If Only You Can Stay (BL/BXB)

XVI

Yes.

Absolutely.

I shouldn't trust anyone. I shouldn't give in to kind words if anyone tries to lure me. It was all a trap. They all act kind because they don't want to hurt my feelings. They don't want to tell me in my face that they hate me because they know those words would be the tips of knives that carved wounds behind my back so they masked every bit of it with flowers who turned into a bed enough to cover their thorns. I received compliments and other good advice but all of them felt like blames that ridiculed the entirety of my existence.

"What?" He asked. I didn't know that I was staring at the blue orbs in his eyes for quite a while now.

"I'll take you home. You accept my offer for a quick lunch. Why are you hesitant to give me another chance to take you home?" He asked. His grin never left his face.

"Mmh. Okay." I told him. I gave in. I thought to myself that it would be good if I had given his little request, he wouldn't ask for more. After this, he would disappear like a bubble popping in the thin air.

"Let's get going. It's getting dark." He motioned for me to follow his footsteps in which I did, trailing behind his shadow. He stood by the passenger's seat and opened it for me. I jogged my way towards him and hopped inside his car.

"You good?" He asked.

'Yup." I told him. My right hand grabbed his hand which was now wrapped around the seatbelt just above my right shoulder. I pulled it away from him and darted him a look.

"I can do it. I am not a kid." I told him.

"Well, a baby then?"

"That baby's a grown up already." I retorted.

"Could still be my baby -ugh-still acting like a baby." His voice cracked and closed the door of the car before I could even give him a reaction. I was completely dumbfounded and my brain shut down as the gears stopped whirring inside my head at what he just uttered in front of my face.

"Okay, we're good to go." He announced inside after he settled inside. Every syllable synchronized with how loud every thump of heartbeat my chest tried to drum its way out. The words he spit out were showing signs of nervousness. His confident demeanor quickly left his body and the whole entire ride was so silent even the ghost that was sitting behind the backseat were so scared to even hum a song at how tense it was inside the car.

"We're here." He announced again. He was still in shambles and his fake laugh was so noticeable that I couldn't help but giggle at how uncomfortable he was from the whole ride. I, on the other hand, was clasping my fingers around the belt that was enough to hold me down that cushioned seat because if there wasn't I could have yeeted myself onto the streets in an instant.

"Ok. Thank you. Bye." I told him, snapped the belt off and took the chance to launch myself off of his car like how I imagined myself earlier, like some rocket. I fastened up my pace so that we could end this nightmarish day.

"Wait." I heard him screaming from the other side of his car. His head popped off on the roof of his car and was calling me out. I had just made a few yards away from him when I decided to glance at him. He was already jogging his way towards me. His smile never fades unlike the sun who was about to bury his light under the cloak of the dark sky.

"The bracelet, of course."

"You wanted it back right?" He asked as he closed the distance between us.

"Pizza place, tomorrow?" He asked.

"Is that an invitation? Or some sort of blackmailing?" I asked.

"Of course, an invitation." He cleared himself. "By then, I'll give this back to you."

"Jace?" A voice echoed behind us. A woman stood by the front door, whose face was in all shock at the sight of the boy in front of me.

"Van?" Auntie called out.

"Is he your nephew that you're talking about?" My eyes went side to side from Auntie and the familiary laldy whose name I couldn't quite recall but I was pretty sure she was the one who visted the house the other day, just after I landed here.

"Jace, come here. She is the friend I want you to meet." She motioned for Jace to come closoer to them. They were now in the front porch, all smiles radiating into the setting sun and Jace nervously walking towards the two ladies. I followed.

Auntie gave him a quick hug and a tap on the shoulder. Once they separated, her eyes lalnded on me and this time it was her that motioned me to come closer.

"You know her."

"Yep, I met her last time." I told her as I kissed her on the cheek.

"Hello, I hope you all had a very good evening." I grreted them both.

"We did." The lady cleared her throat. "You've already meet Jace?"

"Apparently, we're schoolmates." I told her.

"Yup. Schoolmates." I glanced a look at the boy who was now shyly scratching the back of his head.

"Wow. What a coincidence?"

"Yeah, he's quite charming. Isn't he?" Auntie asked me.

"He is." I replied, and that made Jace lifted his gaze towards me. "Actually we met yesterday. After the dogs chased us."

"Oh, my gosh. Are you two okay?" The lady asked.

"Yup the glass door of the gym protected us, Mom." Oh, so she was his mom. Now that he called her his Mother I couldn't get it out of my head on how they very much look alike. Those blue orbs of eyes and the shape of their lips.

"Too much muscle but could not handle dogs?"

"Their dogs. What do you expect mom?"

"Yeah, I was just joking. Hope you two get along."

"We will." He replied.

"So you two knew each other, huh?" Auntie shoulder-bumped me.

"Yeah. He saved dme once that's all and now he stole my bracelet."

"Your son's a handsome young man."

"Thank you, Miss. I inherited the looks from my mom. Maybe Van did too from you." He tried to win over Auntie with his compliments.

"Such a charmer." She commented.

"Oh, siya. Since your son is here you don't have to commute your way home."

"Yeah. Maybe they can come to school together since they were attending the same one." His mom suggested, and I winced at the thought of going to meet him again and again, and for the rest of my stay.

"I'm good." I tugged my Auntie's sleeve.

"It's okay to me." Jace butted in.

"Keep him safe for me, okay?" And just like that, that's how my Auntie sold me to the devil.