✓ Forbidden Sweetness of Eden [COMPLETED]

Chapter 24

A heavy smoke escaped from his mouth as his head jerked to lean at the bark of the coconut tree.

He blew a loud breath to calm his pounding organ when a beautiful woman caught his attention.

Kristel was wearing a simple white dress. The night was dark and dull but with her presence everything seemed so ethereal. The salty breeze of the ocean caresses her sensitive skin as her hair moves along with it. Every calm wave that the ocean produced was screaming her name, begging to at least touch the tip of her feet. The dark sky was heavily clouded but the moon still found its way to shine light upon the nymph who visited the shore.

Teodomero was unable to move. His breath was robbed by the woman who possessed that insane beauty—the same woman who also robbed his sanity five years ago.

A small line appeared on his lips but his anxiety only grew bigger. Kristel has been deliberately avoiding him and he could still remember begging God to do something between them, but now that he has given the chance to talk with her, Teodomero couldn't stop overthinking. There is something that is not sitting well and it just feels wrong.

He planned to stay hidden under the dark shade of the tree but opted not to. Ayaw niyang paghintayin ang dalaga. Itinapon niya malapit sa paahan ang upos ng sigarilyo pagkatapos ay niyapakan. He put his hands on his pockets then strolled the path towards the beautiful nymph who was busy admiring the beauty of the ocean.

Kristel hugged herself when a cold breeze of wind kissed her skin. She even breathed on her cold palms to warm her up but it was all useless. How could she be careless not to bring a jacket with her when she gets cold easily? She bit her lower lip then rubbed her palms on her shuddering shoulders when a familiar warm and calloused hands held her cold ones.

Kristel froze upon seeing the Professor. He did not speak. He just held her cold hands then raised it in front of his mouth. Her respiratory system stopped working when the warm breath of the Professor embraced her shivering hands. Her insides were screaming to pull away from the Professor's hands but Kristel remained not moving. She was puzzled. She deliberately avoided him and she knew he was aware of that, yet here he is showing care and warmth to her. Again.

"Kanina ka pa naghihintay?" Obviously, Teodomero lied. To hell he would tell that he'd been waiting for her 30 minutes earlier before they agreed to meet.

A frown made its way on Kristel's forehead when she smelled the faint tang of cigarette from the Professor but she did not speak against it. Ano namang pakialam niya sa bisyo ng Propesor?

"T-thank you," uutal-utal niyang sambit kasabay nang pagbawi ng mga kamay niya. She cleared her throat then looked in another direction just to not cross eyes with the Professor. She's just here for closure—kahit hindi naging sila.

"I'm getting married." Kristel muttered so as to break the deafening silence between her and the Professor.

"I know."

"With Heart, of course." She chuckled shakily.

Teo did not respond this time.

"You see ..." she cleared her throat, "after you left ... Heart has been there by my side. He never left me despite my harsh and multiple rejections. I talked about you to him for years, yearn for you, and even asked him to beg the heavens above to let me see you again. I purposely pushed Heart away because I said I have you ... but you never came back, never contacted me nor tell me the reason why you left me." A loud sigh escaped from her mouth. She was trying her hardest not to quiver nor let a single tear drop from her eye.

Teo remained unresponsive. His eyes only glued at Kristel.

"But I'm fine now. I'm getting married. Babalik na kami sa siyudad bukas para maghanda sa kasal na gaganapin sa susunod na araw." She chuckled humorlessly. Matagal pa bago muli siyang nakapagsalita. "You know that I've waited for you, right?"