Nagulat talaga si Stacey. She removed her head on his shoulder.
"Are you serious?!!" she asked in a shrill voice. Her eyes are wide open.
He looks cool as a cucumber as he grins at her.
"I have never been more serious honey." he said na may landi sa boses.
"Are you completely out of your mind? Ni hindi nga tayo mag-nobyo!" she said as she gawks at him.
Gosh! Is he on drugs or something? Tanong ni Stacey sa sarili.
" I am crazy about you and I will go out of my mind if I will lose you." seryosong sabi nito.
Hindi napansin ni Stacey na nahawakan niya ang dibdib niya. Gusto niyang kapain if nasa tamang pwesto pa ang puso niya. Baka kasi nalaglag dahil sa sinabi ni Nick. Napatayo siya and parang wala sa sarili na naglakad siya papunta sa gitna ng sala. She doesn't know whether to cry or laugh hysterically dahil sa pagkabigla, saya at pagkalito..and panghihinayang na rin.
"Honey?" worried na tawag ni Nick.
He also stood up para lapitan siya.
When she felt na palapit ito sa kanya , lumayo siya ulit before turning around to look at him.
She motioned for him to stop moving towards her.
"No Nick! Please don't come any closer." she said sa tila nanghihinang boses.
She saw him frown but he stood completely still.
"You don't have to give an answer immediately honey. I'll give you time to think. Pero seryoso ako sa sinabi ko." he said while he looks at her intently.
"But why?" tanong niya. Her voice can hardly be heard.
Parang nagsisi yata siya sa tinanong niya. Does she really want to hear his reason? Hindi ba mas mahihirapan siya pag narinig niya?
"What do you mean why?" Lalong lumalim ang kunot sa noo ni Nick.
She walked towards the window. She stared at the lights on the street.
"Nothing. Forget my question." sabi na lang niya without looking at him.
Lumapit ito sa kanya but he didn't touch her .He also gazed out the window.
"It's late at night but the life in the city is just beginning. Look at those lights. See how they brighten everything?" he asked as if to himself.
"Without those beautiful lights ,the whole place will be gloomy..lifeless.." he added.
He turned to face her. His hands still not touching her. His eyes drinking in her lovely face.
She's having goose bumps again. Slowly she also looked at him as she embraced herself.
"Just like me..." pabulong na sabi nito ."It took me 30 years to find the beautiful light to make me feel alive. I thought living means being successful in business and being able to have all the things that money can buy....until I met you."
Stacey felt her throat became suddenly dry. She is speechless.
"I have never imagined that I will be saying this...but now that I have you here..I have the sudden desire to let you know what and how I feel. I always call this..." His eyes roamed around his condo," ..just my unit...my crib .Pero ngayong nandito ka na, I want to call it home."
This time he touched her. He took her hands. He kissed both of her palms simultaneously.
"My world will be dark and hollow ....my life.. purposeless and meaningless without you now, honey.." he said hoarsely.
Holding her hand in his, he raised them to rub the right side of his face with her left palm.
Stacey closed her eyes. Her emotions are going wild with what he just said. He took her breath away. She wants to pour her feelings too but now is not the right time.
After everything he said and did for her, especially tonight,siya na ang pinaka-gagang babae pag pinakawalan pa niya ito. But she grew up always having to think of other people first before herself. Nasanay siya na isakripisyo ang sariling kaligayahan para lang mapasaya ang iba. She wants to be with Nick but Derick needs her more.
Derick has been probably hurt many times kaya ang dami nitong insecurities. Maybe that's the reason why he doesn't want her to see him yet. And she gave him her word na wala siyang pakialam sa hitsura nito. If she will choose Nick, she feels that Derick will really be broken..shattered...
Nick can easily get over her if she turns him down...unlike Derick.. Binawi niya ang mga kamay from him.
"Nick..."
"As I've said, hindi mo kailangang sumagot agad .Importante andito ka na with me and I will never let you go honey...remember that."
It sounded like a threat more than a promise. But Stacey isn't scared. Bagkus,what he said gave her a warm feeling.
She badly wants to tell him that she loves him. Pero pag ginawa niya yun, there will be no turning back.
She has to constantly think of Derick now. She will try to contact him again later.
"Tomorrow I want you to meet my family." biglang sabi ni Nick.
"NO!" mabilis na sabi niya.
Nag-iba ang hitsura nito. He looks slightly annoyed.
"What do you mean no? Ikaw pa lang ang babaing ipapakilala ko sa pamilya ko." he said sa medyo matigas na tono.
She ran the tip of her tongue on her lips. "I mean..huwag muna." she said in a small voice. "Too soon..." pahabol niya.
His eyes turned into slits. "I know sinabi ko na you can think about marrying me first bago ka sumagot. But that doesn't mean that I will take no, for an answer." he said roughly.
"H-Ha?" she asked nervously.
His arrogant self is back because he can't help it. His woman needs to know that she is going to marry him sooner or later.
"B-But you don't even love me. Ano ang sasabihin natin sa magulang mo?" litong tanong ni Stacey.
She wants to hear him say he loves her. Gusto niyang malaman kung mahal din siya nito gaya ng nararamdaman niya for him. Though may chance na hindi maging sila, at least she'll be happy if he will say that he loves her.
Natigilan si Nick. Ano nga ba ang nararamdaman niya for her? He hasn't been in-love before so he has no clue about love.
What he knows is, he constantly thinks about her .He always has a desire to make love to her. He wants her to be the last person he sees before he sleeps. The first person he touches and looks at when he wakes up. Her smell and taste haunt him. Para itong mababaliw kapag hindi niya ito nakikita o naririnig man lang. He can't bear the thought of other men wanting her in any way. He will badly hurt anyone who will dare touch her.With his money, kaya nitong gawin kahit ano sa mga assholes na magnanasa kay Stacey.
DAMMIT! Is this love or obsession? Tanong nito sa sarili.
Halos hindi huminga si Stacey habang hinihintay niya ang sasabihin nito. He tore his eyes from her then turned to his left para tumingin ulit sa bintana. She bit her bottom lip as anticipation builds inside her.
It's okay if he doesn't love me. I'm fine with that. Yung concern and passion na pinapakita niya sa akin are more than enough. She told herself.
Ano ba naman ang karapatan niyang umasa na sabihin nito na he loves her di ba? Hindi din naman niya pwedeng sabihin na mahal niya ito. She is one crazy woman. She expects so damn much. She's not even sure if Nick deserves her.
She stopped gazing at his right profile. He looks serious. Tumingin na lang din siya ulit sa labas.
An ambulance is passing by. For several seconds, yun ang bumasag sa katahimikan.
"If they will ask me why I am marrying you..isa lang ang isasagot ko." sabi nito as he crossed his arms on his chest.
"What will you say?" she asked almost like she's talking to herself.
Sinulyapan niya si Nick then lumingon din ito sa kanya.
" Papakasalan kita because I feel and I know that you are the one for me." he said without blinking.
Hindi niya alam how alluring and seductive she looks with her lips slightly parted and her eyes wide habang nakatingin siya sa binata.
"Kanina, while I was waiting for you in the kitchen, I promised myself na hindi kita hahalikan. I want to test myself if I can bear not tasting you...na basta nakikita or nahahawakan kita , okay na ako.." his voice sounds breathy.
Her body started to react..."Nick..." she muttered..
"...to hell with my promise!!" he said through his teeth as he cupped her face with his hands then roughly kissed her.