Note: Sorry talaga at ang tagal na ng updates guys. Grabe kasi sa work. Sobrang hirap at wala na akong time. Nauubos na sa pagcommute pa lang. :( Sana maintindihan nyo. Salamat!

CHAPTER 21

Yung hotel na kung saan lagi dati ang mga laban ni Pacquiao? Andito kami ngayon. And this was one of the most luxurious hotel and grandest casino I've ever seen. Syempre pagdating pa lang naming sobrang dami ko nang kinuhang pics.

Bagay na bagay to sa blog ko at iba talaga yung feeling na masabi kong nakapunta ako sa kung saan naganap yung mga fights ni Manny Pacquiao. I do admire him as a boxer. Sobrang dami niyang pride na naibigay sa Filipinos.

What I don't like is how he ventured into politics and how his mother behaves. Sorry sa rant pero... ugh.

But on the other hand, kaya siguro ganoon ang nanay ni Pacquiao kasi hindi sya sanay sa buhay mayaman. Galing sila sa hirap at ngayon lang siya nakatikim ng ganitong buhay. Which brings me to yet another point.

Me and Reeve.

I wasn't even fully introduced to his world and I'm already overwhelmed.

Baka parang yung sa nanay ni Pacquiao ang mangyari sakin when we move forward and have a real relationship? Baka sobrang maguluhan ako sa mundo niya. Baka sobrang kailangan kong magbago para lang makafit-in.

It's just unfortunate that I'm one of those people who never adjusted or adapted well to harsh situations. I sighed and I felt Reeve's hand tighten on my arm. Parang nabalik na ko sa realidad at nawala na yung mga iniisip ko.

Tigilan mo na yan, Andreia.

I was already overthinking and wala pa ngang nangyayari. Sinabihan lang ako ni Reeve na gusto niyang maging more than friends kami tapos ang iniisip ko na agad eh pano kung naging kami? Wala pa nga siyang sinasabi tungkol sa feelings niya! Pano kung ako lang pala yung nahuhulog ng todo? Pano kung hindi naman parehas yung nararamdaman niya?

I shook my head. Here I go again. Kung anu-ano nanaman ang iniisip ko.

"Are you okay?" Reeve asked.

I managed a small smile for him. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Tumigil sya maglakad. I opened my mouth to ask him why but he placed his hand under my chin and tilted my head upwards so I could look at him.

"You don't look fine," he pointed out. What's it with his blue eyes and how they can seem to see deep into my soul?

"Andreia, you can always tell me if something's bothering you," he told me. Tapos tumingin-tingin siya sa paligid. He also lifted his hand and ran his fingers through his dark hair.

"If you don't like it here, we can always go someplace else."

Umiling ako. "No! This place is perfect," sagot ko.

"You're sure?"

I nodded.

Pumasok kami sa isa sa mga five-star restaurant nila. May reservation na pala si Reeve at agad kaming sinalubong ng waiter at inescort papunta sa table. Perfect din yung spot ng table kasi nasa may bintana. Grabe ung view. Parang kitang kita ko ang buong Vegas and all its bright city lights.

Nilabas ko yung camera ko and took several more shots for my blog and so that I could make these memories last. Isang linggo pa lang yung nakakalipas pero ang dami nang nangyari. Masyadong nakakaoverwhelm. Pag-uwi ko sa bahay siguradong mamimiss ko yung mga ganito. By then, all I'll have are memories and also pictures to prove that those memories were real.

Sinubukan kong basahin yung menu pero parang lumulutang yung mga letra. Wala akong maintindihan dahil sa sobrang gulo ng isip ko.

"Clearly, something is wrong," Reeve said. I lifted my head from the menu and looked at him. Nakatingin pa din sya sa menu habang nagsasalita.

"Hmm. I don't know what to choose. What would you recommend?" tanong ko. Oo, sinubukan ko na lang talagang ibahin yung usapan.

"Greek salad for starters. Then I'll have the rib-eye steak. Have you tried Wagyu beef?" tanong niya. I shook my head. "I suggest you try it. It's one of the softest and most delicious types of beef."

