Austin's POV
I caught her. Just one more step and she would have hit the cement. But she fell right into my arms, perfectly, like a scene from a movie.
It was as if the world stopped.
Faith was in my arms. She was looking at me, and I at her. No one spoke. No one moved. Even time seemed to pause, giving way for our eyes to meet again.
The surroundings faded. It felt like we were the only two people there.
Once again, the depth of her dark brown eyes struck me. The familiar shape of her nose. And her red lips… lips I have never kissed.
What would it feel like… to kiss Faith Fernandez? I silently wondered, unable to blink.
"Ehem…"
A throat clearing shattered the moment. A sharp break in the connection between us.
Faith quickly stood up, fixing herself. I, however, remained frozen.
"Faith, are you okay?" the woman asked—the very culprit—pretending to be worried. But I didn't miss the secret smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Sorry, I didn't notice you passing by. Sir, thank you. Good thing you caught her. If not, she would have fallen hard on the cement."
I looked at her. For a long time. A cold silence stretched between us.
I didn't answer. But I knew she knew that I knew.
Faith needs protection from people like this.
"Yes, I'm okay. Thank you, sir… for catching me," Faith said softly, almost avoiding my eyes.
"You're welcome," I replied shortly, but firmly. This wasn't the right time for us to talk. Not with eyes watching.
"By the way, sir," the woman interjected with a smile, "I'm Nicole. One of the dancers earlier. I'm also a teacher at Sampaloc Elementary School."
She extended her hand. Clearly trying to flirt, like an actress in a commercial.
I accepted it—not because I wanted to—but out of respect.
She's a teacher. And I don't want to be rude, even though annoyance burned inside me.
"I'll go ahead," Faith said, barely looking at me.
I quietly followed her with my eyes with every step, but I didn't follow her. I didn't want to cause a scene.
"Austin Garcia. Nice meeting you, Ms. Nicole…" I said politely, but at the last second, I squeezed her hand slightly—a silent warning.
I don't need drama. Especially not from someone like her.
"Ouch! My hand, sir…" she complained, but I no longer cared.
I let go of her hand and turned away.
Quietly, I returned to my seat, carrying the weight of a reunion I wasn't ready to face.
I was in the guest room of my cousin's house. The whole place was quiet. It was midnight, but sleep wouldn't come. I kept changing positions—turning to the right, to the left, closing my eyes tightly—still nothing. The only thing I felt was my eyes slowly starting to ache. They were already stinging, but still wide open. I felt like I had drunk five cups of coffee. I could also feel the fatigue from the trip here. But no matter what I did, only one thing filled my mind.
Faith.
Faith… the woman who was once a part of my past. The woman I loved then, and still love now.
In the seven years we were apart, I never tried to love anyone else, even though she suddenly disappeared for an unknown reason. That's what I need to know. Now, she's even more beautiful—not just in appearance, but in her aura that carries a new depth. She's not the eighteen-year-old innocent, smiling maiden anymore. There's something different about her now. She has matured—the kind of woman who can face every trial in her life without needing anyone.
Oh, Faith! Please need me… my mind pleaded, though I didn't know what it meant. I think I'm losing my mind. You have such an effect on me, Faith. Just a few seconds of our bodies touching earlier, and I'm already like this. Me, a billionaire CEO? What does being a CEO have to do with your brain and your heart, Austin? the other side of my mind scolded.
Damn it. I think I really am going crazy. I want her to be my wife, like I've always wanted. I see in her the makings of a good wife and mother to our future children. Damn it, my mind is running so far ahead—we haven't even talked yet. I still have so many questions… How did she get here? I haven't even asked how she's doing. I don't know if she's happy, if someone is with her, if someone loves her. But I hope not. I hope not yet. I should be the only one. No one else. Selfish, if selfish.
I got up and was about to go downstairs to get some alcohol just to help me sleep. But when I opened the door, Glen's hand immediately greeted my face—he was about to knock.
"Tsk. You can't sleep either?" Hero asked, looking irritated, like a child who's sleepy but can't sleep.
"No, I've turned over in bed several times. Sleep just won't come." I let them in. The crazy ones had also brought alcohol, for the same reason—just to help us sleep.
"This is just to help us sleep," Casniel said as he started opening the bottles. We each had one. Not strong, just enough to feel sleepy.
There was silence for a while, until—
"Bro, how's your heart?" Glen suddenly asked.
I looked at him. Then answered sarcastically, "Of course, it's still beating." Why even ask?
"How about your head… down there?" he teased, pointing to the middle of my thighs.
"D**n it, Glen…" I muttered, but he didn't hear.
"Wow, bro, Faith is even more beautiful now. Her body's like a model. She's Really sexy."
I glared at Glen, who was describing Faith as if he desired her. Was he crazy? Faith is mine.
"I wish I could blind you right now," I said irritably, no warning.
He raised his hand, like he was surrendering to the police.
"Hey, easy! Jealous already? I didn't mean anything, bro. I just said what I saw. Nothing more, promise. And didn't we have an agreement? No fighting because of a woman—remember? Back in high school?"
