Chapter Forty Six
Axel's POVIt was eerily quiet that I could clearly hear the clock ticking and my heart beating to the clock's pace. Jaime lightly tapped his fingers on the table, on the bare wood,as he intently looked at me. I sat on the armchair in front of his desk, cowering like a guilty dog in front of him.
"Jai- senyor..." I said when I finally gathered enough courage to speak.
"I could have easily send you away noong nagmakaawa ka sa akin. But I gave you a chance, didn't I?" He said in a clear, solid voice.
"Y-yes, sir." I answered.
"Pumunta ka lang ba dito para i-kama ang anak ko?" His eyes narrowed at me.
"NO!" I immediately said, shaking my head. "Mahal na mahal ko si Valerie. Malinis ang intensyon ko sa anak niyo. What happened between us last night... just kind of happened." It felt awkward talking about it with her father but I didn't have a choice.
"What does that me? You just happened to stumble into her bedroom? I assume your clothes just happened to come off and you just tripped on her bed, is that right?" He sarcastically said in a harsh tone.
"No, sir." I bowed my head. "I... I'm sorry. It was never in my plan to, um... bed her. Nandito ako para patunayan ko sa inyo na mahal ko ang anak niyo. I swear to God and you that I will never hurt her again. Sana mapatawad mo ako sa ginawa ko noon. I should've told Valerie the truth but I was too much of a coward, I was scared of losing her. Please, give me another chance."
Valerie's POV
It was already thirty minutes after ten, that was what it said on the clock. I sat up, stretching my arms like a cat who woke up from a good nap. This had to be the best sleep I have had in a while since moving out of Axel's condominium. I remembered falling asleep in his arms last night but when I woke up, I was a little disappointed when he wasn't beside me anymore.
Siguro maagang nagising at umalis para walang makakita sa kanya. Pupuntahan ko na lang siya. I jumped out of bed and hurriedly took a shower in the bathroom. I excitedly went to the toolshed where he was staying but I couldn't find him there. I went to the sugarcane field to check if he was there but he wasn't there either. Tinanong ko din sa mga trabahador kung nakita nila si Axel pero wala daw nakakita sa kanya. Where could he possibly be?I disappointedly went back home when I looked every place he could possibly be but still couldn't find him.
I noticed something as I headed back to the house. The space where his silver Volkswagen car was used to be was now empty. My shoulders suddenly dropped and my heart sunk.Pumasok ako sa bahay at pabagsak na umupo sa couch. I felt like all my energy had drained away. He just left without saying anything to me? Akala ko okay na kami kagabi?
"Valerie." My head snapped up when I heard dad calling me. He stood in front of me with a serious face.
"Dad!" I was startled for a moment. I didn't even notice he was there."Is something wrong?" He asked.
"Nothing." I said, shaking my head.
"Have you seen Axel?"
"I saw him coming out of your room this morning." Tiim-bagang na sabi niya.I blinked a couple of times, thinking of what I was going to say.
"Dad..." I chewed on my bottom lip. I was loss for words.
"I'm a very conservative man, Valerie. I raised you in a very conservative way. " He said in an unnervingly rational tone. When he calls me by my name, you'd know he was dead mad. "I taught you what's right from wrong. Hinayaan kitang magdesisyon para sa sarili mo dahil akala ko alam mo na kung ano ang tama at mali. This is where I step in and draw the line."
"I'm sorry, daddy..." I guiltily said as my eyes dropped to the ground. "I love Axel. Alam kong mahal niya din ako."
"Hindi porque mahal niyo ang isa't isa tama na ang ginagawa ninyo." He said in a stern voice. "Pinabalik ko na siya sa Maynila. It's better to keep you two apart."
"Dad, I'm sorry. I love you and I'm sorry." I stood up and gave him a hug. He looked at me with frows burrowed when I pulled away from the hug. And then I ran to grab the key to my car. Tinawag ako ni dad pero hindi ko siya pinansin at tumakbo ako papunta sa kotse. I started the car and took off. I'd let my head out of equation and gone completely with my heart again. I once again gave myself completely to him. I forgave him. I learned to trust him again. I knew this time we could make it right.
