Chapter 3

My elder brother Francis took me at Saint Paul University where I was studying college taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education. When I got out on the car, I went straight to our room. I thought I would be the first to get there because it was only 12:30 but someone was ahead of me. I came across a man sitting with a handkerchief covering his face as if he were sleeping. I sat down next to him and deliberately made my chair noise to wake him up.

"Surprise!" he said while smiling at me.

"Joshua? Why are you here? Are you also studying here? I kept asking because I saw him wearing our school uniform.

"Yes, you are surprised?" he says. "What year and what course are you in?" I asked him.

"4th year, Civil Engineering." he replied.

"Wow! You're almost done." I said. "Yes, if God's permit." he said.

"Did you transfer here? Why did I only see you now?" I asked.

"No, we always meet and get along too sometimes, you just don't look at me so you don't see me." he replied. "It's not like that, maybe it is coincidence that I'm looking for others." I said.

Do you still remember the time you collided with a man wearing a black jersey last year? It's me, I really meant to collide you to get your attention but, you just apologized to me and left right away without even looking at me. I was disappointed with that. So I'm contented to just look at you in the distance, stare at you when we meet, sometimes I even follow you and walk with you even if you don't care about your surroundings. I thought, there will never be an opportunity like this to talk to you, hold you, stare with you, to text or to call you, and be with you for quite or a long time like today," Joshua said.

He was right. I remember the time I had collided with a man. But because of my desire to obey my parents, I was able to avoid or not look at men except my professors and my family so I just left him without looking at him or checking his situation.

"That's why you're acting as if you've known me for a long time. Now I know you are a stalker." I said.

"Is that how you feel about what I did? Can't I just want to meet you?" said Joshua.

"Ok, so you need to go. They are already looking of us here. I said while looking at my classmates. I don't want them to talk about us because when my family finds out we will be upset." I said.

"All right, I'm leaving but wait for me here after your class. I will tell you something. Your next subject will be 4 o'clock later, right?" he says.

"You really know my schedule too? I said.

He smiled and spoke. "That's not all I know so don't get mad. I'll tell you more later." he said as he stood up.

I thought he was leaving but I was surprised when he suddenly kissed me on my cheek and ran away.

I could not move immediately. I turned to the door and he was gone, just as our professor entered. I secretly smiled in my seat while holding my cheek that Joshua kissed. "Miss Dela Cruz are you ok? our professor said.

"Y-yes s-sir." I said hoarsely.

Our two -hour discussion on Rizal subject ended but I didn't understand anything. Because Joshua's stealing a kiss from me always flashed back in my mind. I'm disgusted with myself because even though I try to get Joshua out of my mind, I'm still thinking about him and the worse, it makes me shudder and smile.

Our professor and my classmates left the room. I was still here to wait for Joshua as he said. I just picked up my phone and amused myself by looking at the news feed on my facebook. I saw Joshua's post. Joshua Taguinod-feeling inspired.

Also has a picture of him staring at the book and holding a calculator. I can't help but admire him. He is still handsome even without looking at the camera. "Don't stare at the picture. You get scared later when that photo suddenly smile at you." I was startled by the voice behind me. I almost dropped my cellphone. None other than Joshua.

"You have been there a long time?" I asked.

"Yeah, you just didn't notice because you were staring at my picture." he said. He sat down next to me and held my hand. "Don't worry, that guy is all yours," he said while staring at me. I pulled my hand away from his grasp and looked at him seriously.

"Joshua, I'm not ready for this. I already told you. My parents are very strict, even my older brothers. I don't want to disobey their order. I don't want them to be angry with me. I don't want you to get hurt because of me. You understand me, right? I said to Joshua.

"Ofcourse I understand, that's why I won't courting you first." he said in lonely voice.

"But how long will you put up with their strictness? How long will you follow everything they want? You have the right to love and be loved by the man you love. You also need to be happy with the guy you loved Angelica. "Joshua said.

"I'm happy because I know my family loves me. I don't need a man to love just to be happy. My family does everything for my good. They are just strict because they don't want me to go at the wrong path. They're getting strict so that I can have the motivation to improve my studies." I said.

Why, would you not study hard if they were not strict with you? Would you be lost on the right path if they had not been strict to you? And most of all, would you be a rebellious child if they treated you lightly? Joshua asked.

I was speechless at what he said. He right, would I be a rebellious child if they weren't strict? Whether they are strict or not, I will still choose to be a good one. I also won't let my grades going low even if they aren't strict with me and even more so I won't ruin my life even if they give me everything I want.

