The Man of My Dreams (Fitzmael 2) - SOON TO BE PUBLISHED

07: Price of worth

I FELT COMPLETELY unmotivated for an entire week. Luckily, I'm not bad at studying, so I was able to do well on our midterms exam. After we finished, I went to Marcus' house to have a proper conversation with him.

Gusto ko lang na malaman niyang mahal ko siya.

My lips parted in awe when I saw how large his house was. I immediately rang the doorbell, and Marcus came out, greeted by my wide smile. His wounds had healed too. "You're handsome again," I said to him.

He just stared at me, his expression blank. A woman appeared behind him, resembling him with striking blue eyes. She approached me with an air of authority. "Are you Jarzaiah?" she asked sharply.

"Y-Yes. How did you kno—" I started, but my words were cut off by a sudden, stinging pain on my cheek. She'd slapped me hard.

"Serene!" Marcus shouted, clearly trying to get her attention.

I was just staring at the girl in front of me. I could feel her anger radiating, but when I looked into her eyes, all I could see was pain—a deep, unsettling pain that I couldn't quite understand. It was as if her hurt was a mirror reflecting my own turmoil, leaving me confused and uneasy.

"That's for destroying the bond that holds my brothers together and for the pain you've caused them!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face. "You don't know the sacrifices we've made for each other just to prevent us from breaking apart like this!" She fell to her knees, bursting into tears. Marcus picked her up and carried her inside the house.

"WHAT DOES THAT mean, Marcus?" I asked him when he returned, tears streaming down my face as I gently touched my cheek, which throbbed with pain.

He let out a sigh. "Can you please just stop? Franco is there for you."

"I want you..." I never expected to confess to him in this way.

"I don't like you," he said flatly. "Franco is miserable because of you. Maniningil na ako ng utang ko sa 'yo..."

"What?!"

"Choose Franco. If you make that choice, you'll no longer owe me anything."

I scoffed and sat down on the ground, feeling utterly drained. "Please, mahal! I'll do whatever you ask of me—just not that!"

"That's what I want! I never liked you! I only took care of you because you were all alone," he said, turning his back and preparing to walk into the house.

"I-Is that even true? Or a-are you lying again?" I stammered, my voice trembling with a mix of desperation and disbelief.

"If I loved you, I would fight for you."

"You're lying, Marcus. I know you liked me! You even love me..." I wiped away my tears and locked eyes with him, searching for the truth. "But your love for your siblings is stronger, and I get that." I took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Will it really make you happy if I choose Franco?"

"Yes..." he replied without hesitation, then turned and walked away, leaving me feeling utterly lost and heartbroken.

A MONTH HAD passed, and Franco had been visiting my apartment more often. I had lost the energy to plead with him to leave or to push him away, so I simply accepted it. Whenever we didn't have classes, he would take me out to eat. At first, it was fine, but as time went on, I began to feel my world shrinking around me because of him.

"Get dressed. We're going to my cousin's club," Franco said.

I just nodded. I immediately saw Marcus when we arrived at Axi's club. He was with someone. "Maximilian," the man introduced himself, extending his hand. I accepted it. "Jarzaiah... Nice meeting you." I winced when I felt Franco's grip tighten around my waist. It was painful. I sat down.

Marcus and Imil were in front of us, drinking. Suddenly, Franco excused himself to use the restroom, leaving me behind. I was a bit tipsy, so I approached Marcus. "M-Marcus..."

He looked at me. There was no emotion in his eyes.

I got up and approached him. I saw his cousin, Maximilian, glance my way. "M-Marcus..." I called out again. "Can we please talk?"

He moved a little away from Imil and whispered, "Bakit ang kulit mo?"

"Are you happy right now? I just want to know..."

"Yeah. I'm happy because you're not bothering me anymore. Pwede bang huwag mo na akong lapitan pa?"

MY CHEST FELT heavy. I took a deep breath to calm myself. "Marcus..." I pleaded. He continued to drink without responding. I caught Maximilian's eye as he forced a smile at me. I grasped Marcus's arm when I heard the door open. I composed myself when I saw Franco. In that moment, I felt scared...

"We're going home," Franco said.

I didn't argue anymore and just followed him. Franco took my hand and guided me out of the club. He remained quiet while driving. "You're drunk, Franco. Let me drive instead?"

"I'm fine. I have a high tolerance for alcohol," he replied, keeping his eyes on the road. "Do you still love Marcus?"

"I still do, Franco."

"It's been a month, Jarzaiah."

"I know, but I'm just being honest."

When we arrived at the unit, Franco remained silent. It was a tense kind of quiet. "What's your problem?" I asked sharply. He didn't respond. "Come on, Franco!" He took a glass and poured himself some cold water. "If you don't want to hear the truth, just leave! Don't force me to love you!"

I FLINCHED WHEN he suddenly threw the glass in front of him. His shoulders were tense, and I could feel his anger. "I did everything, and yet you still love him?" he said seriously. He grabbed my neck and he gradually tightened his grip. "I will not leave, Jarzaiah. You have to love me!" he shouted.

Tears began to flow slowly down my cheeks. "Is this the real you?" I asked, coughing as I struggled to breathe. "Don't do this, Franco. This isn't you..."

I saw his sister Serene in his eyes. That look conveyed so much, but I didn't understand it. "Do you still love him?" he asked again.

"Y-Yes..." I was choking.

"Do you still love him?!"

"It h-hurts..."

"Do you still love my brother?!"

"F-Franco..." I couldn't breathe.

"Do you still love him?!"

I burst into tears. I couldn't speak, so I just slowly shook my head. I closed my eyes, fearing that Franco might actually harm me. Then, he let go of me. I fell to my knees, gasping for air. "I-I don't love him anymore..."

"Good," was all he said before he started to clean up the mess he had made. "I'm sorry for hurting you."

"Okay," I replied. "Are you going home?"

"Can I stay here?" he said calmly.

I looked at him. He appeared calm, but I felt scared. If I said no, would he do it again? If I let him in and tried to love him, would that mean it wouldn't happen again?