TAMING THE LIONESS °[KathNiel] ✓COMPLETE

8. Love

"Tres Palmer! You are the only person I will hate for the rest of my life!" She screamed in her tiny voice while I led her around cages of different animals.

"Sydney Madellaine Palmer, you have to open your eyes."

"That is not just gonna happen!" Pasigaw niyang sagot habang nakapikit parin ang mga mata.

"Okay. If you say so. But what if I tell you..."

"Tell me what dork?"

Inilapit ko ang mukha ko sa kanya. Damn. Those lips. Shit Tres. Look away man. Don't be tempted or...

"Wait. Palmer? Why is your face so close to mine?"

"Oh baby. Did you peep or weren't you just closing your eyes all this time?" Pang-aasar ko.

"What are you gonna tell me anyway? Don't keep me waiting because damn Tres Palmer, I hate you already!"

"Hate is a big word Maddy. This world is full of it already. Let's change the world. What do you say baby?"

"I hate you." She shouted in a form of whisper. You get what I mean, right? "You didn't even answer my question."

"Ah. Right. We're stepping on a crocodile's cage." Pasimpleng sagot ko na nagpatili kaagad sa kanya. Haha.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!"

Maddy opened her eyes and ran to me. Imagine a cute adorable girl hugging a perfectly handsome guy while screaming how much she hates him. Cute? I know.

"Madellaine! Just one look! And I lied about the crocodile cage." I said between my laugh. "Hey." I called out after pulling myself away from her. But her arms are still snaked around my hips. Her eyes are again closed. I cupped her face with my hands. "Open your eyes, Madellaine."

"I'm really scared." She admitted. "Please get me out of here, Palmer."

"Open your eyes."

"No."

"You will not see beautiful things with your eyes closed."

"I told you I'm scared!"

"Maddy, scary things can be beautiful too. It just depends on how you see them."

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

"I hate you." She said softly, gazing straight to my eyes. "Let's leave. Please."

"Yup. If you promise to go out on a date with me." Nakangising sabi ko.

"You are a dork."

"You are so beautiful."

She stopped just as my heart stopped beating for a moment.

"You are even scarier than a white tiger." Aniyang nagparealize sa'kin na nakatingin siya ngayon sa hayop na nasa loob ng cage nito.

"But it isn't that bad, right?" Tanong ko matapos siyang tabihan. Hinawakan ko ang kamay niyang nanlalamig. Hindi siya umangal. Alam ko naman kung bakit. Totoong natatakot siya.

"It looks scary." She whispered. "And beautiful too."

The plan happened. I made her stroll around the zoo. We looked at different animals, crocs, different monkeys, elephant, birds and snakes. The nicest parts while doing it were having her hand entwined with mine and having her hug me when she is scared and panicky like when we got to see the snake. She cried on my chest.

"In a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate our first date?" Pangungulit ko nang ihatid ko na siya pauwi.

"About the encounters at the zoo, it's undetermined yet. But if you call it a date, Palmer, it's -1."