Sunday, May 9, 2010

Always And Forever - Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen – For Just A Moment



She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw is her husband lying naked next to her. She let out a smile as she embraced him. She felt his arm wrap around her small body, as if not wanting to let her go. She let out a smile as he hugged her close to him. As he shifted his head towards her, he slowly opened his eyes, and smiled at him. “Hey...” Calvin said. He leaned to her, and kissed her on her forehead. “Hey...” Ella said. “Please tell me that I'm not dreaming... that I have my wife here beside me...” he said. With that, Ella let out a giggle. “No, you're not. I'm here for real...” she said.

He turned to his side, and enclosed Ella in his arms. He looked down on her, his face moves closer to her. As he reached her lips, he kissed her once again with passion. After a while, he broke the kiss, stared into her big black orbs, and smiled at her. “Have I told you I love you?” he asked her. She let out a smile as she nodded her head. “Then, I'm saying it again. I love you...” he said. Ella reached up to him, and gave him a kiss on the lips. “I love you too, Calvin.” she said.

He smiled as he closed his eyes. Ella couldn't help but watch him as he drifted off to sleep once again. Her small hand slowly reached up to his face, and caressed it. “I love you...” she whispered. “And I just hope that this happiness we have now... it will last forever...”

Then, she closed her eyes, and like him, she drifted off to sleep.

--

She found herself in the middle of her mother's garden. She looked around her and smiled upon seeing the beautiful flowers before her. As she looked back, she saw a little girl running towards her direction. The little girl was smiling and laughing as she run towards her. She smiled to herself upon seeing her happy. She remembered the time that she was just as happy as that girl. She made a step to walk up to her, but before she could, the girl fell down on the ground. The little girl was silent for a while, then she heard her soft sobs. She walked up to her, and helped her up. “Are you all right?” she asked. As the little girl looked up at her, she was surprised to see who it was – it was her when she was still young. There was sadness and hopelessness in the little girl's eyes as she stared at her. “He can never love you...” the little girl said. “He will leave you one day. Just like what daddy did to us.” Ella stared at her younger self for a long time, unable to believe what she said. “He loves me. I can feel that...” she said. “But not for so long. All that love will fade away, and he will be gone in your life soon. You're only risking breaking your heart... and this will be the biggest heartache you'll have.”

The little girl looked at her tearfully as she held her hand. “Don't fall in love with him so deeply. It took you a long time to pick up the broken pieces. Listen to me just this once, Ella... Stop falling in love with him...” the little girl said. Ella lowered her head, and shoot it. “I... I can't...” she said. “He will only leave you.”
“No... he promised me...”
“He never loved you.”
“He promised me his heart.”
“You never had his heart from the start.”

Ella looked up at the little girl, and saw her fading away. “You never did... listen to me... you have to stop this madness... before it's too late... please, Ella...” Those were the last words the little girl said before she had gone. Then, suddenly, it became dark. She looked around the garden, and the beautiful flowers have began to wither. She stoop up, and looked back. From there, she saw Calvin standing. “I don't believe her. He's here... he's here for me...” she thought. She walked up to him, and smile. “Calvin!” she called. She reached up to him, but before she could, a woman stood beside him, and held him possessively. “He is never yours to keep.” the woman said. As she made a step, the woman and Calvin disappeared, leaving her all alone in the dead garden. “Calvin!” she shouted. “Calvin! Come back! Calvin!”

“Ella... Ella...”

Ella slowly opened her eyes, and saw the worried look on her husband's face. Cold sweats trickled down her forehead. It was all just a dream, a very bad dream. Calvin is here with her right now. Wit that, she let out a sigh of relief. “Are you all right?” Calvin asked as he helped her sit up from her bed. “Ella just nodded her head. “I am... I'm sorry....” she said. Calvin let out a faint smile, and shook her head. “Having a bad dream without me by your side?” he asked. Ella let out another sigh as she nodded her head. “I... I thought... I thought that...” the she shook her head, and smiled at him. “It's just a dream. Just a bad dream. You don't have to worry about me.” she said.

