Chapter 8

Later that afternoon, Cliff's mom and aunt invited me with them to Alexandria's Downtown Amphitheater. Rock the Red festival was on, the city's annual Independence Day celebration. There were fireworks, live music, and local food vendors. It was so much fun! My phone almost ran out of storage for the large number of group pictures and videos we took.

"We're really glad you came with us today, Fiona, to celebrate the 4th of July. My nephew always talked about you lately, so we told him that he can't come home without you this time around," aunt Sandra said.

"Thank you! This is so much fun!" I said then asked, "By the way, where did Cliff and his dad go? I forgot to ask him about it."

I noticed how the two of them shared a meaningful glance at each other before Caitlyn answered my question. Aunt Sandra smiled in silence.

"Oh, let's leave the two men with whatever is keeping them busy at the moment. We ladies have our own kind of fun," Caitlyn said, laughing. Then the two of them shared another meaningful glance and even hid their smiles. Hmm, that's weird.

We roamed for another round at the venue and then stopped as Caitlyn pulled out her smartphone from her bag. She read a text message, smiled, and then turned to us.

"Alright! Party's over, ladies. We need to get going," she said.

"Fiona, dear, we'll just be dropping you off at the residence," aunt Sandra said as she drove the car back to the colonial manor. She checked on me through the rearview mirror.

Caitlyn was in the passenger's seat. She turned to look at me. I sat comfortably in the back seat as I looked at them.

"What about you?" I asked.

"Oh, don't mind us, dear. There's just something we need to buy at the market," Caitlyn said.

"We also need to meet Gabriel at a café in town," aunt Sandra said.

"So we'll leave the house for a while to you two young lovebirds," Caitlyn said and then gave me a playful wink.

I nodded and smiled at them. I felt my cheeks blushing.

"Clifford is a nice guy, just like his papa. You don't have to be scared of him," aunt Sandra said and then chuckled.

"Oh, I trust him. So far, he's been a gentleman," I said, nodding in agreement.

"He doesn't usually introduce any lady to the family. He had girlfriends in the past. But we'd never know about it unless we actually catch him with her in town or in school. Or if somebody else tells us. He's that sneaky," Caitlyn said, laughing.

"That's true," aunt Sandra said and laughed, too.

"He must really be into you," Caitlyn said, a hint of sincerity in her voice.

I felt my cheeks burning this time. I must be blushing like hell already. Hot da*mn!

Cliff and I were not even an official couple yet. I believed that we were merely 'in an open relationship', something like 'special friends'. Okay, some called it 'friends with benefits', too, because... hey, it's the 21st century already anyway!

We never talked about relationship labels or anything that involved a serious real commitment to each other. But how could I explain something like that to his family? So I just kept silent, smiled, and blushed the entire time.

"Alright, here you go, dear," aunt Sandra said. She stopped the car in front of the driveway back at the residence.

"Have fun, you two! We'll leave you a moment alone," Caitlyn said.

I wondered why they teased me like that. Caitlyn even winked at me as I got out of the car. I smiled and waved at them.

"Thank you! Take care on the road," I said to them before I turned and walked towards the front door.

I headed straight to the living room when I got inside the house. But then I stopped in my tracks as my eyes roamed around the room. Flowers and scented candles were neatly arranged all over the place. My forehead creased in perplexity. Is anyone celebrating a birthday or something? Cliff did not mention anything of the sort this morning.

"Cliff?" I called out. No answer. There was only silence.

I looked down and noticed a path of rose petals and candles. A few seconds later, Tim McGraw's She's My Kind of Rain played softly in the background. It sounded so pleasing to the ears. I could not help but smile. Anticipation entered my mind and my pulse started to race.

"Cliff, where are you?" I called out again.

I still did not hear his voice so I decided to follow the path of rose petals and candles. It led me to the lovely Mediterranean garden at the back of the house.

I carefully stepped down the flight of stairs. And then there I saw him, standing beside the garden table.

Cliff wore sneakers with a pair of dark blue jeans and a blue semi-formal coat over a plain white shirt. His eyes smiled as he extended a hand at me. His other hand held a rose flower with the stem cut off.

