Piece by Piece

Chapter 26

"She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her. I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little stratagems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her."
—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

26

Waking up in the arms of the one I love is the best feeling one could ever describe... I know people have heard of this one too many times. It has been written in all the books and novels imprinted years and years ago but still it doesn't get old. Still it gives out new wave of feelings and excitement knowing that here beside me lies the man I never thought I can love the way I do now.

I know he's been gone for one whole year but the warmth his body is giving me still sends familiarity through my soul. It calms my uneasy heart and gives me the feeling of home. This I've never felt with anyone before.

Gusto kong hawakan ang mukha niya, gusto ko siyang halikan pero ayoko siyang magising. His face shouts restlessness and worry. No matter how hard he tries to mask his fragility through the strong personality he is showing the whole world, it still comes out. Last night, I just saw how broken he really is deep inside. I wish I knew.

We were both broken individuals who found our needed attention with each other that it was almost impossible to detach us from our own universe until the day came that we both became dependent. I became his and he swallowed all my brokenness, making it his own too. I became selfish. I made my issues the center of everything, forgetting that he, too, has his own issues to face. And so we ended up hurting each other even more. That's when I realized that two broken people can never be together. That's why we never worked out before. We both needed healing on our own. And I believe we both has healed. I have healed.

Remembering what happened yesterday, I only wanted to make things up to him. I want to embrace him so tight, I want to embrace all the pain and guilt he has in his heart the way he was doing me ever since that night, at the beach, during Vhong and Anne's wedding.

I know the pain of losing someone. I know how it feels to be so guilty of it as well.

My phone rang cutting me off my gaze. I answered it immediately as to not wake him.

"Hello?" I answered as quiet as I could.

"My goodness Ana Karylle! Ngayon ka lang sumagot? Kahapon pa kami tawag ng tawag sa'yo! Your mom has been so worried! Sirang sira na yung schedule mo for the whole week! Where have you been? Nakakaloka ka! Ako pinapagalitan ni Madam Z eh!" Sigaw ni Sir Arnold. My handler. He was assigned by my mom to look out for my schedules, meetings and events nang maisipan kong bumalik ng showbiz.

"I just got my phone back last night. I'm sorry. I'll call mama later—"

"Talagang kailangan mo siyang tawagan! You were all over the news yesterday hanggang ngayon. Christian sent out a statement saying he was just being friendly with you at nasangkot lang daw siya sa away niyong dalawa niyang jowa mo! Right now it looks like he was the victim and you flirted with him that night na ikinaselos ng boyfriend mo who happened to be in the event as well! The media has been calling you for your side of the story pero apparently you were out of reach and you've been AWOL for the whole day, only proving you guilty!" Galit na sigaw sa akin ni Arnold.