It Started With A Dare

Deserving

Chapter 37 – Deserving

Seth’s POV

~Dinner~

        She looked so stunning that my instincts took over me. I wish the guys from the other table would stop looking at her. I was muttering inside my head. Ngumiti siya sa akin at lahat ng nerbyos ko ay nawala. I cleared my throat habang nilalagay na ng waiter ang food. They looked appetizing pero hindi ako gutom. Walang nagsalita kaya I took the chance.

        “Sir Harris, I want to ask for your permission.” I cleared my throat just in case. Baka mapaos ako bigla. “I asked your daughter to be my girl and she said yes. I am wondering whether you’d be fine with that.” I said. Mga ilang seconds pa ang lumipas nang biglang tumayo ang dad ni Gwen at lumabas. I smiled at Gwen, reasurring her that everything will be alright. “Wait for me here.” Sabi ko sa kaniya at sinundan ko ang dad niya sa labas.

        Ang malamig na ihip ng hangin ang sumalubong sa akin. Nakita kong nakaupo si Mr. Harris sa isang bench across the restaurant. Wala masyadong tao roon. I crossed the street and sat on the bench too. Hindi ko alam kung saan ko nakuha ang lakas ng loob para sundan ang dad ni Gwen pero nandito na ako eh.

        “Sir, I’m sorry kung hindi ko po nasabi agad sa inyo ang tungkol sa amin ni Gwen.” I said just in case na galit siya tungkol doon. Tiningnan niya ako at parang nagiisip pa siya.

        He breathed out at ngumiti. “I know you love my daughter. I can see it a mile away. The way you look at her and the way you wanted to protect her from other guys’ stares.” Tapos, tumawa siya. Mabilis napalitan ng lungkot ang tawang iyon. “But sometimes, we hurt the people we love. Alam kong alam mo iyon, hindi ba?” I nodded. He knew. Alam niyang nasaktan ko si Gwen.

        “It was the dumbest thing I've done, sir.” I said. “I’m not asking for your forgiveness because I know I don’t deserve it. I know-“ I stopped midsentence when he raised his hand to stop me.

        “Stop interrupting me. I wasn’t finished.” I gulped. Patay ako nito. “As I was saying, we hurt the people we love and sometimes, we don’t even know we are hurting them. Sometimes, we can be naive, ignorant and insensitive. Sometimes, we put the blame on ourselves but sometimes, the blame is actually on the invisible person. No one is to blame. I just want you know that whenever the time comes that you hurt my daughter and as a matter of fact, it isn’t inevitable. I want you to know that I’ll support my daughter’s decision on anything. If she wants you out of her life, I’ll do my best to make you leave her alone. I’ll do my best to hide her away from you. If she asks me to, I’ll make sure she’s on the other side of the world just to get away from you. Fathers only  want what’s best for their children.

        “Seth, I am not asking you to give my daughter a perfect relationship but give her the best because nothing’s perfect but the best is the nearest thing to perfection.” Sa tingin ko nakanganga lang ako habang nagsasalita si Mr. Harris. He hurt Gwen’s mother, yes but he didn’t know. I knew I would hurt Gwen when I started the dare but he was right. Nothing’s perfect. That moment, tumaas lalo ang respeto ko sa kaniya.

        Tumayo na siya at tumayo na rin ako. “Sir, can you please punch me?” I asked him and he turned around to face me. Nakakunot ang noo niya na para bang nababaliw na ako. “No one deserves your daughter. She’s the best. She’s the nearest woman to perfection kaya I’m asking you to punch me, sir. Maybe, she’s the exception to this no one’s perfect thing even. I don’t deserve her and I’m not saying someone better than me deserves her. As I’ve said, no one deserves her. It's getting confusing but someday, I’d be hugging her. Someday, I’d be kissing her. Someday, I might even make her cry. I’m asking you to punch me, sir. I deserve a punch. I don’t deserve her.” Sabi ko at hindi ko alam kung bakit ko nasabi iyon sa harapan ni Mr. Harris.

        Suddenly, nawala saglit ang focus ko nang tamaan ang mukha ko ng kamao ng dad ni Gwen. Napaupo ako ulit sa bench. Tumawa siya ng malakas. “Glad you know no one deserves my daughter than the best.” He helped me to my feet. “But you, Seth, you proved to me that you are the nearest thing to a perfect guy for my daughter.”

        We crossed the street at sa sandaling iyon, masayang masaya ako. I tried my best not to kiss her for the past few months without the permission of her dad and I was glad that everything was okay now. “Seth, please don’t call me ‘Mr. Harris’.” Sabi niya.

        “Ano po ang itatawag ko sa iyo?” tanong ko pero binalewala lang niya ito at dumiretso sa loob ng restaurant. Pumasok na rin ako and there she was. There was the girl sitting on the comfy chair of the restaurant. Gwen Harris. The girl who turned my life completely confusing. The girl who taught me to live than to survive. The girl I love so much I'd rather die than to see another day without her in it.

Seth, you’re one lucky guy. I thought.