You Saved Me

You Saved Me | Prologue

"I like you." Hans was taken aback when Claire confessed out of nowhere. "Not like I like you as a person, but I like you in a romantic way."

Claire is staring into his eyes when she's letting out those words. Parang si Hans pa nga 'yung kinakabahan e hindi naman siya 'yung nag-confess. He let out a nervous chuckle. "Bakit ako?"

She shrugs her shoulder and leans her back on the railings, breaking eye contact with him. Nasa rooftop sila ng isang abandonadong building. Dito sila unang nagkakilala. They both looked problematic at the time. "Do I need to have a reason?"

"Oo. I always need reasons. Feeling ko kasi pinagt-tripan lang ako kapag wala e."

She sighs. "Fine. I like talking to you. I like how you make me laugh. I like you because you're you." She can feel her cheeks turning red. Nakakaramdam na siya ng hiya kaya naman mas iniiwasan niyang tignan si Hans ngayon. First time niya kasing gawin 'to. She doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know what will happen after this, and it kind of scares her. Uncertainty scares her. "Isang gabi, nahirapan na lang akong matulog kasi naiisip kita. Alam mo 'yung sa sobrang excited mo sa mangyayari kinabukasan, hindi ka na makatulog?"

Tumango si Hans at tahimik na naghihintay sa susunod na sasabihin ng babaeng umamin sa kaniya. "Gano'n nararamdaman ko simula no'ng makilala kita. Hindi ako makatulog sa gabi kasi nae-excite akong makita at makausap ka ulit kinabukasan. Iniisip ko na agad kung ano mga pag-uusapan natin. And..." She is fidgeting. She's debating whether to tell him what she's about to say or just shut her mouth.

"And?"

She sighs, feeling defeated. I mean, naumpisahan na niya, bakit bigla siyang matatakot, 'di ba? "Okay, don't think that I'm crazy for saying this, but..." She closes her eyes, wondering if she should just jump off the building pagkatapos niyang sabihin 'yung gusto niyang sabihin. "I felt scared when I started to feel this way. When I started feeling those butterflies flying inside my stomach. I think I was scared that I might get hurt for feeling this way. This is new to me, kaya naman hanggat 'di pa ko nalulunod nang malalim..." She opens her eyes and looks at him again. "I-reject mo na ko ngayon. Harap-harapan."

Hans doesn't know what to say. I mean, he's previously had girls confess to him, pero kagaya ni Claire, bago rin 'to para sa kaniya. Kasi ang ineexpect niya madalas kapag may umaamin sa kaniya is they will beg him to reciprocate their feelings. To give them a chance. Pero si Claire, parang mas mawawala pa 'yung kaba niya from confessing kapag ni-reject siya.

He shrugs as he sits down on the floor. He remains silent for a minute as he mulls over what to say. "What now?" Claire asks. She's growing impatient, and kapag tumagal nang tumagal na wala pa siyang sagot na naririnig, lalo siyang kinakabahan.

"Look," Hans paused, showing her a worried expression. "I really don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? 'Yes' lang if you like me too, or 'no' lang if you don't want to give me— or us a chance."

"That's the thing. It's not like I don't want to give us a chance; it's just that I don't like you like that."

"So it's a no."

"Claire, it's not-"

"Hans, you just said that you don't like me enough to pursue me. So that's a no. Hindi mo na kailangang lagyan ng mga bulaklak 'yung salita mo. Just hurt me directly. Mas madali ko pang matatanggap 'yun."

He stands up and walks closer to her. They are now facing each other. Claire tries to hide the pain she's currently feeling from rejection, but she thinks it's better this way. It hurts, but she also thinks that maybe being friends with him is much better. She's just afraid of what will happen kung maging sila. Hans holds her hands at nabigla si Claire nang makaramdam siya ng kuryente. "How about you give me a chance to think about this? Ayaw kong magbigay ng sagot habang wala ako sa maayos na ulirat."