Jennafei was astonished when she reaached home upon finding her parents and Jonas dumbfounded with so many gifts laid around in their living room.
“What are all these?” She asked for their attention.
They all looked at her at the same time and they were all a picture with similar expression. Shock.
“What happened here?”
Her mother held her on the shoulders. “Jenna, is it true?”
She glanced at the newspaper on the side table. “That’s not true, ‘Ma, ‘Pa.” She was ready to tell what happened but her father spoke up.
“If that’s the case, what is that news and why did Dex’s parents sent us gifts?”
She was surprised from what she heard. “It was Dex’s parents who sent these?”
Everyone nodded.
“And they also sent a message… They will be coming here on Saturday to *plan the marriage.”
(The exact term is Panhik, that means, the groom’s side will go the family of the bride to talk about all the details of the marriage. It’s usually planned according to what the bride’s family has decided. I don’t know if there is an equivalent term in english.)
“You beast! Why didn’t you take back your prank from your parents?” She rebuked Dex when he arrived at the park of their subdivision that exact same evening. She called him to go there to confront him.
He sat on a bench. He did not seem affected by her anger. “I forgot.”
“What? You forgot?!” She exclaimed in disbelief as she placed her hands on her waist.
To her irritation, he smirked even. “Why are you getting angry? When I did not even get mad when you broadcasted to the whole country that you are my fiancée?”
Jennafei felt her face burnt up when he reminded of that thing. “I did not broadcast that! That was your woman. It was all her fault why…” She made an angry sound to conceal her embarrassment. “You still have to tell your parents the truth.”
“Don’t worry, I will tell them tomorrow already.”
“If you only told them right away, they wouldn’t have had sent gifts to our house. They were so expectant that you’re getting married. They were happy that you’re getting married and all the evidence are at our house. Do you know how they will feel by the time you told them that you just pranked them?”
“Why should I think of their feelings when they don’t think about my feelings?” Dex said without emotion.
She stopped. Jennafei knew his reasons to take grudge of his parents. She sat beside him. “They hurt you but it doesn’t mean that you have to hurt them back. They are still your parents, Dex. They still care about you.”
“No, they don’t. The reason why they don’t disapprove whatever I do and want is because they just don’t care about me.” He laughed mockingly. Let’s not talk about them, Jenna.”
“I know that someday you’ll find it n your heart to forgive them. You’ll be happy when that happens.”
“What does it take to be really happy, Jenna?”
She stared at him. She was right after all. A man like Dex Romero Peralta is also looking for true happiness.
“Forget it,” he took back immediately. “I find it weird talking about those cheesy stuff. It feels like it’s not me talking.”
“But that is the real you, Dex. Your tough and rough exterior is just your facade. Deep inside, you are really, really… cheesy.” She smiled.
He smiled. “I thought you knew me a lot. I think I was wrong. I am not cheesy.”
“Yes, you are. It’s impossible that there is not a thing that makes you happy. Now, all you have to do is find it.”
“I can’t have a family. Whatever I do, my family will never be completed. And will there be a miracle that my parents get together, I don’t think we can start a new life as a family.”
Jenna found herself tapping Dex on the shoulder. “They said that true happiness can’t be bought with money. We will think about other things that can make you happy that cannot be bought by your money.”
He grinned, amused. “And what may they be?”
“Your basketball awards. “
“I really don’t care about those.”
She pouted. “Friends?”
“My friends have their own lives now.”
“Lo—“ She stopped. She was supposed to say “love” but she had second thoughts. Dex did not believe in love. He wont find joy in something he did not believe. She suddenly felt heavy from her thoughts. “I can no longer think of any.”
He looked into her eyes. “I thought of something.”
She crossed his stare. “What?”
“Whenever I look into your eyes, whenever you’re with me, I’m happy. When we played water in your garden and got soaked. When we lied down together on my car hood under the moonlight and stars. When we kissed under the rain. I was happy, really happy,” he said as he intently stared into her eyes.
She was speechless. She grown nervous. She felt exactly the same. Those were the happiest moments in her life.
“W-what are you talking about?” She stammered yet she did not try to break away from his stare.
“Those were the happiest moments in my life, Jenna. I just realized it now.” He looked startled, relieved and happy at the same time. He raised his hand and caressed her cheek.
Jenna can’t believe what he confessed. Especially what she saw on his eyes. He looked at her as if he loved her. When his stare went down to her lips, she felt the same excitement she had felt under the rain four years ago. When he lowered his head for his lips to reach for hers, she closed her eyes.
He kissed her like how he did years ago— gentle yet with quivering passion, until it became urgent and more passionate. She responded to his kiss, to his touch.
His kiss made her admit the screaming fact. She still loved him. Oh, yes, she still loved him and she knew it was wrong. She’d only be hurt again by a guy who only knew of playing with somebody’s feelings, who don’t know how to love.
But she loved his kiss. She had missed that feeling for a long time. The feeling of being in her beloved’s arms and being kissed by him. But she should not make the same mistake again. She can’t stand being his toy for the second time. She should not be carried away by his words because she knew that they were all only lies. It was just a ploy to kiss her, to toy with her feelings all over again.
She broke away from the kiss and ran away from him crying. He ran after her but she fought to be freed out.
“Jenna..”
“You can’t play with my feelings all over again!” He seemed to be dumfounded. Jenna ran away again but he caught up with her again.
“Jenna, listen to me. I did not toy you.”
She did not answer but continued to run away.
“Jenna, stop running. Let’s talk.” He snatched her hand.
She pulled away from him. “No! Leave me alone! I hate you!” Rain fell and she cried even more. Dex did no longer run after her until she reached home.
T/n: Tomorrow, the whole chapter 19 will be posted. Then the final chapter comes after, the following day.
