Crushing On A Madrigal | 𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐜

·5·

"Caught In The Act"

"You feeling okay now, Dolores?" Camilo asked, his voice gentle and hushed so he wouldn't hurt her ears. "Is the party too loud for you?"

After a small misunderstanding earlier, Camilo remembered Estella mentioning that she saw his sister and was worried for her so he rushed to Dolores's side and asked how she was.

Dolores nods and gave her brother a small smile, thankful for his concern. "Mhm, I'm fine," She replies, not wanting to worry her younger brother.

"Do you think the candle really almost went out?" Camilo asks her, his voice still sounding soft and gentle, eager to know what his sister thinks.

"I'm not sure," Dolores said disappointedly, looking at her brother's eyes. "But I did hear some weird noises earlier. Like something was breaking." She added.

"I felt weird earlier too before Estella mentioned–" Camilo tries to explain only to get cut off by a nudge from his sister who was giving him a sideways smile.

"You mean before the time you tried to flirt with her?" Dolores mentions, a playful look present in her eyes as she smiles at her embarrassed and blushing brother.

"You had time to hear that out of all things?" He whisper yelled, turning as red as a tomato, feeling exposed, and was starting to sweat profusely from nervousness making Dolores let out a giggle.

"She's outside with the rats, in case you wanted to know." She informed him, giving him a wink as he raises an eyebrow on the rat part.

Why would she be hanging out with rats?

He thought, although his confusion was later replaced with curiosity since he knows that Estella has her own little world sometimes.

Camilo had just taken a step away from his sister when he suddenly stops in his tracks, looking back at her with narrow eyes. "You won't tell anyone about what you heard, right?" He asked, his eyes fixed on Dolores.

She gives him one of her cute, little squeaks and shrugs causing him to pout at her before walking away. Shaking her head, Dolores couldn't help but envy her brother with his luck on love.

Her eyes then drift to a certain figure, Mariano Guzman.

He was seen conversing with her prima, Isabela. And knowing how they agreed to be engaged to each other makes her heartache, but it's not like he sees her as much as he sees Isabela. The most graceful and princess-like Madrigal.

Or "señorita perfecta", as Mirabel and Camilo would sometimes say.

If only love came that easily for me too.

Dolores thought to herself, sighing before taking her eyes off the man of her dreams and walking away.

★★★

As Estella slowly walks back up the stairs, she immediately halts and stiffens at the sound of the floors creaking.

She and Mirabel already departed a few minutes ago. No one else was upstairs with her too.

Eyeing the empty hallways in suspicion, she shrugged, trying to convince herself that it was probably nothing when she suddenly hears the sound again.

"Okay, I definitely heard that." She muttered under her breath, walking towards the direction from where she thought it was coming from.

It's either I'm going crazy, someone else is here besides me or I suddenly got myself a share on Dolores's magical gift of hearing. Estella thought to herself, waiting to hear the sound again. But to her dismay, she didn't hear anything afterward. 

Shaking her head, she tries to walk back to Antonio's door, thinking that her parents might wonder why she was taking so long but was once again disturbed by another sound. The sound of scratching and a soft thud came from where she was just a few moments ago.

Estella narrows her eyes at the painting she was standing next to earlier and tries reaching out to it when she suddenly feels something furry and cold walk along her legs making her jump and back up in surprise.

A rat.

Estella lets out a sigh, mentally thanking her hand for being able to hold on to the railings before falling on her butt. "Ay, Dios Mio." She lets out, chuckling softly at herself as she turns her head and sees another figure leaning with both arms on the railings, head tilted sideways with a smirk playing on their lips.

"Having fun watching me scare myself?" Estella dryly asked, eyeing Camilo who was at the other side of the hall.

"A little." He teased, showing the small gap he put between his thumb and index finger at her causing her to roll her eyes at him.

"I could've sworn I heard something other than a rat." She tries to explain, looking back at the portrait but soon waves her hand and retracts what she had just said. "Ay, never mind."

Estella turns her head to face Camilo, her expression looking puzzled.

Is he blushing or something? Why's he so red?

"Hey, Camilo." She starts, walking closer to him. "Are okay? Why are you so red?" She asks, trying to reach out for his face.

Camilo chuckles weakly, saying, "Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?" Trying to dismiss her concern for his burning face as he takes a step back for every forward move Estella does, still feeling embarrassed from how Dolores was teasing him earlier.

Feeling impatient, Estella grabs Camilo's wrist and tsks at him. "Just let me see, you stubborn boy." She scolds, not realizing how close they were at this moment.

Estella's face was so close to his with her one hand still holding on his wrist and the other was trailing his face making Camilo feel like he was going to faint.

He can feel her steady breathing and the warmth of her hand touching his skin, see her eyes linger around, scanning him thoroughly as if she can see through his cheeky, little soul.

Estella places her vacant hand on his forehead making Camilo to grip on the railings as if his life depends on it, feeling her soft hands touch a part of his face.

"Uhh, E-Estella" Camilo stuttered, "Aren't you a little too close?" He asked, his voice getting softer with each word and breaking at the last one.

"What?" Estella questioned, their position finally sinking in her head making her realize how much she's been touching him and eyeing him since earlier.

Literally, both of them averted eyes from each other, both red, hot, and embarrassed.

Creaaak...

The two turned their heads in the direction of the sound at the same time, their bodies automatically moving away from each other.

Their eyes land on a little girl, her chestnut hair tied in twin braids, with her hands still placed on the doorknob and head peeking out of the small crack she opened.

"Am I interrupting?" She whispered curiously, staring at the two blushing teens who were so red and hot that the only thing missing was the steam that was supposed to come out of their heads.