Chapter Seven

BUT looking at Theous right now, Bella realized that she's just fooling herself all these years. It's true that Terence got her attention first but her heart noticed Theous first, and she just ignored it because she wanna believed what she sees more than what she feels before.

Since then, Theous was always there when she needed him, he always support her even if he kept on nagging her, he went along with her silliness, and he always encouraged her whims when it comes to food.

Bella smiled. Yes, I love this arrogant man in front of me. He's annoying but I really do love him.

But unlike before, she have no plans on telling him about her feelings. Enough of hating him just because she cannot accept that he likes someone else, that she's not that important for him. She can't make someone like her forcefully.

Dammit! One sided love is annoying!

She looked away and turned her attention back to the tulips that's not yet done arranging. Enough of staring at him, it's not good for her heart anymore.

"It's a miracle that you agreed on their plan. I thought you're a busy man, and time is very important to you." She kept her eyes on the flowers even if she felt him walking near her.

"It's because I want to help you. I'm the one who knows how much you like Kuya Terence and I saw you getting hurt because of him many times before. If I could help you, I would. I know that witnessing Kuya being engaged to Ate Liria hurts you so bad even if you're not showing it," Theous said that made her eyes rolled secretly.

But you know nothing. Your the one I love, fool!

"Thank you, but its no need, Theous. I'm really fine. I already know that Kuya Terence will never be mine before they even became a couple. And about me being single. Don't worry, once I'm back in the city I'll work on my love life full time. You heard Lola, they want grandchildren as soon as possible, so I have to work hard on finding my man." Lies!

"What did you say?" Theous asked angrily.

Bella turned to him frowning, he's now standing juts few steps from her.

"I'm going on a date once I'm back to the city. Callian knows a lot of model and young tycoon—"

"Don't you dare, Carabella!" Theous shouted suddenly that made her jump a bit because of surprised and he really looked mad right now.

What the heck?!

"W-why are you getting mad at me?"

"You can't do that." He's walking near her, and that made her stepped back but it's dead end because of the side table on her back. He cornered her.

"I-I don't understand, y-you said you guys are worried that I'm sulking because Kuya Terence is engaged. That's why I'm going on a date, but why are you stopping me now?" she asked confused and nervous because he's so near. Like inches away.

"You're not going on a date. I'm the one who will look for a date for you. I told you, I'll help you. I don't trust your choices of men, you like the one's that's taken," Theous said that made her gasped in surprised.

"What the hell are you saying? I don't like taken men! And Kuya Terence was single when I had a crush on him! You're so annoying!" she said before pushing him.

Now, he's back at being rude! Annoying!

"Still, I'm the one that's gonna look for your date. Is there any characteristics that you want me to look for?" he asked casually, like he didn't just insulted her a minute ago.

"I want a very handsome man, rich, and successful. Make sure that you'll find those three on your candidates," she said as she moved away and walked to the sofa on the side of her room.

"I see, you want a very handsome man, rich, and successful? Wait, are you talking about me?" he asked with playful smile.

Bella just gave him a tired look. "Nope. You're far from my dream man." Lies. Because you're the one I want.

Oh, stop it, Carabella!

Theous just shrugged his shoulders as he walked to her bathroom, "I'll just clean up. You can join me if you want."

Bella felt her cheeks turned red but she still managed to rolled her eyes on him. "You wish!"

Theous just laughed healthily as he closed the bathroom's door.

"My goodness, he's so annoying!"

BELLA was still sitting on the sofa and trying to entertained herself by reading a book but she cannot help looking at her bed from time to time. And it's because Theous was currently sleeping on her bed soundly. Looks like he was really tired from their long drive.

When he was at at shower earlier she went out of her room to get some water because she got thirsty and when she came back, Theous was already sleeping.

And she actually thank the angels up above for that because her heart need a time out from him. The way he was acting earlier was making her heart go from 0 to 1000 in a beat. She needed to collect herself again and tell her heart that it should stop being delusional. It's not good for them.

Bella sighed and tried her best again to focus on what she was reading, but she suddenly wanna laugh at herself because she realized that she's not even done reading the first page, and it's a dedication page of the writer.

I'm really losing it!

But after few minutes, she decided to stop pretending that she's reading the book and threw it at the single sofa, as she focus on watching Theous sleeping on her bed.

Who was she kidding here, it's obvious that her eyes wanna focus only to him and she cannot disagree with that.

Then after few minutes of staring, her feet decided to stand up and walked to her bed. She's walking slowly as she carefully sat on the side of the bed. And it's like her eyes were now contented to watched him this close.

