promise are the sweetest lies

chapter 9 his pov

It had been three long years since Xhenia disappeared from my life. Three years of trying to forget, trying to move forward, but I never really could. I thought I had seen the last of her after that day—the day she walked in on Nova kissing me. She had vanished without a trace, leaving me with more questions than answers. I tried to reach out, tried to explain, but every call, every message went unanswered.

And now, here I was, standing in the heart of Manila, doing my usual routine, and there she was—like a ghost from my past. I wasn’t sure at first. Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me, but when I looked again, I knew it was her. Xhenia. She was walking through the park with a little boy by her side. A boy who looked strangely familiar.

I watched them from a distance, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn’t believe it—after all these years, there she was, and not alone. I couldn't stop staring at the kid. There was something about him, the way he moved, the way his dark hair framed his face… It was like looking at a reflection of myself from years ago. My gut twisted with a feeling I couldn’t quite place.

It all came crashing down in an instant.

That boy… he looked just like me. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

Xhenia had a son.

My son.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. My mind went blank, consumed by the reality that I had missed three years of my child's life. All because of a misunderstanding—a misunderstanding that had cost me so much more than I had ever imagined.

Before I could gather my thoughts, Xhenia spotted me. Her face froze, and I could see the panic in her eyes. She quickly turned away, ushering the boy—our son—away from me. But I couldn’t let her slip away again. Not this time. I had too many questions. I had every right to know the truth.

I followed them from a distance, keeping just enough space between us. I didn’t want to startle her or make things worse than they already were. But the more I watched them together, the more I saw it. The way the boy smiled up at her, the way his eyes sparkled when he laughed. He was mine. I could see it in every gesture, in every look. There was no doubt anymore.

When they finally stopped at an apartment complex, I knew I had to confront her. I couldn’t let this go any longer. I needed answers.

Taking a deep breath, I walked up to her door and knocked, my heart hammering in my chest. I could hear her moving around inside, and then, the door opened. And there she was—Xhenia, standing right in front of me. Her eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, we just stood there, staring at each other. Neither of us knew what to say.

"Zyril…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"We need to talk," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I couldn’t afford to lose control, not now. Not when so much was at stake.

She hesitated, glancing over her shoulder, and I knew why. The boy—our son—was inside. I could hear him playing, oblivious to the tension between us.

"Okay," she finally said, stepping aside to let me in.

As I walked into the small apartment, my eyes immediately landed on him. He was sitting on the floor, happily playing with his toys, completely unaware of what was happening. My chest tightened as I watched him. There he was—the son I never knew I had.

"Xhenia…" I started, my voice breaking. "Why didn’t you tell me?"

She looked down, guilt written all over her face. "I didn’t know how," she admitted. "After everything that happened… I couldn’t face you. I was hurt, and I thought it was best to just… leave."

"Best?" I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. "You thought it was best to keep my son from me?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn’t look at me. "I didn’t want to complicate things. You were moving on with Nova, and I didn’t want to ruin your life. I thought you’d be better off without us."

"Better off?" I repeated, shaking my head. "How could you think that? Xhenia, he’s my son. I had a right to know."

She finally looked up at me, tears streaming down her face. "I was scared, Zyril. I didn’t know what to do. And by the time I found out I was pregnant, I was already in the States. I thought… I thought it would be easier for both of us if I just stayed away."

"Stayed away?" I felt a surge of anger rise in my chest. "You don’t get to make that decision for me. You don’t get to decide whether or not I’m a part of his life."

Her tears fell harder, and she covered her face with her hands. "I’m sorry," she sobbed. "I’m so sorry."

For a moment, I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to be angry, to yell, to tell her how much she had hurt me by disappearing. But seeing her like this, broken and vulnerable, made it impossible. I had loved her once—so deeply—and I could still see glimpses of that love buried beneath the pain.

I took a deep breath and softened my voice. "Xhenia, I would’ve been there. For you. For him. You didn’t have to go through this alone."

She looked up at me, her eyes red and swollen. "I know," she whispered. "But I didn’t know how to come back after everything that happened. I was scared you wouldn’t want us."

I stepped closer to her, closing the gap between us. "I would’ve wanted you," I said quietly. "I still do."

Her eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, we just stood there, the weight of everything we had lost hanging heavy in the air. Then, slowly, I reached out and pulled her into my arms. She hesitated for a second, but then melted into me, her sobs muffled against my chest.

We stood like that for what felt like hours, holding each other, trying to make sense of the mess we had created. There was so much to say, so much to fix, but for now, all that mattered was that we were here. Together.

"I want to be a part of his life," I said softly, pulling back to look at her. "I want to be his father. Please don’t shut me out again."

She nodded, wiping her tears away. "You deserve that," she said quietly. "He deserves that."

As I looked down at my son—our son—I knew that this was just the beginning. There would be challenges ahead, and it wouldn’t be easy. But I was ready to fight for him. For us.

For the family we could still become.

_____

Time na para sa pambihirang plot 😝