Running Away from the Billionaire (LOB series #4)

Chapter 23

"Is there something that's bothering you?" Klaus asked as he stopped in front of my building.

Alam kong napapansin niya na may mali sa akin. I just can't concentrate on being with him because I kept on thinking about Riona and my guilt of not telling him about our daughter. Whenever I look at him smiling palagi kong naiiisip kung ngingiti parin ba siya sa akin ng ganyan kapag nalaman niya na itinago ko sa kanya ang anak namin.

"Kaye," He removed his seat belt and moved closer to me before he held my face for me to look at him. "You can always tell me everything. Everything. I will try to understand whatever your problem is and whatever it is we'll face it together. Alright?"

Ngumiti siya sa akin at dahil doon hindi ko na napigilan na umiyak. I don't deserve him. I am not deserving of his love and yet here he is. Hindi ako dapat matakot. I should tell him. Not because I want to, but because it's the right thing to do.

"Klaus, I have something to tell you." I looked away with my shaking hands and bit my lips from trying to stop it from trembling. Napakunot ang noo niya. "We have—"

Naputol ang sasabihin ko nang biglang tumunog ang cellphone niya at agad niyang sinagot.

"What is it?" Napahawak siya sa noo niya nang marinig ang sinabi ng tao sa kabilang linya at tumingin sa akin. "I'll... try"

"Ano daw?" Hindi ko napigilang itanong dahil mukha na siyang balisa simula nang ibaba niya ang phone.

"Nothing." He said before he gave me a faint smile. For all the years I've known him, only a few can make him look like that. I have an idea but I don't know if I'm right. "What were you saying? Before the call?"

Tinitigan ko siya ng mabuti. Nagtatanong siya sa akin pero halatang malayo ang isip. I don't want him to know about our daughter kung ganito ang situation niya. I moved closer to him and captured his face.

"You know that you can always tell me everything. I will try to understand whatever your problem is and whatever it is we'll face it together." Napangiti siya nang marinig na inulit ko ang sinabi niya sa akin kanina. I planted a soft kiss on his lips but before I move away he held my back and made the kiss deeper.

We were both catching our breath as we looked straight in each others eyes.

"I love you Kaye. I love you so damn much." Napangiti ako.

"I love you too." I said and he kissed me again. After the kiss I wiped his lips as smudged of lipstick was on the side of it.

Sinungling yung nasa Watsons, sabi niya smudge proof. Tatlong iba't ibang kulay sana bibilihin ko mabuti nalang isa lang ang binili ko. Bumili pa naman ako ng value card.

"So about your phone call?" Pagpapa-alala ko sa kanya dahil mukhang nakalimutan niya na yung tawag dahil lang sa halikan naming dalawa.

"It was..."

"Calla?" He immediately looked at me at alam ko na kaagad na tama ako pero umiling siya.

"It was not her but it was about her son. His name's Gavril." I nodded my head to encourage him to talk more as we both sat on the seats of his car.

"Remember that time when... when you left." Napalunok siya nang maalala ang nangyari. "Before that, Calla almost lost Gavril and it's all because of me. She tried to abort him because of me."

Napatakip ako sa bibig nang dahil sa sobrang gulat. Hindi ko alam na ganito ang nangyari noon. He never told me about this. Alam kong hindi gusto ni Calla ang mabuntis pero hindi ko akalain na magagawa niya ang bagay na iyon.

Faces of Riona started to register on my mind from when she was a baby until today. Never did I thought of losing her when I found out that I was pregnant. In fact, masaya pa ako dahil alam ko na si Riona ay produkto ng pagmamahalan namin ni Klaus.

"When I found out about it, conscience started to eat me. What if Gavril was killed? It's all because of me. An innocent life will be lost just because I tried to keep her away from me. I was avoiding her but I didn't know that she'll kill her own son. I tried to help her. She was going crazy." Ipinikit niya ang mga mata niya habang nagsasalita.

"I don't want her to kill herself or the baby. I'm not the father and neither am I his boyfriend but... I can't let that happen." Klaus slowly opened his eyes. Tumingin siya sa akin at nakita ko ang pamumula ng mga mata niya. "But I didn't know that in the process, I was starting to lose you."

Hindi ako nakapagsalita. Hindi ko alam na pinagdaanan niya ang bagay na ito noon. All I know was the feeling of being ignored and left just because Calla called him. Hindi ko alam na ganito na pala ang nangyayari. If only he told me.

"When I went back and you weren't there..." He swallowed. "I knew that I fucked up. I fucked up big time. I lost the most important person in my life, just because I was trying to save someone else's."

Lumapit siya sa akin at niyakap ako ng mahigpit na parang ano mang oras ay mawawala ulit ako sa tabi niya. Na iiwan ko ulit siya.

"This time, I will not make the same mistake. I'll be selfish." He kissed the side of my head and hugged me tightly. "I will choose you. I will always choose you."

I hugged him back as tight as I could. Gusto kong sabihin sa kanya na hindi niya kasalanan iyon, na wala siyang kasalanan sa ginawa ni Calla sa anak niya pero para saan pa, tapos na. Ang mahalaga ay ang ngayon.

May kasalanan din ako sa mga nangyari noon. Alam kong nagkamali din ako dahil hindi ko napansin na may mabigat na siyang pinagdaraanan nung mga panahon na iyon. Maybe I felt that he neglected me his affection, now I realized, I'm the one who gave him less attention.

But I've grown because of Riona. I'm not the same Kaylareen as before, years had past. Hindi na ako yung maarteng Kayla na gusto ko lahat ng attention niya na sa akin.

"Pero teka hindi mo naman sinabi kung tungkol saan yung tawag." Napakamot siya sa ulo.

"Gavril was looking for me. That's all." Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata kaya itinaas niya ang isang kamay niya. "Swear."

"Okay, then you must go." Nag iwas siya ng tingin. "Hoy, puntahan mo na."

"I don't want to." He said sulking like a little boy. Natawa ako at pinitik siya sa noo niya.

"Puntahan mo na. I won't leave." He looked straight into my eyes as if assessing if I'm telling the truth. "Promise. Magpapahinga na din ako. I won't leave."

"If you ever leave me again, God knows..." I rolled my eyes and pinched his nose.

"Hindi nga sabi ako aalis. Sige na. Dito lang ako." I smiled at him and nodded my head. He sighed.

Hahanapin ko lang ang tamang oras para sabihin sa kanya ang tungkol sa anak namin and if there's someone who'll leave this time, I know it won't be me.