Chapter 40: Chapter Thirty Nine

Inis na lumayo si Lacy kay Izaak at tinignan muna ito nang masama bago ito talikuran at naglakad papaalis.

Hindi niya ba alam kung ano ang sadya ng lalaking iyon, mas sira na ata sa utak.

"Wait... Lacy!" tawag pa nito sa kaniya at hinabol siya. Binilisan naman niya ang kaniyang lakad at hindi nilingon ang lalaki. Pero dahil matangkad ito, mabilis lamang siya nitong nahabol.

"Wait.. up! Please don't avoid me," sabi pa nito, sabay hablot sa kaniyang braso. Napa-angil naman siya roon at nang tignan niya ang lalaki ay may desperadong itsura ito. Pero kahit na ganoon na ang itsura nito, hindi na siya mahuhulog sa mga patibong nito.

Sawa na siya na magkamali ulit sa buhay niya. Kaagad niyang tinanggal ang kamay nitong nakahawak sa kaniyang braso.

"Don't ever touch me again," madiin at puno ng banta nitong sabi habang nakaduro sa kaniya bago talkuran ulit ang dalaga.

"I--"

'... remember eyerthing, love. Each and every of them," he suddenly said. That made Lacy to stop from walking. She trembles because of anger and her eyebrows met as she turns around to look at Izaak.

Izaak heavily sighed and desperately look at Lacy.

"I remember them all and I suppose you too. Based on how you always avoid the times of how we accidentally met each other before." Napatawa naman nang pagak si Lacy nang marinig iyon.

"Accidentally?" hindi makapaniwalang saad nito. "You called that accidently, even though you literally planned how my life works before," dagdag nito.

Umiling si Lacy rito habang nakangisi. "Do you think I wouldn't know all your secrets and all your schemes on why did you apporached me before? You think that I wouldn't found out that you literally-- let me fall for you and, just used me for you to ascend to the throne for you to kill your other relatives and succeed on your plan? Really?" Para namang nainsulto si Lacy sa lahat ng mga nangyayari ngayon.

"I know, I made a lot of mistakes to you. A lot of them are grave sin, but please... hear me out first," he pleaded. Lacy chuckles and shakes her head.

"You had a lot of time to do that before, but I guess you are still stupid 'till now," she said, and turned her back on him. But what happens next didn't what she expects.

Izaak backhugged her and, she was stunned when she felt his warmth behind her.

"I know it's too late to say this, but I am sorry. I truly am," bulong nito sa kaniyang tenga at hinigpitan pa ang pagkakayakap sa kaniya.

"I regret all those things that I've done to you. That's why I am here now to apologize to you and let's go back to zero and change our fate," he said. Lacy closed her eyes and she can't help but to feel hurt.

Hindi naman kasi ganoon kadali na maalis ang feelings niya sa lalaking nag-iisang minahal niya noon. Ang lalaking nag-alaga at nagpakita sa kaniya ng pagmamahal kahit na peke lahat nang iyon. Hindi niya pa rin mapigilang masaktan kahit na maalala lamang ang mga nangyari noon.

Lalo na ngayong nagpakita ulit ito sa kaniya at humihingi ng kapatawaran. Pero hindi rin iyon ganoon kadali na gawin. Ang lahat ng pagmamahal na nararamdaman niya para sa binata ay natabunan na ng galit at pagkamuhi rito.

She clenched her fist and forcefully remove his arms wrapped around her. She took three step back before looking at his eyes.

"You could've done so much better before, Izaak. But you've lost all your chances and your apologies are not valid anymore," she said. Tinignan niya muna ang buo nitong mukha bago huminga nang malalim at tumalikod na sa binata.

"Then... let's runaway." Napatigil naman sa paglalakad si Lacy nang marinig iyon pero hindi niya tinignan ang binata. Ngunit hindi rin siya nakagalaw sa kaniyang pwesto, tila ba ay napako siya sa kaniyang kinatatayuan.

"Let's runaway now and I'm going to give you my lifetime to relieve all those mistakes that I did before. Even if you take all my belongings, my life or everything that I owned. For you to forgive me," he desperately plea. Lacy sigh and shakes her head.

