Piece by Piece

Chapter 19

"In love there are two things– bodies and words." —Joyce Carol Oates

19

I woke up with the sound of my phone ringing, on normal days I would have hated it but today, I will let it pass. My almost grumpy mood turned into a good one when I heard her voice complain of the noise and felt her body shift towards me.

"Hmmm." I heard her again when her phone came alive after a minute mine did, I reached on to her side and turned it off as to not wake her at napangiti ako, she looked so tired in her deep sleep.

Her soft skin and warm breath makes this morning the best one yet just like how last night was.

*riiiiiiiiing* the phone rang again.

"Sino ba yan?" She finally opened her eyes and reached for her phone.

"6:30 am? Mamaya na Anne." Bulong niya sabay off ng phone niya at tinago sa loob ng drawer ng bedside table niya.

I was just watching her the whole time at di ko na rin maiwasang mapangiti when I remembered what happened last night.

"Mahal na mahal kita." Narinig niyang sinabi ni Vice. She already heard it before pero parang iba ngayon. Parang mas galing sa puso, parang mas totoo.

"I love you too..." She answered back kasi iyon rin naman talaga ang nararamdaman niya. Mahal na nga niya talaga, wala ng pag-aalinlangan sa puso niya. Mabilis? Pero para sa kaniya parang ang tagal tagal na.

"K, would you be my girlfriend?"

She felt her eyes water when he asked her that question. She knew it would come but coming out from his own lips just made everything legit.

May kung ano ring kumalabit sa puso niya na parang nagsasabing ''sige na, sunggab na, mahal mo na rin naman."

Mabilis niyang hinarap si Vice at madiin na tumitig sa mga mata nito.

"A-are you sure about this?" She just asked.

"More than I know I would." He answered.

"If I say yes, hindi na ba ako masasaktan?" She asked.

"If you say yes hindi ko maipapangakong hindi ka na masasaktan." He answered.

She tried to look away dahil nahiya siya, that was a stupid question she just asked, and of course, she already know the answer.

"Pero isa lang ang maipapangako ko, na sa tuwing may makakapagpaalala sayo ng mga sakit diyan sa puso mo, hindi ka na mag-iisa, kasama mo na akong haharapin sila. I cannot promise you a lifetime without pain but I can promise that I won't let a day go by na hindi kita napapasaya." Dagdag pa ni Vice sabay halik sa noo nito.

Medyo nagpanick na siya ng hindi siya sagutin ni Karylle at umiyak pa ang dalaga.

"H-hindi mo naman ako kailangang sagutin ngayon. Okay lang naman sa akin. I just want to put a label on us, that's it. I would still fulfill my promise kahit na hindi mo ko sagutin kasi mahal kita—" hindi na natapos pa ni Vice ang dapat niyang sabihin ng halikan na siya ni Karylle, it was a short but passionate kiss.