One More Chance

He started singing without taking his eyes off me and I swear I felt like all my bones were melting inside my body. And even the smile that I've had since he played the guitar seems to have already been glued to my lips.

"I wanna kiss you good morning, it's not late it's one end in a good night, it's just the start of our story and the ending is nowhere in sight. I wanna hold you all night, and the first sign of light every day for the rest of my life, from now on I wanna kiss you good morning." I bit my lower lip. I couldn't help it. I even gulped a few times as the excitement suddenly consumed my entire body and sanity. I didn't know he could sing and play the guitar as I had never seen him play or sing even then.

"There's no better way than to start everyday lyin' next to the one you love, so baby at night you can close your eyes, and tomorrow when you wake up, well, I'm gonna kiss you good morning. I'm gonna hold you all night, and the first sign of light every day for the rest of my life... from now on... sweetheart, I'm gonna kiss you good morning..."

(Kiss you good morning - Jake Owen)

"Sweetheart..."

My smile widened the moment he called me right after giving the guitar to Patrick, his loyal assistant of eight years.

"Do you remember what we talked about two days ago at the steakhouse? You know, you told me that we're going to talk when I get back, right?"

I gasped in surprise when I heard what he said, but then giggled when I remembered what he was talking about. It's about the ring and his not-so-planned proposal that night.

"Do you still remember?"

"Hmhm..." I hummed as I nodded, biting my lower lip so I could control my stupid lips from grinning. Well, I had to because I felt like my cheeks were about to tear from smiling due to the excitement that was engulfing my entire body and radiating through my veins to the core of my being.

He was now slowly taking steps in my direction with the same smile I was giving him. And from his question, I seemed to finally understand what was going on that night and what was about to happen.

I waited for him to reach my table and I shuddered under his intent gaze the moment he stopped in front of me... just a few inches away from me.

"Hi," he said, kissing me on the forehead.

"Hi," I replied, but it just came out a whisper.

And then he wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my hair.

"What are you doing here? I thought you said you couldn't come to my parents' anniversary?" I asked him in a whisper.

But instead of answering my question...

"Shhh... let's save all your questions for later," He whispered back followed by a quick kiss on my lips. "Now can we continue what we were talking about two days ago?"

But then I smiled, slowly pushing him and raising an eyebrow.

"Why, what did we talk about then?" I pretended I didn't remember anything that left him gaping in shock.novelbin

"Sweetheart? Seriously?"

"Yes?"

He stared at me for a moment but then answered my questions anyway.

"I proposed to you two days ago, didn't I? But since I haven't had the ring yet, you said we're just going to talk when I get back or when I already have a ring." "Oh, did I say that?"

"Sweetheart?" he exclaimed, and the obvious protest reflected in his eyes.

"Just kidding," I giggled, lightly squeezing his arm that was still on my waist.

"So can we now continue our conversation?"

"Yeah, if you're going to answer all my questions first,"

"Ohh, but your questions can wait and I promise I'll "Oh, did I say that?" "Sweetheart?" he exclaimed, and the obvious protest reflected in his eyes. "Just kidding," I giggled, lightly squeezing his arm that was still on my waist.

"So can we now continue our conversation?"

"Yeah, if you're going to answer all my questions first,"

"Ohh, but your questions can wait and I promise I'll answer them one by one later," he said pulling me again into his arms. "But---"

But my words died in mid-air when suddenly Dale screamed behind me, drawing laughter from the people present that night.

"Hey, you two! Why don't you use the microphone when you talk so we can also hear your conversation, huh?"

"Yeah, I second that motion! Don't be so selfish, guys! We want to know what's going on between you two and we also want to be part of your conversation!"Jack added and I just rolled my eyes after giving her a playful glare. So yeah, Luke had to use the microphone again...

"Well, I was asking my girlfriend if we could continue what we talked about last time, but since she pretended not to remember, then, I had to remind her," he shrugged. He even emphasized the word pretended.

"So, what did you talk about that you still need to talk about now?" Jack raised a question with a mischievous grin.

Luke turned to me and smiled before facing them again.

"I asked her to marry me," his response to Jack's question which earned a round of applause and squeals from everyone... and take note, that was just a few words but they almost went insane.

"Then what happened?" My mother asked.

"She didn't take my proposal seriously,"

"What?"

"But why?"

They all asked at the same time.

"Uhm... maybe because when I asked her, it was out of the blue and I didn't even have a ring with me that time."

"Ohh... I kinda understand her,"

Some guests agreed, but those who didn't know our story didn't understand why I didn't accept Luke's proposal just because he didn't have the ring with him at that moment. "So she said we're going to talk about when I get back from the Philippines."

"But why didn't you accept his proposal?" My head snapped instantly in my brother's direction and I glared at him when I saw the annoying grin plastered in the corner of his lips. I didn't want to explain that matter anymore but thanks to my jerk-of-a-brother I now have to speak.

"Well, I'm sure my best friend will surely understand me..."

I started right after snatching the microphone from Luke. I even watched how my brother's facial expressions changed from pleased to shocked and confused.

"And it's not that I rejected his

proposal it's just that I didn't say yes

right away but that doesn't mean I won't accept it when he asks me again. I have reasons for doing so and Luke knows it. And I know most of you know that Luke and I have been through a lot in our lives. Our marriage was simply an arranged marriage back then, so there had been no marriage proposal, no engagement party, no ring --- well, yeah, he gave me a ring but not in a romantic way and he didn't even put it on me either."

Now everyone suddenly turned silent. It was as if something suddenly blocked their mouths and none of them dared to speak. Even our families, my parents, and even Jack and Dale who used to annoy me lost their expression. Well maybe they didn't expect to hear those words or maybe it was because they thought I would easily give them the answer they wanted.

"So that time, when he asked me to marry him, of course, I was surprised and was so excited but then I thought since it was just a

once-in-a-lifetime experience, youet

me like

know, a romantic proposal, an engagement party and as a girl

as

a woman, I want to experience them too. I want to feel like I'm the most special girl in his life and I want to experience the things that I have never experienced before, besides..."