Between The Lines and YOU

Thirty Two

I woke again to the gentle caress on my cheek. Unlike earlier, the pain in my head had lessened. As I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the face of the man I always wanted to see. I felt a little embarrassed, realizing he must have been watching me for some time. I straightened my posture.

"Hey." His voice was soft, his smile tender, as though I were something fragile that needed to be handled with care. I returned his smile and reached for the hand still resting on my cheek.

"Are we at Palace del Rio already?" His car had stopped, yet we were only by the roadside.

"Not yet. You had a bad dream, so I pulled over and woke you. Is there something you need to talk about? You even called my name." For a moment, I thought about it. Maybe the dream was nothing more than the weight of exhaustion and the countless thoughts clouding my mind. I could not bring myself to answer. My head felt blank.

"Pria." His gaze was drowning, and each time I tried to pull away, it felt as though something stronger was drawing me back to him.

"W-why?"

"Talk to me, say something. I'm worried. Tell me a story, anything. Even if it’s nonsense, I’ll try my best to listen." His last words made me smile faintly. At least, aside from my friends, he was here.

"You don’t like noise, remember? Why the sudden change of heart?" His brow arched. Here we were again.

"When did I say that?" His voice sharpened, his mood shifting so fast. Just moments ago, he had spoken with such care.

"You don’t like it when I talk too much."

"That’s not true. Sometimes, it’s just that the things you say make no sense, so I find it unpleasant to hear." I let out a soft laugh and nodded.

"Alright, if you say so." It was useless to argue with him. If I pushed it further, we might never make it to our destination. He leaned closer and pressed a kiss to my forehead, making my eyes close.

"Follow what your heart wants, believe what your mind says. Just this once, stop fighting against yourself. Take courage and face everything without fear. I promise, as long as I am here, no one can harm you." Then his lips touched mine. He looked into my eyes afterward, offering a smile meant only for me.

He was right. If I kept fighting against myself and running like a coward from the truth, I would remain blind and naïve forever, letting people take advantage of my kindness. He started the car again, and for a moment, the heaviness lifted. For a moment, I felt awake because of his words. I still did not know where to begin or what to do, but no matter what the outcome, even if I ended up broken, I had to be strong. Shane’s words echoed in my mind, making me stare at him. We passed by some street vendors, and since it was already late in the afternoon, I swallowed hard at the sight.

"Are you famished?" For a moment, I could not tell if it was him asking or just my own thoughts. Absentmindedly, I nodded again and again while staring out his car window.

The next thing I knew, he had pulled the car to a stop. I turned quickly toward him. We were parked across the street since the other side was filled with tables and chairs. People nearby were staring, probably admiring his car.

"Why did we stop?"

"You’re hungry, aren’t you? We’re buying food." He had already pulled out his wallet and unfastened his seatbelt.

It felt embarrassing, but I didn’t protest. Street food was delicious, and I was hungry. I was about to undo my own seatbelt when he stopped me. I gave him a puzzled look.

"Who’s going to buy? You?" I raised a brow at him, challenging. I was sure he had never eaten anything like that before.

"What? Do you think I don’t know how?" I saw him swallow hard. Exactly as I thought. Still, maybe he really wanted to try.

"Did I say anything?"

"Tsk. Just watch." I watched him step out of the car. My eyes followed him, and then the people across the street, those eating and selling street food. I understood their stares at the man standing on the other side of the road, unable to cross. If I were in their place, I would stare too. In villages like this, it was rare to see such godlike beauty. I chuckled softly. One minute passed, then two, until countless minutes slipped by. He still hadn’t crossed.

I didn’t know if he didn’t know how to cross or if he was simply hesitant, not knowing how to buy. Eventually, he turned back, opened the car door, and slid inside. His cheeks and ears were red, his gaze refusing to meet mine. I had to bite my lip to stop my laughter, afraid he might smack me out of annoyance.

"So, where is it?"

"You buy it. My right foot hurts."

"Really? Where exactly?" I leaned closer, feigning concern as my expression turned serious.

"Here." He pointed to it like a child tattling about an injury. I couldn’t hold it anymore and burst into laughter. He stared at me in confusion.

