COME BACK TO ME, SLAVEN | #Wattys2019

Chapter 22 - Stop making me fall for you!

“Stop making me fall for you!” she speaks out loud.

“Ella?” Slaven's forehead is in a knot as he releases her.

“Don't do that again or else I'll fly back to my country.” She turned away from him.

“Ella!” He followed her to the elevator. “Where are you going?”  he asked as he grab hold of her arm.

“Back to my room!”

“You can't go there. We have to let the reporters leave before you can go to your room.”

“I have to. I have to, stay away from you right now. Or I can't continue with my work here.” she said in a weak voice while looking at his face. Oh-oh, bad move.

“Why?” he asks, confusion written all over his face.

“Why did you do that?” she asks him back.

“Do what?” he pretended not to have any idea of what she's talking about.

“Kiss me!” she blushed as she blurted out.

Slaven was silent for a heart beat and gave the lamest answer his coward heart could give.

“Because I want to thank you for being here.”

“You don't have to kiss me to thank me. A simple thank you will do.”

“Because I badly want to kiss you looking so beautiful when I picked you up in your room, in the elevator, and even in the press conference! If I wasn't aware of how may people are looking at us I would've kissed you right there.” he just said without thinking. Too late, Ella is already wide-eyed with surprise hearing him say that.

Then she bit her lip and forcefully told him.

“Don't you ever say that again, Slaven. Don't play with my feelings. And don't you dare make me fall for you or else I'll forget about the contract. If I have to go home just to stay away from you, I will. I've been through a lot so please, stop it.”

Is he seeing tears in her eyes? The elevator door open and she gets in.
“Ella!” he stopped short. Her eyes were pleading him not to follow, so he just stood there regretting what he did. No, he did not regret kissing her . He's been dying to do it in the press conference earlier. The elevator door closed but he caught sight as she wiped a tear that fell on her beautiful face.

“Shit!” He regrets it, all right. He regretted kissing her without telling her first how he feels. Is he liking her? No. It's more than that. So, does he love her?
He cursed as he kicked the elevator door.

--++-+---+--+---

Nanginginig pa rin si Ella sa pinagsamang galit, kilig, at sobra-sobrang kaba. Halo-halo ang nararamdaman niya at hindi niya magawang bigyan ng pangalan o maipaliwanag iyon. Heto na nga ba ang ikinatatakot niya. That's why she obviously don't wanna come to begin with.
Being with a celebrity like Slaven, her heart is at stake. She knows she'll eventually fall for him. But would it be the same if it's with another handsome, oh-so-appealing celebrity? She's not sure of that.

With Slaven, it's entirely different. Oo nga, she haven't been with any other celebrity, yet. But she's sure, Slaven is an entirely different man from any other celebrity in comparison.

With him, she feels so important, so special. He cares for her like no other, compared to her ex-fiance. With Slaven mas nararamdaman pa niya na espesyal siya. That she's loved. With Slaven...

She have feelings for him.

God, the realization startled her. Since when? She asked herself. Since the beginning? She fell in love with 'Come back to me' first, and when she finally met the person behind the song, is that when it started? She's not sure either..

The elevators swing open to the penthouse floor. Saka lang niya naalala nga wala nga pala siyang dalang susi sa kwarto niya. Napaiyak na siya ng tuluyan. Is it because of her room keys?No. It's because she realized something...

She's in love with him. She sat outside her room, tears still streaming down her face. She shouldn't be here...She shouldn't have listen to him explain to her why he choose her. She shouldn't have let the 'prince of elves' convinced her.

She remembered the day she was still in the hospital. And Slaven was telling her about how he chose her song...

“Something happened Ella that made me decide to quit singing. I was thinking, what's the use of having all of this, when the single most important life that matters is gone. I know I can never get that life back, but I just can't get the inspiration to sing again. To even pick up a microphone --”

“What is that you lost Slaven that made you decide not to sing again?” Naglakas loob siyang itanong iyon sa binata.

“A life.” he answered with so much sorrow in his eyes. She felt her heart being squeezed seeing that look on his face.
“Someone's life. I don't know why I am telling you about this, when I haven't shared this even to my mother or to my bestfriend. I just have this feeling that I can trust you with this little secret and that you'd understand me.
But anyway, I was reallly determined to waste my career doing nothing. I don't ever wanna go back. EL called me up reminding me of my contract still binding with them. I still have two more years with them. So they beg me to sing on the 25th anniversary concert. I have to show up no matter how fucked up I am.” he smiled, but it never reached his eyes.

“When they launch the promotion,  'Come back to me', I was thinking 'They've gone desperate just to get me to sing again.'

I was just not interested, so everytime they show me a video, all I do is reject it.”

“Did you even listen to them?” sa pinagtapat nito mas lalo siyang na curious.

“Yes, but I can tell from the first verse if it's no good. Shinye and her team was getting frustrated as I keep rejecting new videos they have for my approval. I thought I was gonna win. But then, your video came. At first I was just intrigued why Shinye would go such length to look for you. So I watch your video from start to finish. And life hit me in the face.

I could never bring back a soul that's already gone. But I have my life to live. You made me realize that there is more than one soul waiting for me. My fans who are waiting for me to come back. And you're one of them.”

“Well, honestly... I fell in love with your song 'Come back to me'. It's all I'm interested in and I-I really wasn't interested in you.”

“Wow. That hurts.” he chuckled.

“Ella, will you come with me to Korea and sing the song with me? I always believe I can change the world with my music. And I think the change will start with you.”

“H-How?”

“Think about how many people will be inspired by your story. It's a great success story Ella. You work hard for your family and now is your chance to tell the world of your story. This will help you a lot in so many ways than you can imagine, not only you but for other people, this will be an inspiration.”

Inspiration? Now she got one. She can use her own story to write her own love story. Why not? She can use Slaven as her hero. And she herself? The writer in distress.
She sighed and pull herself up. She's got work to do. Now, she only has one problem left, where are the damn keys?