Love That Continues Here (A Love Worth An Eternity Volume 2)

[Margaret]

I just decided to stay in the library to review and study. It was the week of the finals and also the last day of that hell exams we students had to go through. That was why I had to do my best in my exams. I had no reasons to fail my final exams. It didn't matter if I only had two subjects to focus on for that last exam day. I still had two hours of vacant period. I would use that for me to study better.

It was just that... There were instances in which people would find me lost in my thoughts even though I was so sure I've been concentrating on studying. It would wander off towards the person who'd always disturb my mind, especially at this time that I finally chose to remain by his side.

Days had passed since that incident in the ancestral house that... the set-up between us sort of became weird. Of course, he would still tease me. But... Brent was doing it mildly. In fact, it was as if... things between us turned awkward, for some reason.

I don't know! It happened that way. But even with that, I tried my best to fulfill my promise. I stayed by his side (at least not all the time). Or should I say, I was watching over him. Seriously, I had to do that.

I halted to a stop in heading to the library upon hearing someone playing the piano. Along with that, I could also hear someone singing. I couldn't help frowning as I tried to listen closer. If I wasn't mistaken, the source of that sound I heard came from the music room.

And the voice was so familiar—enough to increase the tempo of my heartbeat. I could only smile wryly. Only one person had the ability to do that to me, even though that person doesn't have any idea about it at all. But I wanted to make sure, so I headed to the music room which was three rooms away from the stairs where I was to supposedly head to the library.

I took a deep breath before taking a peak on who owned that familiar voice.

Even though I already expected it, I still ended up surprised at the sight of the source of that beautiful voice. It was Brent! He was sitting in front of the piano as he played Martin Nievera's "Be My Lady".

Just like the first time I heard him sing something, he was playing the song and singing it with so much emotion—as if the person whom the song was dedicated to was just beside him. Weird enough, that thought pricked my heart. I could only watch him for a few moments. Several more moments passed, I found myself smiling because of the amusement I felt while watching Brent sing.

He was good as always. No one knew but I've admitted to myself a long time ago that I truly admire his singing ability. I could only conceal it with the help of my frustration and annoyance because of him ruining my days---though he doesn't do much of that simce the ancestral house event between us. It had been his habit and in the months that passed, I felt like I've gotten used to it. It was like as if my days wouldn't be complete without teasing and annoying each other between me and that jerk. Yes, I still referred to him as a jerk even though he embraced me so many times that sometimes, making me contemplate if I should punch him because of that.

In all honesty, this was the first time I was able to endure that long when it comes to annoying and teasing from other people---especially from a guy. Before, no guys would dare tease me to no end. Anyway, their first impression about me would always be mean, snappy, cranky and blunt. And it seemed that I upheld that belief for this long. But Brent would appear to be the first person who became immune of my snappy and cranky first impression. It was obvious with the way he teased annoyed me almost every day and he wasn't even fazed with all my retorts.

Why did I allow that jerk's teasings to me last this long? It was the one question that, until that moment, I couldn't find a solid answer. That is, even though I had some sort of an idea why.

I was snapped out of my musings when Brent finished playing the piano and I saw him heave a sigh. As for me, I was still hiding and continuously watching him. After a while, I saw him played the same song again on the piano.

He never really got tired of playing that song. It seemed that he would always sing that song whenever he was alone. I guessed that would make it his favorite song, huh?

"Be my lady. Just forget the past, it's time to mend your broken heart. No walls divide us now, so dry the tears in your eyes..."

And that was when I decided to do one thing.

"Nothing can stop us now. I'll give you all I have..." I sang the rest of the song's chorus as I came out of my hiding place and entered the music room.

I saw him turned around and he was surprised to see me there. Still, I smiled at him—one thing I rarely do... before the scene at the ancestral house. I never got to do it again after that because of awkwardness that seemed to ignite between us.

"Can I join you?" He just stared at me. I couldn't help chuckling at the sight. "Hey! I said, can I join you?"

It seemed that it was only then that Brent snapped out of it. He even blinked a few times. "W-what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Why? Was it a bad thing for me to enter here?"

He shook his head. "T-that's not what I meant."

I sighed before deciding to approach him. Really weird for me, I couldn't feel any irritation or frustration for this guy at the moment. But then again, he wasn't even teasing me for me to feel annoyed or anything similar. And now that I thought about it, my irritation towards him would simply disappear whenever I hear him sing. It wasn't just once that I heard him sing, anyway.