Jennafei was astonished when she reaached home upon finding her parents and Jonas dumbfounded with so many gifts laid around in their living room.
“What are all these?” She asked for their attention.
They all looked at her at the same time and they were all a picture with similar expression. Shock.
“What happened here?”
Her mother held her on the shoulders. “Jenna, is it true?”
She glanced at the newspaper on the side table. “That’s not true, ‘Ma, ‘Pa.” She was ready to tell what happened but her father spoke up.
“If that’s the case, what is that news and why did Dex’s parents sent us gifts?”
She was surprised from what she heard. “It was Dex’s parents who sent these?”
Everyone nodded.
“And they also sent a message… They will be coming here on Saturday to *plan the marriage.”
(The exact term is Panhik, that means, the groom’s side will go the family of the bride to talk about all the details of the marriage. It’s usually planned according to what the bride’s family has decided. I don’t know if there is an equivalent term in english.)
“You beast! Why didn’t you take back your prank from your parents?” She rebuked Dex when he arrived at the park of their subdivision that exact same evening. She called him to go there to confront him.
He sat on a bench. He did not seem affected by her anger. “I forgot.”
“What? You forgot?!” She exclaimed in disbelief as she placed her hands on her waist.
To her irritation, he smirked even. “Why are you getting angry? When I did not even get mad when you broadcasted to the whole country that you are my fiancée?”
Jennafei felt her face burnt up when he reminded of that thing. “I did not broadcast that! That was your woman. It was all her fault why…” She made an angry sound to conceal her embarrassment. “You still have to tell your parents the truth.”
“Don’t worry, I will tell them tomorrow already.”
“If you only told them right away, they wouldn’t have had sent gifts to our house. They were so expectant that you’re getting married. They were happy that you’re getting married and all the evidence are at our house. Do you know how they will feel by the time you told them that you just pranked them?”
“Why should I think of their feelings when they don’t think about my feelings?” Dex said without emotion.
She stopped. Jennafei knew his reasons to take grudge of his parents. She sat beside him. “They hurt you but it doesn’t mean that you have to hurt them back. They are still your parents, Dex. They still care about you.”
“No, they don’t. The reason why they don’t disapprove whatever I do and want is because they just don’t care about me.” He laughed mockingly. Let’s not talk about them, Jenna.”
“I know that someday you’ll find it n your heart to forgive them. You’ll be happy when that happens.”
“What does it take to be really happy, Jenna?”
She stared at him. She was right after all. A man like Dex Romero Peralta is also looking for true happiness.
“Forget it,” he took back immediately. “I find it weird talking about those cheesy stuff. It feels like it’s not me talking.”
“But that is the real you, Dex. Your tough and rough exterior is just your facade. Deep inside, you are really, really… cheesy.” She smiled.
He smiled. “I thought you knew me a lot. I think I was wrong. I am not cheesy.”
“Yes, you are. It’s impossible that there is not a thing that makes you happy. Now, all you have to do is find it.”
“I can’t have a family. Whatever I do, my family will never be completed. And will there be a miracle that my parents get together, I don’t think we can start a new life as a family.”
Jenna found herself tapping Dex on the shoulder. “They said that true happiness can’t be bought with money. We will think about other things that can make you happy that cannot be bought by your money.”
He grinned, amused. “And what may they be?”
“Your basketball awards. “
“I really don’t care about those.”
She pouted. “Friends?”
“My friends have their own lives now.”
“Lo—“ She stopped. She was supposed to say “love” but she had second thoughts. Dex did not believe in love. He wont find joy in something he did not believe. She suddenly felt heavy from her thoughts. “I can no longer think of any.”
He looked into her eyes. “I thought of something.”
She crossed his stare. “What?”
“Whenever I look into your eyes, whenever you’re with me, I’m happy. When we played water in your garden and got soaked. When we lied down together on my car hood under the moonlight and stars. When we kissed under the rain. I was happy, really happy,” he said as he intently stared into her eyes.
She was speechless. She grown nervous. She felt exactly the same. Those were the happiest moments in her life.
“W-what are you talking about?” She stammered yet she did not try to break away from his stare.
“Those were the happiest moments in my life, Jenna. I just realized it now.” He looked startled, relieved and happy at the same time. He raised his hand and caressed her cheek.
Jenna can’t believe what he confessed. Especially what she saw on his eyes. He looked at her as if he loved her. When his stare went down to her lips, she felt the same excitement she had felt under the rain four years ago. When he lowered his head for his lips to reach for hers, she closed her eyes.
He kissed her like how he did years ago— gentle yet with quivering passion, until it became urgent and more passionate. She responded to his kiss, to his touch.
His kiss made her admit the screaming fact. She still loved him. Oh, yes, she still loved him and she knew it was wrong. She’d only be hurt again by a guy who only knew of playing with somebody’s feelings, who don’t know how to love.
But she loved his kiss. She had missed that feeling for a long time. The feeling of being in her beloved’s arms and being kissed by him. But she should not make the same mistake again. She can’t stand being his toy for the second time. She should not be carried away by his words because she knew that they were all only lies. It was just a ploy to kiss her, to toy with her feelings all over again.
She broke away from the kiss and ran away from him crying. He ran after her but she fought to be freed out.
“Jenna..”
“You can’t play with my feelings all over again!” He seemed to be dumfounded. Jenna ran away again but he caught up with her again.
“Jenna, listen to me. I did not toy you.”
She did not answer but continued to run away.
“Jenna, stop running. Let’s talk.” He snatched her hand.
She pulled away from him. “No! Leave me alone! I hate you!” Rain fell and she cried even more. Dex did no longer run after her until she reached home.
T/n: Tomorrow, the whole chapter 19 will be posted. Then the final chapter comes after, the following day.
