Out of the Woods

Selena was not sure how did they finished the two whole pizzas; all she knows is that she enjoyed all the conversation she had with him.

"So," Alejandro wiped his mouth. Seeing that Selena had finished her food, he got up and about to clean the table when Selena stopped him.

"You prepared the table. I will clean up," Selena softly said.

"I will help you," he insisted.

"No. It's fine," she widened her eyes, not accepting any help from him.

Alejandro sighed, then he looked at the unopened wine.

"Shall we drink this outside?" he said as he picked up the bottles, eyes were looking at the bench outside near the lake.

"Sure but, you might want to bring a blanket, the wind can be cold at this time."

Alejandro nodded and left, now that she's alone, Selena rushed to clean the dining.

She shoved the plate into the dishwasher and wiped the table, she moved so quick like a pro.

After some minute, she saw Alejandro through the glass wall setting the cushions on the wooden bench.

Selena's back leaned against the dining tables, drying her hands with the kitchen towel, her eyes were watching Alejandro.

She absently beamed, her eyes love what she's seeing. Her heart feels passionate, it's drumming normally as if it was at peace.

She wondered. When did the last time she felt so calm like now?

Never. She thought.

Since she was a kid, she had never felt so serene than now, her mind was contented with what she had right now.

She took in a deep breath, her expression was soft, she wished for a life like this every day.

She blinked when Alejandro waved a hand at her, she nodded and gestured a wait sign with her hand.

As soon as she finished, her body rushed out of the dining to accompany Alejandro outside.

She doesn't know how he did it but, the place really does look so romantic.

She bit her lower lips, heart pulverized as she smiled his scent.

She sat on the wooden bench, and soon, Alejandro covered her legs with a blanket.

He sat next to her, and when Selena lay her head on his shoulder, Alejandro's body stiffened.

He wrapped a hand on her waist, pulling her closer and just like what he did in the chopper, he dropped a quick kiss on her head. It was light, making sure that Selena wouldn't notice it.

"Do you like this place?" he asked her. Selena was looking at the space, her expression was calm and sweet, which makes him wonder what does she have in her mind.

"I am not sure," her feeling conflicted. She might not like the place due to her past memory here but being with Alejandro changes her feeling.

"Why is that?" he asked, eyes looking straight at the night butterfly around.

Selena took in a deep breath, her lips lifted to smile.

"I don't really know. It just, I guess," she paused, unsure if she should say what she had in her mind. She's afraid that she might ruin their night.

"It's fine. You can tell me later when you feel more comfortable," he brushed a hand on her hair, feeling the softness of it, his lips curved in a smile.

They stayed sitting without talking, they just stared at the lake in front and listened to each other breathing.

Alejandro picked up the wine with his other hand, he wants to open it but his other hand was on Selena's waist and he's afraid that if he removed it, he won't have another chance to get close to her.

"Do you want help?" Selena asked, looking at the bottle.

"Yes," hearing him chuckling as he said it, Selena smiled, she took the cork opener next to Alejandro and pinned it at the cork.

She twisted and pulled it. As she was about to place the wine opener back on the place, she got it, her elbow accidentally bumped the wine bottle causing for it to spilled some liquid on Alejandro's shirt.

Her eyes swelled while her teeth bit her lower lips, face went pale as she looked up to check on Alejandro's reaction.

Her lips parted a little when she saw him smiling, his hand on her waist traveled to her head, slight patting it like soothing a kid while a small husky chuckle let out from his lips.

"Sorry I," before she could finish her sentence, her body stiffened. Alejandro placed a hand on her chin, while his face was moving closer at her.

Her eyes stared at his while their faces were just an inch away. Her heart fluttered when he suddenly smiled. Slowly his lips parted with a tease. Then, his lips spoke in a deep and husky tone, "This is for spilling the wine on me."

Before her mind could comprehend his words, her lips felt his, it was soft and warm, and she felt like kissing a cotton candy, sweet and melting on her lips.

Slowly, her eyes closed with emotion, lips moved to respond to his kisses, it was slow at first, they were both weighing each other's reaction.

Her hands in her side lifted and wrapped around his neck, while her lips were moving in rhythm with his.

For a moment, they separated, eyes locked at each other while their chest rose up and down with indefinable emotions.

"I, I better change my clothes," Selena nodded but, her mind was still shocked. She thought Alejandro would continue but instead, he left.

She watched his figure disappeared, while her lips remained parted with surprise.

"What the hell was that about?" she murmured, wondering if Alejandro didn't enjoy their kiss.

With that in mind, Selena puffed on her hand, trying to see if her breath was the reason why Alejandro left.

"Fucking onion," her nose wrinkled with annoyance, the pizza she ate was full of onion and as much as she hated it, she needed to eat those onions since Alejandro was watching her.

She grabbed the wine Alejandro left and drank it.

Her face reddened with embarrassment.

(so embarrassing!!!) She screeched inside.

She bumped her head onto the armchair of the wooden bench, she doesn't know how to later react once Alejandro comes back.

Suddenly the envelope she shoved in her bra slides down, her eyebrows creased. She suddenly wondered what was inside.

Slowly her hand ripped the side, she pulled the paper inside.

Her body frosts, in a small piece of paper, her mom wrote the word I'm sorry and together with it was another piece of papers, with her DNA result in it.

Her hands started shaking uncontrollably, causing for the paper to fall onto the ground, her heart which had just calmed down from embarrassed suddenly pounded, tears which had been dried flowed like falls, her lips shook, she stretched a hand to pick the wine bottle and moved it to her lips.

She gulped it down her throat, the bitterness of the wine, the hotness of it didn't affect her body, her mind and heart conflicted that the wine overflowed in her mouth and dripped on each side of her lips.

Wine and tears mixed as they reached her neck. When the bottle dried, she looked at it with her teary eyes and then deliberately threw it at the lake. She got up; her eyes looked at the paper on the floor. She picked it up and went to the dining where she remembered to have left her phone.

She found her phone on the dining table, she took it and sent Daniella the picture of the envelope together with what's inside of it.

She shut her phone, refusing to read her answer. Then her feet moved towards the shelves. She took as much wine her body could carry. And then one by one, she opened it.

She shut her eyes for a long time, her mother's figure popped up.

She opened her eyes; they were wet from her tears.

She picked up one of the bottles, thinking that she could sleep well tonight if she's drunk.

And with that, one by one, she drank the liquid, drown her mind with the alcohol.

She hasn't finished half of the wine when she picked the others, her lips switched between the bottles, downing the alcohol uncontrollably.

Her mind became foggy, she blinked repeatedly to get her sight but it became blurry.

She rocked her head, her feet moved to walk outside.

Her mind and body were swamped with her emotion, she walked back to the lake.

And as she reached it, she didn't hesitate, she went right to the water.

She paced like a zombie in the water, tears streaming down her eyes while her face was pale and full of emotion.

She walked and walked until the water reach her neck soon it reached her nose, blocking the air from coming.

She gasped, water entered her nose. Her emotion flooded her mind, querying how could her life be this tough.