Her Prince

- 46 -

- ADDYSON LOPEZ -

My fingers were shaking, I was too nervous to message Julien, let alone ask if he was avoiding me. But my friends were right. Siya lang ang makakasagot ng tanong ko.

"If you're really not avoiding me, then why are you so far away from me?"

Julien who didn't really know about personal space, was a good three feet away from me! We just finished our ice cream, at naglalakad na pabalik sa condo. Isang linggo ko siyang hindi nakita! I just wanted to be near him, pero kung ayaw niya...

He averted his eyes and coughed, "I was... sick. Ayoko lang mahawa ka."

"Kaya ba hindi ka nagpakita sa'kin ng isang linggo?" Huminto ako sa harap niya. Was that really it?

Nakayuko na siya ngayon. Still not meeting my eyes, he nodded.

"You should have told me! Natulungan sana kita!" At naalagaan! Crossing my arms, nginusuan ko siya.

His hand rose probably to pinch my cheeks, but he stopped midway. Julien sighed instead, and gave me an apologetic look. "Sorry, I won't do it again."

"Hindi mo na ko iiwasan?"

"I wasn't totally avoiding you, Addy. It's just..."

"Just?"

"Fine. Never again." Cutely, he shook his head and offered me a bread smile.

"Sasabihin mo na kapag nagkasakit ka?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay, "Napipilitan ka lang yata, eh?"

"I'm not Addy, I swear." Julien chuckled and my heart was at it again, doing acrobatics inside my chest. I missed hearing that sound. I missed him.

"Promise?" Tinaas ko ang pinky finger ko.

There was a split second hesitation, before he clasped his finger with mine. "Promise."

"Magaling ka na ba?" Hinawakan ko ang noo niya. Under my touch, I felt him flinch.

"I'm..." Tumikhim siya, "I'm okay." So he said, but he still looked pained about something.

"Pero ang init mo pa rin," Lowering my hand to his neck, I studied him. "Namumula ka, Jules."

"I'm fine! Mainit lang." He held my wrist, slowly removing my hand from his skin.

Still not convinced, I asked. "Sure ka?"

"I'm sure. Let's go." Still holding my wrist, hinatak niya ako papasok sa building, at saka lang bumitaw pagpasok namin sa lift. "Ah, by the way. I heard Keenan and Reign talked to you guys? Those two are not plotting about murder or the end of the world, are they?"

Natawa ako, bago nag-iwas ng tingin. "Gusto lang nilang maging updated sa tsismis." Their words exactly, not mine.

He smiled at the thought of his friends, "Alam nang dalawang 'yon lahat eh."

Napangiti rin ako. "Do they, really?"

I had a sudden flashback of our conversation earlier, Keenan and Reign volunteered na samahan ako sa 7/11 on behalf of their friend. They kind of, gave me the push to message Julien as well. Blaire, not wanting to part from Reign yet was supposed to join us, pero sinundo na siya ng driver nila.

Nakapagitna ako sa kanila habang naglalakad. Keenan was tall, even taller than Julien, while Reign was big and buff. I never felt so small in my life.

"Addy, since you're our friend now, too..." mula sa'kin, nilipat ni Reign ang tingin niya kay Keenan. "Should we tell her?"

"I think we should."

With his friend's confirmation, Reign leaned closer and whispered, "We're telling you about Julien's secret. But it's more like a weakness, really."

Keenan chimed, "Don't ask us how we found out. We just know."

Napalunok ako. "Should I be worried?"

"Don't you wanna know his deepest, darkest, secret, Addy?" Reign was still whispering.

"Uh..." Hindi ko alam ang isasagot, honestly.

Should I really trust these two? They reminded me of the Weasley twins somehow. Mischievous, yes but... I didn't feel a single hint of danger. If anything, I feel secured standing between them. Maybe because they were Julien's friends? And since Harry Potter trusted the twins, I'd trust these two as well.

Reign carried on, "I think you'll love to hear this though."

I trusted them really, but... "If it's too personal for Jules—"

"That's it!" Keenan snapped his fingers, "His weakness."

"Huh?"

"Jules." He emphasized when he saw my frown.

"That's... his nickname?"

"You, calling him Jules is our friend's weakness, Addy." Keenan explained, his expression looking way too innocent. He was anything but though.

Hindi ulit ako nakakakibo. Paano ba ako magre-react? I needed time to process the information they just so casually revealed!

"We call him Jules all the time. Pero kapag ikaw Addy, nanghihina ang kaibigan namin." Dugtong pa ni Reign.

"Bakit?" Pinagpalit ko ang tingin sa kanilang dalawa. Why were they even telling me this?

"That," Keenan winked, "You have to find out for yourself."

"Jules." I tried to make my tone casual.

Ever so slightly, Julien winced. "Yeah?"

"Jules." I tried again, softly this time.

His throat bobbed, taking a deep inhale. "What is it, Addy?"

"Nothing, Jules." Flashing him a sweet smile, I shook my head.

Julien clenched his fist and with a gritted teeth, he beseeched. "Please stop. Or I'll call the police."

Natawa ako ng malakas. Ang cute niya!

I was aware he liked being called by his nickname, dahil palaging mas malawak ang ngiti niya. But was he not like that with everyone? Even I liked being called Addy.

There was a change in his reaction though. Julien who would normally smile wider... looked like he was in yet another pain. If it was a good or bad change, I wasn't sure.

The elevator opened then, at inunahan niya akong lumabas as if he was suffocated. A first really, dahil palagi ako ang pinapauna niya.

Yup, it was bad.

"See you tomorrow?" tanong ko pagatpat namin sa unit ni Hana.

Ginulo niya ang buhok ko, sabay ngiti nang mas maganda pa sa paglubog ng araw. "See you tomorrow."