Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Zaine was already in his car when we got out of school. He took a jacket from inside before closing it back. He handed me the jacket as he approached. I looked at the sky for a moment to see that it was misting.

"Why?" I lift his jacket. "Before we go home, we will go somewhere else." Surprised, I just nodded as well. He left the car in the parking lot and pulled me to somewhere. We walked for about ten minutes before reaching an outdated building.

That’s too high from sight that I think over ten floors there are. It looks like a hotel but is not noticeable on the outside. We face the guard guarding there. He was about the same age as Paul. When we got closer he immediately gave us a smile.

"Good morning, Sir Zaine and ma'am," he greeted warmly. "Your girlfriend, Sir?"

Zaine was about to answer when I got ahead of him.

"His friend," I replied with a smile. He nodded before smiled at us again.

"All right, Bugoy, we'll just go up there." Zaine said and bid goodbye to the guard before he pulled me.

We took the elevator and reached the rooftop. He quietly entered as I followed him. He was still holding my hand but it was lighter than before when we were facing Chelsea. He cleared a throat before speaking.

"Why didn't you tell him the truth?"

"I don't think he needs to know about that anymore." I smiled back at him. The elevator suddenly opened and we got out. There are two seats near the side railings. He asked me to sit down and he looked at his jacket slung over my shoulder.

“Why aren't you wearing that yet? It's a little cold here.”

“Ah, it's still early, Zaine. Maybe later. I'm not that cold.”

He stared at me before nodding slightly. His sight shifted to the front, facing the lofty places. The sound of the cars can still heard probably because of the traffic but it was only weak because we were upstairs.

"By the way, why are we here?"

"I just want to unwind," he just simply answer.

He silently gazed at the sky. We are both sitting on the chair here. He held a small ball that looked like a jolen and played it on his left hand. I had a chance to stare at it closely. His moderate eyebrow thickness, his brown eyes, his sharp nose, and his red lips. He is indeed a greek-like god.

Maybe the first day I met him was because I was attracted to his physical features. Maybe because he is smart when I saw him reporting in front of our class with confidence. Or maybe because I always see his good side that made me like him. Maybe those are the reasons. It always starts with crush. An attraction to another person because of his physical features, their personality or talents and skill that we admire on that person.

"Are you always here?" I asked.

“Yes,” he said. “When Cheska was still here, but now, I never been back here.”

He said that weakly but enough for me to hear and give me a disturbing feeling. I don't like this. It feels like my heart suddenly hurts every time I hear Cheska’s name specially that it comes from Zaine. I don't want to hear her name anymore because I feel jealous, different from the jealousy I feel when it comes to my siblings.

“It’s been two months since I last saw her and that was the time when she left. This place was where we last met. ”

I wasn't able to look at the beautiful view in front even with the shady weather. With not that strong wind but enough to mess up my hair.

"We met before Moving Up." I open the conversation to see his reaction. He didn't even look back but I noticed that he was stunned when he stopped playing with the small ball he was holding.

I continued. “She said goodbye to me Zaine, which I thought was just a normal goodbye because it was late whe she visited me. I thought he came because her reason was that she wanted to see me before our Moving Up, but I didn't know that it would be the last time we'll met.”

"Did she said where she will go?" He questioned. "Did she said when she would come back?"

He looked at me. His eyes were dim. I don’t know what kind of emotion was in his eyes when our eyes met.

"No."

He smiled but it didn't reach his eyes.

"She's always like that." And that was followed by a weak laugh and a slight shaken of his shoulders. "She is always good at keeping secrets and problems to herself."

I nodded. I saw that on Cheska when she has a problem. She won't tell anybody unless she can no longer able to endure it.

"You know Cheska had a problem even before she left, right?" Zaine asked to my surprise. He just looked at me but it seemed like he was reading my mind with the way he was staring.

I nodded. "She said something to me, it's about her parents coming back here to get her."

“She told me that, but there’s another reason to why she left Jane. She didn't tell me—us. ”

I was silent for a moment. He knew something before Cheska left us, but the reason is still unknown. If it was for some other reason, why didn’t she tell us? We could have help her.

"I really miss her," he continued. That feeling came back again. Jealousy... "It's just that I don't know where to find her."

I want to tell him about Cheska but stopped midway when he told me something that made me shook.

"She's also engaged to someone now." He saw the shock on my face. I didn't expect that.

"Where did you found that?" I asked, bewildered.

“My mom gave me an invitation card of a wedding, but I didn’t pay attention to it. When she mentioned that the bride was Cheska, I felt like my world just ruined and broke into pieces.”

"Cheska is still young for that, she's just 16." I stuttered. "Do you know the location and who'll she marry?"

"I didn't manage to check it but the groom was familiar though, I didn't remember it." he said, feeling annoyed.

I was still shocked by what it said. Cheska and I have the same situation. I want to know what she's been doing. I thought she likes Zaine, and so as he. They both like each other.

"Aren't you going to do anything?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

“What I mean is, won't you find a way to stop that? Don't you like her? ”

He was startled for a moment and was just looking at me, but he manage to answer. "No. Like I said before, I'm tired of hoping she'll come back. ”

"Besides, I have already agreed to get married, I don't think fate will bother Cheska and I, anymore."

" How could you say that? You still don't know the fat—”

"The moment she rejected me was also the time I gave myself a chance to move on."

"You mean?" He smiled bitterly.

“We’re not meant to be. I think we will stay as best friends.”

I don't know what to answer. It was as if I got dumbfounded by what I heard from him. I never thought that a 'Zaine Madrigal' would be rejected just like that, and by it's best friend.

"Oh, why do you look so shocked again?" He asked, chuckling.

“It's so surprising. Because you're so handsome, then you just got rejected? Tsk, tsk.” I teased him to ease his heart and get rid of the heavy feeling I had been feeling for so long. I know it hurts me when Zaine mentions the one he likes but I shouldn't show it to him. I have no right to be hurt because he just considers me only as a friend.

I saw the grin of his lips. "So, you're making fun of me? You found me attractive?" There is even a teasing part of his voice.

I stumbled upon what he said. “Seriously? Is that really what you noticed?”

"You didn't answer my question." He teased. "So you find me attractive, huh?" he asked again with a smirk still on his lips.

"Over and over again, Zaine?" I rolled my eyes.

He laughed and then shook his head as he was looking at me. "Yes and no?"

I just smiled at him and didn’t answer. His laughter is thrilling. But inside my head, I was shouting 'YES!'

"I will take that as a yes!" He said with a grin.

"I can't with you, Madrigal." I shook my head as my answer even though I could feel my smile plastered on my lips. I couldn’t help but grin too. I averted my eyes and there I was gazing at the shady sky.

" It's been a while since I laugh." I didn’t hear the last thing it said. "Let's have lunch outside."

I felt that he stand up. I turned to him and held out his hand to me. He turned to the sky that was now about to rain. "It's raining." He said as he turned his gaze to me.

I accepted his hand even though I didn't need it. I just don't want to be on a 'kill joy' because this man is in a good mood. Laughing, I stood up and tightened my grip.

“Come on, Ms. Valdez.” he said smiling before he pulled me. I drifted wherever he will go.

Don't make that smile, Zaine. I might fall harder because of it.