A/N: Hi, Amores! Sorry, I totally forgot to update. I was so busy the whole day that's why it slipped off my mind. Thankfully, it's still 7 pm here. Enjoy reading. :)

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SABINA's POV

I smiled contentedly as I checked the picture that I managed to snap on my camera. The picturesque view here in the ranch is really one of a kind. I've been living here for more than three years now but the scenic view still takes my breath away.

It's peaceful, quiet and safe not to mention the wonderful people and I couldn't ask for more.

Today, I woke up early just for the purpose of taking beautiful pictures of nature. I'm currently in the wheat field and from this place, I could see the magnificent waterfalls from afar. It rained this early in the morning and the rainbow was still up there, adding more beauty to the view.

"You really love taking pictures now, huh?" I was about to take another shot when someone spoke behind me. I almost jumped out of my skin. I turned my head to look at the person who just arrived in obvious irritation.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have anything to do other than coming here to bother me?" It's been three days since we went out with the kids and he's been coming over everyday. But I didn't face him and pretended to be busy inside my room.

Because of that, he left the bouquet of flowers he had to my parents.

"I told you before, right? I said that I would never give up on you that's why I decided to court you."

"Court me? Do you even know how to court? And what do you mean by your question just now? Why do you sounded like you've know for quiet sometime that I loved taking pictures?" He averted his gaze right away and that made me furrow at him.

"What? Aren't you going to answer my questions? If you don't have any plans of answering, then leave." I then focused my attention on my camera and the view as if he wasn't there.

Ever since the day I discovered about cameras, my interest in them never faded as the time went by. In fact, I've been planning to study photography but I didn't have time until.

"I just happen to know. Damn, I've never dreamed that I would get intimidated by a woman until now. Now, I understand how scary it is when the woman you love is mad at you. Your feistiness is making my knees tremble." I pretended that I didn't hear what he just said but my heat started thumping. Damn it! Why does my heart need to react to everything that he says?!

"Anyway, this is for you, Ina." My forehead crinkled and looked back at him. He was holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Now I understand why he had his hands behind him since he arrived.

"Why are you giving me that?" I feigned ignorance.

"Didn't you hear what I've said just now? I want to court you, Ina." I could see the determination in his eyes. I gritted my teeth.

"I don't have any plans for your lies and games." I was about to walk past him when he stopped me by the hand.

"I love you. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Stop with the lies. I don't buy it." For some reason, my eyes watered and my voice cracked as a rush of different emotions attacked my chest.

"I love you. I love you. I love you. No matter how many times I need to repeat and shout it to the world, I will do it. I will not repeat what I've done in the past that I let you slip through my fingers like that. This time, it's different. I'm offering my everything to you, my Ina, and all I'm asking from you is another chance. Please?" I wanted to flat out decline but I felt like there was a sudden lump in my throat.

"You're the only woman for me, Ina. Even if I'd make myself look like a fool in the eyes of all the people around us, I don't care. That's how much I love you." I could feel the sincerity in his voice but my stubborn heart was afraid to believe him.

It took me a couple of seconds to gather myself together. I was about to respond when someone arrived.

"Sabina?" I looked at the one who spoke. Nathan. I furtively wiped my unshed tears and then distanced myself away from Xzavier.

"I didn't know that you're already back." I responded, trying to appear fine. He went to Paris for a few job interviews that's why he wasn't around these past few days.

"I just came back actually. Anyway, are you okay?" He then looked at Xzavier with a scowl. I smiled and then snaked my arm around his arm.

"Of course, I'm okay. Let's go, babe?" I said and pulled him out of there. While we were walking away, I could feel the stares of Xzavier on my back but I ignored it.

"Babe, huh? I like the sound of it." I looked at Nathan and he has a wide smile on his face. I heaved a sigh.

"Sorry about that, Nathan. I just wanted him to stop courting me." I answered, almost whispering so that Xzavier wouldn't hear me.

"He's courting you?" He sounded surprised. I bit my lower lip and then nodded my head.

"In that case, I'll help you shoo him away." Before I could ask him what he meant by that, he placed his arm over my shoulders which surprised me.

"What are—"

"—I thought, you wanted to make him stop courting you? I'm sure, he'll get the message after this." He was about to pull me even closer to his body when the unexpected happened.

