My Stepsister is Mine [Completed]

Chapter 28

Unti-unti niyang binuksan ang mga mata. It was very bright that she couldn't see anything. Just white. She felt how parched her throat was. She needs water.

Where am I? she thought to herself.

And when the brightness died down, she saw a man sitting down beside her bed. Nakapikit ito at mukhang nakatulog habang binabantayan siya. "A-Atticus..." she called out, but there was barely any voice coming from her dry throat so she moved her arms to reach out to him.

"Atticus," she called out again while tapping his hand resting on the bed.

He stirred at ng makitang gising na siya ay napatayo ito to rush and sit beside her on the bed. "Hey, you're awake! Thank God!" sigaw nito. "How do you feel?"

"Thirsty," she said.

He immediately got a glass of water and sat beside her again to make her drink. It felt as if she has no water for a week! "How do you feel now?"

At nang makainom ng tubig ay biglang bumalik sa isipan niya lahat ng mga nangyari sa kanya. How long has it been since Amelia attacked her? And what happened to her baby? "My baby!" biglang sigaw niya. "What happened to my baby?"

"The baby's safe," he said and kissed her forehead. "You're safe now. I won't ever let her come near you again, Celine."

And she cried with joy dahil ligtas ang baby niya. "I was so scared..."

"I know... I know. I'm sorry," he whispered and hugged her tigher.

"Why did you leave? Hindi ka ba naniniwala sa mga sinabi ko na hindi ko ginawa ang mga binibintang mo sakin?"

Umiling ito. "I'm sorry for being a jerk... But I believed you that night, Celine. I was so mad and furious with my own mother that I searched for Dimitri that night. Doon ko nalaman ang totoo na binayaran siya ng Mama ko to forge a photo with you and him in it para pagmukhaing totoo na pinagtaksilan mo ko. In return, he'll get a high position in the company. My mom has huge connections at alam ni Dimitri na kayang-kaya iyong gawin ng Mama ko."

"She's a monster," she whispered. "I can't believe.... she killed my mom and tito Leo."

"She's behind bars now, babe. Malakas ang kaso laban sa kanya dahil umamin siya sa kasalanan niya. And apparently, her maids know about this secret of hers," he said. Then he held both of her shoulders. "At pinaikot niya rin ako noon, Celine."

"What do you mean?" She tried to wipe her tears.

"Remember the video I received the night I was supposed to propose to you years ago?"

Tumango siya.

"That video was forged by my mother as well..." pag-amin nito.

She was shocked at that revelation.

"I tracked down Alden and Michelle, your old friends from college kaya nawala ako that night. And I found out that nothing happened between you and Alden. My mother paid Michelle to take photos of you and Alden as if something happened between the both of you. But nothing really did... I'm sorry... I'm so so sorry, Celine... I doubted you and left you over something you didn't do..." And he grasped her hand knelt in front of her bed. "Please forgive me, babe... Forgive me."

She didn't know what to say or do after all his revelations today. Her physical body is still weak and her mind might just be giving up on her as well after everything that she found out in less than five minutes.

"Say something, please, Celine..." pagusumamo nito sa kanya, holding her hand tighter.

Umiling siya. "Stand up. You don't need to kneel down, please."

"Galit ka ba sakin?" tanong nito at umupo sa tabi niya sa kama, enlosing her in his arms. "Please tell me the truth."

"I was deeply hurt when you left at lalo na ng pinaalis mo ko sa mansion to live alone, far from you. And when you didn't even say goodbye when you flew to Singapore, I was even more devastated," she said with tears flowing from her eyes. She tried to control her sobs para mas maipaliwanag niya ang sarili.

"I'm sorry... Wala akong excuse now para sa lahat ng mga nagawa ko sayo. All I can say is napakagago ko talaga."

She looked out the window and tried to dry her tears. "You are... But when you came back all of a sudden, hindi ko alam pero... pero parang naglaho ng unti-unti ang sakit na naramdaman ko at ang galit ko sayo..."

He smiled softly at her and kissed her on the forehead.

"I don't know when or how it happened... I just woke up wanting to be with you again at natakot ako na mawawala ka na naman sakin kaya pinuntahan-"

"Kaya pinuntahan mo si Mama?" he inquired.

Tumango siya. "But she turned out to be... to be... the reason why we're here and hurting."

"Sisiguruhin kong pagbabayaran niya ang lahat ng mga nagawa niyang mali sa'yo... sa'tin. We'll start anew, Celine," he said and looked at her eyes. "With our baby."

And she smiled, despite the tears. He accepts their baby! There was joy in her heart ng sabihin ng binata iyon.

"I'm the luckiest man alive for having you by my side despite five years being apart. And now, we're finally having our own family. What did I do to deserve this?" he said.

She reached out to caress his face.

And then, he pulled out a little box from his backpocket. A tiny box.

"Is that a ring?" tanong kaagad niya.

He laughed at her sudden question and excitement. "You're too assuming, sweetheart."

She scowled at his answer.

"Don't worry," he said and opened it in front of her. "You're right. It is a ring."

Tumambad sa harapan ni Celine ang isang kumikinang na princess cut diamond ring. It was very beautiful. Far beautiful than the one she saw before na bigay rin nito when he first decided to propose to her five years ago.

"I didn't expect to be proposing in a hospital but I don't want to prolong this. I want your answer as soon as possible so I can marry you," he declared. "So Celine, will you marry this foolish guy who promise to never hurt you again?"

She touched the ring and smiled. "How can I say 'no' with such a beautiful ring?" biro nito. "Let me wear it."

"Is that a yes?" tanong nito.

Pinalo niya ang binata sa braso. "I'll never say 'no' to you, Atticus. Never."

He smiled at dali-daling isinuot sa kanya ang singsing. "You're mine now forever. Wala ng bawian. Okay?"

"I'm yours forever, Atticus."

"I love you," he whispered and captured her lips to a gentle kiss.

But before they could escalate to a full-blown make out session, bumukas ang pinto at nakita sila ni Yego at Saritha.

"Sorry!" sigaw ni Saritha ng madatnan silang naghahalikan. She quickly closed the door at rinig na rinig nila kung paanong sinigawan nito ang kasamang binata. "Palagi ka talagang wrong timing kahit kailan, Yego! Bakit ba kasi sumabay-sabay pa ako sayo?"

"Woman, ikaw ang nagmakaawaang isabay ko dito, okay?" rinig nilang sagot ni Yego.

And they just laughed sa papaalis na boses ng mga kaibigan nila. "I love you, too, Atticus," she whispered back at his love declaration.

"Let's live happily ever after," he said and kissed her again.

****

You know what, guys, it's super hard for writers like me to let go of my favorite characters. And I would say that Atticus and Celine wasn't my original fave characters among all my stories but I grew to love them the most overtime. They taught me that love, no matter how painful, can be given a second chance. And that love knows no age. :)

So this chapter was written and revised three times in a span of three days because I want to give them the sweetest ending. I want to give justice to their love. <3 I hope I did it right.

VOTE, COMMENT AND FOLLOW me for the next story.