I jolted lightly when I felt a tap on my shoulders and turned around to see Haze standing on the edge of the bed.
"Kuya we'll travel first, Annika said she needs to get to work"
I looked at my watch and noticed that it was already 3 in the morning. Annika did say that she still needs to get to work. I guess they're travelling like this.
"You're gonna go with them?"
Haze nodded before his gaze landed to Harriett who was sleeping beside me. Coincidentally we had both fallen asleep earlier and I naturally ended up beside her on the bed.
Under normal circumstances I would have been flustered at this but I guess this wasn't a normal circumstance anymore.
"We'll be fine Haze. I'll call you later on the way"
I assured him and he seemed to have gotten the message as he nodded at me and kissed Harriett's head.
"Akira will be with Rico. He said he'll drop her off once you get back to your apartment."
I nodded and gave him a hug before patting him in the back.
"We'll see you later"
"Take care of her Kuya Pierce"
I smiled lightly at him as he retreated and closed the door behind him. I turned to Harriett and smiled as I went back to my side of the bed.
"If you were awake, you could've said goodbye to Haze"
Her eyelids fluttered as her brown eyes met mine. It was instinct how I knew that she had woken up earlier.
"I can't face him. Neither can I to you"
She said as her gaze went down to her hand seemingly avoiding mine. I let out another sigh as I placed an arm under her pulling her closer to me as I embraced her.
"Then this will be fine will it not?"
I asked and as an answer she snuggled closer to my chest. She doesn't hate my touch nor does she push me away and for that I am grateful. It took a good minute before I felt the slight rise of her shoulders. I looked down at her and saw that she was trying hard not to shake. She was trying hard to stifle her cries.
She was crying again and I know that she won't talk about it because that's how she is. She grew up concealing every little emotion and problem she had that even talking about it was hard.
"When I saw you at the bridge before, those bruises around your neck, was it because you tried to hang yourself?"
I started and I felt her stiffened so I hugged her tighter and continued.
"When I met you again, I cursed at fate over and over again, asking why it was that we met again after that heartbreak. But if I wasn't there on that bridge, then you'd probably be gone by now… "
I grimaced at the sudden thought of that. It kept playing in my head over and over again. If I hadn't been there, she would've been long gone by now and I won't even know. Because I kept on being stubborn. I kissed the top of her head and let my lips linger a little longer on her hair as I closed my eyes.
"And losing you would've made me go crazy because I can't lose you. In the first place, I don't even know why I never fought for you… "
"If I had, even if you didn't choose me, would everything be slightly better than now?"
Harriett shifted and when I opened my eyes, she was staring up at me. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she was biting her lower lip probably to stop it from quivering.
"Everything would've been better, that's how my life had been with you in it because you make everything better"
We were inches apart. My mouth was inches apart from her and I wanted to kiss her. Because what she had just said was enough for me to understand that she hadn't meant that as being her best friend.
I hugged her tighter as I settled a kiss on her forehead. I let it linger as I settle with my own feelings. As I searched for the right words to tell her. But there was only one thing to tell her.
"Did you know? After nine long years I still never really moved on"
I felt her stiffness again, the action making me laugh as I moved my face away from her just so I could stare at it properly. Look at her properly, she really is beautiful, amidst her current state, she's still beautiful.
I caressed her cheeks as my palm settled on it. I smiled. Truly smiled because I realized that ever since we met again I had never smiled at her. I chuckled when I saw her eyes widened.
"Pierce"
She called and my name on her lips was something I would never get tired of hearing, not now and not in the future. Not ever.
"Qian Harriett… "
Her name in my lips was something I never thought I'd miss. I never should've stopped and moved away from her. Never should've left her. So every regret in my bones I'll turn them into dust and move on from it.
Because this is the only thing that matters now.
"I love you. I still do."
And as I said those words, I knew I was past the point of no return now.
"So I hope you're ready because I am never gonna let you go again… "
Her eyes teared up once more as I placed my forehead on hers and looked straight into her eyes.
"I'm gonna make you fall in love with me"