Sudden Love (English Version)

Chapter 7 part 2

MESSAGE FROM EFRICK:

"Bro! I won’t be able to come to school tomorrow. I ran away to our rest house in Batangas. Mom and Dad have no idea where I am. Don’t tell them, or you’re dead!"

What? I stared at the screen, confused. What the hell was going on now?

MESSAGE TO EFRICK:

"What do you mean? Why shouldn’t I tell your parents? What happened?"

His reply came almost instantly.

MESSAGE FROM EFRICK:

"Dad wants us to migrate to LA. Grandpa and Grandma called earlier, asking Dad to take over the company there. But I don’t want to go. I insisted on staying here to finish my studies, but Dad said wherever they go, I have to go too. I refuse. I don’t want to adjust to a new environment. Damn it!"

Damn. That was rough. And not great news for me either. If he left, who else did I have? My close friends were just Efrick, Meg, and my basketball teammates. But let’s be real—bonding with my teammates wasn’t the same as what I had with Ef. And if I tried treating Meg the way I treated Ef—with punches and headlocks—I’d probably end up in the hospital.

MESSAGE TO EFRICK:

"Leave it to me. I’ll talk to your parents and my folks. I have a plan—hope it works. Just make sure to go home the day after tomorrow and be in school. I’m tired of being bombarded by our instructors about your absence. I’m not a babysitter! LOL."

MESSAGE FROM EFRICK:

"Fine, whatever your plan is, I’m in. As long as I don’t have to leave the country. I want to stay here. Alright..."

Damn. He really did sound miserable. Even his texts felt lifeless. Not used to that. LOL.

I tossed my phone onto the nightstand when the doorbell rang. Yes, I have a doorbell for my room. My door is high-tech—you need a fingerprint scan to enter. Only mine, my mom’s, and my dad’s are registered.

“Hijo, your parents are home. Dinner is ready,” Yaya called from outside.

I got up and opened the door for her.

“Yaya, you didn’t have to come up here yourself. You could’ve just had one of the maids call me. Or even used the landline,” I said, slightly concerned.

“They’re all on their day off. Only the PSGs are around,” she explained with a warm smile.

I sighed but smiled back, draping a light arm around her shoulder as we walked downstairs. My parents were already waiting.

"Yang, it feels like just yesterday you were a baby, and Yaya took care of you while I was at work. Now, my little boy has grown into a young man. I just hope he’s not a bad boy too," Mom teased.

"Yeah, I still remember when he was a toddler, always clinging to Yaya and kissing her on the cheek. Time flies," Dad added.

Uh-oh. I knew exactly where this was going.

"And I’d say his life would be perfect if not for his first heartbreak. That incident caused a lot of damage. So, son, be careful next time. If you find someone new, tell me. I’ll do a background check—I don’t want history to repeat itself. Are we clear?" Dad said seriously.

Oh, right! As much as I prided myself on being honest and open with my parents, there was one thing—one person, to be exact—that I had yet to mention. Aphrodite.

It wasn’t that I wanted to keep secrets from them. It was just… I knew exactly how they would react the moment they heard her name. My mom, being the hopeless romantic she was, would immediately assume that something was brewing—probably start daydreaming about wedding bells and grandchildren before I could even clarify where I stood with her. And Dad? Well, his version of “parental concern” would take a much different turn. He’d go into full-on investigator mode, making subtle (or not-so-subtle) inquiries, trying to piece together every detail about her life, her background, her family. If I was lucky, he’d keep it low-key. If I wasn’t… well, let’s just say there was a very real chance that he’d order a full background check before I even had the chance to ask Aphrodite what her favorite color was.

And that? That was exactly why I was keeping this little detail to myself—for now, at least.

I wasn’t even sure where I stood with Aphrodite yet. Sure, she intrigued me. Sure, I found myself thinking about her more often than I probably should. But nothing was set in stone. Nothing had happened between us—yet. And until something did, I wasn’t about to subject myself to my parents’ inevitable interrogation.

Because the moment they found out? That was it. Game over. The freedom I currently enjoyed would shrink faster than I could say, It’s not what you think! Dad’s protective instincts would kick into overdrive, and Mom, ever the strategist, would probably start plotting ways to “help” the situation along.

No, thank you.

For now, Aphrodite was my little secret—one I wasn’t quite ready to share. Not yet.

Oh, great. But I could assure them—Aphrodite was nothing like Valerie.

"Of course, Dad. But I don’t think a background check will be necessary," I said as casually as possible, doing my best to mask the crucial piece of news I had yet to share with them.

Wait. What? Did I seriously just say that out loud? Did those words actually leave my mouth? Tsk. Whatever. It’s true, anyway. LOL.

Mom and Dad exchanged knowing glances, their smiles widening. Even Yaya Lucy, who had been quietly listening, was now grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" I asked, feigning innocence, though I could already feel the inevitable interrogation brewing.

Dad leaned back slightly in his chair, his sharp gaze locking onto mine like a seasoned detective about to c***k a case. "I've had this feeling that there's something you're not telling us," he mused, stroking his chin in exaggerated thought. "I noticed it earlier, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, so I let it slide. But now…" His smirk deepened. "Now, I know for sure. Spill it."

"What? No way! I always tell you everything," I shot back, trying my hardest to sound convincing. But damn it—my voice wavered. Just a little.

Mom's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Really, son?" she teased. Then, before I could react, she was out of her chair and advancing toward me.

I barely had time to process what was happening before her fingers dug into my sides—tickling me mercilessly.

"Mom! Stop! That's not fair!" I gasped between laughs, trying to squirm away.

She only cackled in delight. "Come on, tell us! Who is she?"

I should’ve seen this coming. I knew this would happen the moment I let something slip. Heck, I had literally just thought about how my parents would react if they found out I was starting to like someone. I even promised myself I wouldn’t say a word about Ms. Temptation until I was sure about my own feelings.

But apparently, I couldn’t keep anything from them.

With a long, dramatic sigh, I slumped in my chair in defeat. "Fine," I muttered.

Dad chuckled. "We got him."

Mom clapped her hands in excitement, settling back down beside me, her eyes practically glowing with anticipation.

So, I told them. Everything. From how Aphrodite caught my attention to how I kept running into her. How she was the Dean’s niece. How, despite my usual cool and composed nature, she managed to throw me off balance without even trying.

And surprisingly, they handled the news very well.

No unnecessary lectures. No suffocating restrictions. Just genuine curiosity—and maybe a bit of amusement at my expense.

"You really like this girl, don’t you?" Mom said, her tone soft.

I opened my mouth to argue, but—damn it—I couldn’t even deny it anymore.

Maybe I did.

“We want to meet her tomorrow. Bring her to lunch. I’ll book a table at Blue Generations Restaurant,” Dad announced.

Crap. We’re not even dating yet, and he’s already setting up a meet-the-parents lunch?

“There’s just one problem, Dad, Mom,” I sighed, taking a deep breath. “She’s not my girlfriend yet.”

But their smiles didn’t fade. Tsk. This is stressing me out.

“Well, that’s even better,” Dad said. “We can help decide whether she’s good for you or not. But the lunch plan stays.”

I groaned internally. This was going to be interesting.

Later that night, lying in bed, I couldn’t sleep. Excitement, nerves—everything was a mess. Past midnight, I gave up, took a cold shower, and slipped into bed—completely naked, as usual. No one cares, right?

I closed my eyes, hoping sleep would finally come.