Chapter 21

While we were having lunch, I couldn't concentrate on my food. Teasing and laughter filled the air. Felix took such good care of Pretzel, offering her food, putting rice on her plate when it was empty, and even deboning the fish for her. I honestly couldn't take my gaze away from them. I was both amused and envious while watching them. It seemed like I was watching a different Felix at that time, very far from how I knew him back then. He was the rudest among his siblings and the most snobbish in their family, but looking at him at that moment made me wonder how much he had changed over the past few years I had been away in the Philippines. He changed while Felicity stayed the same—still the most talkative, loud, and energetic person I have ever known. The two have had very different personalities ever since, though watching him care for Pretzel was not the man I used to know. After lunch, we continued finalizing the plans. We went to the location where we would be putting the small health center. They also wanted to expand their greenhouse, and that was one of the project's priorities because the area was far from town. Besides expansion, they also wanted to strengthen the greenhouse to make it more resilient to hot weather and strong winds, and we also went to the spots where we would be putting the cottages. The entire afternoon was so hectic that I didn't realize it was already late. Thankfully, I made it through the entire day because I was preoccupied with work. "Are we working overtime?" I asked Felix. I made sure to smile because that was a joke. Felix stopped what he was doing and was a little surprised when he checked the time on his watch. He scratched his head and apologized for not noticing the time because his eyes were completely focused on the blueprint he was changing. "Brother must pay the overtime!" Felicity said while sitting not far away from us with his legs crossed. I didn't even notice he was sitting there until I turned my head to look at him and saw him tapping his phone screen. "I'll just finish this later; I'll take you back to your hotel," Felix said as he quickly gathered his belongings. When I heard what he said, I got up from my chair. I already wanted to rest and take a shower because my skin was sticky because of sweat. "Are you coming with us?" I asked Felicity because I didn't want my saliva to get wet again on the trip. Felix was as boring as he was. "I want to, girl, but I need to finish what I'm doing right now," he replied, not taking his gaze away from the screen of his cellphone. I was about to sulk, but he added, "Maybe tomorrow." That made me smile somehow. I just hoped it would happen because I miss talking to him. The driver was as quiet as I had expected. I was sleepy the entire trip, and it wasn't until we were close to the hotel that I considered striking up a conversation. I had a lot of questions when I first met Pretzel, and it was difficult for me to conclude. That was when I saw an opportunity and asked him questions. "By the way, Felix, how did you and Pretzel meet? Did she study at the same high school or college we went to? Because if so, she's not familiar with me." I started. He didn't answer right away, but I patiently waited because I didn't want to annoy him. "She's not from the school where we studied, though her parents have all the means to send her there. I met her unexpectedly, and she almost hit me with her car," he replied, finally opening up, but my eyes widened in surprise as I heard the last part of what he just said. "W-What? Are you serious? You mean, she almost killed you?" I exclaimed, and because it was noisy inside the jeepney, I needed to shout in order for him to hear. "That's not what you think it is. It was actually my fault. I was the one who appeared unexpectedly out of nowhere at the parking lot, and because I was carrying a large box, I didn't see her car," he explained. "Oh, so she didn't hit you?" "Y-Yeah, she didn't." "I-I see—but how did you end up in your current situation? If that's how you both met, how did she get pregnant?" Felix took a quick glance at me. I saw how his adam's apple moved. I knew that question was uncomfortable, but we were already adults. "It was unexpected and unplanned, but—do you really want to know how?" Felix answered. I could sense that awkwardness through his voice, but there was something else that I noticed. I just realized that if the subject was Pretzel, I could make him talk for hours. "Yes, I'd like to know, even in full detail," I pleaded. "I don't have any plans to tell you the story in complete detail. I don't honestly want to share some parts," he said, and I immediately protested. "Why not? I won't judge you. I promise I won't!" I was so damn curious. He was silent for a moment before he started telling the story. I didn't intervene; I just listened to every