She reached for his cheek, and caressed him. The warmth of his skin made her realize that she is now back to reality, and this reality is what she should believe in, not the nightmare she had. Calvin is here with her, that's all that matters to her. She let out a sad smile as she stared into his eyes. “Hug me...” she said. Calvin could only give her a confused look. “Why? What's wrong?” he asked. “I just want to know that this is not a dream. I want to feel secure... that you're really here... that you never left me... just like in my nightmare. I... I just want to feel you're real...” she said. With that, Calvin hugged her tight. Then, he kissed her on her forehead. “I don't know what you dreamed about, Ella...” he whispered. Then, he let out another faint smile from his lips. “but whatever it is... I just want you to know that I will always be here for you.” he said.

He let her go, and then stared at her face. He could see the tears that was forming at the corner of her eye, and he wiped it with his finger. “I'm so sorry...” Ella whispered. “I'm so sorry for being such a paranoid.” Calvin just smiled. He kissed her on the lips, and embraced her once again. And that embrace is all she needed to make her feel secure.

--

Andy smiled as he looked at the flower on his hand. As he reached the school gate, he stopped and saw Genie talking to another guy. The smile on his face abruptly disappeared as he watched them. His fist balled up when he saw her smiling at him, and laughing at him. Yes, he is jealous. He should be the one that she is smiling at. He should be the one whom she is laughing with. Just him, and only him, and not some jerk.

Angrily, he marched towards their direction. He put his arm around Genie as he let out a smirk at the guy. “Hi. I'm Genie's possessive boyfriend. If I were you, I'll back off. She's mine, OK?” he said to the guy. Genie gave him a confused look, and the guy could only smile at them. “OK.” he said, shrugging his shoulder. Then, he looked at Genie and smiled. “Hey, Genie. Don't forget to give my love letter to Anna, all right?” the guy said. Genie nodded her head. “I will, Jiro. Don't worry.” she said. Jiro said goodbye to the two, and left them.

Annoyed with what he did, Genie put his arms away from him. “Can you stop telling people that you are my boyfriend? If my mom finds out about this, I'll be grounded!” she protested. “But you are my girlfriend.” Andy said. Genie shook her head. “And when did I agreed to be your girlfriend?”
“Since you went out on a date with me.”
“Excuse me, but I think you're wrong.”
“Well, maybe you're not my girlfriend now, but you will be soon.”

Genie could only roll her eyes at him. “Why are you so full of yourself? You're the exact opposite of your brother!” Genie said. Andy smiled, and shook his head. “You're wrong. We are the same. Because just like him, when I love someone, I will love her for the rest of my life.” he said. Then, he handed her the bouquet of roses. “And I will love you for the rest of my life, Genie Zhou.” he said. Genie could only stare at him in awe as he smiled at her.

--

She sat on her favorite seat, with a wine glass on her hand. She watched as the news on Ella and Calvin's marriage played on her television. She took a sip from her glass, and a disgusted look appeared on her face. How could he choose her? How could he choose a slut who slept with half of Taipei's population to be his wife? She is not even half as close as Selina. Not even a bit better than her. Calvin deserves more than her. He deserves a pure girl, not someone whom almost all the guys had a taste of. As the image of her face flashed into the screen, she glared at her. She gripped tighter to her glass, and with all her force, threw it on the empty wall.

“No!” she shouted. No one should take him away from her. Not her. She waited a long time for Calvin. She waited a long time to be with him. She knew she had her chance when Selina died, but some bitch came into his life and stole him away from her. She gave him up before for her cousin, and there's no way she is going to give him up for some random girl.

A tear fell down from her face as she saw Calvin's image on the screen. “Calvin...” she whispered bitterly. “Why can't you love me? Why can't you choose me? I am much better than her... and you know that. We are meant for each other. Why her?” she cried. She fell on her knees as she broke down.

She swore to herself, that after tonight, she will do everything to have Calvin by herself.