What a creep, Carabella!

To be honest, when Theous told her that he was just doing everything because of her mother and grandmother's request, she felt hurt and disappointed. Because she actually thought that back at the restaurant their friendship—before he left to London—was finally back but it's not. He's just doing her and her family a favor.

So annoying! But why I can't get mad at him? Do I really love him that much? What a foolish heart!

Bella's sad eyes traveled to his face, and she smiled as she like what she was seeing. If there's one thing she really envy about Montemayor brothers its their perfect high nose, it look so good and handsome on its own. Well, their faces were almost perfect since they were young.

She always tell Theous before how much she wanna have his nose, not that hers was bad but she really admires his nose. Like she's the number one fan of it.

Bella smiled as she bite her lower lip, then her hand lifted to touch his perfect nose. She have no will power to stop herself.

This was not her first time doing this, she actually love touching his nose before, but Theous hates it because he believes that her hand was full of germs. And to get back to him, she's always asking him of where did he get his nose done. And they will start bickering after that.

I really miss you, Theous. I missed this.

And because she's already on it, why not savor the moment, right? So her hand traveled down to his cheek and she caressed it carefully gently.

She'd met a lot of fine looking men but there's really something about Theous that she cannot help herself but admire him even if he's so annoying most of the time.

Actually, during the first time she met the Montemayor brothers Theous was the one she noticed first, specially his eyes that was so dark and yet very charming.

She noticed him first because he was looking at her full of seriousness, a watchful kind of look that's making her heart beat so fast, and she thought that it was like that because she's scared of him. The reason why she turned her attention fully to the friendly and sweet Terence.

There's longing and sadness in Bella's eyes as she watch Theous sleep. Then her hand moved to his hair and combed it gently.

"You know, you're so annoying most of the time but when you left to go to London, I was really sad and I missed you so much. I hate admitting it but I really do miss you, Theous." Then she sighed and took her hands off of his hair. "Tell me what did you do to me, why I can't hate you so much even if I want to—"

"Carabella." She was startled when she heard a gentle knocked on her room's door followed by her mother's voice.

Bella shook her head as she stood up carefully and walked to her door.

"Yes, Ma?" she asked when she opened the door.

"Where's Theous, dear?" her mother asked right away with wide smile that made her frown.

"He's still sleeping. Why? Did something happen? You want me to wake him up?" she opened the door wider.

But her mother shook her head and smiled at her, "Oh, no. Let him sleep. You're actually the one I came here for, your Lola Nerita asked if you wanna help us making the suman—a Filipino dessert. They're already preparing at the kitchen. I told them that you might be sleeping too but your Lola Nerita said that you told her that you wanna help. But if you and Theous are busy—"

"Ma!" she cut her mother as she gave her a disbelief looked. What the hell?!

"Hey, I'm just kidding you. But no need to be shy to your mother, you know how much I approve Theous to be your boyfriend—"

"Mama, enough. I told you already, we're not dating. Theous might hear you, it's embarrassing!" she cut her mother again who was just giggling at her reaction.

"And Ma, I already know about your request to Theous, he told me that you're worried that I might lost interest of dating because Kuya Terence is now engaged. It's not true, I was just busy at work, but don't worry once I'm back at the city I'll go on a date and look for my true love. And Ma, Theous is a busy man, he got a lot of businesses to run. Don't worry about me, I already moved on. I'm genuinely happy for Kuya Terence and Ate Liria." She smiled at her mother who gave her a hug.

"Ah, my little princess is a grown up woman now. Mama was just worried that you're sad that's why I asked Theous to accompany you. I know that you two are good friends... but I don't mind if you two decided to became more than friends," her mother said before laughing when she sighed tiredly.

"You're really not gonna dismissed that thought, no?"

"Oh, you know how much I want you to be with one of the brothers. But since day one, Theous's my choice."

She's really not gonna stop.

But her mother's not the only one who's delusional, her heart too.

"Oh, enough of this, Ma. Let's just go to the kitchen and make some suman," Bella said and was about to go out of her room when she felt a hand grab her arm, making her startled.

And when she turned to her back she saw that it was Theous who grabbed her arm.

His hair was a bit messy and his eyes were still sleepy. "I want to make suman too."

Bella giggled as she faced him fully, "Are you sure? You look like you wanna sleep some more," she said as she combed his hair with her hand.

"Theous, it's okay. Sleep some more, we know you're tired," her mother said but Theous shook his head.

