Addicted Love

Faye's POV 06

06

Ever since I got back to the Philippines from France, it's been nothing but a mess. The paparazzi won't leave the Valentine cousins alone, and there's still no lead on who's behind that psychology student incident. Whoever did it was smart-too smart. It frustrates me that we're still in the dark, but at least our student is alive and fighting for her life.

And now, I find out that Nicolas hurt my beloved Ae. I'm livid. My hands clench into fists, my nails digging into my palms as I try to contain the violent urge bubbling inside me.

That idiot-he's dumber than a real monkey. How could he even think of laying a hand on her? What the hell is going on in his twisted mind?

I want to shoot him. Badly.

But I know I can't. Not because I lack the means, but because Ae, with her gentle heart, treasures all her friends-even the ones who don't deserve it. Killing Nicolas isn't an option, no matter how much I want him to suffer.

Thankfully, Ae's cousin-the president of the student council-is already handling the situation. I trust them to make sure Nicolas gets what he deserves. But that doesn't mean I'll sit back and do nothing. If he so much as breathes in Ae's direction again, I'll make sure he regrets it for the rest of his miserable life.

I'm with Ae now, and we were supposed to have a nice date, but no-her cousins and my friends decided to tag along. I'm honestly sick of seeing their faces all the time, especially since my friends only just now decided to soundproof their office, copying mine. Took them long enough, but really? Sometimes, they're the stupid.

We're at Bahaghari, trying to have a date, and here they are again. I just want to be alone with Ae. I was gone for three days, and she needed me. And now, I can't even get a moment with her.

I can't stop looking at Ae. She's just... perfect. The way she laughs at my friends being idiots-it's so pure, so genuine. Every time she smiles or giggles, it's like the whole room lights up. I'm supposed to be annoyed at them for ruining our date but watching her enjoy herself like this makes it impossible to stay mad.

I catch myself smiling, unable to tear my eyes away from her. I adore her so much, everything about her. Just seeing her like this, happy and carefree. Makes all the chaos worth it.

I can feel my cheeks heating up as I watch Ae. Here she goes again, about to sing to me in front of all these people. I know her too well-she loves doing this, and honestly, I'm weak for it. I can hear her friends teasing me in the background, but I can't keep a straight face. I try to, but deep down, I'm freaking out inside.

I'm trying to act calm, trying not to let it show, but the way she looks at me, the way she's singing just for me, I want to give everyone here 1 million pesos each because of the happiness I feel right now.

I hate to admit it, but I'm completely kinikilig. As much as I want to act cool and unaffected, I'm melting. If I could, I'd probably explode the whole resto-bar from all the butterflies I'm feeling right now.

"Who the fuck is Papa P and John Lloyd?" I asked, genuinely confused. Instead of answering, they all just burst out laughing at me.

Typical. Juliana, as usual, was at the center of it. Sometimes she's okay, but mostly she's just... not. I don't even know how Elle deals with her.

"Do I really look a man?" I asked Chia, she looked at me weirdly.

"I can no longer defend you, Kenzie. Gosh." And I can shoot your woman here.

The energy inside was electrifying, but my focus was on just one thing-Ae. She stood on stage, microphone in hand, her voice wrapping around each note like silk. The dim lights cast a golden glow on her, making her look even more breathtaking than usual. Every time she caught my eyes in the crowd, my heart skipped a beat.