Ever After (End Game Book 2)

Roni ❤️ Borj

"Breathe, Baby", he teasingly says, while touching my face.

I blinked once or twice, and only then I realized that he has already parked the car.

I saw him smiling at me, his eyes only on me.

Then when I looked at him, my face probably still red, my smile unsure, but my eyes just focused on him. I don't know what his eyes find, but his smile is suddenly gone, then he pulled me for another kiss, but this time, it's not a quick one. He kisses me slowly... softly, sweetly, like he has all the time in the world. Then gently, he distanced his face from mine. Slowly, I opened my eyes and I saw him smiling at me.

"Lucky, it's me. Don't ever look at someone else like that, Baby. I don't think I'll survive it"

Words have escaped me, so I did what I normally do whenever he leaves me speechless- I smiled then covered my still very red face, trying to hide from him.

He removed my hands from my face, held them then gave me a quick kiss at the corner of my lips, then whispered, "I love you, Baby"

"I love you, Love", I answered, smiling.

"I love you more"

----

We were walking inside the mall. I'm pushing Lana's stroller, while holding the hand of this woman, whose other hand is busy typing reminders of the things that we need to buy.

"Love, what's the motif of Al's wedding?"

"Motif?"

"Colour theme", she said, looking up from what she's typing, getting a bit irritated, like she couldn't believe I don't know the motif.

The OC Ronaliza is coming out. I smiled remembering how she's very particular with details. "What are you smiling at?", she asked, exasperated.

I hugged her to me, kissed her head, then said, "Baby, don't be too stressed. Al wouldn't mind even if I would just wear jeans ....", I closed my mouth when I saw her looking at me, yung mga mata nya, naniningkit sa inis.

"Al woudn't mind. But I'm telling you Love, his soon-to-be wife would definitely mind. Tapos isasama mo pa ako. Ano na lang sasabihin nila? Na I'm not looking after you. Ang pabaya ko namang girlfriend", she said without pause.

I stopped walking, then I find myself just staring at that woman. When she probably felt that she lost my hand, she looked back, wondering where I was.

"Love...", she said, confused.

"Girlfriend na kita... Girlfriend ko si Ronaliza Salcedo?"

"What?", she asked, probably unsure on what she's hearing.

I pushed Lana's stroller and walked –ran to her.

"Ano?", she asked, confused, but she's laughing a bit, probably finding me a bit crazy.

"I don't normally hear you say na girlfriend na kita, so when you said it, it just hits differently. Baby, girlfriend na nga kita?"

"Huh...ayaw mo?", she asked laughing.

"Baby naman... nagpapalambing lang e"

Then I saw her smiled, and hugged me by the waist. "Opo...boyfriend na ni Ronaliza Salcedo si Benjamin Jimenez. Ok na yun?", she asked, looking up at me.

I looked at her, grinned, then said," I've dreamed about it for who knows how long, that recently, I would find myself wondering whether I'm still just dreaming or I'm in real life, living my dream"

"Love!", she said, hitting my arm, but then she hugged me tightly, and whispered, "I have loved you from then, Borj".

"And I you, Roni... always"

And somehow, I heard the 14-year old Roni telling my 15-year old self that she indeed loves him too.

And just like that, finally, all's well in Borj's world again.