She looked up at the sky and stared at its beauty.

"You had the chance, Brook. We could've lived the life that we both wanted right now, before." She look at her hands that were trembling, her lips are quivering and her eyes are closed to cry.

"We could've do something to have a better life with each other." She didn't dare to turn around and just to see those desperate eyes that are part of her weaknesses.

"But I guess, those regrets that we are feeling right now are in the past." She secretly sighed and made herself pretend to look brave and strong in front of him.

She once turned around and look at his eyes, straight, with coldness in it.

"I don't need you, anymore, Izaak. I don't need anything from you. I don't want you in my life anymore."

"Is it becasue of my half-brother?" pagtatanong nito. Napatawa naman si Lacy roon at umiling.

"Your brother has nothing to do with me, so don't put the blame on others, just to lessen the weigh on your shoulders. I decided to change my miserable fate and that is you, Izaak," she said. Hindi naman kasali ang kapatid niya rito sa aming dalawa.

It's just me, him and Izabel. That's all.

"You are the reason of my greatest mistake to the miserable fate that I had," Lacy said, and left him alone there.

Izaak didn't dare to follow her. Bagsak ang dalawang balikat nito. Dahil wala na siyang magagawa pa, pero kahit na wala na ay hahanap pa rin siya kahit isang porsyento pa iyan, mabawi lamang siya sa kaniyang minamahal dati, an magpasahanggang ngayon.

Alam ni Izaak na wala na siyang pag-asa na patawarin ng babae pero alam niyang may pagmamahal pa rin itong nararamdaman para sa kaniya.

Huhugot siya sa lakas na nangagaling doon. Ramdam niya na meron pa, kahit pa galit na galit na ito sa kaniya.

Gusto niyang malaman ng dalaga kung bakit ba naging ganoon ang desisyon niya dati.

He needs to explain his side, no matter what.

***

"Damn! I thought I'm going to die inside!" reklamo ni Valerie at nag-inat nang makalabas silang tatlo ni Cain at Xabi. Naiwan naman sa loob si Pickett, Gabriel at ang babaeng nagpakilalang Bella.

"You are overreacting, Sir Valerie," Xabi said, and shook his head. Pero hindi siya nito pinansin at nagkibit balikat na lamang.

"Well her plans aren't even helpful, plus she didn't acknowledge the problems. It has a lot of loopholes and the plans that she gave are just simple but if you think of it thoroughly, it'll not succeed," Valerie commented.

"I don't think her plans are useless, plus, his highness was helping her. Not because his highness hired her, doesn't mean she has to do all the work," Xabi rebutt. Valerie rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You're just friends with her, that's why you are siding with her and protecting her. Try to think of the possiblities that can happen if ever we follow her plans. Plus, it's her job to do all the work, just like us. We didn't got hired just to let the other person do the half of our work," sagot naman ni Valerie rito. Napailing na lamang si Cain sa pagsasagutan ng dalawa.

"It's the lives of those children that we are talking about, not paperworks," Xabi said, and left them.

Cain shook his head and look at Sir Valerie who's pissed.

"Tch. He must have like her." He heard him mumbled and went to the opposite direction where Xabi goes.

Dahil tapos na ang kanilang meeting at iniwan na rin siya ng kaniyang mga kasamahan, para namang napanatag ang loob ni Cain.

Dahil sa wakas ay tahimik na ang paligid. Kahit hindi man halata sa kaniya, ayaw niya sa maiingay na tao.

Habang naglalakad-lakad siya, hindi niya napansin na nakarating na siya sa isang parte ng palasyo na may balcony.

Hindi na niya sana ito papansinin at babalik na sana nang makarinig siya na para bang may humahagulgol o sumisinghot, tila ba ay umiiyak ito nang patago.

He heard a little whimper and sighing of this person. Hindi na sana niya papansin at iiwan na lamang ang taong iyon nang mapag-isa ito.

Gusto niya rin bigyan ng katahimikan at hindi na guluhin pa.

Ngunit may nagsasabi sa loob niya na tignan niya, kaya naman kahit ayaw niyang maging chismoso, sumilip pa rin siya nang bahagya at nakita ang mahaba nitong silver na buhok at likod na pamilyar sa kaniya at ang suot-suot nitong damit.

