Clash Of Crowns I: Shadows Of Love And Sacrifices.

LIII || Trust Me...

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

The moment Max walked back into the living room, something felt off. Nawala ang kaninang mga ngiti niya bago niya sundan si cole.

She didn’t say a word, just moved past everyone and made her way toward the stairs. Susunod na sana ko nang mapansin ko si cole na para bang hindi rin maganda ang mood mukhang napansin rin ni yves dahil tumayo ito at pinuntahan si cole.

I felt my chest tighten. Something had definitely happened between them.

“Max?” I called softly, watching as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

Huminto naman siya at tumingin sakin pero hindi siya nag salita. Her eyes softened when they met mine, yung mata niya....hindi na yon katulad ng dati  para bang nawalan narin ito ng emosyon.

Cole walked past me, her face tight with frustration. She gave Max one last look before she turned to leave the room, shaking her head as if she couldn’t understand what had just happened. Whatever it was, it had to be bad.

“Max, wait,” pigil ko sa kanya at sinundan siya pa akyat sa taas.

I grabbed her hand before she could make it up to her room. She stopped, but didn’t turn to face me.

“Come with me,” I whispered, tugging her gently toward my room. Max didn’t resist. At nag pahatak lang siya sakin.

As soon as we were inside my room, I closed the door behind us and turned to face her, searching her face for answers. Max stood there, her hands in her pockets, eyes fixed on the floor.

“Max, what’s going on?” I asked, my voice soft but laced with concern. “What happened between you and Cole?”

Hindi siya nag salita at nakatayo lang habang naka yuko sa harap ko, ni ayaw niyang salubungin ang mga mata ko.

“Max,” I said, stepping closer to her, placing my hand gently on her arm. “Please~ talk to me. Nag aalala nako sayo," She finally looked up at me, her expression softening. But instead of answering my question, she reached up and cupped my face in her hands, her thumbs gently brushing my cheeks.

The look in her eyes was so full of love and pain that it made my heart ache.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“For what?” I asked, my chest tightening even more. “What are you sorry for?”

But instead of answering, Max leaned in and pressed her forehead against mine, closing her eyes. “Please, Aiesha... just trust me.”

Humiwalay ako sa kanya at naguguluhan siyang nilingon, kinakabahan na ko ano ba talaga ang nangyayari sayo max, “I do trust you, Max. But why won’t you tell me what’s going on? I can see something’s wrong.”

Max shook her head, her eyes still closed. “I can’t... I can’t tell you.”

I didn’t understand. Why couldn’t she tell me? We always shared everything with each other. The thought of her keeping something this big from me hurt more than I could put into words.

“Max, you’re scaring me,” pag amin ko dito sa kung ano yung nararamdaman ko sa ginagawa niya, ayoko nito..ayoko nang may tinatago siya sakin... “What are you hiding?”

But again, she didn’t answer. Instead, she pulled me closer, wrapping her arms around me in a tight embrace. Her face buried itself in the crook of my neck, and I could feel her warm breath against my skin.

“Please,” I whispered, my hands gripping the back of her shirt. “Please tell me.”

Max pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. Her gaze was intense, filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. Then, without warning, she kissed me.

It wasn’t the soft, gentle kiss she usually gave me when she was trying to comfort me. This one was deeper, more desperate, as if she was trying to convey everything she couldn’t say in words. Her lips pressed against mine with a fervor that took me by surprise, and for a moment, I almost pulled away.

But then I felt it...her pain, her love, everything she was holding back. It all came rushing through that kiss, and I found myself melting into her, wrapping my arms around her neck and kissing her back.

I could feel her hands moving to my waist, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. Her lips never left mine as she walked me backward toward the bed. My heart was racing, not just from the intensity of the kiss, but from the overwhelming emotions coursing through both of us.

I wanted to ask more, to press her for answers, but every time I tried to pull back, Max kissed me harder, more passionately, alam kong ginagawa niyo to para makalimutan ko lahat ng tanong sa isip ko at gumagana yon. The more she kissed me, the more my mind started to blur, nakakalimutan ko na meron dapat kaming pag usapan.

“Max...” gusto kong mag salita pero ayaw niyang tumigil. Her lips moved from my mouth to my jawline, trailing down to my neck, her breath warm against my skin.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered against my neck, her voice breaking slightly. “I’m so sorry, Aiesha.”

Nasasaktan ako pag ganito siya, alam kong nahihirapan siya sa kung ano man yung tinatago niya sakin. At masakit sakin kasi hindi ko siya matulungan...

Agad ko siyang niyakap dahil hindi ko alam kung pa ano ko siya papakalmahin, ngayong ayaw naman niya sabihin sakin kung ano ang problema... “I love you, Max.”

She pulled back slightly, her eyes locking with mine. “I love you too. So much.”

Before I could say anything else, she kissed me again, softer this time, but still with that same intensity. It felt like she was pouring all her emotions into that kiss, and I couldn’t help but get lost in it. I kissed her back with just as much passion, my fingers tangling in her hair as I held her close.

Eventually, bumagsak kami sa kama at hinayaan ang nga katawan namin sa bisig nang isa't isa. Max’s arms wrapped tightly around me, and for a while, neither of us said anything. The room was quiet, save for the sound of our breathing slowly evening out.

As we lay there, my head resting against her chest, ang bilis ng tibok ng puso noya at alam kong pati yung akin ay ganon rin....kung sana ganito na lang lagi, malayo sa problema, at walang gulo...

Gusto ko man siyang pilitin na sabihin sakin lahat, pero hindi ko kaya. Not now. Not when she was clearly hurting so much. So instead, I just held her tighter, hoping that one day she would trust me enough to tell me what was going on.

For now, all I could do was love her, and hope that it was enough.

“I trust you, Max,” I whispered softly, even though she was already half-asleep.

Her arms tightened around me in response, and I could feel her lips brush against the top of my head.

“Thank you my love~,”

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