I just looked at him and drank from the bottle in my hand.
Then suddenly, we all sighed at the same time. We were like naughty kids sneaking a drink at an ungodly hour. When we're together, we're still like high schoolers. We're not like the CEOs of our respective companies. We're formal in front of others, but abnormal in front of each other.
We finished the brandy, and as sleepiness finally overcame us, they went back to our rooms. I fell asleep with a smile on my face, because Faith was the only thing on my mind.
The next day, to entertain ourselves, we decided to go for a walk. Our feet eventually led us to the market. Almost everyone we passed looked at us, probably because we were obviously strangers in their town. Bodyguards followed us from a distance.
And there, I saw Faith.
She was talking warmly to a woman with dark skin and curly hair—an Aeta, if I wasn't mistaken. Because almost everyone was looking at us, Faith also turned in our direction. I didn't know whether to smile at her or not, especially since she immediately avoided my gaze when our eyes met.
I approached her, followed by my friends.
"Ti, madam, take that, please. Don't pay for it," I heard the woman say to Faith. She didn't want to accept payment for the vegetables. "Ti," I thought, was just their expression.
"Oh, Ate, really. You'll lose money on me if you're always like that. You know what, I'll buy from someone else next time," Faith teased, just to make her accept the payment.
"Oh no! Please don't, Teacher. We'll lose a good customer if that happens," the girl beside the woman chimed in.
The girl was beautiful. Her eyes were gray, her hair brown—obviously natural. Her skin was dark, probably from being exposed to the sun.
Their accent was amusing. It was the first time I had heard it, and I felt like I wanted to get closer to them, to know more about their lives.
"Oh Jade, you're really flattering. You're more beautiful, you know," Faith joked back.
"Ti, look at my color, Teacher. I'm about to become the color of charcoal," Jade said, making us all laugh.
They looked at us. Jade suddenly hid behind the woman beside her.
"Who are they, Mother?" she asked, obviously nervous.
"Jade, don't be afraid of them. They are guests of the Mayor. S-s-Sir Austin is the one who will donate a classroom to our school," Faith introduced me.
"Hi Faith, we're here too!" Hero called out, introducing us.
"Hi!" Faith greeted Hero—at least she spoke to him. "These are Sir Hero, Sir Glen, and Sir Casniel. They are friends of S-S-Sir A-Austin." She introduced my companions, but why did she stutter when she mentioned my name?
"If that's the case, are they kind?" Jade asked, now feeling braver.
"Of course, yes! We are kind, beautiful," Glen immediately replied. Jade seemed embarrassed by his joke.
"In fact, I'll buy all your goods so you can go home and get some beauty rest," he added with a wink.
Jade didn't answer.
"Oh, are you serious, Sir? If that's the case, should I count all our goods with my daughter?" the woman asked. So they were mother and daughter? But they didn't seem to resemble each other. Jade looked so different.
"Go ahead, Ate Marie, let's count. I'll help you," Faith said, clearly trying to avoid… me.
"Ti, it's embarrassing, Madam. But thank you very much. There's still a lot; this will last for days. Thank you very much, Sirs," the woman said happily.
"You're welcome, Mother," Glen replied. We all looked at him. Mother? But the woman was smiling. Glen's gaze though was fixed on Jade.
We all helped gather the tied vegetables to speed up the counting.
"Oh, Madam, won't Jairee look for you?" the woman asked Faith.
Faith looked at me, then turned back to her and smiled.
"No, Ate. She's with Stella. I told her I was going, so she knows where I am," Faith replied.
Who is Jairee? Her husband? my mind asked. But then I remembered the live video of her friend Charie—she was being teased as "for sale" because she was single.
"Seven thousand three hundred sixty in total, Sirs," Faith said after totaling everything.
Glen quickly took out his wallet, handed over ten thousand, and gave it to Jade. She passed it to her mother to count.
"Oh, this is too much, Sir. You gave ten thousand," the woman said, frowning.
"Keep the change, Mother," Glen replied with a smile, like an actor in a commercial.
We all looked at him again. Always putting on a show.
While we were busy arranging the things we bought, I couldn't take my eyes off Faith. She was silent, but her actions spoke volumes.
After a while, she went back to her place near me and picked up the plastic bags she had bought.
"Oh now, Ate, can I not pay for these vegetables, ha? Haha! They bought everything," Faith joked to the woman, but she still handed over two hundred pesos.
"Madam, really… no more," the woman refused with a smile.
"No, Ate. This isn't included in what they bought. I bought it first," Faith replied firmly but warmly.
The woman couldn't do anything—Faith was more stubborn.
"I'll go ahead, Sirs," Faith said, turning her back on us.
She was about to step away when I grabbed her arm.
"Faith…" I whispered.
"Can…" I couldn't finish what I was going to say because her phone suddenly rang. She quickly took it from her bag and answered. I saw Stella's name flash on the screen.
"Hello, Stella? Yes, I'm going home. Tell Jairee I'm on my way and that I bought what he asked for… so he can calm down. Hehe!" I heard her say as she walked away from me.
Again.
Maybe this isn't the right time.
This isn't the right place.