Author's note: I don't usually update chapters for more than 1,500 words. Laging 1k-1.3k ang word limit ko kada chapter pero dahil mahal ko kayo. Medyo mahaba-haba ito. And the end is near. Balak ko na syang tapusin.
Enjoy reading!
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Isang mainit at marahang haplos ang gumising sa akin. ang putting kisame ang nadatnan ng aking mata nang magmulat ako. Gumala ang mata ko habang nag-iisip kung nasaan ako at kung ano ang nangyari. My body felt sore.
My head’s throbbing.
Then I remembered gunshots and Zeo.
Agad akong bumangon pero sumidhi ang sakit ng ulo ko.
“Don’t move so sudden.” I snapped my attention to where the voice came from. The warmth I felt earlier was still on my hand. With widened eyes, I saw Gino with his gentle expression.
“G-Gino”, I felt emotional upon seeing him. sumasakit ang puso ko. Hindi ko sigurado kung dahil bas a saya na nandito na sya o dahil sa iba pang rason.
“Hey. How are you feeling?”
My tears welled up in my eyes. Kailan ba mauubos ang luha ko para sa kanya? I literally threw myself at him, wrapping myself around him feeling his whole warmth.
“Gino…”, I cried his name against his chest.
“I’m here, Cresia” gumapang nang marahan ang kanyang palad sa likod ko at gumuhit ng pataas pagkatapos at pababa. It was calming. It was familiar.
“Where have you been? I’ve calling you all day. I was so afraid”, I adjusted my arms to tighten it around him.
“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, baby.” He dropped a kiss on the top of my head. I pushed him off me. My anger was renewed remembering what I heard earlier.
Heather was pregnant.
“Why are you not answering your phone?”, in every second of waiting for his answer, my heart was breaking into tiny pieces. I was holding my breath bracing myself from the revelations he might say. It might break me completely. “Please. Sabihin mo sa akin ang totoo”
Nangunot ang noo ni Gino sa sinabi ko. It was like he was puzzled by my words. Like he was wondering and it sounded so foreign to his ears.
“I had to participate in an operation. Some of my men was heavily injured and I couldn’t…”, his eyes then flashed so brokenly. “I’m sorry. I know there were no excuse for it. I wished I was there with you”
It’s not what I wanted to hear.
“A-Are you…”
I needed the truth not excuses. If he was with Heather, then I wanted to hear it from him.
“Are you with Heather?”, lumaglag ang luha ko sabay ng pagtungo ng aking ulo. I couldn’t even look at him, praying hard for honesty.
“What?”, he asked back. Like my question was ridiculous.
“Why would I be with Heather?”
I bit my lip.
“I don’t know. You tell me”, I was aware of the fact that my voice was shaky.
Bumuga sya nang malalim na hininga.
“I am not. Sinabi ko na sa’yo, hindi kita sasaktan” marahan nyang sagot. “I know how much it hurts you when I am with Heather or maybe with any other girl so I would not do it unless really needed. I will not hurt you”, hinawakan nya ang magkabila kong pisngi at itiningala ako sa kanya. Naupo sya sa tabi ko.