He looked debonair in every inch. I was almost breathless as I approached him and took his hand. He bent over and gave the back of my hand a gentle kiss. I could not stop myself from smiling and blushing like crazy.

"Buenas noches, señorita (Good evening, lady)," he greeted.

His other hand went up to the side of my face and tucked the rose flower at the top of my ear. He stared admirably at me for a moment. Then his hands held my waist as he inched closer to me. I was speechless. And just like winter snow hit by sunlight, I felt that I could melt at any moment now.

"Que bonita (How beautiful)! Have I told you how beautiful you are in my eyes?" he said.

He bent down to give my lips a short lingering kiss.

"Cliff? Uhm, what exactly is happening?" I asked, still dumbfounded.

He smiled and said, "Feliz aniversario, bella (Happy anniversary, beautiful)."

"A-anni... Anniversary?" I asked with a raised brow. Then I chuckled.

"Yes, bella. Think of this as our anniversary... the kind that I want you to experience," he said.

His voice sounded sweet and gentle. I stared at him in awe for a brief moment then, when I got my senses back, I punched him lightly on the arm.

"Cliff, I hate surprises like this. You know that," I said. I was not actually mad. In fact, I felt absolutely pretty at the moment.

"For someone who claims to not like it, why do you look so happy right now? Your eyes are sparkling, bella," he teased, grinning at me.

"Stop it. God! I've never blushed this much in my whole life," I said, looking down with a shy smile.

He laughed for a bit. Then he pulled me closer to rest his forehead over mine.

"May I have this dance, bella?" he asked, almost whispering.

I raised my head to look at him, but my voice left me once more. His eyes gave me the kind of endearing gaze I had only ever seen in movies. It felt so intense, it almost gave me goosebumps in a good way. So this was what it felt like to be lost in someone's eyes.

"Cliff," I finally uttered. But what I wanted to say was cut off.

He bent his head down and gave me another short lingering kiss. Then he started to move. He guided us both to a dance that only lovers had ever known.

The modern love song still played softly in the background. A bright full moon shone overhead as if to give us the spotlight. I could feel the surrounding flowers cheering us on during that lovely moment.

We danced with the melodies in our hearts. I loved the way he held me in his arms. Yes, it was a night that would be forever etched in my heart and memory. I knew then that I would never forget this night for as long as I live.

"Cliff?" I finally managed to speak.

"Yes, bella?" he asked.

"Let's not forget to clean this up later," I said.

He stopped and stared at me. He looked puzzled.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"There's a mess of scattered rose petals and candles on the floor. How can we not clean this up? I'll be too shy to face your folks," I said.

His lips curved until he could not help but express his amusement aloud. His hand covered his mouth to try to suppress his laughter. He shook his head as he laughed.

"Oh, that? Don't mind it, bella. Let's just enjoy the moment," he said.

I smiled at him.

"Okay," I said with a nod.

Cliff pinched my cheek. Then he pulled me close into a hug as he laughed again. What I said really amused him. I wondered why. Hey, I was not joking! What is he laughing about? #Clueless

"You never fail to amuse me, bella. Don't worry, we'll clean this mess up," he said, still laughing.

________________________

"A bit reckless and careless back then, I always gave him headaches whenever I spend time with my guy friends. He would get angry at me for a short while, and then he would just heave a sigh and hug me tight. He did not know what to do with me."

________________________

Back to the campus! At last, summer break had ended.

I walked along my usual path on campus that morning. Cliff walked beside me. We stopped when he received a call on his smartphone.

"Un momento, bella (One moment, beautiful). It's my tío (uncle) back in Barcelona," he said.

I nodded.

He walked a few paces back to answer the call. I patiently stood there waiting. And then I heard someone calling out my name from the path ahead. I automatically smiled when I saw the familiar face of the guy approaching.

"David! I haven't seen you on campus for, like, a century now," I said.

I pulled him close for a tight and quick hug. I missed him!

David was one of my closest friends. He was like another version of Stephen, a brother I never had... but way nicer, and very humble. It was even easier to talk to David about complicated stuff. He was a good listener. I knew I should not be comparing them, though.

"Oh! Is this a welcome-back hug? I miss you, too, Fiona. How have you been?" David asked.