"I'm giving you three seconds to get away from her. Now." Nathan and I's steps came to a halt upon hearing Xzavier's dangerous voice.

"Nathan, just pretend that you didn't hear him and let's just go." I said sternly but he already turned his head to look at Xzavier.

"You don't have the right to tell me that, man. You told me before that Sabina was your woman but that was nothing but a lie. She already accepted me as her boyfriend yesterday so you should back off. She doesn't want to have anything to do with you." Upon saying that, we continued walking with Nathan's arm still over my shoulders.

I thought, Xzavier has already given up because he didn't react right away. But after a couple of seconds, the unthinkable happened. The next thing I knew, Nathan was already on the ground and the corner of his lips was bleeding.

"Oh, God, Nathan! Are you okay?!" I then looked at Xzavier who looked like a wild beast that was about to pounce on its prey, too angry to distinguish what was right or wrong.

"Damn you! Who do you think you are to punch Nathan like that?!" I thought, he was going to match my anger judging by that dangerous look on his face but to my surprise, he took my hand and placed it on his chest, right next to his heart as his face softened a little bit.

"Can you feel that, Ina? My heart feels like it's about to explode because you're with someone else! I know you're mad at me right now and I'd accept any punishment from you but not like this! You can slap me, punch me or even beat the heck out of me but please, don't do this to me..." His voice cracked at the end and it served like a knife that penetrated my heart.

I felt like I got rooted on the ground when I saw the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes. I was at a loss for words and didn't know what to do. He looked so hurt and my heart reached out for him.

During those times that we spent together in the mountains, I noticed that Xzavier was a strong, confident and proud man. He would never let himself stoop so low nor lose to anyone. But now, he looked like all the live within his dissipated from his body and became vulnerable and weak.

I couldn't believe that he would be willing to do this, uncaring if he would look like a weak person in front of me and Nathan.

"Xza—" He couldn't hear whatever I wanted to say because Nathan suddenly stood up and pulled me by the hand behind him, as if protecting me from Xzavier.

"Sabina already made up her mind so you should accept her decision like a man. If I were you, I would just go back home and wouldn't bother to come back." Xzavier's jaw flexed as his eyes suddenly became void of any emotions as he met Nathan's gaze.

"You don't have the right to tell me what to do. This doesn't concern you at all." To my horror, he took a step forward and grabbed Nathan's shirt tightly. "Don't try to pick a fight with me because you don't have any tiny chance to win against me. Now, if you love yourself, get away from my woman or you'll be sorry." His voice sounded so menacing and I knew that he was really mad this time that he would surely harm Nathan if he wouldn't do as he says.

"S-Sabina doesn't love you so you should accept that." Even though Nathan was obviously got intimidated by Xzavier, he still managed to say that. Xzavier's face contorted in anger. His grip on Nathan's shirt tightened that he was beginning to get choked. That's when I decided to get in between.

"Let go of him! Can't you see that you're already choking him?!" But Xzavier seemed like he didn't hear that. He balled his free hand into a tight fist and was about to hit Nathan once again when I made him stop.

"Xzavier, I said stop! If you hit him again, I swear, you will never see me again!" His fist stopped in midair as his body went still. Then, after a couple of seconds, he let go of Nathan and then looked at me, bewildered.

"Y-You said my name..." He uttered in disbelief. I glared at him.

"So, what if I called you by your name?! Have you lost your mind that you even hit someone who did nothing to you?! And now, you're planning to choke him to death! You've gone insane!" I then faced Nathan. "I'm sorry about this, Nathan. Maybe, you should go home for now before this crazy person hits you again."

"What about you, Sabina? I can't leave you here with this dangerous guy. Who knows what he would do to you."

"Don't worry about me. I'm going to head home anyway." I then gazed at Xzavier. "You should go home too. Your presence is not welcome here." After saying that, Nathan and I marched our way out of there.

"That guy is dangerous, Sabina. I don't trust him one bit. You shouldn't associate yourself with the likes of him. I'm sure, he's up to no good." I felt like my chest tighten hearing him say that about Xzavier. I heaved a sigh.

"Yeah, he's dangerous..."

"See? You shouldn't—"

"—But he's not entirely a bad person, Nathan. Just like everyone of us, he also has a dark side of him and he just happened to lose his control." I found myself defending him which surprised me. Are you crazy, Sab?! Why are you defending him?!

