag angat ng tingin sa mga tanawin at huminga ng malalim.
Hindi ako sigurado sa dapat kong isagot sa kanya dahil siya ang unang lalaki na nagtanong sa akin noon. Even Cade didn't dare to ask me that kind of question. All he did was to build plans about us, never did he ask me if I could see my future with him. Siguro ay dahil masiyado siyang nagpakasiguro na kami na ang magkakatuluyan sa huli.
Can I see my future with anybody else aside from Zadriel? Bakit maisip pa lang ang posibilidad na iba ang makakasama ko sa hinaharap ay nagbibigay na ng kurot sa puso ko? I knew myself as a woman who always go with the flow. Kung ano man ang mangyari, handa akong tanggapin. Ngunit bakit parang ang posibilidad na hindi kami ni Zadriel hanggang sa huli ay hindi ko matanggap?
Kailan pa ako naging ganito kahulog sa kanya? Kailan ko pa siya naging ganito kamahal?
"Parang hindi," sagot ko sa mahina at seryosong paraan. "Parang masiyadong malabo. Hindi ko makita."
"Good answer," he said huskily. "Because I can't also see my future with someone else aside from you. Ikaw lang ang gusto ko hanggang sa huli, Tate."
Kinagat ko ang ibabang parte ng labi, hindi makaapuhap ng sasabihin. Usually, when he became this sweet towards me, tinatawanan ko lang siya at minsan pa nga ay binabara. Hindi dahil kinokontra ko siya o ayaw ko ng mga sinasabi niya, I just don't know the right way to express the happiness I'm feeling whenever he's like that. Kagaya na lang ngayon, aaminin kong sobra-sobra ang kilig na nararamdaman ko. Knowing that the feeling is mutual and both of us can't see our futures with somebody else made me feel ecstatic.
"How can you be so sure, Zad? Marami ka pang makikilala na higit sa akin-"
"Makikilala pero hindi kailanman pagtutuunan ng pansin," pigil niya sa akin. "I can feel that you're having doubt about us. Hindi mo pa rin ba nararamdaman kung gaano ako kapatay na patay sa'yo?"
Natawa na naman ako. "May ganoon ba?"
"Meron," aniya. "I've never been this in love and crazy with a woman, Tate. I thought what I felt towards Dianarra was already deep but I was wrong. I realized that it's too shallow when I met you. You gave me the perfect definition of love. Something that I can call life-changing and indestructible."
Pakiramdam ko ay punong-puno na ang dibdib ko dahil sa sayang nararamdaman. Zadriel has always been so showy and expressive regarding his love towards me. Sa aming dalawa siya ay ang higit na maboka. I don't know if he already finds it offending but even though I am silent about my feelings for him, I made sure that he's aware of how in love I am with him, too.
"Who would have thought that we will reach this damn point? I mean, you and me, in love with each other and already talking about the future," I giggled. "We were just fuck buddies, Zad. You still remember the first time we met?"
"Hmm, yeah. You're trying to tease me about my buddy down there..." He chuckled. "You were so naughty that time. Hanggang ngayon naman."
"I have that attitude that no man would ever dare to take me for serious-"
"Then why did I take you for serious? Care to explain me that?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, maybe you just find me exciting."
"Wrong..." he rebounded. "I found exactly what I needed, Tate. And it's you. You're what I need in this life and in the next fifty years. Having you won't make me ask for more."
"Tama na, ha?" Humagalpak ako ng tawa kahit pa gusto ng sumabog ng puso ko sa kilig. "Kota ka na. Masiyado na akong hulog. Umayos ka!"
His deep chuckle resonated my ears, making me feel full and contented. He is what I need, too. This man behind me always makes me feel that I shouldn't have to ask for me. That he will be all that I need.
Nanatili kami sa ganoong posisyon. Nakatayo sa ibabaw ng kapatagan habang siya ay nasa likod ko at nakayakap, pinapanood ang nagtataasang bundok ng Switzerland.
"In time when the skies get bored, stories get old, the warmest embrace gets cold. Someday the sun gets tired, but not me..." Zadriel started singing the song that he used to play in his car whenever we're off to somewhere. He keeps on telling me that the lyrics contains of his feelings for me.
Tahimik ako, masusing pinakinggan ang malamig niyang boses at pumikit.
"Let's say your hair turns gray, your vision fades away, your tummy can't be out for display. The world becomes fair or unfair, but I'll stay. I pinky swear..."
Memories of us suddenly slammed my head like raging waves. Kung paano kami nagsimulang magkakilala, kung paanong ang munting pangaasar ko sa kanya ay napunta sa makamundong kalokohan. I've always thought that our status would just stayed that way. Fuck buddies and such. Kung matatapos man, inakala kong hindi na muling masusundan pa.