"I'm fine. Still pretty, by heaven's grace. Thanks for asking. And you, David, how are you?" I asked.

"My on-the-job training was finally over. I'm great! It's a good thing I bumped into you now. I was really looking for you here on campus. And I swear to God, I think you're getting prettier each time I see you. You're positively blooming today," he said.

"Hey, stop flattering me! You're not only cuter now; you've gotten sweeter, too," I said, laughing.

David smiled, and then playfully pinched my cheek. I gave out a lighthearted laugh. He had always been a good friend of mine. And I had always known that he was very fond of me. And that, if given the chance, he would rather be more than just a friend.

"Now that I'm back on campus, we should hang out again sometime," he said.

"Yeah, we should! There's so much stuff I wanna tell you about. And tell me about how you've been doing, too! It'll be fun to catch up," I said.

I was really happy to see him again. Why not? David and I had been friends for years.

We did try to be more than friends in the past but things never worked out between us. So we decided that we would be much better off in the friend zone instead. And I could say that David was okay with the way things had gone between us. No hard feelings!

"How about lunch later? My treat 'coz, damn, I really missed you. I'll see you at Le Gourmet near Mayer Residence Hall," he said.

Before answering David's invitation, I glanced briefly at Cliff. I saw that he was still on the phone with his Spanish uncle. But he was staring at me with a blank expression. I could not read what he was thinking. Were they talking about a problem over the phone? I wondered.

"Alright, Le Gourmet it is," I said, smiling as I turned back to David.

And then I noticed in the corner of my eye that Cliff walked past me without a word. Oh, wow! He just left me! Fine! Sarcasm added. I almost frowned when I remembered that I was still talking to my friend. I held on to my smile instead.

David handed me his smartphone so I could input my number into his contacts. After saving my number, I handed the gadget back to him. He happily placed it in his pocket.

"Alright. I'll call you later, Fiona, before lunchtime. I'll see if I can pick you up along the way so we can go there together," he said.

"Sure thing! Thanks, David," I said.

He lightly touched my arm and then bent over to give me a quick peck on the cheek.

"Later," he said.

I nodded with a smile. Then I watched him as he continued on the campus path to wherever he was headed. When he was finally out of sight, I turned back towards my own path and heaved a sigh. I raised a brow. Okay. So what's wrong with Cliff?

"Where art thou?" I texted Cliff during class.

I held my phone behind the desk. I needed to hide it away from the sight of Professor Chen, the strict elderly man who was lecturing in our Business Ethics class.

Several minutes passed. I constantly checked my phone but there was no reply from Cliff. I knew he did not have a class this morning. I assumed that he was in the library.

I held my phone again and, frowning, I typed a text message for Cliff. And I was still busily texting when I noticed an open palm held out before me. I looked up and was startled when my eyes met Prof. Chen's hawk-like stare. He nodded slightly at me.

"They're called smartphones. But only idiots use that during my class. Now, are you an idiot or a smart one?" Prof. Chen said.

"S-sorry, professor," I said and placed my phone on his palm.

He held my phone before his eyes and read my text message. A crease formed on his forehead as he adjusted his eyeglasses.

"Where art thou?... Hmm... Shakesperean English, I see. Effective for romantic purposes but never recommended for business proposals. I hope you get what I mean, Ms. Bell. Your gadget will be temporarily pawned to me. You may redeem it with zero interest after this class."

"Duly noted, professor," I said with the utmost respect and a tiny bit of displeasure.

I bit my lower lip as I looked down. I heard my classmates snickering in the background. I'm never using my phone again during class! Gosh! This is embarrassing!

Class dismissed earlier than usual. I immediately redeemed my phone from the table slash pawnshop of Prof. Chen. He smiled as he silently handed the device to me. Zero-interest indeed! Awesome!

I still had 30 minutes before lunchtime. I decided to do a quick check for any sign of Cliff in the library. And I was right. He sat beside the table at the far corner of the library. His face was serious as he flipped the pages of a book he was reading. I walked over to him.

Stopping beside him, my brow automatically rose when he did not even bother to glance my way. I noticed that he had his earphones on.

"Cliff," I called out in a hushed tone.

He did not move a muscle. Slightly irritated, I pulled off one of his earphones. Voila! It's effective! He immediately turned his head to look at me. He straightened up when he noticed my grumpy expression.

