Chapter 45: Chapter 45

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Nothing." He just shrugged his shoulders.

I just shook my head. I lost my nervousness in those moments but when my older brother's car stopped at the big house in front of us, it immediately returned. I looked at my older brother when I heard him hemmed.

"Let's go, Jane. They are waiting for you."

I got out of the car and followed my older brother who was now the first one to enter the house. The housemaids greeted us with a smile. They greeted me happily but I still felt nervous. I could hardly step inside because of my knees' unstoppable trembling. I even had to hold on to my older brother's arms to get support.

"Good afternoon, Aunt Zandra." My older brother greeted the lady when we entered. Aunt Zandra greeted us with a smile and kissed us on cheeks.

"At last, you're here." she said. "Nice to see you again, Jane."

"Hi Auntie."

She gave me a small smile and examined my whole being. She looked at me in surprise but she took it right away.

"Come, my sons are here."

She headed to the kitchen and we actually saw her sons. Zaine was there on the left side of the table while her brother was in front of him. Zaine doesn't turned his back on my direction so he didn't notice me right away.

“Zaine, Zared. The Valdez are here. ” Aunt Zandra calls them.

"Bro!" The man on the right stood up and approached my older brother. This is probably what Jack, his friend, was referring to. They looked close. He looked at me and I immediately smiled.

“Hi, nice to see you again Jane. I am Zared Madrigal.” He introduced and held out his hand.

"Hi Zared, nice to meet you too." I greeted.

"Oh, now that you formally introduced yourself with each other, let us have a seat please." Aunt Zandra interrupted.

We sat down and I chose to sit next to my older brother. Next to Zaine is his older brother on the left side. The two of us were facing each other so I could clearly see the expression he was showing. He smiled at me which I smiled back too.

"So, Jane," Auntie opened up. "I know you're confused as to why you have to live here with us."

"Ah, yes, but my brother already explain some of it." I answered.

“I see, but aside from that, I knew that you wanted to study at Clifford University, right?” she questioned that made me nod. But I still wonder how she found out about it.

"Hmm, I talked with your parents about it and asked them to give the permission for you to study here." She said which made me gasped.

“How did they allow it instantly? They have already planned it that I will study in Manila, and all of the sudden, I just got enrolled in C.U?”

“I told them that you will study at C.U but you will stay with us. They were hesitant at first, but agreed upon it. They know you really want to study here.”

I smiled slightly. "Thank you auntie, I appreciated your effort."

"It was nothing." She replied. "And besides we're going to be a family after a few years."

My body and mind would not accept what she just said. It was as if something was holding me back from accepting the fact that we would be a family soon. It was something different with those words auntie just said.

A few minutes later, the maids suddenly carried out some dishes and laid them in the middle of the table. They brought desserts like Leche Flan and my favorite Biko, a Filipino dessert specialty. I smiled when I saw what they have served.

"Thank you," I thanked the maid who brought it.

"Let's eat?"

“Seriously mom? Desserts? There are lots of them. ” Zared moutherd whose sight was on his mother.

“It’s fine, Zared. I think they liked it. ” She looked at my older brother's direction.

I just nodded. They get their own food before I get mine. I put the Biko first and the Suman, another dessert specialty next to it. I smiled as I tasted it. It has the same taste as grandma Flores' Biko but I know nothing beats grandma's cooking. Because of these food, it became my favorite.

"You seem to like it, huh?" I looked up and Zaine opened up with a grin on his lips.

"Y-yeah." I shortly answer him with a smile plastered on my lips.

We looked at aunt who was now talking on the phone she was holding. She excused herself and walked away from us. The expression in her face earlier seemed to change suddenly when she spoke to the person on the other line, based on the crease to her forehead.

I turned to Zaine who quickly finished his food. I finished mine and looked at him again, he wass looking at me.

"Better yet, tour her around, Zaine." we heard his older brother suggested. I turned to my older brother and he just nodded.

"Go ahead." He said. I nodded before giving him a kiss on his cheek. I also noticed that Zaine got up and left the table first.

"We'll go first." Zared just smiled at me. I followed Zaine and found him looking at something he was holding. He was facing side view and he is holding something, behind him was a portrait of their family.

“Zaine,” I called. I approached him. "What are you holding?" I approached him and immediately saw the picture frame he was holding. It was Cheska and him. They both have smiles in the photo. Zaine hugged her bestriend on that.

I smiled sadly at the picture. He still has a special space for him. I must accept that.

"Nothing." He hid the thing he was holding and faced me. He just looked at me with no trace of emotion on his eyes.

He used that expression whenever he is not in a good state. Based on my observation upon him, he will just be emotionless all of the sudden for a reason we can't determine. But when he is in a good mood, he always has that warm smile that always captivates people around him. That is his impact. The duality of this guy.

"You okay?" I asked him. He just shrugged before heading his way to the stairs. I saw a paper on the side table below the portrait. It was half open, and out of curiousity, I opened and read the words inside the paper which made my eyes widen when I read it.

'The Wedding Ceremony of Cheska Salvador and James Waltridge.'