Versailles Series Book 7: The Ballerina [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 45

=== J U A N  M I G U E L ===

I just sent an email to the board when I looked up and watched Alexandria with her therapist. She really has come a long way from a few weeks ago. I smiled to myself because I felt proud of her. I always knew she's a strong-willed woman.

Napalingon ako sa pinto nang may mag-doorbell. I wondered who it could be. Iniwan ko una ang mga ito at tinignan ang nasa labas. Kumunot ang noo ko nang makita si Georgina.

I opened the door but didn't let her in. I haven't seen her or talked to her since the confrontation with my grandmother. I can't believe she was scheming with her.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it for you to find that out that way. And whatever it is I felt for you, totoo iyon Juan Miguel! Mahal kita at mahal pa rin kita. Why did you think I never left you all these years?"

Umiling ako. "There's nothing else to talk about, Georgina. We're done. The friendship that we had is also done. I also want to apologize if my treatment to you made you do things. I made it clear to you before that I can never see myself in a relationship with you that's why I broke up with you, remember? I told you you deserved better. A man who loves you for real. I'm not that. I'm sorry if you felt that I used you all these years. You can hurt me however you want but nothing changes, Georgina."

"Siya pa rin ba ang mahal mo, Juan Miguel?"

"She never left my heart. That's why I can't give you my heart before. And especially now." Now that I think about how I treated Georgina, maybe its my fault that it all came to this. I kept her not too close to be my girlfriend but not too far to not fall for me.

"Pero hindi ka na niya gusto. Ayaw na niya sa iyo! Hindi ka na niya tatanggapin! Ako na lang. Hindi kita sasaktan. Papasayahin kita." She was holding arm like her life depended on it.

"I'm sorry Georgina. This is the least I can do for you. I can't offer you anything right now. Not love and not friendship."

Tinalikuran ko na ito para pumasok pero nagpumilit ito at dire-diretso sa loob.

"Ikaw! Ikaw na lang lagi ang pinipili niya! Ni hindi mo siya pinahalagahan noon! You left him like he was nothing for your dream! Ako! Ako ang sumalo sa kanya noong iniwan mo siya! You don't deserve him! You never did! Nararapat lang sa iyo iyan-"

Hinaklit ko siya sa braso. "You have no right to say that to her." Binitiwan ko ito bago ko pa pagsisihan ang gagawin ko. I breathed in deeply before settling my eyes on her. "Leave. I'm giving you a chance to save your remaining dignity before I throw you out of the club. Get out!"

She gave me one last look before heading out of the door. Hinarap ko si Alexandria. She was frozen in shock.

"I didn't want her to come inside. I'm sorry. You didn't have to hear that."

"It's...it's okay. She looks...very angry at me. I thought both of you were-"

"Let's talk about it later." I gestured to the nurse and therapist with us. "I'll just make a call. Excuse me."

I went outside and dialed Winter's number. "I want to blacklist someone."

***

I tried to avoid Alexandria for the rest of the day. I felt relieved that she was more shocked than angry with Georgina. Although now that her session is over, I have to face her if she has any questions. I avoided her because I don't want to distract her from her therapy today.

I placed her food on the tray before bringing that to the table she was scanning her tablet and looked up when I brought food. I tried to read her expression for any sign of anger or anything but there's none. It's just her pleasant, beautiful face.

"What are we having?" Tanong nito.

"Macaroni soup. It's rainy outside so I figured you might like something warm."

"Wouldn't be Baguio if it isn't raining in the afternoon." She has a small smile on her lips. "My therapist said I'm responding well. I might walk earlier than expected."

"Really?"

She nodded. "We'll try more walking exercises outside."

"That's great news. What's next after you can walk again?"

"It's time I open the school, Juan Miguel. I'm getting more students as of the moment. I'm really excited to go back."

I smiled at her while concealing the sadness within. We may be smiling and talking at each other but the truth that what we have right now is coming to an end sooner than later brings a familiar ache in me. We'll go our separate ways. For real this time.

"I thought you're going to Paris?"

Kumunot ang noo nito. "Hmm? Nabanggit ko ba sa iyo noon?" She shook her head. "They wanted me to teach in a new school there for a couple of years. In exchange, they'll bring some ballerinas here to Paris just like how I ended up there before. But I turned them down."

I thought she was going? I thought she was leaving me again that night...? "You turned them down?"

She nodded. "As much as I wanted, I was planning to-" Napatigil ito at tumikhim. "When we're still together...I turned it down because I was starting a new life with you. I have so much reasons to stay. There's the school...and you. But even now, I don't plan on going even if I didn't have the accident." Sadness passed through her eyes.

"Did you want to?"

"I think kids in the country deserve the opportunity, Juan Miguel. Just like how I had the opportunity. But I thought it was time to settle down."

I nodded. I mentally smacked myself for not probing before. I thought she was leaving me. Kaya inunahan ko ito bago pa ako nito iwan ulit tulad noon.

"Are you okay?" She asked me.

"Yeah. Sorry about Georgina earlier. I had her blacklisted from the club."

"Oh. Did you break up?"

I looked at her eyes and she was just genuinely curious. I don't know if there was jealousy too. "We never got back together. What happened that day was a stupid move. I..." I guess it's time to come clean now. There's nothing to lose anyway. I already lost her. "I thought you were leaving for Paris again. Like 8 years ago. Ayokong iwan mo ako ulit tulad ng noon. So I asked for her help to stage that we were sleeping behind your back. I shouldn't have used her. It fueled her love for me. I was wrong. That's such a dick move. And I lost you."

"You heard me talking to Johnny?"

I nodded. "You were calling someone. It was as if I was pulled to the past. It felt like you were leaving me again. I tried to ask you but you avoided the topic and didn't tell me about it."

"I didn't want to leave you again. I turned it down because we were starting over again." Her expression was filled with disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Alexandria."

She avoided my gaze. "I'll be in my room."

Hinayaan ko na lang itong pumasok sa kuwarto. I waited for her to call me for help but she didn't for the rest of the evening. Nang silipin ko ito ay mahimbing na ang tulog nito.

I knew she was slipping away from my hands each day. And it's all my fault.

CHAPTER 46 >>