Chapter 74

THE nurses were in a panic as they tried to stop Callea from leaving the bed. "Miss Lopez, please stay put. Your wound might bleed again."

She had a gunshot on her back. She was lucky that no major vein or vital organs were damaged. The bullet was lodged near her shoulder. She had an arm sling so she didn't need to make unnecessary movements. But it was the least of her concern.

"I need to see my boyfriend," she insisted.

The moment she opened her eyes, she looked for Deive right away. She remembered the gunshot before she closed her eyes. Walter was just in front of them. What if he killed Deive?

"You have to rest first, Miss," the nurse pleaded.

"I don't need to rest. I need to see Deive."

They don't need to hide anything from her. What if someone died again because of her? She would go mad, for sure. She felt like dying with the thought that he was gone. She couldn't live with that anymore.

The door opened and a man entered with a bouquet of white lilies on his hand. "What's the commotion all about?"

"Deive?" Her tears flowed like flood works when she saw him standing at the door. Is he real? What if he was just her imagination or a soul who was about to say goodbye? "Deive!"

He sat at the edge of the bed. "I am here now. Don't cry."

She touched his face. She was scared that he would disappear once she touches him. But the feel of his warm skin on her fingers was nice. "You are alive!"

"Yes."

"You didn't die. D-Did Walter hurt you?" She gripped his shoulder. "Where did Walter shot you?"

"You took the bullet for me, Callea," he said in a sad voice.

She shook her head. "But I heard another gunshot."

Deive pressed his forehead against hers. "It was for Walter. He shot himself."

She shut her eyes firmly as dread spread through her body. Deive didn't die but there was another one who died because of her. Even if Deive was crazy, she believed that he still needed to live so he could pay for his pains. He could be better if he wanted to. But maybe, his own disorder claimed him.

She shuddered. "He couldn't stand to see him in pain, Deive. Every time I get hurt, he also hurts himself. That was horrible!"

"Just this afternoon, your Kuya Torque called up from Cambodia. He said that he was not confined in the hospital anymore and he was not transferred to the prison either. We got alarmed especially when you didn't get home on time from the church."

"He kidnapped me. He used the same car. The windshield was tinted so I didn't notice he was the one inside the car," she told him.

"Did he hurt you?"

"He used chloroform. He said he just took my pictures while I sleep. He was obsessed with my face. He took photos of us these past few days like he did to me before. That's why I didn't want people to see my face, Deive. It is like a curse. Marina died because of me. It drove Walter crazy."

"Callea it was not your fault. I am just hurt because you didn't tell me. Aling Poling told me that you received flowers and he thought it was from me. Then you had a fall out with Pipay and decided to go back to being horror queen. Suddenly you didn't want to push through with the engagement. You knew that Walter was free and you didn't tell me."

Her lips trembled. "I-I was afraid that he'd hurt you. He was not afraid to kill, Deive. I was forced to take things into my own hands. I must protect you. So, I decided not to marry you any more than let him kill you."

He kissed the top of her head. "Callea, do you think I would just quit on you? I know that you won't change easily unless something triggered it. So, I asked a private investigator to follow you. He informed me that your cousin's car fetched you. He used a fake license plate. Looks like he had been planning this for a long time. He also told me that your cousin is not in the Philippines yet. I reported it to the police and let him follow you. When I went to Walter's lair, they were still planning the operation. It was too slow. So I took the risk."

"I-I thought you won't go after me if I won't be beautiful anymore."

Deive touched the wound at the corner of her lips. "Callea, he knows your real beauty. You can't hide it by wearing dark makeup, a wig o even fake blood. But you have nothing to hide now. You are safe now."

He hugged her gently and let her weep silently. She was relieved. For so many years, she lived in fear. Now, she was free to show her beauty. She was free to love.

"I am sorry for hurting you, Deive. Other people might be laughing at you now. Your friends…"

He kissed her lips. "You are forgiven. And I don't care about other people's opinion. I accept you for who you are. J-Just tone down your scare tactics with the kids. Save it for Halloween parties."

She laughed a bit even if it hurts. "H-How about our engagement party?"

"It won't push through, of course. Canceled."

She felt sad. He had forgiven her but he didn't want to marry her anymore. "You don't love me anymore?"

"Of course, I love you, silly." He touched the tip of her nose. "How would our engagement party push through if you are still hurting. And besides, I don't want an engagement party."

"What do you want?"

He retrieved a maroon box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a pyramid cut diamond ring. "Just marry me. I can't wait to have you in my life."

She pressed her lips on his. "Yes!"

Tears welled in her eyes as he put the ring on her finger. The diamond sparkled in the light. More than the diamond, it was Deive who made her heart sing. She wouldn't want to be Mrs. Deive Hontiveros.