Chapter 9: Déjà vu
Déjà vu, Tomoyo thought. It's happening all over again. Edward chasing her, herself not wanting to hear him out. And ending up heartbroken. How long would she run away? She breathed out in relief as a wide garden greeted her. But just about she stepped foot on the grass, a hand stopped her. "Isn't this a very nice setting to talk, huh?" Edward smirked at her. Soon, they were walking along the garden bathed in moonlight. They reached a stone bench and sat side by side. "About five days ago, I would like to explain my irrational actions," Edward began. "Irrational? Don't you mean stupid?" Tomoyo spat angrily and crossed her arms. Edward felt guilty again. He turned Tomoyo's shoulder so that she would be facing him. "I'm sorry," he said with the most sincere voice that Tomoyo thought she'd been struck by lightning. She sucked in her gut as Edward stared at her amethyst eyes. Her heart melted as Edward spoke again.
"You are right. My actions were stupid. But I only did it because of my selfish intentions. I don't want my friends to think that I've." he trailed off. "Changed? You don't want to change?" Tomoyo filled in. Edward could only agree even if it wasn't the word he was about to say. Fallen in love with you would be the more appropriate phrase, he thought. "Because I don't like being teased." Tomoyo had to hold in a laugh. "Then why don't you just stand up and face the truth that you've changed? Don't go back into being that girl- hater. You'll never achieve anything with that childish principle." Edward smiled softly and stared at her beauty. "Does that mean, you've forgiven me?" "I." Tomoyo breathed as Edward's face drew closer. Her heart started pounding hard on her chest, drumming wildly as Tomoyo tried to grasp her self-control. And succeeded as she turned her face at the last minute so that Edward kissed her cheek. She looked at the garden, thoughts swimming in her head. "I'm sorry Edward." A small tear glistened and made its way down her cheek. Edward wiped it away with his thumb. "No. It's me who should be asking your forgiveness. I was carried away by my emotions. Yet, being a man of honor, I could not stop it." "It's alright. Everyone feels the same when they're in love." Edward looked shocked when he realized what her words implied. "How did you?" "I've felt the same way when I met my first love," she replied, not turning to Edward. She feared that if she did, she might just see Eriol and would feel even guiltier for using the boy as a replacement. Edward suddenly felt sad and frustrated as he realized that someone had won her heart first yet it seems that something happened and it kept Catherine from answering. He remembered the time she suddenly stared at him. He noticed how her eyes looked far away that they were not seeing him anymore, but someone else. "Does that mean I don't have a chance?" Tomoyo brought herself to at least look at his shoulder and said nothing. Edward slightly tipped her chin up. "If you're not sure, then I'm willing to wait. But you must hear this, Catherine. My love for you will never waver and I won't give you up without a fight." Tomoyo blushed at his words. "I don't know what to say." He looked at her lovingly. "Then don't say anything, yet."
"My dear girl!" Margaret cried happily. They were having breakfast and Tomoyo told them all about what happened. "He's flipped his lid!" Albert laughed. "Wait till the others hear about this." But Tomoyo remained quiet after she said that. How was she going to tell them? She thought about her dream last night. Eriol and Edward where in it. And Tomoyo felt as if she was forced to choose between Eriol who she loved all her life but broke her heart in the end, and Edward who broke her heart but loved her dearly in the end. "What did you say?" Albert inquired. Tomoyo sighed. "I told him that I'm not sure of my feelings yet." This time, things became more serious. "Why, do you love someone else?" Margaret asked. "I'm not sure about that either." She began to narrate. "You see I loved someone but he broke my heart. And part of myself tells me that I'm still in love with him and I'm just afraid to give in. As for Edward, I'm not sure if it is love that I feel. I think that I see my beloved in him that's why I suppose that I do care for him." Margaret sighed. "I see. And I suppose that you have more secrets to tell us?" Tomoyo nodded in resignation. And she finally confessed her true identity. Of course, there were some details that were better left concealed so as not to cause further confusion. Albert and Margaret received the news carefully and accepted it. But they still called her Catherine.
