Love Me Gradually

Prologue: The Unforeseen Love Triangle

Love Me Gradually
Prologue

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*The Unforeseen Love Triangle*

"Has it been your hobby to always make me chase after you?" I didn't think she would chase after me. My heart drummed against my chest as I met her eyes. Nakakunot ang noo niya habang titig na titig sa akin. Her eyes softens after awhile and she looked away for a moment.

"P-Pres." My voice wasn't loud enough, but it reached her ears considering how quiet the whole building is, and the fact that there's just the two of us. She looked at me, sighing sharply like she didn't like what she heard from me.

"It's Nouvelle, Paige, not Pres. Do not call me that way." Mariing sabi niya at lumapit na sa akin. I stepped backwards to distance myself from her, but she has no intention of leaving a room for me to escape her.

"Answer me. Has it been your hobby these past few days to always avoid me?" I could tell that she's mad. Or more so, frustrated. She's staring at me intently, wanting me to say the reason for my behavior.

"N-nahihiya lang po ako sa inyo, Pr—Nouvelle." Agad kong sabi ng mag-iba na naman ang paraan ng pagtingin niya sa akin.

"Don't give me that same lame reason, Paige. I thought we're over that already? Aren't we friends? You wouldn't just ignore a friend because you feel shy around them. Hindi ka gano'n." I wanted to react when he said I'm not like that pero hindi ko na lang ginawa ang nasa isip ko. Nagbaba ako ng tingin. Kahit papano naman ay may hiya ako, lalo na sa kanya. And why would she call my reason lame? Totoo kaya iyon. Half ng reason ko kung bakit hindi ko siya pinapansin ay dahil nahihiya ako sa naging akto ko sa kanya. Half naman noon ay yun pa rin. Hinati ko lang para trendy.

"I-It's more than that, okay? Nahihiya naman talaga ako s-sa'yo." I looked away again. Grabe naman makatitig sa akin ang merlat na to. May crush siguro sa akin to.

"If it's not that then, are you scared of me? Is that the reason why you have been avoiding me?" Nanlaki ang mata ko. Agad akong napailing sa sinabi niya. Of course I don't think that way anymore! Dati ay takot ako sa kanya pero hindi na ngayon. Bakit niya naman naisi—

"Then it must be because you hate me. Now, what did I do for me to be hated by you?" She asked. She sighed deeply before staring at me again. Nanatili naman ang tingin ko sa kanya. I feel like there's no words coming out of my mouth.

The whole place became quiet. I could see the hesitation in her eyes. Naguguluhan man ay hinintay ko ang sasabihin niya. She sighed sharply before uttering the words I thought would be the end of me, "I like you."

My eyes widen when she said those words. Napaatras ako hanggang sa naramdaman ko ang desk sa likuran ko. Wala na akong maatrasan!

"W-what?"

"Don't hate me." She said before taking a step closer to me. "I don't want you to hate me because I like you." She said again. Halos kumawala na sa ribs ko ang puso ko. How could she say it straight faced?! Nakakaloka! Pinaprank siguro ako. Nasaan kaya nakapwesto ang camera nang makapag-hi ako sandali?

"Pres—," she cut me off, "Nouvelle. It's Nouvelle and not that nickname or whatever that is."

"Nouvelle nga. Nouvelle, jinojoke mo ba ako? Vlogger ka ba? Anong name ang channel mo ng ma-suscribe ko na? Content mo ba 'to? Ganda rin ng content mo beh, ako talaga? Nasaan ang camera ng makapag-hi man lang ako." I said and she didn't even look like she know what was I talking about. Wala pa rin emosyon ang mukha niya pero nakadagdag lamang iyon ng kaba sa akin.