Between North and South

CHAPTER 14 - FALLING AND FALLEN

"I'll catch up. Uriah will drop me by." She told Sabina when she called to remind her about meeting their cousins at Lifestyle District.

"Who?"

"Oh, it's Ice. It's what I call him. We're at InfiniTea."

"Intriguing."

She chuckled. "Yeah, I'll tell you soon. Tell the others I'll be there."

"Okay," she giggled.

After the call and a short chat, Uriah and Azren finally headed back to Centrio Mall for dinner. By quarter to seven, they walked for about five minutes to Lifestyle District. Then Sab and Jonathan came to fetch her from the main entrance. They also invited Uriah but he politely declined, recalling what Azren said about bonding with her relatives.

Jonathan smirked. "Psh. We'd like to know more about your past."

Azren contemplated. Should I send him home? Or is it better if we got interrogated together?

"Come on, Kuya Ice. The others are waiting for the both of you."

"Really?" Azren was baffled.

"Yeah. Besides, Ate Sarah's there too."

“Next time. I don’t really wanna intrude.”

“Huh? Come on, dude. You’re no stranger. And it’s not like it’s your first time joining us.”

“Yeah, Kuya Ice. Don’t be a killjoy.”

Azren finally turned to Uriah. "Join us." He hesitated and asked if she was sure. "Yes. You should be there when they interrogate me."

He chuckled and followed them inside.

Sarah was singing when they arrived and when she saw them, through the mic she said, "Whoot!"

The teasing skyrocketed. They made them sit beside each other and Hector started the interrogation.

"What's up with you two? Because based on your interaction last night, it's a little difficult to believe that you were only friends."

Azren bit her lip. If it weren't for the dim lighting, they would've noticed her blushing. Uriah glanced at her and bobbed her head for the approval he sought.

"We're exes."

"Whoa!" Sarah exclaimed with the others.

"Really?" That's Hector.

"How?" Asked Alistair.

Azren decided to speak. "Long story. But yes, we're exes. Over two years ago."

“Oh. Was the break-up caused by long distance?” Asked Benjamin who's seated beside Uriah.

“Yep.” Uriah answered. “And some misunderstandings.”

Earlier at InfiniTea, Azren mentioned that she’s never been in a long distance relationship and that she can imagine herself sucking at it. From that, Uriah suggested that when people asks about them, they’ll use distance as the main reason of their relationship's failure.

"Two years ago? Sarah and I had been married. Didn't you know about our family ties when you got here?"

Azren shook her head. "I saw your wedding family picture on his cover photo, though. And when I met you both, I felt you were familiar. I just couldn't recall where I first saw you."

"And Hector only told me about you the day before Bella's birthday," Sarah filled in.

"Did you guys have a bad break-up?"

"Trin, let's not meddle," Benjamin suggested and Azren quietly agreed with that.

"Why? What's the point of not meddling when we're already discussing it?"

I don't wanna conclude but I have a feeling that my cousin likes my ex.

With creased brows, Uriah answered, "No. We just didn't have a proper closure."

"Who left?" She asked further.

Azren saw Uriah's jaws clenched. She rested a hand on his knee and smiled when he caught her gaze. “Benjamin’s right.” She addressed Trinity. “I’m sorry but we’d rather not talk about it.”

That silenced her. She didn't respond but Azren caught her grimace.

Should I be watchful of her? Is she not genuine to me? No, that's a rude thought. Well, I'll let things unfold slowly since one reason that I came here was to meet my relatives. To know if I fit the way I do with Mommy Elvira’s family. With them, I am welcomed. I belong. Even if they knew from the beginning that I am not a true blooded Natividad.

According to them, it was not easy to accept me but slowly they did. And as I grew, I felt their genuine acceptance that I even get to attend the annual Natividad family gathering every December. But when I found out about my illegitimacy, I decided to not join last year. Knowing about that plan displeased them. So I had no choice but to come.