We even reached the point of cheating on our own partners. Kung noon ay nakaramdam ako ng pagsisisi sa ginawa ko kay Cade, ngayon ay hindi na. I even think that what Zadriel and I did was a blessing in disguise. Nalaman ko ang kalokohang pinagagagawa ni Cade sa likod ko.
Akala ko hanggang doon na lang kami ni Zadriel. Palihim na nagkikita, magnanakaw ng ilang sandali para lang magkasama. Gaano ko man utusan ang sarili ko noon na dapat ko siyang layuan, na dapat ko kalimutan ang atraksyon na nararamdaman ko para sa kanya, hindi pa rin ako nagwagi. Masiyado na pala akong hulog no'n, umasta lang na hindi pa.
Zane Adriel Monasterio appeared so unexpectedly that I would have never guessed I would have to take a deep breath just moments before. Sa marahan na paraan, nilampasan niya ako dahilan para maging ako ay mag ingat na sa bawat daan na tinatahak ko. He moved me so subtly that I hadn't the slightest idea that I am indeed falling in love with him.
"You'll be my princess and I'll be your slave, preparing your breakfast in bed everyday. Let's jump in the shower and then come what may, I'll iron your clothes without the help of the maids. I'll drive you to work and remind you I'll say, yesterday I loved you and I love you more today. Spread my arms and give you my tightest embrace, and kiss you see you baby at the end of the day..."
Mahigpit na yakap ang ibinigay sa akin ni Zadriel matapos kantahin ang chorus ng kantang iyon. Ngumiti ako, hindi siya tinitingnan.
"You really have a great voice, Zad." I complimented.
He chuckled. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. But no one can defeat your voice whenever you are moaning." I giggled.
He suddenly bit a tiny part of my cheek while laughing. "You and your mouth, woman. I wouldn't really trade you for anything in this world. No fucking way."
Naramdaman ko ang pagkalas ng yakap sa akin ni Zad. Hindi ko na iyon inintindi dahil baka nangawit lang siya. But then, what I saw next literally took my breath away.
Zadriel knelt on his left knee, showing me a black velvet small box while looking intently at me. Sa loob noon ay isang singsing kung saan may katamtamang laki ng bato sa gita. I unconsciously bit my lower lip, trying to breathe some air but it somehow feels hard.
Nagtungo ang mukha ko sa maliit na kahon na hawak niya ngunit agad rin dumapo sa mga mata niya. His eyes holds authority and great power but I can still see the hope in them.
"Chances are, I'll never get a moment like this. So might as well tell you everything I have in here..." he stated through his deep voice and sighed. "I'm in love with you so much, Tate. Not for what you are but what I become when I am there with you. If flirting with you gives me goosebumps and makes me feel like I'm on cloud nine, I wonder how exciting life once I am yours and you are mine..." he murmured through his slightly shaky voice. "Tatiana, baby, can I ask for a lifetime with you and not just one more night?"
I stared at him, intensely. Pinaglaruan ko ang aking labi habang nakakaloko siyang tinititigan. The longer I keep my answer in me, the more I see the nervous in his eyes. Mabilis man ang tibok ng puso, nagawa ko pa rin ang ngisian siya na tila ba nangaasar.
"You don't need to ask me for one more night anymore, Zad. Cause right now, I am willing to give you the rest of my life."
Slowly, smile crept on his lips and it's the prettiest thing I've seen in a while, for it extends to his eyes and deep into his soul. It was one of happiness growing, like the flowers surrounding the Swiss Alps. I could see how it spread into every part of him.
Zadriel happily slid the ring inside my finger and stood up. Isang tili ang kumawala sa lalamunan ko nang tumayo siya at mabilis akong atakihin ng halik sa aking labi. I locked my arms around his neck as he carried me and spin me off the ground.
"You don't know how happier you made me," he said through our kisses.
I giggled. "I love you..."
We stopped from spinning as he brought me down the ground. Nakadikit ang noo sa isa't-isa, mariin niya akong tinitigan sa mga mata.
"I'm in love with you too, baby. I'm in love with you so much that I even want to shout it to the world."
My brow raised. "Prove it then."
It's a mistake challenging this man. Because right now, it's his voice that I can only hear all over the place, shouting and telling the mountains of how in love he is with me.
"No more one more night with you..." he whispered gently, eyeing me intensely and passionately with those dark eyes.
I shook my head and smiled, caressing his jaw.
"Just a lifetime with each other..."