Not to mention, he wasn't teasing me too much since the incident in his house that only me and Brent knew. Well, it would be a different issue if he would annoy me to no end, that would really irritate me. And it was even though I knew that his teasings were just a scapegoat to cover up the rumors floating around that he was courting me because of the flowers I'd receive for him.

"You really like singing that song, huh?"

"Was it obvious? I guess I just like singing it until my wish finally come true. But then, it looked like it's hard for that to make it happen. For now, that it." He even chuckled after that.

"Good thing for you, it's not raining. The last time I heard you sing something, it suddenly rained," I said as I sat on a piano stool beside him.

He smiled. "It seems like a miracle that we're not annoying each other today, huh?" he suddenly pointed out.

"Of course. You didn't start it, that's why." But I stiffened as I heared it. He was right about that. Our teasings hadn't been a regular routine anymore between us since he recovered and went back to class. And... I had this feeling that I was liking this sort of peaceful system between us. "In all fairness, it looked like you don't have any plans of annoying me or tease me the whole day today."

"Don't even think of making me do something like that to you today. Besides, you look really pretty today to even tease you. I won't gain anything good by doing that, anyway," he stated with a sweet smile carving his face.

I rashly peered at him after that. What did he just say? I felt my cheeks warmed up because of that. "You're crazy, you know that?"

"Maybe. I guess I'm just crazy about you right now."

What the heck are you talking about, Brent? "Are you sure you had your lunch?" I joked in spite of the tension I felt because of his words. My heart couldn't take him being this vocal---that is, if his words actually meant it. "If not, maybe you should fill your stomach first with something to clear your mind. Maybe you're just saying that out of hunger."

"You really don't believe me, do you?"

"What? You mean it wasn't a joke?"

He shook his head after sighing that I found weird somehow. "Never mind. What's important is that you're treating me rather nicely today."

"Well, let's just say that I steadily got tired of the way I countered your teasings. Blame the flowers that you're giving me for me to feel that way. Besides, I think it's okay this way. We've always argued almost every day since we've met."

His expression brightened up, complete with an expectant look in his eyes and hopeful smile. "Does this mean we can be closer? And this time, it's for real? No truce whatsoever that you could think of?"

I raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you 'be closer'? Stop assuming things, will you? I'm just stating what I think about us and how we actually lived our lives since our paths crossed."

"So... what exactly are you trying to point out with what you're saying right now?"

I gave it a thought for a few moments. "Let's have a truce. Again," she suggested.

He frowned. "Truce? Again? Can't we become friends already? At least, it would last that way. Unlike this truce you're suggesting that's only temporary. And this time, it's for real. No more truce or anything similar. It only ruins things, you know."

"Hey, stop being too fast with this. In case you're forgetting, I haven't actually forgiven you for what you did before."

"Come on, Laine! That was last October. Haven't you already forgiven me when you punched me hard twice on the face and you even hit me with your knee? You nearly killed my chances of spreading my beautiful genes to the world."

I snickered at that. But what surprised me and made my heart beat rapidly was the name that he called me.

Laine...

Seriously... This guy was truly insistent. But hearing it again, it was actually endearing for me to be called by that name. A sense of closeness.

So now Brent wanted us to be close? Like, for real?

'For a long time. You just acknowledged that today?'

"Come on, Laine. We're friends now. Please?" he pleaded like a kid and even stood up just for him to kneel in front of me that gave me a shock and a fast beating heart at that sight.

Our eyes locked, staring at each other for who knows how long. I could feel as if everything around me stopped moving at the moment. My heart beat even faster than how it was a while ago. Oh, great! Why does my heart has to beat this fast? What in the world were you trying to do with me heart, Brent?

Could I seriously agree with what he was asking from me? I heaved a heavy sigh with hopes of calming my erratically beating heart. In a way, it helped.

"Okay," I voiced out as a response. In fact, it would be for the best.

He frowned, seemingly unable to process what I wanted to say. "Okay... what?"

I rolled my eyes and sighed exasperatingly. "Does your mind process the words I'm saying slowly right now and you're asking me that?"

"Then make it clear."

"I said, okay, we're friends starting today. That's what you want to happen, right? No truce whatsoever. We'll be getting close... for real."

He stared at me after that. I mean, just... stared intently at me. A few moments later, he smiled widely and pulled me up with no warning, then hugged me tight. It truly surprised me. I froze for a few moments.

"Thank you, Laine! Thank you, thank you!"

I ended up smiling because of happiness and inexplainable warmth I felt from his hug. If there would always be hugs coming from this guy, then I wouldn't mind being his friend for a long time.

Okay... Now maybe I was thinking too much.