I was embarrassed about my identity but more so when they made me realized that even if since the beginning they knew about the truth, they have never made me feel different nor unaccepted. And that’s when I knew that I shouldn't turn my back on them because I'm still and forever will be a Natividad. Because by belief, I am their family and will always be. Because sometimes, being part of a family is not through the genes. It's through the heart.

"So, what's next with you two? Back together?" Harmony asked after her song.

"No, we just talked." Azren replied.

"To have closure?"

Uriah spoke to answer Trinity. "And start over."

Their companions snickered and while they continuously teased them, Azren stared at him without saying anything. Hearing him tell other people about his intentions made her believe in his sincerity more.

***

The past days, Azren did nothing but loiter around the house and text and surf or whatever that could occupy her time since her siblings were often at school. She wanted to explore the city but she preferred doing that with her siblings or cousins, hence why she stayed indoors most of the time. But that was still a good thing because she got to spend more hours with Melanie. And when she goes for her errands, she comes along. Apparently, she enjoyed going to the marketplace.

It's now Wednesday and the Burgoses decided to go on a night out. They came to Pulse, one of Cagayan de Oro's most visited bar. Loud music and people are all over the place. Immediately, they looked for an area that could accommodate all ten of them. Sarah and Hector didn’t come because of their baby duties.

As soon as they found a spot, they settled while Jonathan, Benjamin, and Harmony went to order drinks. Azren sat between Alistair and Denise and while they chatted, she received a text from Uriah asking for her whereabouts and apologizing for not constantly texting. She understood him, of course. He's busy with work and even if it's been three days since they last saw each other, there was never a day that they didn’t talk.

Azren: Bar with cousins.

Uriah: Which bar?

Azren: Secret! I don't want you to come.

It's not that I don't want him around me but I really just want spend this time with my cousins alone. Plus we agreed that neither boyfriends nor girlfriends should be brought on cousins' time. Unless married. In my case, Uriah's not my boyfriend but I don’t want my attention divided.

Uriah: You just gave me the idea. Haha. I'll be there in 20.

Azren: Dare and we're canceled tomorrow.

Uriah: You win! Haha! Take care, okay?

Azren: My cousins are here. I'm safe. ;)

When they decided to hit the dancefloor, she texted Uriah to not wait for her replies and just sleep ahead.

For almost an hour, the cousins raved and even interacted with other party-goers. When Azren felt really tired and drenched in sweat, she returned to their table and checked her phone and saw two messages from Uriah.

9:20 PM | Uriah: Careful with strangers, Bee.

10:02 PM | Uriah: Can't sleep! I wanna go there.

It's only 10:06 so this just got in four minutes ago. I better reply before he suddenly pops in here.

Azren: Don't. Try counting sheep.

Uriah: Done dancing?

Azren: Resting. I'm drenched in sweat.

Uriah: Don't dance again.

Azren: I'll see.

Uriah: Still drinking?

Azren: Not much but yeah.

Uriah: Ok. Drink less.

Azren: This is my last bottle.

Fifteen minutes passed and she’s back on the dance floor with Harmony. They danced, jumped, and raved to the mixed music. Suddenly, she felt someone’s close proximity behind her. She turned anticipating to see one of her cousins. But to her surprise, it wasn’t any of them. But he looked familiar.

The guy’s face contorted while studying her back. When her identity registered, his eyes widened and he exclaimed, "AZREN?"

And that’s when she recognized him too. Tall and good-looking. "CARLOS? My gosh, you're here!"

He chuckled and leaned closer to speak. "I should be the one telling you that!"

Azren grinned and invited him to sit by their table—feeling that their catch up will take longer.

"Who's with you?" He asked as they settled.

"My cousins! How are you?"

They became friends when he visited Manila but they never followed each other on social media. Back then, Carlos told her about Uriah’s devastation about her. But when she dismissed any talks about him, he respected that and told himself to let them resolve it by themselves.

