( Alys Prov)
"Uhm..." I shifted my weight from my left foot to the other. Sheez, why am I fidgeting? When did Drake and I break up and then I got nervous about him! Before, yeah, looking at him makes my knees go weak but I never felt scared. I'm scared. Freaking scared for myself.
He looked at me, his scrutinizing stare never leaving my face.
"Same old Alys," he whispered but I heard him, still. "Let's go to our next destination?" he said.
I stared at him with disbelief evident on my face. That's it?! I mean, I could barely breathe to fit into Cristine's gown and then SAME OLD ALYS?!
I looked at the girl who assisted me and I politely asked her to leave.
"Drake, what are we doing?" I asked him with utmost sincerity. I know deep down that I'm cheating on Tripp. I'm not naive. I know every time I leave that I don't tell him that Drake is with me, I'm breaking his trust. I'm slowly but deliberately breaking the trust he has given me.
He took a step closer and leaned in. He kissed my forehead.
"What are we doing, Alys?"
I don't know but suddenly my tears started to flow. Why the hell is everything so confusing?! I'm perfectly fine with my life. I love my life as it is. Call me a coward but I loathe every complication, every freaking mishap that has happened in my life. I like my life simple and predictable. That's just who I am. I don't do complications but since I met Drake? Complication has taken its place as my middle name. And it sucks. And I hate it.
His hands found their way on my face. He was caressing my face the same way he did years ago. Years ago, Alys. Years ago.
I slapped his hands. "F-uck off, Drake."
He was taken back by the hostility I have shown him. "Yes, Drake. This is who I am. I'm not the Alys you used to know. I curse, I drink, hell, I gamble when I want! I grew up, Palma! You left me to freaking grow up, didn't you? Now, look at me! I grew up and I don't want you anymore. Please, please. Stop me... Please don't start where we left off because I don't want to start over. I want to continue my life as it is."
What did he do? He stood there. He stood there and looked at me. He placed his hands inside his pocket and smiled at me.
"I'll take whatever you are, Alys. Don't belittle what I feel for you. Childish or not, you're still Alys Zyril Ferrer-Perez."
I took a step forward and slapped him. And slapped him.
"I don't want you anymore! What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you obsessed with me?!"
I tried to slap him for the third time but he caught my hand and placed it just above his heart.
"Feel that, Alys? That's the heartbeat of the man who's obsessed with you. You made me your dog! Throw me a bone and I'll catch it for you. You made me yours, Alys. Deal with it."
I punched him in the gut. Screw you, Drake! Going back to the Philippines is the worst thing I did in my life! I just wanna crawl back to Paris and snag my quiet life back.
Right now? I feel all those complications coming back... and I don't quite like it. Tonight I'm coming clean. Tripp and I don't want to fight. I can't lose him... hell, I don't want to lose him.
I glared at him. "I've got your heart back, Drake! Fall for anyone but me. Please. You're not going to get me anything."
"You make me happy so I'll stay."
Another tear fell from my eye. No, it's not pain. It's a tear of annoyance. "You disgust me, Drake."
There. I left him while I went out to hail a cab. The hell I care if I'm in a wedding gown. I'm pissed!
"Whoa." Tripp looked at me with his eyes wide open. "Are we getting married now, Panget?" he asked with disbelief.
"Ha-ha-ha."
He grinned and pulled a chair for me. "Why? Run away bride? I told you not to watch movies, huh."
I sat down and took the unopened bottle of water from his table. I'm at their house now. I don't know where I'm going. I can't go home, Dane is there and I hate explaining complicated things to my brother. Aya is gone, Tofer is gone.
"Tripp..."
"Hmm?" he asked while still staring at me.
I was gonna come clean and tell him about everything but I decided to tell him later. "I'm wearing a gown and you... well, you look decent enough. Where's my ring?" I asked while my eyebrow is arching up.
Slowly, a chinky grin appeared. "Are you proposing to me, Perez?"
"Duh?"
He came up to me and kissed me softly. "I'll talk to Tito Cyriel first. Don't worry."
"Wow. Big word coming from you!" I said then laughed. He's the one who always proposes, eh. Not serious, tho. He was being playful all the time whenever he visited me. He's proposed in every place imaginable. Whenever he feels like it, he's gonna drop on his knee. Seriously, the first time he did that, I almost believed him!
He then enveloped me in a hug. "I'm going to propose, not right now. Just chill, Perez."
I decided to let it go. I know he won't propose anytime soon because we've already talked about it. He's still working and I'm still building my name.
"So, why are you wearing a wedding dress?"
"Just a preview for you. I'm beautiful, aren't I?"
He frowned. I slapped his arms.
"Yes, you are beautiful."
"Are you just being forced by that?" I asked while my eyes were doing this 'scare-you' thing. Tofer said I look scary when I stare. Tripp said no. Tripp and Tofer? You'll go crazy when you're with them, I swear!
He chuckled and kissed me again. "No. You're beautiful. Way too much."
And there... who ever said that life with Tripp is boring?
I put on Tripp's clothes (he likes it when I wear his shirt) that he lent me. It still fits me! The Batman shirt he lent me once? When we were still in NY, that was sometimes my nightgown. I often spent the night with them. We didn't do anything wrong, no! Movie nights and such. Kei was always busy so Tofer and Tripp were often with me.
I also wore his boxer shorts. And it feels... weird. Weird in a good way, tho. They're too short for me! It's like I'm wearing microshorts. I wish his shirt was longer.
Tripp smiled when he saw me. See? When you want to cheer him up, all you gotta do is wear his shirt. He's so easy to please.
"You know..." he said as I snuggled close to him. "When Dad sees us here, he'll think differently."
I chuckled. "Yeah, right. As if, Tripp."
We cuddled for a couple of minutes and then cooked together. It was the first time we'd been this quiet, Tofer was always there to ruin our peaceful day.
"Why are you wearing a wedding gown?"
Sheez, I almost forgot about that.
"Uhm, Marco?" I said, hesitating for a moment. I don't want to fight but it's better for me to come than for the others, right? "Drake... hmmm."
I seemed to catch his attention when I said Drake.
"I'm sorry, Marco, but Drake is Cristine's groom. Promise, I didn't intend to spare you from the details but I don't want to fight. Please don't be mad?" I said without even hitching a breath.
He was silent for a second.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment and took a deep breath. "I trust you."
"Really?"
He held my hand and enclosed it with his. "I trust you so much, Alys. I don't trust Drake."
I smiled at him but the truth is, I'm sad. They're cousins but they don't talk. I'm not saying their fight was superficial but... they're cousins! Even if they say I'm the reason, I can't fathom that they'll have a gap forever because of me! It feels like a heavy burden.
"Are you really not going to talk to Drake anymore?" I asked him, even nudging him to give it a shot.
He shrugged. "Two years, Alys. Did I date you for two years? No, right? I waited two years before dating you and then he's going to accuse me of kidnapping you? No. We're not going to talk."