"You sound like you know him too well." Nathan sounded confused while staring at me with a scowl. I forced a smile.

"When you get home, put some ice on your lips, okay? I'm sorry that this happened to you." I deliberately changed the topic. He released a breath.

"Don't worry about me, Sabina. I'm a guy. This is nothing. Anyway, be careful, okay? You should go straight home."

"My house is just a couple of meters from here. You should be the one to be careful." He nodded his head and reluctantly turned his back on me. Then, we parted ways. I was about to enter the gate when I couldn't help myself but to stare at the direction where we left Xzavier at. I then released a breath.

"What are you looking for, sweetie? Is everything okay?"

"Dad! You scared me!" I whined. Looked like he came from our small garden at the backyard because he was holding some freshly picked vegetables.

"I wasn't trying to. You looked like you were in deep thoughts while looking that way." He even pointed at the direction that I was looking at just now. "Are you okay?" There was tinge of concern in his voice.

"I'm fine, dad. I'm just tired. I'll just go to my room." I was about to take a step when he spoke.

"Mr. Montaño was here, looking for you." I bit my lower lip, wasn't sure if I would tell him that I talked to Xzavier just a while ago.

"Oh, I see." It was all that came out of my lips, couldn't meet his gaze. Then, he remained quiet so I looked at him. He was staring at me like he wanted to say something but couldn't say it out loud.

"Aren't you going to ask me about Xzavier?" A small smile appeared on his face. It has been a couple of days since my birthday but my parents never asked me about Xzavier and remained quiet about it.

"Well, your mother and I wanted to ask you a lot of questions but we decided to wait for you to open up to us." I chewed on my lower lip guiltily.

"I'm sorry for not saying anything about him. It's just that...everything's complicated right now." I admitted.

"Do you love him?" That took me by surprise.

"Dad!"

"What? That's just a simple question, right? Do you love him or not? Be honest with me and with yourself." I sighed and smiled bitterly as my eyes turned somber.

"He hurt me so bad, dad, and I'm afraid that he might do it again."

"And yet, that doesn't change the fact that you still love him." I wanted to falsify that but I would just be lying to myself. I slowly nodded my head.

"I won't ask you when and how did you meet him if you're not ready to tell us your side of the story yet. You know, when he came here a while ago, he answered every question your mom and I threw at him. He told us everything. But even so, I'm in no position to tell you what to do.

"If you really can't forgive him anymore, then make up your mind and tell him once and for all to stop bothering you. But if you can't do that, I suggest for the two of you to talk. You should listen to him, sweetie. After that, you can decide what to do next." He then lightly tapped me by the shoulder and then entered the house ahead of me.

I heaved a sigh and looked up the sky. I'm so confused of what to do next. Yes, I'm still mad at Xzavier but...I released another breath and decided to go to the tree house to think. Maybe after this, I would know what to do.

But before that, I remember about the bottle of alcohol that Billy gifted me on my birthday. Maybe, it's better for me to have a drink even just for a couple of shots instead.

I entered the house went to my room. I took the bottle of alcohol and read the label.

"Sweet Caress, TBG special?" I didn't have any idea of what TBG was so I just shrugged my shoulders and opened it. Then, I found myself drinking alone while remembering about what happened a while ago.

Why does Xzavier keep on coming back? Is he really serious about loving me? I chuckled bitterly.

"Love, huh? If you really loved me, then why did you hurt me s bad?" I then took another shot. I've been asking myself that question but I couldn't find the answer until now. Maybe, I should try to listen to Xzavier in order to get the answer that I've been looking for for so long.

After drinking alone and started to feel the effect of the alcohol, I stopped. It began to feel hot around even though I opened the windows.

Because of that, I decided to go to the tree house to breath some fresh air. I took my camera and laptop to review the photos I took earlier today. I left a note for my parents, informing them that I would just be there in the tree house and that they didn't need to look for me during lunch.

But then, I didn't expect whom I saw upon entering the tree house. The camera and laptop that I was holding fell from my hand but thankfully, he caught them before they fell on the floor. He then placed them on top of the coffee table.

"W-What are you doing here?" I stammered as my heart pounded like crazy. I thought, I could have the chance to think but that was impossible now. The mere presence of him was already making my heartbeat like a drum.

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What do you think of this chapter, Amores?

Is it already hopeless for them to get back together?

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