"Hector's cousins too, right?"

"Yup. Long story." She chuckled. "What about you? Any company?"

"My squad. Isaac's supposed to come with us. We didn't know why he declined. I guess now I do."

"Why?"

He nudged her. "Because of you. He actually committed to come but then he said that you're here and that you told him you shouldn't meet tonight."

"He said that, huh?" She laughed. "Good. Very true to his promises."

"Why is that, though?"

"It's Cousins' Night. I don't want any distractions. I just want to spend this whole night with them, so I told him not to come. If he did then tomorrow's date will be canceled."

He laughed. "So he's a distraction?"

"No. I mean… well, if by coincidence we met somewhere then that'd be fine. But I can’t promise to be with him all the time."

“Because he’s not your priority, right?”

“Love life in general.”

Carlos chuckled. “I’m sure he can wait. But does he stand a chance?”

Azren slightly shrugged. “Not sure. I just wanna be friends for now. And well, this is a good chance for us to know each other on a personal level, so we’ll see.”

He nodded approvingly. “Okay. I’m just happy that you’re not ignoring him anymore.”

“Yeah, I felt guilty for what I did.”

***

Azren celebrated her first Valentine’s day with her CDO family by sharing a sumptuous lunch at Kagay-anon Restaurant.

“Do you spend Valentines with your family?” Melanie asked over the course. “Or with your special someone?”

“When we were kids, yeah. But when my brothers and I started dating, the schedule was divided. But it was mandatory that we spend dinner altogether.”

“Same as ours, Ate. Mama and Papa made it a tradition to celebrate Valentine’s together. We can date but there must be one meal that we share. Either lunch or dinner.”

“That’s beautiful. Family should always be first.” She replied to Sabina.

“Is it fine that you’re celebrating it with us this year?”

She smiled reassuringly at Gus. “Yes. As long as I greeted them.”

“How old were you when you had your first boyfriend?” Sabina asked.

“Seventeen.”

“Don’t you have a boyfriend right now?”

She shook her head to answer.

“What about Isaac? Are you planning on getting back together? You do look compatible.”

Melanie’s question caught her off guard. “I’m not sure, Ma. But we agreed to be friends.”

“I hope you can give him another chance, Ate. Kuya Ice is a really good guy. I heard that he’s a one-woman man and he’s serious when it comes to love and dating. Most important of all, he’s very family-oriented.”

Gus chimed in. “That’s right. Even his brothers say so.”

“You guys are so enthusiastic about this, huh?” Azren chuckled. “We’ll see.”

They nodded. Nobody asked anything further and their conversation shifted from one to another.

Yesterday, she told Melanie about her past with Uriah. Same script that she told her cousins. That they’re exes who drifted apart with no proper closure. She was amused—surprisingly. And she filled Azren with words of Uriah’s quality of being a responsible and loving son and brother. That’s probably why she easily allowed Azren to go on a dinner date with him. And she’s definitely excited because she hasn’t gone on a Valentine’s date for the past years. She’d only celebrated it with her friends and family. Although last year she spent it alone with Gavin, it was only a friendly date. Nothing romantic. And she’s not sure if tonight is going to be but since Uriah is sort of her suitor, then she’s considering it as a romantic Valentine’s date.

"Where are we headed?" She asked the moment they drove out of the village.

"Remember High Ridge?"

That excited her. She’d been wanting to visit the place since two years ago and now it’s finally happening. And she’s visiting with him—the person that introduced it to her.

The view was breathtaking. It was already so beautiful in the photos but definitely looked ten times better in real life. You can see the whole of Cagayan de Oro City. The tall buildings, the city lights, and the Oro River.

"Close your pretty mouth." Uriah touched her tiny waist and guided her further inside.

