Celestine, my half sister who was with me during the day when I recovered my memory. The same day when we got ambushed and Blake was shot and later on declared dead in the hospital. The same moment when we found out that I was pregnant. She was also the one who firstly thought of the miscarriage thing, however, helped me to keep my pregnancy as a secret from everyone as what I have asked her to.
With tears welling in her eyes, she wrapped her arms around me so tight that I could hardly breathe. Her shoulders were moving up and down along with her silent sobs making my heart scream in mixed emotions. My hands were cold and shaking when I finally got the courage of holding her and caressed her back with comforting circles. Everything might have not been so easy for her after I left.
"W-why did you hide for long? Why didn't you contact me? What happened to you for the past years?" she shot me question by question between her cry.
I pulled her a little distant to me and wiped her tears away by my hands. The tears that I was holding back earlier suddenly streamed down to my face while watching her crying in front of me. There's a lump in my throat that I could hardly swallow, preventing me from uttering a word. I want to tell her everything but I can't release a word from my mouth. Just the tears told her all. I hugged her again and let my emotion out until I felt better.
"Hey," she said in a crack voice when we finally calmed down. I awkwardly smiled at her and dried off my tears. "Hey?!" I greeted back then we both laughed.
She ran her fingers on her baby bump and rubbed it in circles. "How old?" I asked, referring to the baby inside her. She giggled and answered, "Five months and two weeks. First baby." My eyes widened in surprise.
"We really need a lot of catching up to do, Amber," she hissed with rolling eyes. I chuckled at her and nodded. "Yes, lovely sister," I replied.
We both laughed in the middle of the wide space then suddenly a thought came across in my mind. I raised a brow at her and crossed my arms over my chest. "Hmm… So, Miss Celestine Ferrer, who must be the lucky guy, huh?" I inquired in curiosity. A bright smile flashed to her face then looked away in blush.
I was startled when I heard a familiar voice on our side. "Hey, honey. Sorry to keep you waiting." The man wearing a formal suit with his shiny black hair popped up and gave Celestine a quick smack on her cheek. He wrapped his arm around her back and smiled sweetly at her.
My heart beat doubled and my pulse rate was in riot. My knees were trembling and my tears were welling while watching them. I don't know what exactly I am feeling right now. My guilt was eating me along with a great humiliation. I can't stare at him any longer. I feel so embarrassed at him.
"You've met a frie—" he suddenly stopped when our eyes met. He scanned me from head to toe with a parted lips and widened eyes in surprise. "Amber?!" he exclaimed.
I looked down and made a face palm.
"Hey, it's you. Amber!" he called once again, and the next thing I knew, I was caged by his warm embrace. We remained in that position for a while until Celestine cleared a throat.
"Oh, sorry, Honey. I was just amazed and happy seeing your sister, my ex-fiancée," he said with a chuckle making me feel more embarrassed.
Thunder was a very good man. He understands my situation when our parents decided and forced us to get married at our young age. We were engaged and a few weeks before our wedding, I ran away with my baby. I was already impregnated by Blake, his best friend, who was also my boyfriend, when our parents arranged our marriage but all of us have no idea about the forming life inside me.
"Y-you we're." I hadn't continued my words when Thunder cut me off.
"Oh, if you're thinking that we were arranged and let them marry her instead of you, you are wrong," he said then intertwined his fingers into Celestine's. "I courted her for how many years. She was heartless. You're sister was heartless," he laughed while watching her whole lovingly. "I chased her while she kept holding back her feelings to me so I impregnated her." Celestine spanked her arms with a laugh while here I am rooted in my stand, still processing the situation.
"Oh my goodness! You aren't married yet?!" I exclaimed when I finally grasped everything. They looked at me confusedly. "Oh, sorry I was just surprised," I chortled.