"Alright. I'll have that."

Tinawag na ni Reeve yung waiter and placed our orders. Yung sa dessert daw, mamaya na lang kami pipili. Nung kinuha na yung menu, wala na akong excuse para hindi tignan si Reeve. Kung ako madaming iniisip, napansin ko na parang siya din.

Napakarestless niya ngayong gabi. He kept on glancing at his watch, the window and the entire restaurant. Hindi naman sya ganun dati.

"If something's bothering me, then something is bothering you too."

Reeve sighed. "I have something to tell you."

Bigla na kong kinabahan. "What?" I asked breathlessly.

Reeve didn't speak for a long time. He just continued looking at me.

"There's been problems with the company; my department particularly. My dad asked me to come home. I tried fixing things here but I really have to go there. I know we still have one week but, I'm sorry. I'd have to cut this vacation short."

"Oh..." yun na lang nasagot ko. Yes, I was disappointed. Hindi naman sa hindi makaintindi. I know the world of business and I know how much it takes over one's life. I'm not unreasonable. I'm just disappointed that I'll get to spend less time with him.

Inalis ko yung tingin ko kay Reeve at inikot ng tingin yung buong restaurant. Kaya pala dito niya ko dinala. Sa isang lugar na sobrang bongga at napakaganda. Yun pala kasi huling gabi na naming tong magkasama.

Akala ko may isang linggo pa kami. Pero bukas pala maiiwan na ko dito sa Vegas tapos sya babalik na sa UK.

Reeve reached across the table and took my hand. Reeve was just quiet but I can feel his gaze on me. He squeezed my hand and I turned my attention back to him.

"Don't be sad. This'll work. I promise."

"What will?"

His blue eyes clashed into mine. "Us."

Us? Eh ano ba yung us?

Kinagat ko na lang yung dila ko. Ayoko sanang magtanong pero, eto na yun. This was my opportunity to define what we had. I didn't want to back Reeve into a corner. Boys hated it when girls did that. They hated being rushed. They hated being forced to admit their feelings.

I didn't want Reeve to feel pressure when he said that we'll take things slow. Pero, ang hirap din namang umasa. Ang hirap na para ko na siyang boyfriend pero hindi pala. Yung para kaming nasa gitna—neither here nor there.

Oo, alam kong hindi importante ang labels para sa ibang tao. Tawagin niyo na akong conceited o selfish pero... ako gusto ko ng label. It's what makes things official. It gives you certain rights. It shows the world your commitment to each other.

Without labels, one lives in a constant state of hoping and what-ifs.

"What's us?"

Hindi ko na talaga napigilan yung sarili kong magtanong. A few seconds passed but those seconds felt like an eternity. Hindi nagsasalita si Reeve. Naramdaman ko lang na humigipit yung hawak niya sa kamay ko. He was so still that it appeared as though he wasn't even breathing.

Then, he gave a nervous laugh and ran his fingers through his hair.

Pumikit na lang ako. Eto naman ba yung part na magiging awkward kasi tinanong ko yung mga isang tanong na hindi dapat tinatanong sa mga lalaki? Bakit ba hindi ko sinunod yung mga sarili kong advice sa blog ko? Bakit parang nakalimutan ko lahat ng tungkol sa love at ngayon ako naman yung parang tanga na gustong maghanap ng mga advice at explanations?

Reeve leaned forward. All the laughter vanished from his face and he now had a very serious expression.

"What is us...?" Reeve paused to make quotation marks in the air. "...It's simple, Andreia. It means you're mine and I'm yours."

My jaw dropped and my heart stopped. Hindi ako makahinga and it felt like I was drowning in his blue eyes. Tuyong tuyo yung lalamunan ko. Was he saying what I think he was saying?

Wait! It's all happening so fast! Natatangay nanaman ako ng bagyong Reeve pero wala na akong pakialam. I'd gladly take all the harsh winds if it will take me up the clouds. I'd gladly take the rain if it will wash away everything, except me and him.

