Stolen Moments

11.

Hello! I unpublished the previous Chapter 11 that I published yesterday because it was too short and I was really bothered. Anyways, here's the longer and final version of the chapter. Enjoy! 🤍

ps. The next few chapters will be throwback scenes. :))

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For a long time, I've always wondered what love was. I watched a lot of movies about princesses with their prince charmings, and growing up, I wanted to experience it too. I dreamt of being a princess, and that someday, I get to meet my own charming prince.

And as early as the age of five, I think I already found him.

Zayden Ace. My best friend.

I was five when I met him, then I realized that I liked him when I was thirteen. I mean, how could I not? He treated me like a princess. For me, he was my definition of a prince charming.

And the more time we spent together as we grew older, the deeper I fell in love.

"Zayden, what do you think of this new dress that my mom bought for me? It makes me look like a princess!" I said excitedly and twirled around. I giggled when the skirt of the dress flowed smoothly with the wind.

"Ano yan? Pangit." lumapit si Zayden at inayos ang tali ng dress ko sa likod. "Hindi mo pa na-ribbon nang maayos."

Napanguso ako habang hinihintay siyang matapos sa ginagawa. He even fixed my hair after fixing my dress. Nang matapos ay pinaharap niya ako sa kanya. He stared at me from head to toe and I smiled sweetly at him. Napasimangot siya at pinitik ang noo ko.

"Aray!" I whined. He rolled his eyes and laughed after.

"Arte mo kasi! 'Di ka naman mukhang princess!" pang-aaway niya. "Mukha kang witch. Sino na ulit yun? Si Maleficent? Kamukha mo yun!"

I glared at him and he just stuck his tongue out while showing me an L sign with his fingers placed on top of his forehead to spite me.

Nang akmang susugurin ko na siya ay kaagad siyang tumakbo palayo, at nang habulin ko ay paikot-ikot na kami sa meadow na naghahabulan.

I was wearing heels and my dress was pretty long so after a while, I tripped down and fell.

"Ouchie!" I cried. Napalingon naman si Zayden at nang makitang nadapa ako ay tumakbo palapit sa'kin.

"Yan! 'Di kasi nag-iingat eh!" sermon niya at tinulungan akong tumayo. "Does it hurt?" he asked, now he was worried. I glared at him and pulled his hair.

"Ouch! What was that for?!" he groaned, still holding me carefully.

"Kamukha mo si Gaston!" I fought. He chuckled and helped me sit in an open space near us. Inangat niya ang dress ko to check my knee and when he noticed that it didn't have any scratches, he felt relieved. The whole garden was covered with grass so my fall didn't really hurt me that much.

Zayden took my heels off and stood up, walking away with it. Nagtataka ko siyang pinanood habang naglalakad siya palayo at papasok sa bahay nila. A few minutes later, he came back with a pair of flat doll shoes.

"Wear these instead, Cinderella. You're still not very good with heels." he said and kneeled to put them on me.

"Saan naman galing yan? And ayaw ko yan! Hindi na pang princess yan!" reklamo ko.

"Mukha ka pa'rin namang princess ah? Matatakpan din ng dress mo 'to." sabi niya bago umupo sa tabi ko.

"Talaga? Mukha akong princess?" I smiled widely. Umirap siya pero tumango din naman.