Still Loving You (Broken Series 1)

Chapter 4

Nick

I’m looking intently right now at Catherine while talking to my mom. I can’t take off of my eyes at her. She really like an angel with her smile. I like her so much, no scratch that, I love her so much. 

I don't know where and when it starts. I can’t remember when was the day I start to feel something special towards her. I just woke up one day and realized how much I love her. 

From the first time I saw, I know she will grow up beautiful. She became my playmate when the first time I arrived in the Philippines. I was enchanted by her beauty and smile the first time I laid my eyes on her.

I thought it was just a simple crush and I didn’t expect that my feelings for her will develop into love. I even begged my parents for me to attend the same school as her. I want to do everything just to get near her and to be able to see her every day if it’s possible.

Who couldn’t fall by her charm?  

She's sweet and simple. She's so beautiful and I know, I lot of guys at the school also notices how beautiful she is.

My friends knew how much I like her. For years, they're pushing me to confess my feelings for her but I'm cowardly afraid. I'm afraid to get rejected. But even though I'm a coward, I didn't stop myself from falling for her. 

I always knew if someone trying to hit on her but even before they can make a move to Cath, I already threaten them to stop. That’s why my friends are always making fun of me about me putting a fence on Cath even though I don’t have the right to do it. I always shrugged it off and don’t mind them.

She's mine since the day I realize that she belongs to no one but me. I'll mark her as my own. 

I want to own her and I want her to feel the same way about me. To make her crazy about me like I am to her. I’m really tired of looking at her from a distant. My patience is starting to fade away. 

I need to tell her what I feel about her. I don’t care if she likes someone else. I'll make her fall in love with me. She's mine, only mine. 

I can feel that I need to confess my feelings for her right now. I don’t want anyone to snatch her away from me. I didn't watch her from afar and end up nothing.

I need to talk to her, alone. 

But how? How could I do that when she’s so busy talking to mom? I bet she didn’t even notice that I’m here.

I breathe deeply and start walking towards them.

"Mom!" I called my mom.

My mom looks at my direction.  "Yes, son?" 

I lean closer to mom and whisper to her. "I need to talk to her alone" 

Mom looked at me with a playful smile. I know she can sense what I want to do. 

My mom chuckled and looked at Cath.

"Cath I’m sorry but I need to go upstairs. I need to take care of something before my husband comes home." Mom told cath.

I want to praise mom for having a good reason.

Cath nodded at mom. "It’s okay, Ninang." 

Mom walked closer to cath and kissed on her cheek.

I envy mom for that. I wonder, when can I able to kiss cath.

My mom excuses herself. When walking she stops for a while in front of me.

“Goodluck!” mom whispered to me before going upstairs.

I sat down on the chair in front of Cath.

Cath is busy looking at her finger. Why am I feeling that she’s not comfortable around me? I need to get rid of it. I sighed.

"So, how's your summer?" I asked.

She looked up.  "it’s okay, I guess. I’m always here actually visiting your mom. My parents are also gone, that’s why I’m always here. Your mom is teaching how to cook her recipe." She said while smiling.

It looks like she really enjoys her summer.

Maybe my summer will be great if I didn’t go to the U.S.

Why did I even say yes to that trip?

"How about you? How is the U.S?" She asked.

"Still U.S. I didn’t get out actually. I spend most of my time reading... Maybe my summer will be great if I stay right? I could be your taste judge to your cooking." I told her truthfully.

It will be really an honor to taste her cooking. I can imagine her cooking for me.

Cath tilted her head. "oh, my! I don’t know if you will like my cooking and I don’t want to waste your time just to be my taste judge." 

"I wouldn’t mind, you know." 

She just stared at me for a second. She blinks her eyes many times before speaking again.

"I think I need to go. Please tell your mom when she comes down that I already left." She said while putting her thing inside her bag.

"I’ll walk you home." I offered her

Cath shook her head. “No need, Nick. I can manage. Don’t worry about me.”

"But I insist." She was about to speak again but I cut her off. "Please, I’ll walk you home. I want to talk to you.”

She gulped and looked at me for a second. I can sense that she’s trying to read what’s on my mind.

I will not let her go home without knowing my feelings for her. 

I will get her no matter what.

*****

Cath

I felt really nervous when Nick told me that he wants to talk to me. I got a feeling that he wants to talk about our unfinished conversation in his car.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" I asked. I want to end this uneasy feeling inside me.  

"Uhm! Can we go to the park near here first then we'll talk?” He said.

I nodded in agreement.

We walked silently to the park until we arrived there. We sat on the empty swing.

I can feel his going to ask me about the man I like. I don’t know if I need to tell him the truth. But I don’t want him to avoid me after knowing my feelings for him. I will not be able to take it when that happens.

"Cath!"

My heart starts beating fast. “Yeah?” I looked at him.

Ah! I surrender. I’ll just confess my feeling for him. I’ll just accept what will the result. If he will avoid me then at least I told him everything, so be it. He’s my classmate now and I ca-

"Cath, I like you!" it cut off my thoughts

I felt my world stop spinning.

I looked at him confusingly. Did I hear him right? He likes me...?!

"What did you say?" I asked him again. I know I look stupid right now but I want to make sure that I heard him right.

He looks straight to my eyes and holds my both hands. "I love you cath. I don’t know when did I start feeling this way but I really can’t hide this from you."

I can feel a butterfly in my stomach. I can feel the fast beating of my heart. I think I'm going to be sick. 

I don’t know what to say. I know that shocked was written on my face. Who wouldn't be? If the guy you love so much confessed that he feels the same way.

"I'm falling in love with you cath, I don’t care if you like someone else" he declared again. "Please give me a chance cath, I really like you."

And by that my tears start to fall down my eyes. I know for sure that it was a tear of joy. 

I'm speechless. I really don’t know what to say. So, I follow my heart. 

"I love you too Nick," I admitted too.

He looked at me with his mouth open. Maybe he was also surprised to what I said.

“You love me too? We feel the same?”

I nodded. “Yes!”

He stands from the swing and kneels down in front of me. I felt his arms snaked into my waist and hug me tightly. I can't explain what I’m feeling.

"Thank you cath" he whispered and looked at me again. He starts to stare at my lips.

I close my eyes as he leans closer to my face.

Until I felt his lips touch mine.