I LOVE YOU

Tears fell from Tori’s eyes. She didn’t expect Taj’s hug and kiss to affect her like this after their fight earlier.

She wasn’t dead, but it felt like she’d suddenly come back to life.

Because of that, she let out a soft laugh. It confused Taj.

“Hey,” Taj said quietly as he pulled back from her a little.

He held both sides of her face and looked at her, puzzled.

“What is it?” he asked gently.

Tori shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Nothing...” she said with a small smile.

Taj raised an eyebrow. It was clear he didn’t believe her.

“Uh-huh,” he said, rolling his eyes. “C'mon, tell me...”

Tori shrugged her shoulders. “Nothing, love...” she answered, then quickly pressed a light kiss to the tip of his nose that made Taj's eyebrows shoot up even higher. “So tell me, how did you get up here? Which way did you come?” she asked.

Her Uncle Mon had locked the gate early and was probably already asleep with Uncle Ansen. Her mother had left because a high school friend called her. And Aunt Belen wasn’t home either. She’d gone back to Nueva Valencia where her family lived and wouldn’t be back until tomorrow, so Tori knew for sure Taj didn’t come through the gate.

Taj grinned and winked. “Guess,” he said, then gently pulled Tori toward the bed. He sat down and patted the empty space beside him.

Tori pouted, then sat next to him. Taj immediately wrapped his arms around her waist.

“So where did you come from?” she asked.

Taj leaned back against the headboard and pulled Tori with him. Tori didn’t resist. She rested her head on his chest and waited for him to answer.

“Well, I learned it from you, love,” Taj said with a laugh.

Tori stared at him, stunned. She pulled back slightly and looked at him in disbelief.

“You mean...?”

Taj nodded. “Let’s just hope your uncle doesn’t decide to cut down the mango tree behind your house, love,” he said quietly.

Tori laughed too. “Let’s pray that doesn’t happen,” she said, amusement in her voice. “I told you, love. If you stick close to me, you’ll learn a lot,” she giggled.

“And we should also pray for the star apple tree next to your window too, love.”

Tori laughed and nodded, but her expression turned serious when she remembered something.

“Love,” she said, and Taj immediately focused on her.

“Hmm?” Taj murmured.

“About Everett,” she started, her face and voice serious.

Taj immediately straightened against the headboard. His arms were still around her waist. He didn’t say anything, but he nodded.

Tori took a deep breath. She was nervous, but she knew she had to clear things up about Everett if she wanted things to work between them. She didn’t want a repeat of what happened earlier.

“I’m not going to lie. I liked him,” she started, her voice shaking a little.

She felt Taj’s arms loosen around her, so she quickly grabbed his hands.

“Look, love. I want this to work, so I want everything to be clear,” she said, pleading with him.

Taj was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke. “Go on...” he said. He kissed the top of her head to calm her. He could feel how tense she was.

Tori gave him a small smile. “Thank you...” she said, then continued. “I met Evie when I was just starting in the industry. We started singing around the same time, so we got close. At first I only saw him as a friend. But that changed last year—”

“Because you did that TV series together?” Taj asked.

Taj already knew about it. Oxygen had told him.

Besides singing, Tori was also a great actress. She probably got that from her father, Christopher De Silva.

And Everett Lozares was her last co-star in a TV series that had finished airing three months before Tori’s world tour.

Tori paused for a second, then nodded. “Yes,” she said quietly. “I mean, maybe I already liked him before, and it just grew because we were together so much for that project.”

“Is he courting you?”

Tori smiled at the question. She could hear the hesitation and jealousy in his voice. She shifted from leaning on him and lay on his chest instead, staring up at his face.

“Yes,” she answered honestly and seriously.

Taj’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t say anything.

“But before I met you, ‘commitment’ wasn’t even in my vocabulary, love,” she added.

Taj froze. He looked at her, surprised. Tori quickly stole a kiss from his lips.

“I mean, yeah, I liked Evie. But that was it. And it was fine with him as long as he knew I liked him,” she said with a shrug. “I didn’t know that coming here in Guimaras for a vacation would test what I really wanted.” She smiled as she remembered the first time she’d seen Taj.

“So it was love at first sight?” Taj asked, sounding a little cocky.

“Love at first sight or whatever you want to call it,” Tori said. “All I know is you got my attention the first time I saw you—”

“Ah, when we bumped into each other,” Taj said, nodding.

Tori shook her head. “No...”

Taj frowned. “No?” he asked, confused.

“Before that. I’d already seen you, but you had your back to me. I was in Uncle Ansen’s car when the fire truck drove by, and I saw you hanging on the back of it—”

“Ah, poor Everett. All you got was my back, and you already—”

Tori laughed and playfully hit his chest. “You’re so full of yourself, love,” she said, rolling her eyes. Then she turned serious again. “Taj, my world is messy and there’s a lot of drama. But no matter what happens or whatever you hear, please remember that I love you. I don’t just like you. I love you, Taj Sebastian. I love you so much...”

The smile faded from Taj’s lips. He stared at Tori intently.

“And I love you too, love...” he said, then captured her lips in a kiss.

Tori kissed him back immediately. Taj flipped them over, and Tori ended up underneath him.

Ah, they have all the time in the world to prove their love for each other. What matters is NOW.