I was on the road for a few hours before I stopped at the parking lot of his condominium building. I rode the elevator to his floor. I still had the key to his unit and used it to get inside.
How I missed this place, I couldn't help but smile as I stepped in. Bukas ang pinto niya sa kwarto at ang ilaw nito. I went into his room, he wasn't there but I saw the light pouring out of his bathroom door. Maingat na binuksan ko ang pinto.
There he was, sitting on the tub with his back to the door. I smiled, slowly walking up to him. Tinakpan ko ang mga mata niya ng palad ko. He was going to turn his head to me but I kept it still.
"Guess who this is?" I said in a high-pitched voice.
"Sarah?" He said and I frowned.
"No, no... you're Karen? Or is it Donna?"At that moment, I wanted to gorge his eyes with my fingers. My jaw clenched in anger and I pushed him down the water. His arms flailed, splashing around as he tried to come up. I kept him down for a good ten seconds before letting him up. He gasped a deep lung full of air.
"You bastard! Magsama kayo ng Sarah, Karen, o Donna mo!" Galit na sabi ko sa kanya.
"Val, baby, I was just kidding." He said still out of breath. Lumabas ako sa banyo at sinundan niya ako. All naked and wet. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and lifted me up. I tried to get away from his hold, fighting and shouting but he was too strong. The bastard just laughed as he carried me to the bed and gently put me down on it. Dumagan siya sa akin para hindi ako makagalaw.I gave him a slap on the cheek.
"Walanghiya ka! Kung alam ko lang... di na sana ako pumunta dito!" My lips pouted slightly."I was just kidding." Natatawang sabi niya. "Alam kong ikaw yun. I know your perfume. Isa pa, ikaw lang naman ang babaeng dinala ko dito."
My pout grew bigger. "Weh? Sinasabi mo lang yan kasi nahuli na kita." "
Val, we'd live together in this condominium. May nakita ka na bang babaeng pumunta o bumisita dito?" One of his brows curved up.
"Si Guiliana." My eyes narrowed.
"That's a different case." He sighed. "Nakuha niya ang address ko sa lawyer ko. He thought she was going to send me the divorce papers. Pero bukod sa kanya, wala na, di ba?"
I shook my head. What he said seemed to calm me down a little.
"O ye of little faith." The grin reaches his eyes as he kissed my forehead. "I thought I've already proved to you that I'm yours. You don't have to worry about anything. I'm yours regardless of who or what might come along. Everything I am and everything I want to be is completely tied up to you."My heart swelled with happiness that I wanted to cry but I held it in.
"Bakit mo ko iniwan?" My lips pursed.
"Your dad made me leave." He showered me with small kisses from my forehead to the side of my face. "Babalikan naman kita. The thought of a single day without you in my life is hell for me. I promised to myself that I'll have you back again but this time it's going to be for good."
A smile finally crept on my lips at what he said. I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I already called my mom and dad. Kakausapin ko dapat sila ngayong gabi. I want my parents to meet your dad." He explained.
"Really?" My voice squeaked.
"Really." He nodded his head.
"I love you." "
I love you, too." I kissed him on the jaw.His mouth lowered to mine and we kissed like our life depended on it. We were both startled by the sound of the doorbell being rung nonstop.
"Come the fuck on!" He groaned, burying his face on my neck.
"Baka si Karen yun, o di kaya si Sarah o si Donna." I said half-joking, half-annoyed.
"I swear, I just made those names up." He pushed his body up from mine with his arm."Just get the door." I told him.
He grabbed a pair of jeans and a gray shirt. He put it on before getting out of the room. The next thing I heard was him and another person. They were talking at first, I could faintly hear them but I couldn't understand what they were talking about. Their voice started to raise in what seemed to be like an angry manner. That was when I decided to get out of the room and check on him.
