This Time (mejj hiatus)

4.

For Black7Ace, lysskfrrvn and Andrea Reyes.

Tweet me @KiefxLy, for your thoughts, reactions or insights!

[#ThisTime4]

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4.

Alyssa couldn't believe what she was seeing. The man that she loved was with someone else. His ex.

She was just standing there long enough hanggang sa umalis si Mika.

She thought she could handle the pain of seeing him with someone else. Pero hindi pala. Masakit din pala makita na yong mahal mo nasa ibang tao na. Hawak na ng ibang tao. Ang mas masakit pa don ay ang ex niya pa.

Now she decided to do something with the situation dahil di niya na kaya ang kaniyang nakikita. She needed Kiefer to know that she was back, that she was more than ready to love him all over again.

Mahirap man, pero kakayanin.

Alyssa decided to walk towards him. Dahan-dahan. "Act normal, Ly. Act normal. Kaya mo 'to." she thought.

As Alyssa got closer to Kiefer. Napa atras naman si Kiefer.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito?" he asked still in disbelief that Alyssa is standing in front of him. True enough. It may have been a little over a year, since they've seen each other, pero masakit parin ito para kay Kiefer.

"Nandito na ako Kief. Bumalik ako para sayo." Alyssa replied. "Pero huli na ata ako." she heaved a sigh.

Alyssa felt her tears were about to come out to her eyes. Pero she looked away. Ayaw niyang makita ito ni Kiefer. She knew na marami siyang sasabihin na explanations kay Kiefer, but she doesn't know where to start. She also wanted to say that she loved him so much. Na siya ang palagi niyang iniisip kahit nung nasa States pa siya.

"Kung ano man yang iniisip mo, hindi yan totoo. Wag tayo dito mag-usap. Punta nalang tayo sa office ko. " Kiefer said coldly.

As they were walking towards to the office of Kiefer. Walang nagsasalita, tahimik lang. Walang kibuan.

Upon entering the office; Alyssa noticed how everything is organized. And yes, he was still the same Kiefer she fell inlove with.

As she was scanning the office, merong isang bagay ang naka pansin sa attention niya. The picture frame; A collage of palaroids. She was surprised that the memory they shared wayback was still there.

Ang sarap lang mag-reminisce sa part niya pag kakita niya sa mga pictures. Ang sarap ibalik yong dati. If only she could bring back the time, gagawin niya, para maitama lahat ng pagkakamali niya. Pero she can't, alam niyang di niya ito magagawa.

When Kiefer noticed that she was looking at the picture frame intently. He faced it down.

"Kailan ka dumating." Kiefer asked

"Last month pa." Alyssa replied. "Gusto ko sanang makipag kita sayo. Tawagan ka or i-text ka, pero nag isip-isip ko na baka hindi mo pa ako kayang kausapin pagkatapos sa lahat ng nangyari."

Kiefer was happy that Alyssa was here. Very happy. Pero meron sa part niya na sobrang sakit. Na hindi niya pa 'to kayang kausapin. He couldn't deny that seeing her again after a year, the pain that he felt that night is coming back.

He wanted to kiss her, to hold her hands, to hug her, to tell her that he still love her and to ask her how she's been going. But then again, he couldn't. The pain is so overwhelming, hindi niya 'to malabanan, it stopped him to show his affection to Alyssa.

All he could do now was to smile a little, napangiti na lang siya na kung bakit ganon mapaglaro ang tadhana sa kanila, but now, it was slowly bringing back them together.

Slowly but surely.

One step at a time para sa kanila.

Kasi kung sila, sila.

So still, He is doing everything to take it one point at a time.

Pero aaminin niya, mahirap.

The breakup he experienced before is already too much kaya kahit sabihin mo pa na "oras na" wala talaga.

Ngunit eto na nga ba 'yong tamang oras para makapagusap silang dalawa. Para maayos lahat. Para mag ka-liwanagan silang dalawa... O, baka hindi parin. Tadhana lang talaga makakapag sabi.

"Akala ko, kaya ko." Kiefer said.
"Akala ko, kaya kong makita ka ulit. Akala ko, kung makikita kita ulit wala na akong mararamdaman na kirot dito sa puso ko. Pero Ly, akala lang pala. Masakit parin e." He teared. "Parang kahapon lang nangyari lahat, At ang masaklap pa, kahit sinaktan mo ako kahit na sabihin kong hindi na kita mahal, kahit dinurog mo ang puso ko, mahal parin kita Alyssa."

Alyssa approached him and she touch his face. She was starting to tear up. "I'm sorry." She said. "I'm sorry kung sinaktan kita. It's my fault. Hindi ko ginusto lahat ng yun, Kiefer. Maniwala ka man o sa hindi." She added. "Naging tanga ako, naging duwag ako noon. Nagpadala ako sa takot na baka kung mahalin kita ng sobra sobra, masasaktan lang ako sa huli. But I should've known better."

Kiefer heaved heavily. "Alyssa, alam mo namang hindi kitang kayang saktan di ba. Alam mo yon. Ba't sa dinami daming tao, ikaw pa talaga nawalan ng tiwala sa akin."

"I'm very sorry, Kief." she said while her tears are falling down. "I know we still have a lots of things to talk about, pero will you atleast give this chance for us, to try."

Kiefer huffed. "Try what?"

"To work things out again. Yung ikaw at ako lang ulit. Tayong dalawa lang." Alyssa followed

"Alam mong hindi ganun yun kadali Alyssa, pero why?" was all he could ask. "Why, Alyssa? why do you still want to fight?"

"Because I love you!" she shouted at him. "Mahal parin kita Kiefer. Walang nagbago sa pagmamahal ko sayo, my love for you is still the same Kiefer."

"As I've said hindi ganun kadaling bumalik." Kiefer said.

"Alam ko and handa ako maghintay." She replied. "Handa akong gawin lahat, para makabawi sayo." She hugged him tight, a back hug. "Please, Kiefer. Mahal kita, ikaw ang dahilan kung bakit nandito ako sa Pilipinas."

Tears are kept flowing from Kiefer's eyes. He is always wanted to hear those words from Alyssa, but he still was in pain.

Alyssa continued to touch his face. "Alam kong nasaktan kita, pero alam ko ring may lugar parin ako diyan sa puso mo." She said.

"Pero bakit ganun.." Kiefer said. "Kung mahal mo ako bakit mo ako nagawang saktan noon."

"Alyssa, pagkatapos ng gabing yun, hindi ako napagod sa kakaasa na baka isang araw, bumalik ka na. Na baka mag bago ang isip mo na baka mahal mo parin ako. But as months went by I need to be realistic. Na kahit gaano mo kamahal yung tao kung desedido siyang iwan ka, iiwan ka niya."

"Pero nandito na ako, hindi na kita sasaktan hindi na kita iiwan." Alyssa gave it her all, she was trying to convince him that she was now braver, that she wasn't going to let anything get in the way their relationship, not even her self.

"Alyssa, para na tayong laruan na patuloy na pinaglalaro ng tadhana." He said.

"Kiefer, I love you. Please sana maniwala kanaman sa akin." She didn't care if she was pleading to him but if this is what she deserved after all the pain she caused him, then be it.

"Alyssa tama na..."