As expected, the place was crowded as it was a peak season. They chose to sit by the farthest table. Azren savored the fresh air and to fully enjoy it, she removed her denim jacket and with the white sleeveless that she’s wearing, her shoulders are now exposed.

Their orders arrived shortly. As Azren started with her food, she told Uriah about bumping into Carlos last night.
“He told me that you were supposed to be with them. Why didn't you go?"

He tried to suppress the sound of his laughter but she heard it anyway. "Yeah, well."

"I'm not assuming. But he mentioned that it's because of me. Why?"

"Because I won't risk canceling my first Valentines date with you. This was more important. I waited years for this, you know."

She pouted. "Okay. And you asked one of my cousins where I was and that's how you knew, right?"

His smile widened. "Yeah, I asked Benjamin."

"Obviously the most possible thing you'd do."

He nodded. "Anyway, I have something for you."

Azren swallowed. Not this again! I have nothing for him this time. I did think of giving him something but I couldn't think of anything!

"No way."

He arched a brow. "Why? Hey… just like before, I'm not asking for anything in return."

All she could do was sigh. The paper bag that he’s been carrying was already on the table. She sighed again before opening it. A well folded thin, soft cloth welcomed her. She unfolds a portion and noticed the black strawberry prints against its dark blue color. Instantly falling in love with its neutral colors, she brought it to her cheek to feel its warmth. Then she turned it upside down and saw, in one corner, the embroidered cursive saying: For your warmth, Louiza. ♡ And inside the heart were the initials IUFM in tiny letters.

"Oh, Bee, thank you."

"That's already two years old," he revealed. "It’s what I was supposed to give you from Baguio."

Her eyes bulged. "You kept this for two years?"

"Yeah. Because I hoped for the day that I'd be able to personally give it to you."

She bit her lip. The revelation made her guiltier. "Why didn't you just ask Carlos to hand it to me when they went to Manila? I would’ve accepted it, you know. I’m not mean enough to turn this down."

There's just so many ways! He could've asked Ramona or Carlos. Or find a way to know either mine or Ramona's address for this to be sent. Right?

"I thought of it but I wanted to be the one to hand it."

She remained quiet and while she hugged the material, she gazed at him as he ate.

"And I guess waiting was right. Because who would've thought that our world was this small?" They both smiled. "And not just that. Bee, I didn't plan to just sit around and wait for some miracle that you'd suddenly appear in front me. I planned a vacation to Luzon this May. And part of my itinerary was to find you. Somehow. Hopefully with Ramona's help. But the universe found a way to bring us together. So… I guess we’re really meant to see each other again."

Say what? He was planning to find me? God! This guy is unbelievable!
"Do you really like me that much?"

"I loved you, remember? But you pushed me away."

She held her tummy. Something's tangled inside. Dragons are flapping their wings rapidly. Her heart's beating like she just ran a couple of miles. She’s confused but happy. She’s giddy but still find his revelations to be too good to be true.

I mean, really? With the very short time that we had for each other—with that one and only night that we were together—he loved me? He already fell for me? Because I was just falling for him then. And there's a difference between I am falling and I have fallen.

"You still don't believe me?" She subtly shook her head. "It's up to you, Bee. But I'm certain about my feelings."

She released an apologetic sigh. "I'm sorry if this is too hard for me to believe. When we met, you were fresh from heartbreak. That's probably the reason why I suppressed my developing feelings for you. I couldn’t believe that you've forgotten her that soon."

He nodded, understanding her sentiments. "At least you're honest. No pretenses. And you were right about me still moving on when we met. I thought it'd be hard for me but when you came into the picture, it became easier," he smiled. "Believe it or not, in that short period, you took me out of my misery. You made it easier for me to forget what I was going through. You helped me."

"Um… I'm glad I did. And I’m really sorry for causing you another pain."

He reached for some strands of her hair and tucked them behind her ear. “I love you too much to dwell on that.”

Both his gesture and words sent her heart to frenzy.

How do I respond to that?