To Be Worthy of You

Chapter 30: Love is in the Air

"Good thing it fits." Blake smiled while checking her ring finger. They are at his condo unit now, seated comfortably at the sofa. His arms around her.

Iomhe looked at him tenderly.

"I really don't know how you found the right measurement."

"Well, you got delicate fingers, I assumed it would be the smallest." He sighed.

"Hmmmnnn. I am really dazed. One moment you're treating me like a stranger and then all of a sudden you were begging on your knees for me to marry you." She teased.

"You see, I meant it to be a series of surprises but I did not expect that you're going back to Indonesia today already. I really thought that the old man was on my side agreeing with my plans but I guess he saw that you were clearly hurting and yearning for me." He smiled playfully.

"Terry just loved me that much.See, I missed my flight." She pouted.

"You really missed the bastard huh?" His stare is getting serious.

"Blake! Huwag mo na naman isali si Kramer dito." She rolled her eyes.

"And why not? You called him as soon as Mccall told you you're going back. Eh ako, ni wala ka man lang text." He said fuming.

Iomhe looked at her hands.

"I...I was jealous...It was too painful to hear you say I love you to another girl. I thought you were referring to me as a mess you needed to take care of. I couldn't let myself hear you tell me to go away, to leave. So, I decided not to make it difficult for you I left. You clearly told me, you needed me just for the meantime." She said sadly.

Blake lifted her chin so she could look at him.

"Babe, I did not know how to ask you to stay with me. I might scare you again. Besides, you were not ready. What we had was a painful connection to a tragic past we both wanted to forget badly. I on my part decided to give you up. Especially when I saw you with Kramer. I thought, he could make you happy. He could make things right. You could be a normal couple. I wanted to die when he kissed you on that porch. No, I wanted to murder him. When you called while you were trapped inside that elevator, all the strength I thought I knew got drained. Then, I realized hindi ko kakayanin na mawala ka. I swore I would come back to force you to like me, to love me back again...." Blake closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

Iomhe was too emotional to speak.

"When you came to see my mother that night, I was furious. I was too tired, I couldn't even shed a tear. But when you started sobbing in front of her coffin I started crying, I started recognizing the fact that my mother left me a gift. She forced you to come back to me." He continued.

"But you rejected me..." Iomhe inserted softly.

"Because you came looking for me like I was a lost puppy. Your eyes betrayed what you felt for me that night babe. You pitied me." He looked away.

"No..." She whispered.

"Yes you did. But when you went out running, I thought, fine! If she came here just because she pitied me then I could use that to my advantage." This time Blake was smiling, looking at her.

"And I guess I fell for that trap." She countered, amused.

"You did babe... You gave me a lot to hold on to when I was broken that night. I held on to the comfort of knowing I have you. So, I guess it is my turn to prove you, I could be worth it. I will spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of you." Blake spoke in a somber tone.

"You are more than worthy Blake...I... I never thought you would even take me seriously." She smiled.

"I love you Iomhe Catherine... I have never been like this to anybody else, ever."

Iomhe felt her throat constrict.

"And I love you so much Blake Joaquin..."

"Babe, we'll get married as soon as the Indonesia project is done and mind you, I will constantly visit you as long as I got the time. Alina will take care of the preparations, shoe knows designers and people who could organize it."

Iomhe looked at him and smiled.

"Can that wait?"

Blake's eyebrows furrowed.

"What?"

"Can you shut up for now and kiss me instead?" Iomhe teased.

Blake's eyes darkened as he looked at her.

"As you wish babe...As you wish..."

-----the end-------