When Everything Fails (De Chavez #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

THEY WERE right when they say that you cannot keep up with the time when you were driven by too much happiness. January rolled in then in a heartbeat; its time had ended, and given the spot to February. The mundane first week of February went well. Despite the smell of freshly cut cardboard painted with red and was draped over the hallway, over the top of the doorframe, or even in the window. The ambiance of the month of hearts became more pronounced as the first week ended.

My stomach curdled as I contemplated whether Kei would ask me out on February 14 or not. I wasn't expecting it at all— or I was. Before, I really didn't care if I didn't have a man clung around my arm or a man I can do all lovey-dovey with. I'd received plenty of roses and gifts last year but now, the gifts from my constant anonymous admirers dwindled. Well, because Kei announced— not in a blunt way— but enough to make other men back off. We'd even talked about why I talked to Trevor last month when I gave him back his handkerchief.

It was ironic to think that I thought I will never like a guy who was clingy and jealous but heck, I'd love to see Kei jealous— well, not all the time since I didn't want to see him pissed off. Well, between the two of us, I was the one who constantly ranted about the random text messages he received every day. Every time I saw a girl smile at him, my nostrils flare at him. He just held up his hands as if he was surrendering. I shouldn't have felt jealous since Kei was a man who cannot even pay ounce attention to somebody. He was as cold as ice— ice that even a searing sun can never melt.

We were still struggling during our first months. It was my first time and obviously, it was his first time either. The churning in the pit of my stomach was producing something that zinging up to my neck, spreading the heat across my face. Honestly, being with Kei was a serious step forward. We bickered a lot about our studies. We studied together but we ended up arguing about certain issues or topics but in the end, he'll shrug in defeat and let me win even in the latter part, I'd be embarrassed because I was wrong all along. He'll just hug me and assure me that he was also wrong some of the time. However, that did not ease the embarrassment that perched in my chest.

Months after the meet-up with the Entertainment agents— Mr. Lim and Mr. Silvestre, the topic was never brought up at the table. Papa's default opening speech when we were eating our meal in the dining was: Practice in your acting. This, unfortunately, was getting into my nerves. I'd been showing a blatant expression that depicted my lack of interest in acting but my father wasn't at the table to give a shit to what I say. He was just shoving up his ideas like I was a three-year-old kid ready to bid on his every whim.

Honestly, I didn't know how the progress of the series they were planning was. The last time I heard, it was in the planning stage. A sigh slipped out of my lips as I looked at my table stacked with files that we needed to check for the upcoming activities on Valentine's Day. And since yesterday, Angela was bugging me to say the truth— if Kei already asked me out.

Not yet.

Not.

Maybe he will.

Maybe he won't.

I didn't know what to say and I didn't know what to expect. As I've said, it was our first time so we were both naive in this stage of our relationship— well, I was mostly the naive here and Kei was the one making effort to it. I felt bad about it since I didn't know what to do— aside from making out with him.

"Kamusta na pala kayo no'ng kaibigan mo?" Angela elbowed me lightly in my waist.

She was referring to Sue who was, shockingly, distanced herself from me. I knew that she had a reason as to why she did it. The solid reason I had was Kei. She liked Kei and I knew that she got hurt learning my status with him. Even though I wanted to talk to her, I felt an instant awkwardness that sat between us that deterred me to go and talked this out.