The five times you walked away and the time you stayed...
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The fourth time it happened, it was Nadine who walked away.
At the time, James was in a private parking lot with Nadine's road manager, having just finished attending their friends' movie premiere.
"Barbie, I told you not to let her wear that dress!"
"E walang ibang choice," replied Barbie hopelessly. "Malamang tapos na yung event pag dating nyo kung pinag palit pa namin si Nadine."
"It doesn't matter," argued James. "There were so many things you could've done to avoid her wearing that.. that white piece of cloth!"
"James, kumalma ka nga!" Said Nadine approaching them. "Barbie didn't do anything wrong. I wanted to wear that dress."
Nadine gave her RM a sorry look and let Barbie slip away, letting James and Nadine to flesh out their argument alone.
"Nadine, don't you have any respect for yourself? Ang daming press dun! Puro lalaki pa."
"Can you, for once, think before you start saying shit? I respect myself, that's why I don't let other people dictate my actions like what you were trying to do."
"That's not what I meant-"
"And you're right, ang daming press kanina. Couldn't you at least have waited till we were in private before starting a fight with me? Grabe, James."
"What could I do, Nadine? Wrap you up in a blanket in the middle of the event?"
Nadine glared at him one last time before turning her heels and walking away. That was it. She had no more patience left in her.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm tired, James. Talk to me when you're done acting like a child."
Four days. It took exactly four days of silent treatment and constant avoidance for James to own up and apologize. To be honest he would've approached her a lot sooner but pride was hard to swallow like that.
It's agonizing, as James learned, to act crazy-in-love on camera one minute and then like complete strangers the next. It's even more agonizing to not be able to laugh or share conversation with your best friend... He simply missed her. He learned what it was like to not have her in his life and James knew it wasn't a life he wanted.
And that was why he ended up on her doorstep four days later, bearing a bag of takeout as a peace offering.
"I'm sorry, Naddie. Can you just please forgive me?"
Nadine crossed her arms and sighed. "E kasi naman, bakit ka na ganun maka react? I've worn more revealing things than that and you've never once said anything.
"I honestly don't know... It's just different now."
"Different how? Kasi di kita talaga maintind-"
"-it's different now because I like you!"
Nadine felt her heart drop. "A-ano.."
"I don't know when or how but along the way I developed feelings for you. I really, really like you, Naddie.. So please be with me again.
---
The fifth time he left, he didn't want to leave her behind.
The clock had just struck midnight, indicating the first few moments of the new year. Already, Nadine had managed to step out from her party and onto an empty balcony, overlooking the city. Her heart raced as her fingers pressed the familiar digits of his phone number. Long distance charges be damned.
For Nadine, it was insane to think about how much her relationship with James had progressed over the past month. In many ways the two of them still acted the same towards each other. He was still her best friend and she was still his. But there was an extra layer of specialness now that neither of them dared to label.
To be honest, she was scared to surrender herself to her feelings. There were so many external factors -their career, their fans, management- to consider. And it hindered Nadine from admitting to James how she really felt about him. She hadn't even admitted it to herself until recently.
This has been the longest they've been apart since they started working together. It's excruciating, Nadine learned, to not have him within arms reach. James was her constant... And she simply missed him.
"Hello?"
"Happy New Year, Naddie!"
She laughed at his sleepy voice. God, she missed hearing it. "Happy New Year."
"How's the party? I wish could've been there."
"Ayun, masaya naman.. pero sana nandito ka."
"If I could get on a plane right now to see you, I would," he whispered. "Kasi may utang ka pa sakin."
"Anong utang?"
"My new year's kiss."
She laughed softly, wishing she could give him exactly that. "I miss you James, so so much... And I want you to know, everything you feel, I feel it for you too."
---
Neither of them really walked away after that. Because from then on, no matter where either of them went, or what they felt at the time, Nadine and James always came back to each other.
It was a spontaneous evening. He picked her up his sports car, bringing with him a fresh bouquet of roses. He then took her to an ambient restaurant complete with a private room. James took all the extra chivalrous steps: guiding the small of her back with his hand, pouring out her wine, telling her she was beautiful... James' actions were foreign to the both of them but at the same time, it felt right.
"I bet you didn't know I could be like this," he smirked.
And he was right. Nadine knew James wasn't the type to be overtly romantic like this. "Oo... di ko to na expect."
"It's different when I'm in love."
"Are you in love?"
James looked into to her eyes and searched for the courage to utter the words. Was it finally time?
"I am."
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A/n: This concept is inspired by jadineloveydovey 's one shot "Five in One." :)
