Only Once in a Lifetime (TRF #4)

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"So, what's our status now?" I asked as she tilted her head while she was eating.

"Ahm, diko alam." She said as I laughed.

"If you want to stay as friends, I swear to God, Elle. Ayoko. After what happened to us, I will take responsibility." I said as she frowned.

"Hindi naman kailangan. We can just forget about what happened and go on as friends." She said as I frowned. See? This is why I didn't want to take her last night.

"No. No one's forgetting anything as I said last night. Whether you like it or not, you're already mine." I said.

"Another favor?" She asked as I grinned.

"Yep." I said as she sighed.

Like hell she'll ever get away from my grasp again.

"Gawa mo?" Revion asked while I was typing on my laptop.

"A book." I replied as he scoffed.

"I'm envious that despite our busy schedule, nagagawa mo pa ding isingit yang libro na iyan para sa girlfriend mo." He said, amazed, as I laughed.

"Birthday niya sa thirteen diba?" He asked as I nodded.

"Happy birthday sa inyong dalawa." He tapped my shoulder as I laughed and shaked my head.

When I handed her the book I was nervous as fuck. I know that it doesn't have any grammatical errors because ilang beses ko nang prinoofread iyon. I was just hella nervous because of the fact that what if she won't take it or something like that.

"I love you too, Jaze. So so much." She murmured and I laughed and kissed her forehead. Those three words chased my worries away and it was replaced with relief and warmth. She never really fails to bring warmth to my soul everytime.

"I'll never get tired of saying it, Elle." I said as her eyes softened.

"How far is the message for your future self?" She asked while we were laying down on my bed.

"How far in the future?" I confirmed as she nodded.

"Seven years." I replied as she nodded. And I wish at that time were still together.

"So, what part do you want me to read for you?" I asked while opening the book.

"Uh, yung paragraphs for you." I said as I smiled.

"Did you read the book already?" I asked as she shaked her head.

"Oo pero sa poetries of your beauty palang ako." She stated as I nodded.

"The calm in the midst of storm, a bright ray of sunlight in the midst of the cloudy sky, the brightest star in the night sky. You represent all of those, my love. You are the light in every darkness, the hope that someone is waiting for. You are someone who shines so bright but your brightness is not blinding, rather it is warm and comforting. So comforting that I would give up everything to cuddle in that comfort and stay there forever." I read as she smiled.

I flipped it to the next page and dropped a kiss on her lips before reading again.

"You have always been someone who gives hope to anyone without even realizing it. You give comfort to anyone without even realizing it. You are such an amazing person, so amazing that everytime you walk almost everyone around you stops and stares for awhile. Your beauty, the way you speak, everything about you is so admirable. The way you smile? Oh what I would give to see that everyday." I poured every thought I have with her in this book. Every single thing that's in here is a thought I have with her.

"I love you." She said as I kissed her forehead.

"I love you more, darling." I replied.

"Whoo, tangina ayoko na." Alfred pushed the papers away from his desk as I laughed and shaked my head.

"Ganito ba ang third year? Kase kapag oo paano nalang ang fourth year? Baka mamatay na ako noon." Revion said as Reyne frowned.

"Hale, ikaw nalang mag engineer. Ayaw na namin." Reyne said as I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Boyfriend mo tanga papalapit na." Sabi naman ni Alfred kaya agad siyang tumayo para puntahan ang boyfriend niya

"Babe!" She hugged her boyfriend as I rolled my eyes. I miss my Elle too.

"Miss mo na din girlfriend mo?" Revion asked as I sighed. "Ako din." He sighed as my brows furrowed.

"May girlfriend ka?" Tanong ko at tinignan niya ako.

"Hoy, ang bastos mo naman." Sabi niya at tumawa si Alfred.

"Meron ba?" Tanong niya at umiling si Revion.

"Wala. Joke lang iyon." Sabi naman ni Revion kaya napailing nalang ako sa mga kalokohan nila.

"Hoy Reyne! May gagawin pa tayo!" Alfred called Reyne who was holding hands with her boyfriend.

She rolled her eyes and made her way towards us.

"Ey bro." Her boyfriend tapped my shoulder as I gave him a smile.

"Hey." I replied as he sat beside me.

"So, kailan ulit presentation?" Tanong ni Revion.

"Next next week, dude." Reyne replied as I sighed.

Aydi looks off these days and I want to talk to her for about it today. She said she'll come to my condo and it's been bothering me these past few days.

"You're weirdly quiet today, love." I tucked a strand of her hair in her ears as she smiled. It looks forced.

"May iniisip lang." She replied.

"You're acting so not like you these days, Elle." I said and pulled her to my arms.

"May iniisip nga lang. It's no big deal." She said and that made me frown. Everything is a big deal when she's acting like this.

"What is it?" I asked as she shaked her head.

"Wala, ayokong pag-usapan." She replied as I sighed.

"Elle, if you won't tell me what's wrong I cannot help you with it." I frowned as she frustratedly sighed.

"I don't need your help." She said and stood up but I held her hand.

"Aydien." I called her almost pleading.

"Please lang, Hale. Huwag muna ngayon." She sighed deeply as I frowned.

"You expect me to just let it go when obviously you're acting like that?" I said as tears started running down her eyes. My baby, she's crying.

"Hindi ko alam!" She sobbed. "Hindi ko na alam! I'm failing. Lahat ng quiz ko sa subjects ko nababagsak na. Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko."

"You know that it doesn't matter. Isang quiz lang yan." I said. Well, I may not know the feeling of failing but I know it sucks pero mababawi pa naman niya eh.

One mistake is not the end of the world. She has one more semester para bawiin iyon.

"Hindi mo alam kase magaling ka! You do everything effortlessly. Lahat ng ginagawa mo hindi kailangan ng effort mo kase magaling ka eh. You don't know the hard work I put in just to get a score that's to my liking but always end up being disappointed." She snapped as my heart broke. That maybe true but does it look like I'm invalidating her feelings?

"Is that what you think?" I asked, my voice so raw I couldn't even recognize it.

"I just.... I don't know. I need space to think for awhile." She said as I forced a smile, trying so hard not to look so vulnerable in front of her.

"Sure." I said as she walked out of my condo. That's when my tears started spilling out.

Sometimes, I feel like this intelligence of mine isn't a gift, rather it's a curse. I don't know what it feels like to fail so maybe what she said is right. That I don't have the rights to talk about something that I haven't even experienced yet.