"I can't ignore my feelings for you Ange. I feel like I'm going crazy thinking about you when you are going to avoid me again. I will not court you if they don't want someone to court you but I would ask you to put me in the special place in your heart and if you agree, we can also hide our relationship if you don't want them to know," said Joshua.

I was stunned by what he said. Can I hide our relationship just in case? What if my family finds out that I disobeyed them, am I ready to face all the consequences? What if we get caught, can I fight for him? I was stunned at that thought when he suddenly knelt in front of me.

"Please? I'm begging you. It's ok with me even if only the two of us know our relationship. Just don't leave me Ange. I will do everything you want except on staying away from you. When I hugged you this morning, I felt that I not only like you but I loved you. I love you so much Ange. I can not just look at you in the distance. I can't even secretly just follow you. I want you to feel my love for you. I want to consider you as my girlfriend, my first love and my last." he sincerely said.

I could no longer control my heart. I couldn't stop my tears from falling. I didn't even realize that I nodded to him, ther reason why Joshua hug me with a smile on his face. I felt a tear trickle down my shoulder. I patted Joshua's back.

"Are you crying?" I asked.

"Tears of joy My Love," he replied. He hugged me tighter, so I did too.

"I love you so much My Love," he said while still hugging me.

"I love you too." I said again. He grabbed my shoulders and he pulled away a little from me and looked into my eyes.

Did I hear that you love me too," he asked.

"Yes, I love you too. I don't know why it is so easy for me to love you. But I feel sad when you feel sad and I get hurt when I see you hurting.

I also can't bear to lose you. And in thingking that we can't be together, I am already hurt. You were right when you say i like you because no matter how hard I try not to think of you, my heart still beat faster when it comes to you." I said.

"You don't know how much happy I am," he said to me while holding my hand.

"Let's just hide it first. When I'm at home, avoid calling or texting me so that they do not suspect on me. Only the two of us know first. I mean, even our friends or best friends don't know," I said.

Ok boss, if that is what you want. "Joshua replied.

"Do you have a class later?" I asked. "None My Love." I will also go home to my apartment later when you already in your classroom," he replied. "Is it okay if we don't have endearment?

"In this relationship, your wish is my command, boss," he said with a smile and at the same time winked at me.

"Why there is still a boss?" I said with a frown.

"Because I will always follow you. Everything you say or command, whether bad or good, hard or easy, dangerous or not, I will do. Even if I can't, I will still do my best to make you safe and to see you happy," he says.

"Ok, I know what you ate for lunch." I said while smiling.

"Guess what?" he says.

"Bola-bola, because you're good at flattery now," I said.

He laughed out loud.

"You're not good in guessing. I'm not flattering, I'm just saying what I feel. Let me guess your food at lunch." he says.

"What?" i said.

He stared at me and slowly brought his face closer to me. I thought he was kissing my lips but he just sniffed my breath and said, "tomato." I blushed at what he did .I hoped he would kiss me but then he didn't. I was expecting too much. It's a good thing I haven't close my eyes, it would have been even more embarrassing. I slapped his arm.

"Why did you say tomato?" I asked. "Because your cheek is already like a color of tomato," he laughed again. "You really like to laugh, don't you?" I said.

"I'm just happy and it is because of you. But anyway, thank you so," he said as he held my hand.

"Would you like to go out? Let's have a snack first." he says.

"No, brother Ronald has acquaintances outside who can see us and they will report to my brother that we have been together." I said.

"You are too afraid of your brothers," he said. "I'm just being careful. I don't want to try how they get angry because I may be regret for it," I said. "Ok, always remember, no matter what happens you are the only one I will love until my last breath. No matter how many problems, trials, pains or hardships we will go through in this relationship, I promise I won't let go as long as you don't let me go either," he says.

"Can we handle this? I asked.

"Let us strive to cope up because I believe that after hardship there is comfort, after sorrow happiness will come, when we cope with the pains we will experience healing and when we resist trials, we will achieve success. When we succeed, blessings come to us. So no one will give up no matter what happen. Can you promise me? " Joshua said while staring at me.

"I promise, i will never give up on us." I said.

That was we promise and let's seal it with a kiss." he said.

I looked around first, i was worried that someone might see us. There was no one else in the room except the two of us so I turned to Joshua again but when I turned to him, he immediately kissed my lips gently. He closed his eyes but I gaped in shock. He touched my nape so I responded with his kiss but our teeth were gritted so we both smiled. First time we had experience lips to lips but we both don't know.