𝒮𝑒𝑒 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝒴𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝒻 <<Bruno Madrigal>>>

Chapter 11

Julio glances at both Bruno and Carina at each end of the table, having seated in the middle along with the rest of the Madrigals. Don't get the wrong idea, this isn't anything like what Félix and Agústin had done for courtship. It's just a simple 'thank you' for the family that helped deliver the baby yesterday.

"With that said, I think it'd be best for Carina to settle down with the miner's son."

"Haidi, marriage is something that both party should agree upon. It comes in a quarter decision, ours and the two involved. Carina, if there's anyone of interest to you that you'd like to marry, we shall arrange a dinner right outside our home." Alma looks towards the girl, only for her to not hear anything from being busy poking the beef on her plate.

"Carina," her mother hissed at her, making the woman jolt back to her senses, "Is there anyone you're interested from all the unmarried men here so far?"

"Here?..." she muttered without thinking, which made the atmosphere pretty suffocating for Bruno and her.

Everyone present, except for Pepa who's tending to the baby upstairs, notices the change in her behavior, which made a few people, namely Julieta and Julio, glance towards Bruno. The man who's getting burned with their intense stares had just took a spoonful of his dinner and glances to the side where he finds a picture more interesting than the topic at hand.

"Is something wrong, dear?" asks Alma.

Haidi laughs it off, waving her hand in dismissal, "Oh she's probably going to say again that she doesn't have an eye for anyone yet. We've been through this hundreds of times already."

"Is that so? Well we aren't going to have the same number of available men soon, that's for sure."

"Agreed. Our population doesn't have many of them after all. It's a good thing we have an option just in case, Carlos had just came yesterday with a possible plan for marriage!"

"And how did it went?"

It's like they're drowning out the most important thought that they needed to hear from. Carina couldn't take it anymore, she quietly excuses herself and goes out for some fresh air.

'If only mamá would at least let me see that option...' not once did Haidi ever thought of the only son of the Madrigal as a probable bachelor for her. It's hard enough to see that, let alone not being able to express herself in these kind of times. Julio's right, she's probably just making an excuse of her lack of confidence to fight back. She needed to at least give out a stronger hint. 'But Bruno's not doing anything about it either,' once she realizes that once more, it became more or less a wishful thinking. It's truly selfish of her to not even consider what he thinks about it. He could've just straight out rejected her, but he didn't, and Carina is still waiting for him to say something, hoping that he does feel the same way.

"Pst."

Her head snaps to the right, Angelo waves at her to come closer. Looking around if anyone's near, Carina figured it was safe for a while and ran towards him into the forest in the back of Madrigal casita. "Angelo, it's been so long. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I just wanted to see how it turned out. You know, you and Bruno?" he chuckles.

"It's dangerous for you to be here," she quickly avoided the topic, which the man took note off.

"Yeah yeah, you already told me that many times before," he rolled his eyes, "But don't worry, you know I can hide myself pretty well."

Carina chuckles, crossing her arms, "You sure can if you survived after visiting those few times."

"Any who, what happened? You look like someone just dropped a raincloud over your head."

Hesitating on leaving the dinner without saying anything, Carina scratches the back of her head nervously before speaking, "...Can we talk somewhere no one would see you?"

"Oh, alright then."

They went to the creak, where they met again months ago. The sun already went down so there's no one who would come here anymore to see them together. Carina sighs, sitting near the water, Angelo joins her afterwards with a small hum. The air was calming, a much needed moment for Carina to ease her mind off of the thoughts of marrying.

"So what's going on? Why so glum?"

"I don't know what to do," she sighs and hugs her knees tight, "—I mean I do, but it's hard to do. I can't even talk to him properly anymore."

He tsked, propping his elbows on the ground to lean on, "So he's avoiding you now?"

"Sort of."

Angelo pinches the bridge of his nose irritatingly, "I thought it would go smoothly after I left. No wonder..."

"—And he's being completely ignorant! Just earlier at the dinner with our families, it was a big chance for any of us to just say something. Anything at all! Mamá wouldn't stop nagging for me to choose. It got worse ever since Julieta's child is born. Like what can I do? I can't just show Bruno that I'm giving up on him, the only person who really needs me the most. Being neglected by everyone is the worst feeling, and I'm the only person in this village who can sympathize with him. I mean I think I'm the only person who does since I got a strong instinct that he's being shunned even by his own family. I don't blame him if he thinks it would backfire on me since he's all fidgety and anxious to just suddenly see something he's not going to be happy about, like me possibly being shunned by the village for being with him. I've already heard rumors of me that's connected to him, but I handled that pretty well 'cause I know he's not a bad person, and—"

"Carina!" Angelo shook her by the shoulders. He realizes his mistake of shouting and quickly let her go, "Sorry. But you know, if you're having a hard time about it, why don't you first reach out to someone close to you. To help you out in reaching Bruno, you know?"

Her shoulders slumps, "Who can even possibly help me with that?"

"That boy whose with you when I last visited, I suppose?"

"My brother?"

"Yeah. And alongside him, my most awesome self will help you pull your man towards you," he puffs his chest with a grin.

Her brows furrows, "How are you even gonna do—"Angelo suddenly puts a finger on her lips.

"Hear that?" he whispers. Carina could definitely hear a shift from the bushes, but not that close to them. "I think that's my cue to help you know."

"Why are we whispering?" she whispers back after he removed his finger.

"It's him," he smirks. Angelo brushes her hair to the side and tilts her head in a view that would give Bruno a perfect show. "We're gonna make him jealous, are you up for it?"

His mischievous plan brought a smile on her face, though she tried hard to refrain from laughing. "Will it even work? Can't he hear what we're saying right now?"

"No. He's at a good distance from us."

"Is he looking?"

"Yeah. I can feel his stare burning through my skull right now."

Carina can't help but release a giggle, Bruno must've heard it since a few leaves rustled from where he hid. "So what's the plan?"

Bruno's heart pumps in his chest right now. He had just told tia Haidi and his mamá that he'll bring her back to finish dinner, but he didn't expect to see the two of them go to the woods, hand in hand, sitting by the creak and be this intimate all of a sudden.

He peek's out again, trying to listen in on the two whispering to each other and only to be met with a scene that made his eyes widen.

Carina and Angelo had just kissed, his hand behind her neck while the other on her back.

The prophecy he had seen years ago came straight back at him, bit him to pieces that he thought would never happen. Bruno gripped his ruana, feeling broken, with a tear threatening to fall from his eyes. He should've expected it, he should've known it would possibly happen.