"Knox, that’s your left foot," I managed between laughs.

"Oh." That was all he said. I eventually stopped laughing because his gaze lingered on me, steady and unblinking. I cleared my throat and straightened my posture. He handed me money and told me to make it enough for everything. As if he would even eat. But then I remembered, I was with him now, so I would make sure he tasted fishballs, kwek-kwek, and balut.

When I stepped out of the car, people’s eyes shifted to me. I ignored it. Approaching one of the stalls, I was greeted with a smile by the tall, tan young woman running it. She was beautiful, which probably explained why more people bought from her than the other vendors.

"What would you like, miss?" I gave her an awkward smile, glancing over the available food displayed on her stall.

"Wow, cousin. She’s ignoring you. She's a snob." and the group around them laughed. The vendor scratched the back of her neck, clearly embarrassed.

"Sorry about that. That’s just how they are here. So, what will you have?" I gave her a polite smile.

"Four balut, four kwek-kwek, twelve fishballs, five tempura, four siomai, and five squidballs. Do you also have soft drinks?"

"We do."

"One Coke and a bottled mineral water." She nodded and began preparing my order.

"You can sit over there, miss." She pointed at a vacant spot near where her friends were still laughing, some looking at me, others staring at Knox’s car.

"No, it’s fine. I’ll wait here."

"Can I ask you something?" So talkative. Still, since she wasn’t unpleasant, I nodded.

"Is that handsome man who got out of the car earlier your brother?" Ah, so she had her eyes on my Knoxbaby. Brother? What brother? He’s my boyfriend!

I rolled my eyes secretly. Whenever it was about Knox, my looks seemed to vanish into the background.

"No." My reply was short and flat.

"Your friend?"

"No."

"Relative?" I shook my head again. She fell silent, thinking. Go on, think as much as you want.

"Can I get his number?" My face twisted at her question, my brows almost touching. Forget it, she wasn’t beautiful. She looked like a snail!

"Aren’t you in a hurry? Why don’t you go ask him yourself?" I snapped, unable to hold back the irritation in my voice. I was seriously annoyed. Should I dunk her face into the boiling oil? At least then it would burn off some of that thick skin. Her shamelessness was as heavy as the pan in front of her, and I could very well smash it over her head.

I was too busy imagining possible crimes I could commit against the man across from me when I suddenly felt a hand wrap around my waist. I knew instantly who it was from the scent alone. Looking up, I was met by his serious, cold face.

"I'm just wondering why you're taking so long" His low voice pressed against my ear, punctuated by a firm squeeze at my waist. The poor vendor’s gaze shifted between us, clearly confused. Of course she would be, since Knox was pressed so close to me that even air would be embarrassed to try and pass between us. The boy looked like she had seen a mythical spirit. Well, yes, I understood. Anyone would react that way upon facing Knox Ares Sandoval.

But instead of anger, I wanted to laugh. It was the way Knox looked at her, as though he was planning a crime of his own. That glare of his was sharp enough to cut, promising violence. After handing over the money and taking the food I ordered. Since his hand was still clamped firmly at my waist, I had no choice but to be dragged along with him. I wanted to go back for the change, but his grip was like glue. The other girls at the stall were left frozen in place, their necks stiff from staring. Even as we climbed back into the car, their eyes were still glued to us. I almost wanted to jab their eyeballs out one by one.

"What's up with that ugly potato guy sitting at the back? You seemed to enjoy his stares" His brows were drawn tight together. First, he called Carlos a tarantula, and now this one was an ugly potato. What would be next? A rotten yam?

"Why me? That girl in the stall liked you! She even had the nerve to ask for your number, and she’s hideous!" My voice rose with my irritation. If I hadn’t been hungry, I would have walked away earlier.

"What?" His brows relaxed, and his voice lost its edge.

"Are you deaf? I said that ugly woman likes you!" Silence filled the car. Then, out of nowhere, he started laughing. I didn’t know if I should be angry because he found my anger amusing, or happy because his laugh was so addicting to hear. Either way, that man still had me fuming. Before I could respond, Knox leaned over, kissed my cheek, and smiled sweetly.

