章節 70: Chance

FOR A MOMENT, Lexine stares at the most striking face her eyes have ever seen. It was an unearthly beauty of a deity, and behind those breathtaking rust-colored eyes is sinister darkness that will sheathe and drag your soul into the endless abyss.

Ngunit sa mga sandaling iyon ay hindi niya nakikita ang kadiliman sa mga mata nito. Hindi isang halimaw ang nasisilayan niya kundi isang lalaking lubos na nag-aalala para sa kanya. This is the lonely soul hiding under the dark hood. This is the real him.

Napapikit si Lexine nang marahan nitong hinaplos ang kanyang pisngi. Pagod na pagod na ang puso't isipan niya. Wala na siyang ibang ginawa kundi ang tumakbo at magtago. Ngunit sa tuwing nasa tabi niya si Night ay nagkakaroon siya ng kumot na nagiging proteksyon niya sa pakikipagsapalaran sa magulong ikot ng tadhana. Tinuturuan siya nitong harapin ng buong loob ang mga bagay na kinatatakutan niya.

Ngunit hanggang kailan siya magiging duwag? Hanggang kailan niya lalabanan ang nararamdaman para sa binata na pilit na umuusbong? Kalaban ba ito o kakampi? She doesn't know anymore.

Pinagdikit nito ang kanilang noo habang kinulong ng dalawang palad nito ang magkabila niyang panga. Nagtatama ang tungki ng mga ilong nila at tila isang gayuma ang init ng hininga nito na nagpapaikot ng buong mundo niya.

"You have no fucking idea how you've made me crazy, baby. When I came back, and you are gone, I almost lost my mind. I thought they already caught you. `Di ko mapapatawag ang sarili ko `pag may nangyaring masama sa `yo."

Her chest hurts as though ghostly hands are clutching it tighter she couldn't breathe.

"Lexine." He looked into her eyes—to the deepest part of her soul. "Please give me another chance. Just fucking one chance to do everything right."

Chance. The day Lexine had died, she'd begged him for a second chance to live again, and he bestowed it to her, wrapped with obscurity and peril. Now, he was asking her for another chance for them to start over again. A new beginning. With. Him.

It scares her. It terrifies her. But deep down inside, Lexine is willing to jump at the ocean of risk and uncertainties if the promise of probabilities is as beautiful as him.

"I'm scared, Night."

He took both of her hands and gently squeezed them. "I'm here with you. I know it's too much of me to ask you to trust me after everything I have said to you, and I know that you hate me. But it's just… it's just how the way I am. I'm this twisted, dark and a fucking messed up asshole who doesn't even know how to woo a girl."

Hindi niya napigilan ang maliit na hagikgik. Sariwa pa sa alaala niya ang date nila sa Paris and how Night bestowed her the best date she has ever had. "I really enjoyed our date at Paris except the "Victor" part." She rolled her eyes.

Nahihiyang humawak ito sa batok at ngumisi. "Yeah, I know. I fucked it up." Bumuntong hininga ito at muling nagseryoso. Night pierced her with eyes that shot straight through her soul. "But I wanted to be the man who deserves you."

Lexine's chest began to pound so hard she no longer hears anything but her racing heartbeat. As she faces the prince of darkness, Lexine finally recognized the same eyes that had looked at her on the day she died. It didn't change. She merely kept seeing the mask of the beast rather than the man wearing it. All this time, Night did nothing but to save her life. Yes, he hurts and annihilates people, and he only does it to defend her from harm.

The realization knocked her like a tidal wave. Lexine could feel herself drowning in the sea of her emotions. She can no longer resist this feeling. It was too overwhelming her heart wanted to explode.

"You don't have to answer right away. I know you're still in a trauma and this is not the right time for me too––"

Lexine kissed the side of his lips. The kiss was light as dust, but it was enough to make him gasped. Muli niya itong tinignan. Namimilog ang mga mata nito pero hindi maipagkakaila ang labis na kinang doon. She smiled to him. "I'm giving you a chance."

Night's face brightened like a wildfire. His eyes gleamed like the stars in the midnight sky. Never in Lexine's wildest dreams has imagined that she'd see him happy like this, and it surprisingly makes her heart blossom with glee.

Night took her hand and gently pressed his lips onto her fingers as his eyes never left her face. They remained sitting while holding the hands of each other. Marahan nito iyon hinahaplos na para bang isa itong mamahaling bagay na pinakaiingitan nito. They just stared at each other as though their eyes were talking. The long silence between them was comforting and it slowly calmed her mind.

"You should go back to sleep," sambit ni Night nang mapansing bumabagsak na ang mga talukap niya.

Dahan-dahan siyang tumungo. Ramdam niya pa rin ang pananakit ng buong katawan. Humiga siya sa kama at kinumutan siya nito. Hinaplos nito ang ibabaw ng ulo niya at hinalikan ang kanyang noo.

"Get some rest. I'll sleep on the couch." Pahakbang na ito nang pigilan niya ito sa braso.

"No, stay here with me, please," aniya sa nakikiusap na mata. Umusog siya sa gilid ng kama upang bigyan ito ng pwesto.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She smiled.

He smiled back at tumabi ito sa kanya. Pinatong niya ang ulo sa didbib nito. Marahan nitong hinahaplos ang buhok niya hanggang sa unti-unti siyang hinatak ng antok. Hindi niya sigurado kung nanaginip lang siya pero pakiramdam niya narinig niya itong bumulong.

"I promise to protect you, mon amour. Always."