"Fiona. What are you doing here? Don't you have a lunch date to go to?" he said. There was an obvious sarcasm in his voice.

"What's wrong with you? You just left me without a word this morning. It didn't feel right," I said.

"Damn right, it didn't feel right," he said.

"Cliff, I don't have time to enter a debate with you. Come on! The call with your uncle... did it not go well?" I asked, worried that he might be having a problem back home.

He just stared at me. He looked hesitant about what to say next.

"Are you serious, Fiona? Do you really not know what went wrong?" he said, sounding disappointed.

I stared back at him. The frown on my forehead increased.

I was about to talk back when I heard David's voice from nearby. When I turned, he was already approaching me with a wide grin on his face. I smiled back at him. I remembered I texted him a while ago that I would wait for him in the library.

Cliff sighed heavily and stood up.

"Go ahead. Don't be late for your lunch date," he whispered sarcastically before disappearing into the large lines of bookshelves.

I did not pay attention to his tantrum. Of course, I would not let him ruin my friendship with anyone... whether he likes it or not. What was he so mad about anyway?

"Lunch is served! Are you ready to go?" David asked as he stopped in front of me.

"Yeah, I'm hungry. Thanks in advance for the lunch treat t," I said, placing my hands around his arm.

I tiptoed and gave him a quick peck of gratitude on the side of his cheek. He turned his head and smiled down at me.

"Always my pleasure, gorgeous," he said and winked.

We both laughed. And then we heard the sound of a book being banged loudly from somewhere in between the lines of bookshelves. It made everyone in the library turn in the direction of the loud noise. David shrugged and then gently led me to the exit.

Lunch with David at Le Gourmet went well. Our table was filled with sumptuous and nutritious food from the well-thought-out menu. We talked about his experiences during his OJT (on-job-training).

I talked to him about events on campus that involved our mutual friends. I did not tell him about Cliff yet. He probably heard about him already from my friends but did not bother to ask me.

We were engrossed in casual conversation when the door of the establishment opened and a noisy group entered. The group comprised cheerleaders and some members of the varsity team. I turned my head in the direction of the entrance. My brow automatically rose at what I saw.

Katherine and her judgmental squad cheerfully walked towards a table nearby. Cliff was with them. My wicked stepsister had her hands placed around his arm.

I was never the nosy type but I could not help myself from scrutinizing their movements. Cliff looked reluctant. But he smiled nonetheless when Katherine hugged her from the back before she sat down on the seat beside him.

"Hey, are you okay? It's your stepsister, right?" David asked, a worried tone in his voice.

He placed a hand on my cheek to catch my attention again.

"Yeah, my stepsister and my..." I stopped when I realized I was speaking absentmindedly.

His hand left my cheek and then he gently placed it over mine on the table.

I turned my attention back to David.

"Don't mind me, David. Honestly, I'm fine," I said to him with a smile.

"I know. You're a strong woman and that's what I like about you," he said.

He gave my hand a slight reassuring squeeze. I smiled, grateful for his effort to make me feel better.

We resumed our conversation. But I now found it hard to concentrate.

I looked back at David with a smile on my face. My attention, however, drifted over to the nearby table with the noisy squad. And yes, I felt Cliff's eyes on me. So I did not dare glance their way again.

I got this weird feeling. One I only get whenever I felt that someone was staring at me in secret. It was awkward! Darn it!

"Looks like you got a new admirer in the varsity team. He'd been staring at our table for a while now."

"Huh?" I gasped at what David said.

I almost choked on the food I was chewing. He immediately passed me a glass of water. I tried hard not to turn my head in the direction he was secretly pointing out. I knew it! My gut feeling was right!

"Next thing I know, some jealous prick waits for me outside to punch me in the face. He probably thinks I'm your boyfriend," David said, laughing.

"Not funny," I answered. He just laughed even more teasingly.

I was no longer in the mood to finish my meal. I was self-conscious and feeling guilty. Guilty, mainly because the food here was quite expensive. Self-conscious, well, because of the pair of eyes that continued to stare at me. They felt like razor blades, painfully stabbing through the four chambers of my heart. Now, why is that?!