"My cutie bean is jealous."

"Me? Jealous? Of course not!" I shot back defensively, my voice still high-pitched. I felt like a child, but my blood had been boiling moments ago, and it hadn’t cooled yet. "Wait, where are you going?" I asked when I noticed him unfastening his seatbelt again.

"You're not jealous, right?"

"So what if I’m not?"

"I'm thinking of giving my number—hey!" For the first time, I cut him off mid-sentence. I didn’t care. I was angry. He stopped me just as I was about to storm out of the car.

"Go with her then! You’re both ugly! Take her with you to Palace del Rio, I’ll just walk!" Tears burned at my eyes, my chest threatening to explode from the weight of my fury. I didn’t even know I had this side to me, but damn it, I was livid.

His laughter only grew louder, as if I had just cracked the funniest joke in the world. Then he pulled me into his lap, holding me close. My whole face went red, not from butterflies, but because deep down, that ugly little thought still lingered. The thought that maybe he could replace me. That maybe he could let me go.

"Gosh, you're so adorable when you get jealous. You look like a child throwing a tantrum." He brushed aside a few strands of hair covering my face.

"Ah, really? Let me go." I was so close to tears. I struggled to get off his lap.

"Pria, stay still. You are like a mushroom." He had a habit of comparing people to vegetables even though he was not a vegetarian. Earlier I was a bean, now I was a mushroom. Later he might call me water spinach.

"I said let me down." I squirmed again.

"One more move and I will undress you." I instantly wrapped my arms around myself.

"Pervert." He let out a brief laugh but said nothing more. Instead, he pressed light kisses across my face, and I found myself unable to protest.

Then he just stared at me for what felt like countless minutes. I could not hold back anymore, so I initiated the kiss. I felt his smile the moment my lips touched his. For the first time, I was the one who moved first, and he allowed me to take control for a while. Only now did I realize how terrified I was of losing him to someone else. I had felt it before whenever he was with Celine, but not with this intensity.

I hated that feeling. It drove me to the edge of reason. Earlier, something consumed me that I had never felt before, an anger so sharp toward someone else just because of him. I decided I would give him my answer as soon as we reached Palace del Rio. He pulled me closer still, and when our lips finally parted, I was already smiling, though my cheeks burned with embarrassment at what I had done.

"You are not going to step out and give her your number anymore?" I traced my finger along his cheek when he smiled. His eyes sparkled for reasons I could not fathom. He shook his head.

"You really are like a child."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, I am still young, while you are already old." I burst into laughter when he scowled. So quick to backfire, right? By then the evening had set in, and we had not even left yet. The food I had bought must have gone cold, but that was fine, it still tasted good.

"Shall we go now?" I asked, since it seemed he had no intention of letting me off his lap. His eyes were still fixed on my lips.

Finally, I felt his grip on my waist loosen, a signal that I could climb down. I adjusted my clothes and fastened my seatbelt while he started the engine and drove off. I set aside the balut and went for the kwek-kwek and fish balls first.

"Why are you eating that strange thing? It does not even look healthy."

"You have never eaten this before?" I speared two fish balls and dipped them in sauce. Delicious.

"Yes, and I have no plan to eat that again. What if it is not safe? Clean?" I split a piece of kwek-kwek, stuck it with the stick, and held it near his mouth.

"Try it. It is good, and this is clean. You are being dramatic. Come on."

"No. Just because I allow you to eat that does not mean I have to—" He sounded exactly like a father scolding his child.

"Come on, my hand is getting tired. Just one bite."

"I am driving." His patience was wearing thin, but I still did not lower my hand.

"That is why I am feeding you. Stop being so difficult."

"I am not difficult." He said it in a way that sounded exactly the opposite.

"Then eat it. If it had poison, I would have been dead already." His brows furrowed so deeply. But I grinned triumphantly when I finally slipped a piece of kwek-kwek into his mouth. His face went through about a dozen different emotions.

"Hmm, not bad," he admitted once he swallowed.

"Good, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, good." I stabbed another piece of kwek-kwek.

"Oh, one more."

"What?" This was going to be interesting.