Clash Of Crowns I: Shadows Of Love And Sacrifices.

X || With Her

Please note: This story may contain errors and grammatical mistakes. Your understanding and patience are appreciated as this is a work in progress.

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AIESHA'S POV

Sobrang bigat nang pakiramdam ko pag katapos ng lahat ng nangyari. My mind was a mess, replaying the chaos of the evening, my father's revelations, and the danger I narrowly escaped.

But all of that faded when I found myself sitting in Maxine's car again. The girl I was supposed to hate, the girl who should have walked away, is here beside me.

Pasimple ko siyang tinignan, Seryoso pa rin ang itsura niya, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly at malalim din ang pag hinga nito.

I could feel the tension in the air between us. We were strangers, at mag ka away pa ang pamilya namin.

"You don’t have to do this, you know," I said quietly, trying to sound casual, but my voice betrayed me. I was nervous. Everything about tonight felt out of my control.

She didn’t look at me, but her voice was steady. "You shouldn't be alone right now."

There was no argument in her tone. It wasn’t a suggestion; it was a decision she had made for me.

I opened my mouth to protest, to tell her I could take care of myself, but the truth was, I didn’t want to be alone. Not after everything that had just happened.

Silence settled between us again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was strange almost calming. Like the world outside was spinning, and here we were, frozen in this moment that didn’t make any sense.

I studied her out of the corner of my eye. Maxine Lazzaro, the enemy, the girl whose family had supposedly betrayed mine.

And yet, here she was, going out of her way to make sure I was safe. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Was this pity? Guilt? Or something else entirely?

"You don’t trust me, do you?" she said suddenly, breaking the silence.

I blinked, startled. "What?"

She finally glanced at me, her dark eyes meeting mine for the first time since we left. "You’re tense. Like you think I’m going to drive you somewhere else and leave you there." There was a hint of something in her voice like she was teasing, but the intensity of her gaze made my stomach flip.

I swallowed, not sure how to respond. "It’s not that... I just don’t understand why you’re doing this. Why do you care."

Her eyes flickered for a moment before she turned back to the road. Her knuckles were white against the steering wheel. "Maybe I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt because of my family, lalo pa at hindi ako sigurado kung pamilya ko nga ang nag utos sa mga yon"

Her words hung in the air, heavy and laced with something I couldn’t quite place. Regret? Guilt? I had no idea.

But the weight of her words made me pause. Maybe we were more alike than I thought. Both were trapped by the weight of family secrets, both carrying burdens we didn’t ask for.

Before I could respond, we pulled up in front of my house again. This time, the atmosphere was different.

She stayed in the driver’s seat, her gaze fixed on the road ahead like she was lost in her own thoughts, then suddenly she faced me.

"I’ll walk you to the door," she said finally, her voice softer now, almost hesitant.

Gusto ko sabihin sa kanya na okay lang at kaya ko nang mag isa. But something in her expression stopped me, so I just let it be.

We stepped out of the car, I glanced at our house at iniisip ko pa lang ung sermon sakin ni dad ramdam ko na agad ang pagod.

She walked beside me, her presence steady but distant, like she wasn’t sure how close to get.

As we reached the front steps, I turned to face her. "Maxine, why—"

"Don’t," she interrupted, her voice low. "Don’t ask me why I did it. Not tonight."

Agad akong tumingin sa kanya at nag tama ang mga mata namin. She looked conflicted, of something I didn't know...

But still, I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I couldn’t push her right now, not when she was barely holding herself together.

But that didn’t stop the questions swirling in my mind, the need to understand why this girl, of all people, kept showing up when I least expected it.

As if sensing my hesitation, she took a small step back, her eyes scanning my face like she was memorizing every detail. "Go inside, Aiesha," she said, her voice soft but firm. "Get some rest."

I lingered for a moment longer, searching for the right words, but nothing came.

So I did as she said. I turned and walked up the steps, each one feeling heavier than the last. But as I reached the door, I couldn’t help but glance back.

She was still there, watching me, her expression unreadable. And for the first time tonight, I wondered if she was as lost in all of this as I was.

"Goodnight, Maxine," I whispered, though hindi ko alam kung narinig niya.

Without another word, I slipped inside, closing the door softly behind me. But even as I stood in the silence of my house, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.

That whatever was happening between us, whatever had brought her into my life tonight, wasn’t over. And it scared me more than anything else.

Because Maxine Lazzaro wasn’t just a stranger anymore.....
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