Déjà vu, Tomoyo thought. It's happening all over again. Edward chasing her, herself not wanting to hear him out. And ending up heartbroken. How long would she run away? She breathed out in relief as a wide garden greeted her. But just about she stepped foot on the grass, a hand stopped her. "Isn't this a very nice setting to talk, huh?" Edward smirked at her. Soon, they were walking along the garden bathed in moonlight. They reached a stone bench and sat side by side. "About five days ago, I would like to explain my irrational actions," Edward began. "Irrational? Don't you mean stupid?" Tomoyo spat angrily and crossed her arms. Edward felt guilty again. He turned Tomoyo's shoulder so that she would be facing him. "I'm sorry," he said with the most sincere voice that Tomoyo thought she'd been struck by lightning. She sucked in her gut as Edward stared at her amethyst eyes. Her heart melted as Edward spoke again.
"You are right. My actions were stupid. But I only did it because of my selfish intentions. I don't want my friends to think that I've." he trailed off. "Changed? You don't want to change?" Tomoyo filled in. Edward could only agree even if it wasn't the word he was about to say. Fallen in love with you would be the more appropriate phrase, he thought. "Because I don't like being teased." Tomoyo had to hold in a laugh. "Then why don't you just stand up and face the truth that you've changed? Don't go back into being that girl- hater. You'll never achieve anything with that childish principle." Edward smiled softly and stared at her beauty. "Does that mean, you've forgiven me?" "I." Tomoyo breathed as Edward's face drew closer. Her heart started pounding hard on her chest, drumming wildly as Tomoyo tried to grasp her self-control. And succeeded as she turned her face at the last minute so that Edward kissed her cheek. She looked at the garden, thoughts swimming in her head. "I'm sorry Edward." A small tear glistened and made its way down her cheek. Edward wiped it away with his thumb. "No. It's me who should be asking your forgiveness. I was carried away by my emotions. Yet, being a man of honor, I could not stop it." "It's alright. Everyone feels the same when they're in love." Edward looked shocked when he realized what her words implied. "How did you?" "I've felt the same way when I met my first love," she replied, not turning to Edward. She feared that if she did, she might just see Eriol and would feel even guiltier for using the boy as a replacement. Edward suddenly felt sad and frustrated as he realized that someone had won her heart first yet it seems that something happened and it kept Catherine from answering. He remembered the time she suddenly stared at him. He noticed how her eyes looked far away that they were not seeing him anymore, but someone else. "Does that mean I don't have a chance?" Tomoyo brought herself to at least look at his shoulder and said nothing. Edward slightly tipped her chin up. "If you're not sure, then I'm willing to wait. But you must hear this, Catherine. My love for you will never waver and I won't give you up without a fight." Tomoyo blushed at his words. "I don't know what to say." He looked at her lovingly. "Then don't say anything, yet."
"My dear girl!" Margaret cried happily. They were having breakfast and Tomoyo told them all about what happened. "He's flipped his lid!" Albert laughed. "Wait till the others hear about this." But Tomoyo remained quiet after she said that. How was she going to tell them? She thought about her dream last night. Eriol and Edward where in it. And Tomoyo felt as if she was forced to choose between Eriol who she loved all her life but broke her heart in the end, and Edward who broke her heart but loved her dearly in the end. "What did you say?" Albert inquired. Tomoyo sighed. "I told him that I'm not sure of my feelings yet." This time, things became more serious. "Why, do you love someone else?" Margaret asked. "I'm not sure about that either." She began to narrate. "You see I loved someone but he broke my heart. And part of myself tells me that I'm still in love with him and I'm just afraid to give in. As for Edward, I'm not sure if it is love that I feel. I think that I see my beloved in him that's why I suppose that I do care for him." Margaret sighed. "I see. And I suppose that you have more secrets to tell us?" Tomoyo nodded in resignation. And she finally confessed her true identity. Of course, there were some details that were better left concealed so as not to cause further confusion. Albert and Margaret received the news carefully and accepted it. But they still called her Catherine.