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

08: Love through tears

THE NEXT MORNING, we woke up early because we both had classes. After I took a shower, I noticed the redness on my neck. I let out a deep sigh and grabbed my concealer to cover it up. I also put on a turtleneck top just in case the makeup wore off. Even though I knew Franco had classes too, I noticed he was cooking breakfast for us.

I was afraid he might hurt me again if I didn't go along with him. I was scared because his family was powerful. One wrong move, and I could get expelled from the school they owned.

We arrived at the parking lot of Fitz University. "I can't join you for lunch today. Mag-o-observe kami sa hospital. I'll pick you up later," he said.

"Okay..." I replied. I was about to get out of the car when he suddenly gripped my thigh tightly.

I winced in pain. "It hurts, Franco," I said, tears welling up in my eyes. "Please. Just stop."

"Stop crying."

I bit my lower lip to hold back my tears. "Why are you hurting me? Did I do something wrong?"

"Don't try to look for my brother... Hmm?"

I slowly nodded. "Okay..."

"I love you," he said.

I was about to open the door when he suddenly locked it. I looked at him. "Ano pa bang kailangan mo?"

"I said I love you."

"I heard that—" He tightened his grip on my thigh even more. "I-I love y-you..." Then I kissed his lips. "Please don't be angry," I said. He unlocked the door, and I quickly opened it and got out.

FORTUNATELY, I HAD some tissue to cover my bleeding thigh. I headed straight to the restroom to fix myself. As I stepped out, I ran into Amaris and smiled at her. "Hi, Amaris." After that, I went to the clinic to get my wounds treated.

"Anong nangyari sa hita mo? Lilinisan ko 'to at lalagyang ointment. You should always apply ointment to prevent scarring," the nurse said.

" May nakaaway lang po ako," I said, laughing.

She didn't ask any more questions. After she cleaned my wounds, I thanked her and said goodbye.

I walked toward our department, feeling everyone's gaze on me. I couldn't tell if it was because of Marcus shouting at me in the cafeteria, because I was Franco's girlfriend, or simply because I had a bandage on my legs. All of the above, maybe?

I realized I was the only one being talked about negatively. No one seemed to say anything bad about Marcus or Franco. I saw Amaris, Elisha, and Erazius walking toward me, so I turned and tried to walk away. But it was too late—Zius called my name. I also noticed Marcus nearby, and he stopped as well. They all looked at me, and asked how I was. "Where are you going?"

"Uh... sa cafeteria ng mga Engineering."

Marcus approached me. "Are you okay?"

                "Oh, you care?" I replied to him sarcastically.

"You're my brother's girlfriend. Of course, I care," he replied.

I scoffed. "Yeah." I rolled my eyes at him.

I turned my attention to Amaris. "I'll go ahead," I said as I waved goodbye.

I HEARD ELISHA calling my name, but I chose to ignore it. I didn't want to lie to them, and I was tired. As I got closer to the cafeteria, I suddenly felt dizzy. Luckily, someone caught me. "Miss, are you alright?"

"Do I look okay?" I snapped. When I arrived at the cafeteria, I sat down and didn't bother to order anything.

"Aren't you going to eat?" the guy from earlier asked.

"What's it to you?" I snapped back at him.

The guy let out a sigh. "If you have a problem in the world, huwag mo akong idadamay."

"Whatever!" The guy walked away, and then Franco called me. I mustered up the strength to answer.

"Where the hell are you?!" Franco said irritably.

"You don't have to shout."

"Why are you in the Engineering cafeteria?!"

I furrowed my brow. I looked around, trying to find Franco. "How did you know I'm here? I can't even see you. Are you tracking me?" I asked him, clenching my fist. "It's my privacy, Franco!" Then I ended the call. I took a deep breath to calm myself.

Franco called me again. "Why are you there?"

"I'm leaving now. Sorry for ending the call. It's too crowded in the IT cafeteria."

"I'M COMING. I'LL keep you company," he said.

"Franco, prioritize your studies. I'm okay. You'll pick me up later, right? I'll wait for you..."

He let out a sigh on the other end. "Okay."

" Sige na, kakain na ako. Kumain ka na rin d'yan."

"I love you."

"I-I love y-you..." I said before hanging up. I wanted to avoid any trouble as much as possible. I went to the IT cafeteria, hoping there wouldn't be too many people. I sighed in relief when I saw that there were plenty of empty seats. I bought something to eat. I called Franco while I was eating. I had gotten so used to having him around that it felt heavy on my chest to be alone. Mabait naman si Franco kung hindi ako nagpapasaway. I really wanted us to be okay.

"Yes? Do you need something?" Franco greeted me.

"Nothing. I just wanted to hear your voice. I've gotten used to having you around."

I heard him chuckle. "We'll be together for dinner later. What do you want to have?"

"Hmm... How about fried bangus?"

"You like that? Alright, I'll get some later."

I smiled then continued eating, keeping the call open. I only ended it after I finished my meal. "Thank you, Franco." I smiled because things were okay between us.