Beyond Lies

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Stars

My heart skipped a beat while staring back at him. I don't know what he did to me but my eyes seems so focused on him. He's still wearing their Engineering uniform na nakapagdagdag sa kapogian niya habang dala-dala ang gitara at kumakanta sa harapan ko. Para siyang isang student vocalist sa isang banda. Only that, he is not with his band today. I didn't noticed that I was too drown on staring at him that he already finished singing the song. I immediately looked away. Damn! Get a hold of yourself, Marienelle! Nakakahiya ka!

"J-Jairre, ano ba?!" Sinubukan kong patigasin ang boses ko upang maitago ang kahihiyang nagawa ko. Pero bigo ako.

"Baby, please. Hear me out first."

Aalma ulit sana ako nang lumapit si Lerry kay Jairre at kinuha ang gitara dito. May ibinigay na mang bouquet of white roses si Oliver kay Jairre. Through my peripheral vision, I saw that they both smiled at me before walking away. I was too focused on Jairre that I didn't give a damn about them. I'm still staring at Jairre, waiting what he will do. I almost fainted when he inhaled the scent of the flowers and looked up to me showing his best smile before he knelt down with his right knee.

I heard the students around us shrieked. Damn, this show-off guy! I looked at him with my wide eyes before I covered my face with my both hands. Shit! Shit! Walanghiya talaga 'tong lalaking 'to!

"Oh my God!"

"Ang suwerte talaga ni Nelle."

"Kaya nga. Sana magkabalikan na sila."

"Number 1 shipper pa naman nila ako. Jainelle! Jainelle!"

"Jainelle!"

"Tss. Hindi sila bagay no."

"True."

"Pakipot pa si Marinelle, eww."

"Hindi naman 'yan kagandahan, duh!"

Lilingonin ko na sana ang nagsabi noon nang magsalita si Jairre. Naibaba ko nalang ang mga kamay ko at naitakip ito sa bibig ko. He's looking up to me while still kneeling.

"Baby. I know we had a bad start. I know you still didn't know me well..." He sighed. "So, I'm now here in front of you, in the school grounds, in front of our schoolmates, in front of your friends and my friends, kneeling to introduce myself properly to you. I'm Jairre Dela Torre, a 4th year college, an Engineering student..." He was looking at my eyes tenderly while he said those. "And I'm so in love with you... so much. So damn much."

The crowd became wilder even more.

"Go, sis! Balikan mo na 'yan!"

Hinanap ko sa paligid ang nagsalita at nakita kong si Tessa pala 'yon. Malawak siyang nakangiti sa'kin habang tumatango pa. Katabi niya ang mga kaklase niya sa kanan na umirap lang sa'kin at katabi naman niya sa kaliwa si Terron na umiiling naman habang nakatingin sa'kin.

I turned my eyes back at Jairre. He's still holding the bouquet of white roses, handling it to me.Para ng sasabog ang puso ko sa mga pinagsasabi at ginagawa niya. Fuck! Ganoon ko ba siya kamahal?

"Y-You l-love me?" I stuttered as I slowly reached the flowers from him.

I heard him muttered a soft curse before he quickly stood up and hugged me tight. Muntik pang masira ang mga bulaklak. "Of course, baby. Do you think we reached this far just because I'm doing the dare we agreed? No. We reached this far because I'm already in love with you," he said tenderly.

"W-What about the d-dare?"

"Please, just never mind that. I regretted it and It's all over now."

He's convincing and I was really convinced by what he said. Well, he always does. Parang nawala lahat ng parang bula ang sakit na naramdaman ko noong nalaman kong pinagpustahan lang nila ko. Lerry and Oliver also apologized. After that romantic set up in our school, I just found my heart beating for him again, hindi naman nawala pero ngayon, wala ng halong sakit at poot. Purely love.

Hinatid niya ako sa bahay pagkatapos noon. Nagulat nga ako nang madatnang tahimik ang buong kabahayan. At dahil wala ngang tao, nagbihis lang ako habang naghihintay siya sa sala. Pagkatapos ay dinala ko na siya sa karenderya namin sa bayan. Naabutan namin sina Papa at Mama doon. Nagmano ako sa kanila.

"Anak, ang aga mo naman yata—"

Naputol ang sasabihin sana ni Papa nang makita niya si Jairre sa likod ko. Lalapitan na sana ito ni Papa nang inawat siya ni Mama.

"Pa, hayaan mo na." Awat ni Mama.

Nahihiyang nagmano naman si Jairre kay Mama ngunit pagdating kay Papa ay umalis ito. Medyo nagtagal din kami doon ngunit hindi na bumalik pa si Papa. Sina Jairre at Mama lang ang nag-uusap doon habang ako ang nagbebenta. Nagulat nalang ako nang biglang sinabi ni  Jairre na sa labas kami maghahapunan. Magpapaalam pa sana ako kay Mama ngunit sinabi niyang nagpaalam na siya.

He brought me again into his haven. Iyong lugar kung saan nalaman ko na pinagpustahan lang nila ako. I protested a bit about it at first, I said that I don't want to go there, kasi baka maalala ko lang ang nangyari doon pero sinabi niya na mas mabuting daw na doon ulit kami pumunta. Para daw mapalitan ang masamang alaala ko doon.

"We need to go there, baby. I want you to remember all the good things about me, all the good memories when we were together. I don't want you to be lonely every time you remember that. So tonight, I'll erase that bad memory of yours, and I'll turn it into a good one, baby," he said sexily and winked at me. I blushed and kept quiet after that. My heart is at peace again, only that it beats so fast whenever he's near.

I am now sitting on the mat he brought here while he is lying on my lap. I put my hands at my back to support my weight, we're both looking at the bright stars above.

"Baby..."

I shifted my eyes at him but he's still looking above. I caressed his hair instead.

"Hmm?"

"Can you count the stars above?"

Nakakunot ang noo kong tumitig ulit sa itaas. There's so many of them!

"What? No! How can I—"

"Exactly, you can't count them, right? That's how I love you, Marie. The amount of my love for you can't be counted," he said. As his eyes shine while staring at the stars above then to me.

I felt my cheeks heated as the butterflies of my stomach gone wild again.

"And do you know what happened if there are no stars and moon above while we were in this place?"

"That would be scary! Paniguradong madilim ang lugar na 'to lalo na kapag wala tayong flashlight—"

"Yes, baby. That will exactly happened if you leave me. Magiging madilim ulit ang buhay ko at matatakot ulit ako. Having you in my life feels like a lightness, a light that illuminated my ruined life. A light that lightens up my chaotic heart and mind. But please, don't be like the stars and the moon, that will leave when the daylight comes."

I felt sadness when he said those. "J-Jairre, I won't—

"I love you, baby. Now, you'll remember me when you look at the stars and the moon above."