Chapter 178 - PECK

"R-Rym?" Movu was stunned. Her tears kept on falling from her eyes and he was unable to coax her. This was the first time she shed tears since they met. Nonetheless, her expression was gleaming with frigidity. "Rym, don't cry, baby, don't cry, don't cry please..." He crouched over to her and wiped away her tears with his palms. 

Sometimes, he wished to see her cry, wailing and devastated because of him. But looking at her, seeing her blue cold eyes producing those bitter drops, it's like he was being stabbed by knives right through his chest. 

"You're going home, you're going to meet your family again. Your brothers and your parents were all there in Manila, why aren't you happy?" He said to her with a problematic expression as his hands were still busy drying her cheeks. 

She shook her head, "I don't want you to l-leave me, I don't want to be apart from y-you, you are my home." She sobbed and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Movu couldn't pull himself together. He was overwhelmed with her reaction. 

He was not expecting her to cry for him, they've been together for so long that he concluded that she didn't care for him as much as he does. However, with her confession- it's like a bucket of rainbows were thrown at him. He's happy, he's surprised, he's sad and he's flabbergasted. 

"Rym," he called her softly after time had passed, they both calmed down and regained their usual demeanor. He cupped her face to direct her eyes on him, he smiled at her red nose and puffy eyes. "I love you." Movu felt that she froze, "You know it, right? I love you, my little girl." He wiped her damped cheeks.

"I'm not giving you up." He added with a reassuring smile. "I'm not abandoning you, I'm not saying goodbye to you, we'll meet each other again."

"L-liar," she stuttered, "I'm a burden f-for you that's why you want to-" 

"Burden? Rym, you're the only reason why I am truly happy, the only person who made me feel grateful to be alive. The only regret I have after meeting you was being an incompetent person that cannot even give you proper meals and beautiful dresses." He blurted that left her speechless. "Being the Movu you know- I can't give you the life you deserve."

"Can't we just stay h-here? All I need is to be with you, I don't w-want anything else, M-movu." Her mellow childlike voice echoed in Movu's ear. He could feel his heart desperately wanting to jump out of his chest. 

He stared at her misty eyes and those eyes was staring back to his soul. Calling for him to submit to her wishes. But he's weak, he's powerless, he couldn't protect her from his father's antagonistic threats. He's scared- he's terrified that if he didn't comply with his father's demands he wouldn't be able to save her life. 

"I am happy being with you here too," he mumbled and closed his eyes, "I don't want to be apart from you too." Movu held her hand and put her warm palm against his cheek. "All I need is you too." As he opened his eyes, he saw that she stopped crying. He directed her hands on his lips and kissed them tenderly. "But you have to understand, Rym... the world is not all about us, it's not just love---hate is everywhere too. We have to part from each other to fight for our happy ending. And I will fight for us." 

"I don't understand, what is it that you have to defeat- what are you fighting for?"

"Our love." He smiled and leaned to kiss her forehead. "Your life, my life, our future." She was reluctant, he could see in her eyes that she was not understanding his words. 

He knew that she wouldn't understand and he's not mad about that. As he said, she's still a child, as long as he could he was willing to keep her ignorant about his identity. 

"You don't have to understand, Rym. I promise that everything's gonna be alright, everything's gonna be okay. You've got to trust me, have I ever disappointed you?" Yanarym sighed and bowed her head, she stared at his feet and his slippers were all worn out while she was wearing new sandals. 

"I will trust you but it doesn't mean that I'm okay with it." Movu smiled and tucked her hair before holding her chin to make her look at him. "Movu..."

"I am your first kiss." He said and leaned closer to her. 

"I know, I kissed you." She replied and he smiled naughtily, "What is that smile for?" He bent down to her face, "What?" 

"Because that is not a kiss, what you did was a peck." He uttered as his voice turned to whisper each time his face was leaning closer to hers. "I will teach you how to kiss, my little girl." 

He cupped her cheek while his other hand grabbed her waist to draw her body closer, he pushed her to the light post behind her back and lifted her body from the ground. Guiding her legs to wrap around his waist and arms around his neck, he inhaled her scent through his nose. 

"Hmm," His hand traveled to her on her silky hair brushing it with passion. He should stop, he should definitely let her go now. "Rym," he uttered her name with his eyes mesmerized in her lips. "I can't stop." He whispered to her and kissed her lips again. Feeling electrocuted by the touch of their wet lips, while his stomach was fluttering with his heart.

Five years since he met her- he didn't know when he fell for her, but he's sure it's no longer infatuation. Today with his early farewell, he lavished her lips that he always fantasized about in his dream.. And it turns out, they were way more deliciously addicting than he imagined.