Fragments

Reason

"James, don't." I warned him. We were given a thirty-minute break before we continue with the shoot, and James, who was seating next to me, had successfully annoyed me for the past fifteen minutes with the ear-blowing thing.

He just stuck his tongue out at me and continued blowing in my ear. The sensation made my shoulders shoot up. It was worse than having someone tickle your ear with a feather, which means it was harder to supress your laughter.

He did it again, and this time, I bursted out laughing.

"Tama na, please!" I pleaded. He just let out a giggle and shook his head.

"James, isa pa. Makikita mo." I thought he'd stop when I raised my voice a bit, but his fighting spirit was unwavering. He leaned towards me, and did it again.

I pushed his face away with my right hand and gave him a glare. His eyebrows were arched, the longer I stare, the wider the smile on his face gets.

I'm mad. You have no right to be cute.

"Kanina pa ha. Wala ka nang ginawa simula nung start ng break kundi asarin ako. Nakakainis."

This time, he brought his finger in front of my face and poked my nose lightly. Just like he always did before he found a new way to annoy me.

"Dyan ka na." I stood up from my seat and walked away. I stomped with every step, and although I told the stylist earlier that I love these shoes, at this moment I hated that I was wearing heels. I stopped under the shade of a tree and brought out my phone. Nakakastress.

Not long after, I felt two hands on my shoulder. "Sorry na."

I felt the ice in my heart melt at how his voice was almost a whisper. I turned around and my eyes were welcomed by brown eyes trying to copy a puppy's expression when it had done something wrong.

So yeah basically I turned into a puddle of goo.

"Sorry naaaa?" He smirked. It's a trick. It's called I've-done-something-wrong-but-my-perfect-face-will-make-up-for-it. It's a dangerous trick. Consider yourself dead when he does it. Ladies, don't ever fall for it. However impossible it might seem.

He bit his lower lip and pulled his eyebrows together. "Sorry naaaa."

Why does that work on me every time? I heaved a sigh and said, "Give me one good reason. One lang. And I'll accept your apology."

He took my face in his hands and make me face him. He breathed deeply before he let his hands fall to his sides. Nooooo, my brain protested. I like your hand on my face. Put it back.

"I have five favorite things about you," he spoke and held out five fingers for emphasis. "One. The crease on your forehead when your eyebrows meet." He touched the area between my eyebrows and continued. "Two, your cheeks when you blush." I felt blood gush into my face and he laughed. "Yeah, that. May example pa talaga."

"Three, your smile. You know that already. Four, your collarbones. And five and my most favorite of all, the sound of your laugh."

My brain hurt as it processed his speech. I opened my mouth to tell him that I don't understand, but I was interrupted before I could even say a syllable.

"Ever wonder why I kept on doing the ear-blowing thing repeatedly?"

"Because you're a heartless bastard." I blurted out.

He laughed while shaking his head. "Because my five favorite things come out whenever I do it. You get annoyed, the crease on your forehead appears and your face turns red. When you try not to laugh, you put that awkward smile on which I really, really love. Your collarbones get prominent when you cringe and elevate your shoulders. And when you can't help it anymore, you let out this genuine giggle which makes my insides aflutter."

Dear tree, I know you can see and hear all of this. Be helpful and release some more oxygen for my system. This guy is giving me problems with breathing. Yours, Nadine.

I watched as his lips formed an 'O' and leaned towards me. Oh my God, not again. I closed my eyes to prepare for the rush of warm air, but something else happened.

I expected to feel pressure in my ear, but there was none. Instead, I felt something pressed my temple. I opened my eyes and realized his chin was just above my cheekbone. "And for the record, I do have a heart. But you stole it."

He smiled at me one last time before he walked away. I was thankful that he gave me time to be alone with my thoughts, and digest what he just confessed.

As I was replaying his last words, all that filled my head was:

Okay, touch move. Akin na 'to. Wala nang bawian. Mamatay man. Period. No erase.