Reeve tore his gaze away from me and signalled something to the waiter. When he glanced back, I noticed that he was nervous.

Nanahimik nanaman si Reeve habang hinihintay naming bumalik yung waiter. Tapos siya naman ngayon yung nakatingin sa may bintana na para bang malalim ang iniisip. Yung isang kamay niya hawak pa din yung kamay ko. The other one was tapping an irregular rhythm on the glass table.

After a few more minutes and the waiter was back. He was holding a small, square tray in his hand. He placed it down on the table. May takip pa ung tray pero nung tatanggalin niya, pinigilan siya ni Reeve.

"I'll do it," he said.

The waiter nodded and moved away. Reeve looked at me and both his hands held mine.

"You know, this was supposed to be for dessert. But you just can't wait and almost ruined my surprise. You always had very short patience," sabi niya. Napakunot yung noo ko. Surprise?

I snorted. "I waited for you for years didn't I?" I retorted. Right after I said those words, I waned to take them back.

Stupid move, Andreia Tan.

I looked at Reeve at nawala nanaman lahat ng iniisip ko. He was grinning from ear-to-ear. His face was flushed at parang sobrang excited ng expression niya. I rolled my eyes kahit na deep inside ay kilig na kilig naman ako at how my words affected him. Iba talaga yung feeling eh.

"I can't go back to London without settling a few things," Reeve told me.

"What things?"

Reeve stood up and walked over to my side of the table.

"Move," he ordered.

Parang couch yung upuan so umusog ako sa pinakadulo. Yung malapit na sa bintana. Kanina, magkaharapan kami. Ngayon, magkatabi na.

His hands went to the tray and slowly he uncovered it. I blinked and tried to pinch myself. Hindi naman nawala yung nasa harap ko. Masakit din yung kurot so alam kong hindi ako nananaginip.

"I can't go back to London without making you mine," Reeve whispered as he held out the tray towards me.

Nestled on top of it was a small, square red and pink cake. It was designed to look like a small box with a ribbon wrapped around it and small hearts floating all over it.

But it was what was written on one of the hearts that made my heart stutter:

Be Mine?

Reeve coughed at bumalik na ang atensyon ko sa readlidad. He took both my hands again and moved his face closer to mine. "Andreia Tan, will you be mine?"

When the shock was over, it was replaced by sheer joy. Gusto ko talagang magtatatalon sa kilig! Gusto kong sumigaw dun sa balcony para marinig ng buong Las Vegas!

"I know everything's happening so fast but I can't just go back to London without getting this out of the way." He coughed again. "Err... So will you?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"If I agree, will you be mine as well?" I asked breathlessly.

"Totally and irrevocably yours," he replied with a huge grin.

"Then I am yours as well."

Shock flared in his eyes and it was followed by warmth and another expression I couldn't quite recognize.

Reeve leaned forward and his lips bridged the short distance between mine. Again, I wouldn't lie and say that there were fireworks like the last time. Real fireworks. Kasi nasa loob kami ng hotel ngayon unlike last time where the timing was just perfect. But if we're talking about imaginary fireworks? They were there the first time I saw him at the end of the aisle when my cousin got married.

Reeve's lips moved over mine and I lifted my hands to wrap them around his shoulders. This was our second kiss. Walang fireworks pero meron pa ding bago ngayon. Dahil nasa restaurant kami, may mga singers sa may stage. They were crooning a slow, soft love song. Sobrang ganda ng boses nila na tumataas yung balahibo ko.

"If I'm not in love with you
What is this I'm going through, tonight
And if my heart is lying then
What should I believe in
Why do I go crazy
Everytime I think about you baby
Why else do I want you like I do
If I'm not in love with you..."

And there it was... the chorus of angels that I was looking for.

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SILA NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. #Reeveted Hahaha.

Kinikilig ako sobra. Mas kinikilig ako sa mga sinusulat at binabasa kong libro kesa totoong buhay.Haha.

Oh well. #KayaWalangBoyfriendEh </3