Kumunot ang kaniyang noo nang marinig pa ang pagsinghot nito at nakikita niya rin ang mga gumagalaw na kamay nito na tila ba nagpupunas ng luha.

Doon niya lamang napagtanto kung sino ito nang makita ang bracelet an suot nito.

It's Lady Lacy who's secretly crying.

Hahayaan na sana niya ito nang makatapak siya sa isang dahon na bigla na lamang napadpad doon nang hindi niya napansin. Open area kasi ito at may nakapaligid ding mga naglalakihang mga puno.

"Who's that?" gulat na tanong nito at lumunok pa. Kaagad namang nagtago si Cain. Kinakabahan siya na baka makita siya ng dalaga sa ganoong estado.

"Is anyone there?" pagtatanong pa nito. Maya-maya lang ay wala na siyang narinig na kaluskos mula sa babae, kaya naman dahan-dahan niyang sinilip ang kaniyang ulo sa pinagtataguan niya.

Pero ganoon lamang ang kaniyang gulat nang makita niya ang dalaga na nakataas ang isang kilay sa kaniya habang nakapamewang.

Although her eyes were puff, slightly swollen and red. She's still pretty, is that even allowed? Cain thought.

"What are you doing here?" masungit na tanong nito kahit nagaragal ang boses nito.

Nahihiya namang ngumiti si Cain sa kaniya at napakamot sa likod ng ulo nito.

"Uhm... I was just walking and then I saw you here. But don't worry. You can have this place and I'll leave you here alone, if you want," natatarantang saad ni Cain rito. Napailing na lamang si Lacy sa sinabi nito.

"Stay if you want or leave. I don't care," she plainly said. And when Cain is about to leave, he saw how sad she is, based on what emotions in her eyes.

So, he decided to stay with her. He sat across the bench, on the other side.

Lacy glance at him for a second and look at the view in front of them again.

"Are you okay?" pagtatanong ni Cain rito. Nahihiya pa siya dahil hindi naman sila close at isa pa, naabutan niya pa itong umiiyak kanina. Tsaka naistorbo niya pa ang dalaga.

Ngunit hindi na ngayon, mukhang tumahan na ito.

"Do I look like I am okay? Where did you saw someone crying helplessly then they are okay?" masungit na saad nito. Napaisip naman si Cain sa sinabi ng babae.

"Well, tears of joy are," bulong niya na nakatanggap ng masasamang titig galing kay Lacy.

"But I'm sorry for intervening with you. I am just worried because you were secretly crying, which is not healthy," he said. Napatingin naman sa kaniya si Lacy at napataas ang kilay.

"Why do you say so?" tanong ng dalaga.

"Well, someone told me that crying really helps you to lessen the weight inside your heart. But also, it's too toxic if you are pretending okay in front of others and then cry secretly after." His words of wisdom.

"Opening up to someone really helps and crying really helps, seek help if you need. But never pretend that you are okay in front of others, especially if your eyes are telling the opposite," saad nito habang nakatingin sa mga mata ni Lacy.

"Because pretending is too toxic to the point that it will lock you up inside of your comfort zone. Then in the end, you'll have no chance to escape and be forever in caged."

Napaiwas naman si Lacy rito at lumunok ng kaniyang laway.

She cleared her throat and sighed.

"I guess, pretending is my forte," she shortly said, and shrugged her shoulders.

"You can use me as your handkerchief if you are feeling sad or you were about to cry. I am happy to help you to lessen your weights even though it's just a small act." Lacy nodded her head and smiled at him.

"Yeah sure, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for your concern, Sir Cain."

"You can just call me, Cain. Don't be too formal." Lacy smile and nods her head.

"Then call me Lacy too, to be fair." Cain showed her his sweetest smile and happily nodded his head.

"Sure, Lacy." Hindi nila alam, pero napatawa na lamang silang dalawa kahit na walang dahilan.

Which also, made Lacy's heavy feeling to slightly fades away. She guess, laughing really makes your sadness go away.

I'll make this woman happy.