Thunder heaved a sigh. "I asked her to but she said that she wants you to be there on her wedding day," he said, smirking. "I was actually a bit worried that we might not get married because we heard nothing from you for long," he continued while scratching the side of his eyes then looked away in red face. How lucky Celestine was to be with this handsome loving man. They really both deserve each other.
We were covered by silence for a while until Thunder broke it again. "You're getting prettier, Amber. That explains why Blake was flashing a big smile and a good mood earlier when we met," he said with a shaking head.
I creased my forehead in confusion. "Hmm… Blake?" I asked to clarify if I heard the name right.
"Yes, Blake," he emphasised the word. "Uh… I thought you are going to meet here," he paused. "Wait, are you having amnesia again?" he continued, making me more puzzled.
I shifted my gaze at Celestine who was biting her fingernails in anxiety. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.
"Oh, wait… Am I missing something here? I mean, I know I missed a lot of things but is there something I should know about?" I snapped.
She lifted a view with her dry eyes. "Blake is alive. I contacted you a lot of times but I couldn't reach you," Celestine confessed.
"How come? That's impossible. We both heard what the nurse said. We both are there in the emergency room. We were there, Celestine. I am puzzled. How come?" I inquired then the tears suddenly fell down on my cheeks.
That was really impossible. The nurse said that he was dead upon arrival. How come? I am totally confused! Celestine reached for my hand and pressed it lightly.
"That was a mistaken identity. The patient was not Blake," she cooed. I was like splashed by extremely cold water when she averted her eyes to me in sorrow. "It just happened that they both are wearing the same color of shirts and the nurse that we asked was the one assigned to the person who was dead on arrival."
My heart sank but at the same time screaming in gladness that he was alive. However, there's a part of me that hates him. He doesn't even wasted a time looking for me or at least contacted me and made his way to locate me. It was unfair. I grieved for him for a long time but he was just here enjoying his life with a lot of women, for sure. I took a deep breath and wiped my tears away. Just a second, my phone beeped. I pressed the power button and a message from Barack popped up.
'You are so beautiful, Mi Amore. I love you, future Mrs. Santiolle. I will follow you there later on. Don't look for other guys, just a quick reminder.' It reads with a heart and wink emoticons. Guilt was eating me again.
I looked at Celestine and dragged her a bit distant from Thunder. "Hey, did they know about my pregnancy?" I worriedly asked. He shook her head as a response making me release a sigh of relief.
"One big favor, Celestine. Don't tell anyone including Blake that I am here if he was truly alive, please," I continued and she shot me a confused look. "But, why?" she talked back.
"Just don't. Please, don't. And still don't tell anybody about my pregnancy. I'm begging you, Celestine. Let me fix this on my own. I will catch up with you again, soon because I need to go," I gasped.
Though puzzled she nodded at me and handed me a calling card. "Just call me any time, okay?" I nodded and gave her a quick short hug before rushing my foot to nowhere. I don't even know why I am running away… again.
Shaking hands, watering eyes, trembling lips, heavy breathing, squeezed heart and abnormal pulse rate. Everything was horrible while I'm walking out to nowhere. My mind was empty as I still tried to inject in my system what Celestine and Thunder have said. It was my first day going back in this country yet a lot of unbelievable things just happened.I stopped right beside on a big Christmas tree and looked back, wondering why I left them. Then suddenly my heart jolted when a flashy man wearing his blue fitted polo tucked with his black jeans shaping his firm body and well defined muscles appeared in my sight. His sexy jaw clenched before he flashed his sweet smile which narrowed his fascinating blue eyes. I want to jump and ride on his back while screaming in gladness that he was really alive. But, there was still a part of me pushing that I was only dreaming for the abrupt change of information and part of me hated him for no exact reason. I moved closer
After the long discussion I had with Barack yesterday, he finally convinced me to talk with Celestine as he wants us to reconcile and invite them to our planned wedding. I did a self debate and weighed the situation but Elaine and Barack's idea prevailed. I missed Celestine so much. I miss them, I miss my family. Perhaps and hopefully, it's the right time to catch up with them.
