Tears Of An Angel

Prologue

Prologue: Tears of an Angel

I can feel my young heart breaking apart, even my tears won't stop from flowing. It's like they have a mind of their own. I never thought that it's possible to feel such an intense pain at a young age. How do I stop this pain?

"Please stop crying, angel." I look up and see sadness on his face. He gently pulls me in his arms and murmurs soothing words in my ear. "Please stop. It pains me to see you like this."

"How?" I ask, crying.

He wipes my tears and looks into my eyes. "We'll see each other again. I promise."

"You're just saying that," I mutter.

He smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Have I ever broken any of my promises?" I shake my head. He breathes deeply and says, "let's make a deal: If you get the highest honor on your graduation day, I'll come back for you."

I pout. "I'm only in my first year. Tagal pa non." 

He chuckles softly. "Well, that's the deal."

"What if di ako ang valedictorian?" I ask, feeling worried.

He shrugs his shoulders. "Then it'll take longer for me to come back." My eyes widen. "Are you telling me you can't do it, angel?"

It never fails to warm my heart whenever he calls me that. When I asked him before why he calls me that, he simply said that I look like one. 

Can't I? No, I can do it! If it's the only for him to come back sooner then I'd study hard. I lift my head and say, "I can."

"That's my angel."

He places a soft kiss on my forehead and hugs me again. More tightly this time. 

"I'll work hard for it. So you better keep your promise."

"I will, angel." He takes a step back from me then takes off his necklace. "Here. Wear this for me. It'll keep you safe. That's what my grandfather used to tell me."

My eyes widen. It's a white gold necklace which was given to him by his grandfather. I know how important it is to him. He was very close to his grandfather when the latter was still alive. He never took it off because it was a constant reminder of his lolo. I take a step back when he tries to put it around my neck. 

"I can't take it."

He raises his brow. "Why not?"

"I know how important that is to you. Lolo Seby gave that to you. You never took it off."

"Indeed," he says, nodding his head.

"Then I can't possibly-" He puts his finger on my lips.

"I trust you to take care of it while I'm away. On your graduation day, I'll get it back."

I don't know what to say. Then he pulls me closer and put it around my neck. I swallow as I look at it. He smiles and touches it. Then he looks straight in my eyes. 

"On my graduation day, right?"

He nods. "You'll wait for me, won't you?" he asks with a hint of uncertainty.

I bite my lower lip and nod. "I will wait for you."

He cups my face then hugs me again. I breathe in his addictive scent which I will surely miss once he leaves for the States. 

I'm trying so hard to fight back my tears. The day I've been dreading has come. Vincent Anderson, my childhood best friend, my protector, my knight, my kuya, and the love of my life, is leaving. He's leaving and yet, I haven't confessed to him yet. Yes, I'm in love with him. And he doesn't even have an inkling how I feel about him. 

My mama and his are the best of friends. Therefore, we grew up together treating each other like siblings. Vince is five years older than me and thinks that he should be my protector. He's even sometimes more strict than dad. I used to call him 'kuya', but I stopped doing so when I realized that I'm already in love with him. 

At first, he found it weird that I no longer call him kuya and even insisted that I should call him because he's older than me. But I just made a lot of excuses not to call him that. In the end, he gave up and just let me call him by his name. 

I try swallowing the pain so that Vince won't see how much pain I am in because he's leaving. The first time I heard about his plan to study abroad, I cried a river and didn't talk to him for two days. Actually, him studying abroad shouldn't be a surprise because he's father is an american business tycoon who lives in the States. 

Nandito lang sina ninang dahil walang mag-aasikaso sa lola niya at sa hacienda nina ninang. Pero lagi rin silang umuuwi sa States. Sanay naman ako sa set up na iyon. But this time, it's different because Vince is gonna stay there for I don't know how long. Worse, he might even stay there for good. 

"Chela, say good bye to your ninang and Vince," said mama.

I step forward and say, "have a safe trip po, ninang."

She gives me a warm smile and then hugs me. "Thank you, Chela. I will surely miss you, hija." Then she looks back. "Vince."

He walks towards me. I can't even look him in the eye. Nanatili akong nakayuko for fear I might break down if I look into his eyes. 

"Take care," I mutter above whisper.

Without words, he pulls me in his arms and wraps them around me. "I will miss you. Don't forget me, okay? I'll call you as often as I can," he says, patting my head gently.

I can't contain my emotions anymore. I burst into tears and cry in his chest. "K-keep your promise. I'll wait for you."

He tightens his arms around me. "I will. I'll come back for you." I nod, hugging him back tightly. Never wanting to let him go. I'm so close to begging him to stay but I know it's not fair for him. "Promise me you'll wait for me." He whispers in my ear.

"I promise," I say, nodding my head. 

"Vince, we have to go," Ninang mutters.

We reluctantly let go of each other. "I won't say goodbye, angel because I'll see you again."

"See you." He leans closer and kisses me on the cheek. It makes my heart beat faster.

He looks at me longingly before he walks away. My tears start falling as I watch him walk away with my heart.