Chapter 7
1661 Words
Leanne
After eating dinner here in the garden, I sit alone in a chair not too far away from my brothers and their gangs. While my parents and their friends are in the living room.
Kuya Theo introduces me to his girlfriend, Sheila and she seems nice and pretty. I can see that she’s so in love with my brother. I hope that she’s the one for him. Well, she’s one of the reasons why my brother moves on from the heartbreak betrayal that his unfaithful wife did to him before.
I’m watching them silently. I don’t want to join them despite that my brothers invites me to join them but refused several times. I just don’t know how to deal with them. The memories of the past still haunting me. The judgment from their eyes before. The way they turned their backs on me.
I shook my head to get rid of the painful memories in my mind. I glance back and saw Xander is staring at me but I shrugged it off and look away from his glance.
I look around and notice some strange movement from Lucas. I smirk when I realize something and I want to hear everything. So, I need to c***k him to talk. I think this is the real reason why he's staying in this country. I stare at him and waited for him to look at me and when he finally notices me. I wave my hand at him signaling for him to get closer to me.
Lucas stand up and run towards my direction. He looks at me confusingly as he sits beside me.
"You need anything?" He asked.
I smirk "So, who is it?"
"What? I don’t know what are you talking about." Confusion is evident on his face.
"Who is it? Is it Beatrice or Cristina?" I straightly asked.
His forehead knotted. He really doesn’t get what I mean.
I sighed. "I said, who is it? Your reason why you’re staying here in the Philippines?"
He froze while staring at me. I can tell that I caught him off guard.
He shook his head. "No one. I'm here for my business" he denied.
I chuckled to what he said. I smiled at him "Don’t play dumb at me. You'll never win against me Lucas. Maybe you make your mom believed to your reason but not me. You can start your business anywhere that has a good economy and we know that there’s plenty of countries that better than here."
He sighed "So, you're observing me a while ago?"
"I'm observant. That’s what I do for a living. To observe and to defend." I explain.
He let out a big sighed again. "Ok fine. Its Cristina"
"Ow ok. So, are you dating her?" I ask again.
He shook his head "No. She rejected me when I asked her out. She doesn’t like a man like me, a playboy!" I can see sadness in his face.
I grabbed his left hand. "Hey, it's ok. I know you’re not a playboy. Girls just assumed that you were dating her. I knew that you were nothing like that and she can’t see it then it’s her loss. She doesn’t how lucky she is to be loved by you." I said and turned to their friend’s direction again.
I notice that Cristina was watching me and Lucas. I smile when I see a familiar emotion in her face. It’s clear that she's jealous. I glance back at Lucas again.
"Lucas it’s okay. I'm here remember. You're still my fiancé." I added.
Actually, I'm engaged to Lucas. It’s an arranged agreement, arranged by ourselves. Lucas and I made a promise that if both of us are still single or unmarried when I reached thirty then we will going to get married each other. It may crazy at its sounds but we’re both serious about that promise.
"Yeah. I don’t have a choice when that time comes." He smiles sheepishly.
I hit him softly in his forehead because I’m annoyed by him. I secretly glance again at Cristina and I can see she’s still watching. Because of that, an idea came to my mind.
I look back at Lucas. "Care to help me do something wicked?"
Confusion is written on his face. "What is it?"
"Makes Cristina jealous perhaps." I said as I smirk.
Lucas sighed. "Can't you remember what I said? I want to remind you that she rejected me already" he mocks.
I rolled my eyes "blah blah blah. Just do what I said and after all, you've got nothing to lose anyway. So, why not, right?"
He paused for a moment before answering me. "Fine. So, what do I need to do?"
"Just follow my orders."
He nodded in response.
"Touch my face softly." My first order.
And he obliged immediately.
"And then gently touch my nose using your finger. Make it like you were captivated. Think that I'm Cristina." I added.
He followed it. I simply looked at Cristina again and I was surprised to see that she was about to cry. It looks like she going to give in.
"Lucas come a little closer to me and pretend that you are going to whisper something at my ear."
"Are you sure? It looks like nothing happen." He questioned.
"Just do it" I insist.
"Okay."
Lucas was about to do it when suddenly he stops because of the noise coming from their friend’s direction. Cristina was running away from the garden.
I smiled wickedly. "It looks like our plan works." I turned to Lucas "Hey Lucas! What are you still doing here? Aren't you going to run after her?"
"Oh, I nearly forgot. You’re right. Thanks, Leanne. I need to go." He said and run after Cristina.
When Lucas is nowhere to see, I give my attention to my phone. I’m reading some news article when I felt someone sit beside me. I looked up and saw Xander’s mad face.
It made me raised my eyebrow. "What?" I ask sarcastically.
"It’s that really is it, Leanne?! You let him touch you. You let him so close to you. But if it was me, you always say to let you go."
I scoffed. "So what?! what is it to you by the way? Just mind your own business Xander."
I stand up and I want to go away from him. But he spoke again and it made me stop.
"What is it to me?! You're asking, what is it to me. You are my future wife for god sake, you're mine. Of course, it’s my business. You're my business!" he shouted.
I notice that my brothers were walking closer to our direction together with their friends.
I faced him again. "Me? Your future wife?! You have to be kidding me. What made you think that I let that happen?!" I retorted back.
"Remember this, we will happen again Leanne. Mark my word. I won’t stop until you marry me."
"That won't going to happen. You were just a part of my mistake in the past. Loving you and giving my everything to you was my biggest mistake. " I paused and walk closer to him. "You better to remember this too Xander, I will never marry you because I don't love you anymore."
He gasped and his eyes widen. I could see a strange emotion on his face. It is full of pain and sadness. I feel guilty when I saw him like that.
I shouldn't feel this way. I don’t love him anymore. But why do I feel my heartache when I said.
I came back to my senses when a tear fell down from Xander’s eyes.
"Please Leanne, take it back. I know you still love me..." he kneeled in front of me which made me a shock. "Please! Don’t! It’s a lie. You can’t unlove me." He added as his shoulder trembling.
I tried not to be affected by his sobbing. Thankfully, Kuya Theo and Alex come closer to Xander.
"Bro, please stand up. You can’t take her back if you’re like this." My brother said and turn to me. "I’m sorry about this Leanne. He’s drunk." He told me and hold Xander arm to lift him up.
"No! No! I said no!" Xander shouted again and I almost jump when he circles his arms around my waist. He crushed face in my stomach. "Leanne, babe tell me you're joking right! Please! You still love me. I know it! I fully understand if you were mad at me but not like this. You can hurt me, hit me. Do whatever you want but don’t say that you don’t love me anymore. Take it back please!”
I didn’t say anything and try to get his arms off me. When I finally remove it, I told Kuya Theo that I’m going back to my room. As I walked, I ignore Xander calling my name.
Before I can get inside the house, I saw my parents and their friends looking at me. I know that they saw what happen.
My tears start to fall down when I entered my bedroom. My heart aching in pain. I’m hurting all the words I said.
I'm hurting now that I finally realized.
Even if I denied it.
I still love him.
Even if I convince myself.
I still love him and it terrifies me.
- Writer