The sun was already shining so bright outside which made my son so excited. He slept very early last night so that he would wake up early also. I am now dressing up my black jeans and white fitted long sleeve shirt which I paired with my gladiator sandals. I nervously smiled in front of the full length mirror then swiftly tied my hair in a messy bun when someone knocked on the door.I raced my foot on the doorway, twisted the steel knob and pulled the door open. Celestine's new figure with her floral dress welcomed me."Good morning, come in." I invited her.She stepped her foot in while scanning our place. "Where's your fiancé?" she asked as soon as I pushed the door close."He was out. Business meeting," I replied while picking up the toys which Ethan scattered on the floor earlier."I thought I'm going to meet him now," she mumbled disappoi
There was a deafening silence that covered the corners of the house. Mom and Dad were still both speechless while watching Ethan on their front. I don't know what exactly they are feeling right now as I can't see any trace of emotion on their faces other than their widened eyes and parted lips."Ma'am the—"The seemingly frozen time suddenly took back on its track when Charie spoke and stopped awkwardly when she realised the situation. I shot Charie a face and she replied a sorry smile. When I looked back, all eyes are already directed to me."Hey?!" I greeted in a hoarse tone, fidgeting my hands in nervousness. My parents who still hadn't recovered under shock were surprised by my presence."Mom, are we lost? Seems like they don't recognise us," Ethan innocently said with a pout.I extended my arm to invite my son who immediately hopped from my mom'
After our heart to heart talks, we ate our lunch together as a family with our little Ethan. Mom and Dad were having fun talking and playing with my bubbly son that they wanted him to stay at home for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, I can't agree with them since I'm not used of having Ethan nowhere to be seen before I close my eyes at night. While my parents attention are all directed to Ethan, Celestine and I had a story telling of what happened between her and Thunder which was so hilarious. To be fair on her side, I told her about how we met Barack, how I worked and eventually become his fiancée.It was a light feeling that finally the burden inside my heart was now set free. I was so delighted that my mission has been unlocked already. But, as much as I wanted to stay for long, I can't. Barack called me earlier and invited for a family dinner date which I can't say no. Besides, I am also so excited to tell him the good news.&
"Oh, c'mon Barack, I'm sorry. Please forgive me now." I leaned my head on his shoulder and lifted a view at him with a pout.It's already almost an hour but still we haven't settled this little argument of keeping him wait and rejected him on our date. After the incident on the park, we headed straight back in the hotel and talked to my son about what he had done that might lead him to danger. However, he defensed that the man who helped him was good and gave him a toy as a remembrance.Barack meet my eyes sternly. "Why haven't you called me at least?" he asked again and again. The only thing I hated about him was that he can't understand and consider my explanations most of the time and got mad when his offer or meetings were declined without prior notice."I waited there with my business partner. You don't know how much time we wasted to him," he continued, nagging.I stood
The familiar manly scent that travels to my nostrils which drugged my entire system. The way he talks. His baritone voice. His endearment to me. His stand. His acts. His everything. Surely, the living ghost of my past. Our world stopped on the corner of this hall. Loud drums and music adopts our silence. It was only him and me along with our racing heartbeats. Until his glittering fascinating blue eyes which used to be my favorite spot, locked to mine."I'm not, Amber. I'm not. I'm alive and breathing here across you. I survived for you. I fought life and death for you. I gambled everything… All for you." His voice cracked and in an instant my tears streamed down to my face.The hate and fear that lurked in me for a long time suddenly vanished away, exchanged by longing and sorrow. I missed him so much. Time and distance separated us but my traitor heart still recognised him. Still wants him and still adoring him.
After escaping on that bloody bar, I immediately head straight to our hotel room and hastily locked the door. Elaine was confused about my look and moves especially when she noticed that Barack was not with me going back there. I explained everything to her which made her gawk. I am starting to get paranoid again.