Mariely was suddenly caught off guard by the person she was talking to. She no longer felt comfortable, so she adjusted her posture.
Why is that girl taking so long in the restroom? She wondered silently.
"I hope you're not that kind of friend to her," he said, letting out a sigh.
Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked intently at the person she was speaking with. She was still trying to process everything he was saying tonight.
Their conversation paused when two waiters arrived, bringing the food.
"Good evening, sir," one of the waiters greeted Andrew, who only nodded.
"Sir, please wait a bit for the rest of your order," the waiter added.
"Okay, thank you," he replied with a smile.
The waiter left, and the two of them were alone again.
"All her life, even before we met, she was always chasing after friends," he continued. "She'd get abused by people just to have someone she could call a friend. High school was bad, but it got worse in college. We met—my love and I—in college. She's someone I treasure deeply," he confessed.
"She's very bubbly once she gets comfortable with someone, but I found out that she always had these so-called friends who took advantage of her."
"W-What kind of abuse?" she asked.
"As I told you, she was desperate to keep friends, so she'd give them everything just so they wouldn't leave her—money, luxuries, you name it—until she had nothing left to give. That's when they'd suddenly leave her hanging, as if she meant nothing."
Her heart sank upon hearing what her friend had gone through.
"I was always the one trying to stop her. Even when Veron and I got together, we argued a lot about that during college because I didn't want my love to suffer. She eventually learned how to tell whether people were genuine or not."
"But still, she never stopped searching for someone she could truly call a friend. You know Veron comes from a wealthy family, right? That's why people tend to flock to her," he sighed.
"Are you trying to say that I'm one of those people?" she asked.
He smiled. "I'm not saying that. But if you are, then maybe this is your warning—to stop pretending, and don't hurt her or use her for your own gain."
"So is that why you invited me here? Does Veron know about this?" she asked him.
"No, she has no idea. I know she takes a while in the restroom," he said with a slight shake of his head.
"W—Wait, I never thought of doing anything like that! I accepted her as she is, and I became comfortable with her because I could feel her genuineness. Honestly, I even get mad at her sometimes for giving me things she shouldn't. I return those," she said, looking at him seriously.
"We're happy when we're together, and I'm very lucky to have met her at work. She makes work so much lighter. She's my biggest supporter, my comfort whenever I need someone to talk to—especially when I can't open up to my own family. Even when I was dating Frank—" her voice cracked.
"I'm sorry I didn't know what she went through before. B-But… just give me a chance to prove that I'm not that kind of person to her," she said sincerely.
He let out a deep sigh after looking at her for a moment.
"There's no need for proof. You don't even need that chance," he told her. "You really care about my Veron—I can clearly see and feel it." He smiled. "I'm sorry. I just want to protect my fiancée."
She could only nod. Then they noticed a waiter approaching, and Veron waving at them.
"Sorry I took so long," Veron said as she arrived.
She simply smiled at her friend. She was thankful to be here, at least to learn about what her friend had endured in the past.
"Perfect timing, the food's all here. Let's eat," Andrew said.
She nodded. It was so clear how much he loved her friend.
She's really lucky to have someone who wants to protect her. She smiled at the thought.
"Besh, fix my hair for a second," Veron said.
"Your hair's fine," Mariely replied. "Let me take a look."
She was really happy whenever she was with her friend.
Mariely fixed her hair. "There, all set."
"Yay, thanks!" Veron grinned.
"Crazy girl," Mariely chuckled softly.
"Hon, let's stop by Mariely's house later," Veron said to her boyfriend.
"Hey, what are you planning to do there?" he asked.
"Nothing, I just know your brother's busy right now." She winked.
"Sure, I want to congratulate that guy too," Andrew replied.
"Oh, he's your classmate too?" she asked.
"Yep." He smiled and continued eating.
She shook her head playfully. "Let's hang out there for now, hon."
"Is that really okay with your friend?" he asked.
"Yep, yep, she always kicks me out anyway," she joked.
"Hey! I do not!" Mariely shot back.
They both laughed. Veron noticed how comfortable Mariely had become with her boyfriend, and it made her smile.
She was really proud of her friend.
The conversation was so enjoyable, they didn't even notice how much time had passed.
"Oh no," she said. "Time went by so fast." She looked at her wristwatch.
"After we pay, we should go," Andrew said, signaling the waiter to bring the bill.
"Veron," Mariely called and gestured to her.
"Hey, stop that. Put it away," Veron said quickly.
"Yep, don't worry about it—it's my treat," Andrew said.
"See? Just chill," Veron said.
Mariely scratched her head and sat back quietly.
"Do you accept credit cards?" Andrew asked.
"Yes, sir, we do," the waiter replied.
The waiter brought over the card machine, and Andrew paid swiftly. It only took a few minutes before everything was settled.
"Let's go?" he asked them.
"Hon, just follow us," Veron said.
"Yeah," he nodded.
They exited the restaurant and headed to the garage. Veron stepped out first and heard Andrew honk.
"Veron, thank you," Mariely said beside her.
She raised her brow. "I should be the one thanking you," she replied.
"Still, thank you."
"Silly." She laughed softly.
Traffic wasn't bad, so driving was smooth. She checked her side mirror to make sure he was following.
"Your boyfriend really loves you," Mariely said.
She chuckled. "Stop it. You have no idea how protective he is." She shook her head.
"That's because you're too kind," Mariely said, laughing.
"Did he say anything to you? Was he rude?" Veron asked seriously.
"No, no, we just talked. He's okay," Mariely said.
"Tell me if he was rude, okay? So I can smack him," she said.
Mariely laughed. They were almost there.
"We're close," Veron said.
"Yeah, he'll be surprised again," Mariely laughed.
"I'll just park my car outside," Veron said.
"Okay, but you better move it inside when you go to bed," Mariely reminded her.
"Fine, I won't forget," she said.
She parked her car outside, and her boyfriend followed. She waited for him to get out.
"Good evening, Auntie," she greeted Mariely's mom when they saw them outside.
"Oh, Veron! Come on in," her friend's mom said cheerfully.
"Let's go," she said to Andrew.
Mariely went inside first.
"Are you sure this is okay?" Andrew asked her.
"Yes, they're really warm people," she smiled at him.
He just nodded.