Chapter 13

The difference on our reaction was very evident—I was pretty sure na pulang-pula na iyong buong face ko dahil sa sinabi niya habang si Finley ay seryoso lang na naka-tingin sa akin.

So, I did what I have to do—I laughed at his face. Because what did he expect me to do?! Melt into a puddle?! I mean, he's probably right na mayaman siya... but is he really the richest? Because I know a lot of people kaya! And he's basically my age. Richest my ass.

"Pfft," I said, making a face at him. "Leave me alone. I seriously need to rest. Gusto kong gumala bukas."

I tried to close the door because I needed a minute to process—because I just told him that I will marry a rich man and then he told me that he's rich?! I mean... what did he even mean?!

But hindi ko ma-close iyong door kasi bigla na naman niyang hinarang iyong kamay niya. Seriously, he's overestimating my patience, ha! Feel niya ba talaga hindi ko ibabagsak 'tong door at maipit na siya kung maiipit?

I groaned. "What do you want?"

Instead of answering, he just stared at me. He stared at me. He wasn't even moving! I wanted to check if he was even breathing at thsi point, but with the way he was looking at me, even I was afraid to move!

"I'm just—"

"Maia."

I gulped.

Why did he have to sound so serious?!

And why was I panicking over the fact na kaming dalawa lang iyong from SCA na nasa hotel? Because literally everyone's outside?! I mean, Finley won't harm me naman but still! Kaming dalawa lang dito!

I was looking at Finley. Suddenly, I felt faint again. Kailangan ko na ata talagang maupo. I felt my knees buckling, my throat drying up. I so badly wanted to say what kaya lang natatakot ako na sabihin niya talaga sa akin why he's acting up. I mean, was I ready for that?! Baka talagang pagsarhan ko siya ng door kapag ginulat niya ako sa kung anuman ang sasabihin niya!

So, I did what I have to do...

I yawned.

"I'm sleepy."

"It's 4PM."

"I'm still in Manila time—it's 4AM there."

Oh, I was smooth!

Finley looked at me, brow arched and all that. He was looking at me like he was deciding if today's the day he'd turn my entire world upside down. Ano ba kasi ang gusto niya? If pinagti-tripan niya lang ako, haven't I had enough on my plate?!

"So... good night," I said and then tried to close the door again, but once again, he wouldn't let me. I furrowed my brow at him.

"One question," he said.

"What?"

"Are you really dating whoever that is?" serious na tanong niya sa akin.

"Maybe. I don't know," sagot ko sa kanya. "I haven't even talked to him in person, so how would I know?"

"Kakausapin mo pagbalik sa Manila?"

"I guess."

His lips were pressed together. Ugh! Crush ba niya ako?! Why was he acting like this? Why were we doing this in the lobby of the hotel? This was so weird and awkward and it was making me feel things!

"Can I sleep na?" I asked kasi a full minute passed na and wala pa rin siyang sinasabi. Since hindi pa rin nagsasalita si Finley, I once again tried to close the door... but he once again stopped me from doing so.

I glared at him. I was about to give him a piece of my mind nung mapa-hinto ako kasi nagsalita na siya.

"No," he said.

"What?" I asked, confused because he was silent for like so long tapos biglang no lang ang lalabasa sa bibig niya?

"No," he repeated. I was about to ask him to go clarify himself. Instead, he pushed the door kasi isasara ko na talaga siya. I gulped. Why was that so hot?! He had no business to be hot?!

"Fin—"

"God, Maia," he said, sounded so frustrated.

"What?!" I replied, frustrated na rin because all he said were no, Maia tapos ako naman ay what. Like nagkaka-intindihan ba kami at all?!

"Could you be more oblivious, and could I be more obvious?"

My heart.

It's beating so loudly in my chest.

My hands.

They were trembling.

"I like you, you dummy."

My eyes widened.

I kinda expected na may crush siya sa akin, but hearing this coming from him, why did I think that he's pranking me?! My brain couldn't comprehend! My mind refuses to process this information!

So, I did what I had to do... I stepped outside and looked for hidden cameras because surely, Finley must be pranking me! Siguro vini-videohan niya 'to tapos gagawin niyang reels and ipo-post sa Instagram. There must be an explanation because there's no way that Finley just told me that he likes me?!

"What are you doing?" he asked, his forehead creased as he watched me look for the hidden cameras.

"Looking for the cameras."

"What?"

"You're pranking me." Napa-tingin ako sa kanya. "Did you just roll your eyes at me?" I asked, my lips parted at the audacity.

"Yes," he replied. "Ganyan ba kataas ang tingin mo sa 'kin that you think the only reason why I'll tell you I like you is because I'm pranking you?"

My jaw dropped at the conclusion he chose to arrive at.

Finley took a step forward.

Just one step, but that was enough to send my heart racing. He was much taller than me. Napa-tingala na naman ako sa kanya... but I was quickly distracted because of how good he smelled.

"You think I'm joking?" he asked.

I wanted to say yes.

I wanted to use words.

But words were currently failing me.

So, I settled with nodding while I was looking up to him.

"You need me to list the instances where I was, in my opinion, quite obvious?" he asked, staring down at me.

God, why did he have to look so good from this angle?!

"One, I got you groceries."

"You said you were just pitying me."

He rolled his eyes. "I could've given you money to buy your own food," he said. "I literally went to the grocery for you."

I bit the inside of my lips.

Bakit kinikilig na ako?!

