When it Rains (Completed)

CHAPTER 37

We're back at the mansion, hands tied as we danced around the floor with the music playing from the record player. If somebody saw us, they'd probably say we're out of our minds. We're dressed up like Victorians attending an evening ball—from our boots and trouser pants to our bowties. He's wearing all black, I'm all white. But, I literally have three layers of clothes on me, and I'm barely breathing. I'm not even into ball dancing either. Hindi naman ako papayag nito, pero wala rin naman akong ibang magagawa kundi sumabay sa kalokohan niya.

He's teaching me some basic waltz steps, specifically Viennese waltz, and I'm starting to hate myself for not remembering anything he's taught me.

"Flynn, easy, easy. Breathe—"

"How the hell should this be done, Patrick? Natatapakan ko na yung paa mo."

He raised his hand and lifted my chin to level with him. "Just look at my eyes."

"Are we going to do telepathy here?"

He smiled. "You're funny."

I rolled my eyes. "This dancing makes me funny. Iwan kaya kita rito—"

He pulled my waist in, touching my chest with his. He kept his eyes on mine, trying to allure me with the way he stared. Then, he pressed his lips against mine and started to move across the floor.

I don't know. It felt like I remembered everything he taught and my feet weren't stepping on his anymore.

I took a step back as he spun me around, then took another step forward to press my lips against his. He almost went to my neck. Glad I was able to dodge him before I lost my mind again. I don't want to make out with him here.

It's been almost a week already. I had a good time with him. I got to know more about him. And, I know what's going on between us is now deeper than before. All I wanted was to start living like this.

He taught me some things I hadn't done before. He showed me the places I hadn't been to. He held my hand like no one else could. He became someone I can't afford to lose.

I'm pretty sarcastic all the time, and he knows it. It's just that, I'm not fond of being straight-forward when confessing my feelings. Hope knows how much I truly love him and appreciate everything he does for me. I'm trying to give back all the effort he's made just to make me happy.

I couldn't imagine myself without him.

I'm getting used to watching him breathe every morning and night when he's asleep. I'm getting used to a smile that takes away my sadness. I'm getting used to his company; it takes over the loneliness I used to feel.

I'm getting used to him.

We're in the backyard, laying on the picnic cloth together. We watched the starry night sky above us. I turned to him just to catch him watching me. "Kala ko ba stargazing gawin natin? Mukha ba akong star sa paningin mo?"

"Maybe. But I think you're not just a star for me."

"Edi ano?"

"A constellation."

"Why do you say so?"

"Because the more I get to know you, the more stars I'll be able to connect with. People may know one or two things about you, and they might either hate it or adore it, but I've seen a lot of interesting things about you. And those things are just like stars that make a constellation of you—something only I could see and appreciate the most."

He took my hand and kissed it. "I love you to the stars and back."

"I love you to the galaxies and beyond," I replied, sounded sarcastic, but I'm pretty sure he knew I meant it.

We shared laughs at that moment, but it didn't last when, all of a sudden, the clouds quickly hid the starry skies and it downpoured.

It was too late to run back to the mansion. He tried to cover me from the rain, but the raindrops had already caught my skin. I saw him panicking and trying to take me back inside as fast as he could, but something was odd.

It felt strange when I suddenly wondered what it was like to soak in the rain without having any fears of crawling inside your mind. He held my hand, running across the backyard, and I found myself watching the sky pour rain over us.

I let go of his hand, and stood still. My mind tried to flash all the memories of the past, reminding me of what I had lost before, but my heart was burning with joy that it took over the fear that I was about to fall on my knees again.

"Flynn, nababasa ka na—"

I stepped forward and grabbed his nape before I pressed my lips on his, something I'm getting used to. I kissed him so hard that it made me forget all of my past that held me back from loving him.

I could feel my knees starting to weaken, but his arms wrapped around me kept me from falling. My body is used to being weakened every time it rains, and tonight, I'm fighting over it. I'm sick and tired of having this fear for years.

"Flynn, you didn't faint."

I smiled and looked up once more. "I think I made it."

Back then, after having this phobia, I started to feel jealous of people enjoying the rain. I wonder what they must've felt when splashing and bathing themselves in so much joy and happiness.

Rain may have taken away people's sadness, but it didn't for me.

Fear conquered me, which kept me locking myself in my room every time the waters fell from the dark clouds above. The growls of the skies triggered my buried past over and over again until I was getting used to it.

It's funny to think of how a single drop of rain could bring back everything in my mind.

But tonight, it was totally different.

I burst into tears, my arms on his shoulders. I've made it.

The feeling was so strange that I couldn't put it into words but only through tears.

Tonight, I made a new memory—something I'd want to remember forever every time it rains. I was barely breathing, but with just one look at him, he made me think of a reason why I should keep myself alive.