--

“I think you're being paranoid.” Charlene said. They were at Chun's shop that afternoon, and Ella have just finished telling her about her dream the night before. “Come on... all if it is a result of your insecurity. Ella, you are a human being, and you are capable of loving and being loved.” she said. Ella let out a sigh as she shrugged her shoulder. “I don't know... but it all seems so real. What if one day, someone will walk into our lives and take Calvin away from me? What if, in the end, he found someone else like Selina... then... he realized that I'm not worth the sacrifice. Calvin is a nice guy to be stuck with a bitch like me...” she said. Charlene could only sigh at her best friend. “Ella... the reason why you're like this... why you're being to cautious to love, is because you are still stuck in the past. Look, you dad made a stupid mistake by breaking you and your mom's heart. I think Calvin is not stupid enough to do the same thing. Let go, move on, and be happy. You can never love fully until you learn to let go of the past.” she said.

Ella let out a sigh as she leaned back on her chair. “You're not just making it hard for yourself, you're making it hard for Calvin as well. One day, he might get tired of your paranoia... he might get tired of you being too scared to love. And when that day comes that you are ready to love without any fears, he might be gone in your life.” she said. She lowered her head as she looked away from her best friend. “I... I don't want to lose him...” she said. Charlene let out a smile upon hearing what she said. “Then, if you don't want to lose him, give him all of your heart. Don't be scared. Take the risk, Ella... after all that you've been through, you deserve to be loved.” she said. Ella looked at her, and let out a smile.

--

“I'm home!”

Ella rushed from the kitchen to find her husband walking up to her. “Welcome home.” she said, smiling at him. Calvin leaned down to her, and kissed her on the lips. “I miss you...” he cooed to her. Ella couldn't help but giggle at him being to mushy. “Yeah, right...” she said. She turned her back on him to go back to the kitchen, but before she could make a step, Calvin held her by her waist, and embraced her tight. “Let go, I'm making dinner!” she said. She laughed at him as she struggled to break free from him. A smirk curved in his lips as he leaned down to kiss her on her neck. “How about if I have you for dinner instead?” he said. Ella let out a laugh. She faced him, and pinched his arm. “Pervert!” she said. Calvin just laughed at her. He sat down on the couch, and watched her as she retreat back to the kitchen to prepare their dinner.

Just then, his phone rang. He took it, and answered the call. “Hello?” he said. There was a silence at the other line. “Hello?” he asked again. Still, there was no reply. “Hello?” he asked in an annoyed tone this time. “Calvin...”

He felt as if someone splashed cold water on him upon hearing that familiar voice. “I'm here now. We have to talk. Now.” the voice on the other line said. He could sense the anger in the caller's voice. “Now is not the right time to talk...” he said. Ella peeked from the kitchen, to see her husband on the phone. From his face, he could see how anxious he is. “Then when is the right time to talk? I told you that I have to see you as soon as I got back here in Taipei...” the caller asked. “Joanne... how can I talk to you, if you're acting like that?”
“You know why I chased you here? I have to talk to you about your wedding.”
“It is my choice, all right?”
“Choice? You're making a wrong choice. I researched all about your wife... and... you know what, even Selina will not approve of the girl you married.”
“Joanne, you don't understand.”
“Why? You love her? Don't you love Selina anymore?”

Calvin let out a sigh. “We'll talk some time. Think things through first. I'll talk to you when you're calm.” he said. Then, he ended the call. He looked up, and saw his wife looking at her confusingly. He let out a weary smile at her. “So, is dinner ready? I'm hungry...” he said as he stood up from his seat. He walked past to her, and Ella turned to face him. “Who is she, Calvin?” she asked. Calvin paused, and faced his wife. “Who's Joanne?” she asked. “You don't have to worry about her...”
“Why wouldn't I worry. You took that call. You seemed anxious while talking to her... as if you've done something right. Who is she to you?” she asked. Calvin let out a sigh. “Ella, this is not the right time to talk about her, all right?” he said.

He walked up to her, and held her hand. “Everything will be all right...” he assured her. “How can I be sure, if I don't have any idea what the problem is. Calvin, I am your wife... I should know what's going on.” she said. “Just trust me on this, Ella. Trust me... One day, I'm going to tell you who she is in my life. But for now, I want you to trust in me...” he said. Ella let out a faint smile, as she nodded her head. Then, Calvin pulled her to him for an embrace. “I trust you, Calvin. I trust you because I love you...” she whispered to him.

And though she said she trusted him, she is starting to doubt him, and his love for her.





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Labels: Always and Forever, fan fic