word he said. I found out that Pretzel was devastated when something happened to them. Her family set her up with the help of a matchmaker, my best friend, Felicity. Her parents were too desperate for her to settle down, and they even lied to her, saying that her father was sick and it was his dying wish for his only child. It was unfathomable to me that it could happen to someone. Pretzel ran away, and it was also the last time Felix and Pretzel saw each other. They searched for her for months and found her on the island, where she eventually decided to develop. In short, and in my conclusion, there wasn't love between them, but what I could see in Felix's eyes made me think it was a deep affection, and that made me raise the next question. "Do you love her?" He didn't answer. "I guess you don't," I said provocatively. 'If that's the case, can we try? After all, my parents like you, and I'm already close to your family," I added. Because of what I said, he looked at me so seriously, as if he was trying to figure out if I was lying or just making fun of him. "Can you hear yourself, Elyana?" he asked me after that glance. His voice sent chills through my bones. "O-Obviously," I reflected, laughing slightly to relieve the nervousness I felt when I heard him speak, but I didn't want to back down from what I had said. "If you're concerned about the child, you can take the child away from her; all you need are legal papers, and if she doesn't want the child, it'll be easier; you can have full custody of the baby once she gives birth," I added, attempting to give him advice. "We should end this topic; it's nonsense," he said, but I have some suggestions for him that I would consider if I were him. "I'm just trying to help you, Felix. Pretzel doesn't seem to like you, in my opinion. You know—I'm also a woman, so I can say this. Not because I don't like her; she's a nice person. I'm saying this because I care about you." We arrived at the hotel without hearing from him. He only said before leaving that he'd pick me up the next morning, which he did. He hasn't said anything to me since our last conversation. He was busy assisting his men when we were on the field. Felix, just let me do what I was supposed to do. He would only approach me and talk to me if he needed to ask anything related to the ongoing project. That was the real him, but since we had a conversation about his and Pretzel's situation, he had become more aloof. He was only like that to me; when it came to other people, especially Pretzel, he acted differently. He couldn't even look me directly in the eyes, and that lasted for days. Fortunately, Felicity was there to talk to me; it's just that she was planning to go home to Manila because she had clients to meet. They needed his presence, and another thing was that the signal in the area was weak, making it difficult to call him when he was needed. "What do you think of Pretzel? Does he seem to have feelings for your brother as well?" I asked Felicity during our snack break. We ate banana cue, and they also prepared sago't gulaman as a drink. My taste buds were becoming accustomed to simple foods, and when I was in my hotel, those were exactly what I was looking for. My skin started to get a bit tan, almost equal to Pretzel's skin color—not too dark, not too light, equal. "Hey! Don't ask me that. For what I know, both are in denial!" he replied, raising his voice, which made Felix, who happened to be nearby, turn his head toward us. "When will you learn to turn your voice down?" I complained. I almost smacked his face, which would surely wipe the foundation off his skin. I didn't even know what had gotten into his mind, and he wore makeup that day. Seriously, with what was happening at that time, I was afraid that once he went back to Manila, I would be left there without anyone to talk to. Although Pretzel would be there, talking to her was uncomfortable, and her presence irritated me the most. "Let him hear!" he exclaimed. Through my peripheral vision, I noticed Felix staring at us for the second time. I slowly turned my head in his direction and noticed how much he frowned while looking at his twin. Felicity seemed to know something about the two, and knowing he was close to Pretzel made me want to know everything he knew, but asking Felicity while Felix was around might catch me in my silent investigation into them. I was curious if I stood a chance and if she truly disliked him, and after that, I would try my best to persuade Felix to consider my proposal to simply take the child after Pretzel gave birth and take full custody. Just thinking about Felix and me together with a baby made me smile. It was a picture of one small, perfect, happy family—something I'd been daydreaming of ever since, and if that were the prize from the fatigue, sweat, and stress—sure enough, it would be worth it.