Binuksan ko ang pinto at nakita ko si Axel na nakaupo sa sahig sapo ang pisngi niya habang nakatayo si Tristan sa harap niya.
"Ilang taon tayong naging magkaibigan. Alam ko mga katrantaduhan mo." Tristan shouted angrily. "Walanghiya ka, pati kapatid ko tinalo mo."
"Dude, it's not what you think. Seryoso ako kay Valerie." He said as he forced himself up.
"Tristan..." I called him in a small voice.He turned his head, his eyes were sharp and piercing angrily through me as he took big, heavy steps to where I was standing. He grabbed me by my wrist at kinaladkad niya ako. Axel tried to grab me away from him but he threw another punch at him. Napatili ako. Without saying anything, he dragged me out of the condominium and to his car. Pabalang na ipinasok niya ako sa passenger's seat at isinara ang pinto bago siya sumakay sa driver's side.
He started the car and drove off. I looked at Tristan. He seemed to age a couple of years since the last time I saw him. He looked so stressed out, like he hadn't had enough sleep for days. I felt bad kasi pakiramdam ko nakadagdag ako sa kung anuman ang pinagdadaanan niya.He stopped the car in front of a restaurant and we quietly sat on the table next to the window.
"Tristan." I said after what felt like eternity of silence. "Paano mo nalaman na nasa condo ako ni Axel?"
"Dad called me. Sabi niya lumuwas ka daw dito para puntahan si Axel. I can't believe this, Valerie!" He tried to keep his voice low but hard. "Pagkatapos ka niyang gaguhin, bumalik ka pa rin sa kanya!"
"You don't understand..." I shook my head. "Divorced na siya. Mahal niya ako at mahal ko siya. Sana maintindihan niyo iyon."
"Sana maintindihan mo din na itong ginagawa namin para sa kapakanan mo din. We don't want you to get hurt again. Lalo na si dad, you're his princess. He'll protect you with his life if he has to." He said in a slightly softer tone.
"I understand." I said in a broken voice. "But I'm not a little girl anymore, Tristan. Kung magkamali man ulit ako, let me make my own mistakes.""It's not going to be easy for dad. Tayo na lang ang meron siya. In his mind, you'll always be his little princess."
My throat felt like there was a huge lump on it as I tried to keep my tears from falling. We sat quietly for a couple of minutes. He kept quiet, giving me the space I needed.
"Val, lumaki akong walang pamilya. Axel and I were like brothers, my friends were the only family I've known before I met you and dad. Isa siya sa importante at espesyal na tao sa buhay ko." He took a deep sigh.
"Hindi madali para sa akin ang ginagawa kong 'to."I nodded my head to let him know that I understand. My eyes lowered to the plate in front of me. "Andi!" I heard him say. Umangat ang ulo ko at nakita ko si Andi na nakatayo sa tabi ng mesa namin. She threw me a spiteful glare before glaring back at Tristan.
"My god, you still whore yourself to this slut? How much does she pay you to fuck you?" She said in a loud and angry voice. The people near our table started turning their heads to our direction."Excuse me?" I said shocked and embarrassed.
"Andi, it's not what you think. Val is my-""Your sugar mama. Sa kanya nanggaling ang lahat ng meron ka, hindi ba?" She looked at me with eyes full of hate. "What will you give him next? Another condo unit, a brand new car?"
"I... I don't know what you're talking about." I said, rather confused.She lifted the glass of water in front of me and I was surprised when she threw the water on my face. I gasped and shrilled. "Now do you know what I'm talking about, you homewrecking skank?"
"How dare you?"I stood up from my seat and was ready to give her a good slap on the face. Malditang babae 'to! She'd definetely get what she asked for.
Tristan was quick to take action. Pumagitna siya sa amin dalawa bago ko pa nadampian ng palad ko ang mukha niya."Val, please, she's pregnant!" Sabi ni Tristan habang pilit kaming pinaghihiwalay.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: Truyen3h.Co