Be Mine

47

Lia feels good having that talk with Gary. It's something that she never expected to happen this soon and it's something that she didn't expect to make her feel better. She now feels lighter and happier now that everything is falling into place. Now that her past is officially over, she can now face her present and hopefully, her future as well.

She let Gary go back to the reception venue first before she followed a few moments later. She saw her friends in one table, expecting to see Caloy with them, but he's nowhere to be found. Lia joined them, but she didn't join in on the conversations as she is busy dialing Caloy. To no avail, his phone is off, she thinks that his battery died already, and she resorted to sending him messages hoping he would reply.

After a few minutes of waiting, she is getting worried. He is still not in sight and this alerts Bianca and Ella who noticed how quiet she has become. Without a word from her, they knew that she's looking for the guy that she's been with the whole day.

"Lia, baka naman may kausap lang sa loob or nandiyan lang siya sa paligid. He'll show up.", her friend assures her, but she is starting to feel different. This is not him, the past months that they spent together, she is getting to know him more and this is not the Caloy she knows. Her fingers are starting to fidget by themselves and she is longing for his hands to calm her down.

Her feet might be aching already but that didn't stop her from looking for Caloy. She is getting upset and it's not his habit to just leave her alone especially tonight. She dragged herself to the parking area to find his car, but it is not in sight. She asked around but none of the guards noticed the car that she described.

Her heart is now slowly sinking, and it scares her. Her anxiety is creeping in. She doesn't know why she suddenly became cold, missing his warmth that would always surround her, making her at peace. She feels attached to him and now that she can't find him, she feels lost, lonely, and afraid. If someone can hear her heart, all it screams now is Caloy's name.

Gary and Clara are on their way home. Gary doesn't know why Clara insisted on going home despite having a room at the hotel. He knows she's tired, but maybe she wants the comfort of their own bedroom so she can rest well. It was a successful wedding for Anton and Ella and it's because of his wife. There's truth on what he told Lia, he felt extremely proud of Clara. The way she managed everything to make the event a great one is something new for him. He only knows the shy Clara that he met years ago and seeing today - confident and in control, is a different person and he likes it. He adored what he saw, and he is slowly accepting that this is now his wife. He is welcoming the change and he can't wait to see more of that personality.

The ride home is just quiet. He actually wants to talk to Clara but it seems like she is not in the mood, so he lets her. She has been working the whole day, grateful that at least he saw her eat with them during dinner, but he thought of the times when she was alone in the States. Who reminds her that she should eat and take care of herself? It was supposed to be his job and he felt sad that he wasn't able to do that for her.

They reached their house still silent, doing their own routines before going to bed. It now makes Gary uneasy that she's that unspoken. She would usually be the first one to say something, sharing stories, or hold his hand whenever she can but tonight was just different and he doesn't like it.

Clara is the first one to hit the bed and switches off the lamp on her side. That's weird, he tells himself, but he ignores it again. He hits the shower and came out in minutes to join her in bed. He knows she's still awake, so he spoons her, the way she likes it, but this time, Clara takes of his hand that landed on her stomach.

"Is there something wrong, Clara?", he asks because everything seems uncomfortable.

"Nothing. Medyo naiinitan lang ako.", she answers him.