"It's okay, Ninang. I had enough rest, and I don't think I'll be able to sleep again knowing that Carabella's not beside me," Theous said with a smile to her mother before he turned to her with a smirked.

And that made Bella dropped her mouth in shock. What the hell was he talking about?

"You two are sleeping together?" her mother really asked with a jolly smile. Goodness!

"No, Tita, I was sleeping alone but I was awakened when Bella sat beside me." And he's not breaking his eyes on hers.

Dammit! He was awake?!

"Oh, Theous, it's okay, I really don't mind if you two was sleeping on the same bed—"

"Goodness, Mama!"

Bella just shook her head as she massaged her forehead. She's starting to have an headache with this conversation.

"I'll go ahead to the kitchen, you two are giving me a headache!" she said leaving them their.

And she cannot believed that the two even laughed at her. So annoying!

Clearly they're just teasing her... but the fact that Theous was awake and probably heard her sentiments about him. Oh, no!

When Bella reached the kitchen she saw Doña Nerita starting to prepare the ingredients of their own version of suman. The usual suman is made of rice or cassava with sugar, but Doña Nerita used four ingredients for her version of suman: cassava, plantain, cocoa, and honey.

And it's Bella's favorite dessert ever. But she love the story behind it too, because of Doña Nerita's special suman Don Luis fell in love with her in first bite. It's a funny but lovely story.

And because of that the suman is like a special dish whenever they have gatherings here in the rancho.

Bella also like making it because it's kinda relaxing and also its fun to listening to the elders talk about the latest gossips in town. Even if she have no idea who they were talking about most of the time.

She walked to her grandmother and hugged her from behind. "Looks like your making it more delicious, Lola. Why you want Lolo to fall in love more?" she asked that made Doña Nerita laughed before kissing her cheek.

"Of course. Love should always be blooming every time."

"Absolutely right." Bella sat on the chair beside Doña Nerita and help cleaning the banana leaf that they're going to use as a wrapper of the suman.

"You didn't take a nap?"

"No, Lola, I took a nap while on the way here." But when she looked at Doña Nerita, the old lady's looking at her with sad smile.

"What's wrong Lola?"

"Oh, I'm just worried that you're not sleeping well, hija. You shouldn't overworked yourself and make some time to enjoy your life when you're still young." Doña Nerita looked really worried as she tapped her head.

Bella smiled and nodded, "I will, Lola. You know that I don't like worrying you a lot, right?"

"Really? Then you should come home every weekend, you know how much we like hearing your loud voice all over the house when you're here," Doña Nerita said that made her laugh.

Well, she's guilty. She's not that busy to not go home at weekends but these past months whenever she scheduled to go home, she learned that the Montemayors will be here too. And she don't wanna see Theous because she's sure her heart will go crazy. Just like what's happening right now. She actually wanna move on and forget about her feelings but her heart won't let go. She's sticking strong as super glue.

And actually, right now, she's thankful that her heart was hella stubborn.

"Then, you can expect me to be here again next weekend and sing my lungs out to shooed the bad spirits in this house," she said that made everyone at the table laughed. They're with their helpers.

"Oh, I would love that. And please, if Theous have time, bring him with you when you come here. I really like seeing you two together." Bella pouted and was about to talked but Doña Nerita continued, "I know, you're not together, but seeing you two, makes me remember the old times when you, Theous, and Terence was swimming at the river all naked."

"What? Are you serious, Lola?" she asked really surprised and she could feel her cheeks blushing.

"Yes. I think you were four then. You guys were so adorable and like triplets when you're young," Doña Nerita said with happy smile.

Bella seriously had no idea about that. She honestly thought that the first time she met the brothers was when she's eight. That's the only time she remembered meeting them.

Their conversation was cut when her mother and Theous arrived at the kitchen with happy smiles, like they're talking about something funny. Hopefully, it's not about me.

Bella instantly looked away when she met Theous's eyes, she focused her gaze on the banana leaves that she's cleaning. But Theous looks like he won't let her have a peace of mind when he pulled the chair beside her and moved it closer to her, so when he sat their shoulders were touching. This man will be the dead of me! Argh!

She looked at him with deep frown. She actually wanna shout at him and say, 'Are you numb? Can't you feel that I don't want you this close?', but her heart, her stupid heart, was actually enjoying the proximity. Damn!

"What?" he even asked with joyful smile as he started pealing the plantain that her mother put in front of them.

"Nothing," she said rolling her eyes on him that made him laugh. "Annoying..." she murmured to herself.