"Two," he continued. "I drive you around. Even after practice. Do you know how tiring the practice is? Tapos pupuntahan pa kita?"

"Did I ask—"

"Exactly. You didn't. I just wanted to."

Ugh!

He's so annoying!

Kinikilig na ako?!

Biglang kumunot iyong noo niya. "Kinikilig ka?"

Mabilis akong umiling. "Hindi, ah."

"Your whole face is red," he said.

Napa-hawak ako sa cheeks ko. They felt hot! I tried to cover my face with my hands, but Finley tried to pull my hands away from my face. Para kaming idiots dito sa hallway ng hotel na naghahatakan ng kamay. Hindi ko alam kung gaano katagal na nangyari 'yon kasi a minute later, may lumapit sa amin na staff.

"Is everything okay?" the staff asked.

Oh, gosh.

Mukha sigurong may assault na nangyayari dahil sa paghahatakan namin ni Finley. I didn't want to further the misunderstanding, so I quickly told him that everything's fine.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Yes," I replied. Baka kasi mapahamak pa kaming dalawa. "We're just... talking."

"Talking?"

Gosh, bakit ang daming tanong?

"Yes," I said once again, but it seemed like hindi siya convinced. "Just couple stuff, you know? But we're fine... right?" sabi ko tapos ay tinignan si Finley. He was just looking at me with his forehead creased. Siya na nga 'tong nililigtas ko! Hindi ba niya alam kung ano'ng trouble ang papasukan namin if mapanood nila 'yung CCTV footage? Mukha yata talaga kaming nag-aaway doon dahil naghahatakan kami. Tapos he was standing so close to me pa and was looking down on me. It must've looked bad from an outsider's perspective.

"Couple," Finley said. I glared at him. There was an amused reaction on his face. Tumingin siya doon sa may staff. "Yes, we're fine," he told him. Ugh. Bakit nung si Finley iyong nagsabi na okay lang kami, na-convince na iyong staff? Tsk.

I was watching as the staff walked towards the elevator. I tried to ignore the fact that Finley was staring at my face—like unabashedly staring. So unashamed!

"Kainis—"

"I thought I'll have to court you, but this works, too."

My eyes widened because of what he said. "What?"

He shrugged as he put his hands inside his pockets. "Honestly didn't think that today's gonna be the day that I'll finally have a girlfriend."

My eyes widened even more. My jaw was on the floor upon the realization sa kung ano iyong lumalabas sa bibig niya.

"Excuse me?"

I didn't know what was going on inside his head. He patted my head with his right hand.

"Sige na. Matulog ka na ulit."

Naglakad siya papunta sa elevator. What the heck?! This was a misunderstanding! Kanina ko pa siya pinapaalis tapos ngayon na kailangan naming pag-usapan iyong misunderstanding, saka siya aalis?!

With his long legs, mabilis na makakarating agad siya sa may elevator. I panicked, so I just grabbed my jacket and quickly put on my boots. Mabilis na sumunod ako sa kanya nung ma-realize ko na na naiwan ko sa room both iyong phone ko and keycard. Great!

"What?" he asked when he saw me frowning so hard.

"I left my phone and keycard."

Natawa siya. I glared at him. "At least you have your jacket."

"Tingin mo funny 'to?"

He shrugged. "So, what do you want for dinner?"

Oh, my god. Hindi ko siya maintindihan?!

Huminto iyong elevator sa may floor niya. He stepped out of the elevator. I stayed there. Naka-tayo siya sa labas. He was holding the door open.

"I'll just get my jacket," he said.

I just stared at him, frowning still. "What kind of girlfriend are you? Gusto mong lamigin ako sa labas?"

"I am not your girlfriend."

"Really," he said, staring at me with his right brow slightly arched like he was taunting me to insist that we're not together talaga.

"Ugh! You're so annoying!" sabi ko tapos ay natawa lang siya sa akin. My heart skipped a beat when he grabbed my left hand and gently pulled me out of the elevator. Tapos ay naglakad siya papunta sa room niya. He literally was holding my hand?! Hindi niya binitawan iyong kamay ko.

What?!

What was happenning?!

Schoolmates lang kami kanina na nagpanggap na couple tapos naging couple for real and now we're holding hands?!

What the heck?!

"Stay here," sabi niya nung nasa harap na kami ng room niya. "I don't think we're at the stage na papasok ka na sa kwarto ko."

"Ang kapal."

"Why? You wanna go in?"

I scoffed. "No."

"Good. Dito ka lang," he said and then pumasok na siya sa loob nung room niya na mukhang suite. I just stood there. Wala pang isang minuto, lumabas siya. May suot na siya na jacket tapos ay may inabot siya sa aking puffer jacket. "Wear this," he said.

"I have a jacket."

"It's cold," he said. "Bilis na. Baka magka-sakit ka lalo."

Was he still pranking me? Kasi bakit siya ganito? I really thought sobrang sungit niya and pilosopo and stuff?! Why was he acting so nice? Nakakapagduda!

Begrudgingly, I wore the jacket he gave me. Tapos ay napa-tingin ako sa kanya. He was grinning and then he tousled my hair kaya nagulo 'yon.

"I swear, Finley, if this is a prank, you are a psychopath."

He just rolled his eyes at me. "Number three, I went to New York and braved a long flight even though I hate flying," he continued his list of the instances na obvious na may gusto siya sa akin. He's unbearable!

**

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