Hello~ Sorry wasn't able to update ASAP. :( I don't have internet access. Anyway, here's Chapter 20! ;)
Dedicated to: Ramcharan
Chapter 20 – A Not So Closemouthed Luis
Waking up from the sun’s ray reflection through her window, Priscilla removed the blanket covering her smooth legs and jumped out of her bed. She quickly made her bed before proceeding to her bathroom and brushed her teeth. She walked out of her bathroom after brushing her teeth.
“Miss Priscilla, breakfast is ready.” A lady from outside said as she knocked through Priscilla’s door.
“Thank you, I will be there after shower.” She replied, loud enough for the person outside to hear it before she walked into her bath room.
After taking a warm and fresh bath, Priscilla pulled out a towel from her bathroom cabinet and wrapped it around her hair. She then wore her bath robe and exited her bath room.
“Good morning, baby!” A man with a curly dark brown hair greeted, his lips wearing a grin as he was relaxed at Priscilla’s bed, his arms crossed above his head. Priscilla gasped in surprise.
“What are you doing here, Luis?” She asked as she crossed her arms, clearly irritated. “I have to change so you better get out.”
“It’s been two days since we last met, cousin.” He replied as he snuggled Priscilla’s pillow. He was being stubborn.
“I said, I have to change so you better get out, Luis.” She repeated, glaring at her cousin. Luis then stood up lazily and sighed before mumbling something.
“What?” she asked mockingly as she followed her cousin to her door.
“Nothing, we have to talk later.” He replied as he turned towards her direction and winked before finally shutting the door.
It has been two days since Priscilla went to her parents’ home. She missed her parents so much. They went fishing the next day after she got there and she certainly had a lot of fun. After eating lunch with her family the day she got to the villa, she slept and rested for hours. She hasn’t done that for quite some time.
Locking the door of her room, Priscilla opened her cabinet and grabbed some clothes to wear. After slipping onto her black shorts and plain white blouse, she jumped back onto her now crumpled bed, all thanks to Luis. She took her phone that she placed beside her lampshade. She then scanned her messages and found a message from her best friend, Natasha.
From: Natasha; received: 22:06;
Pris! Oh gosh! You won’t believe this! Call me ASAP! I miss you! xx
Priscilla immediately pressed the call button after reading her best friend’s message. After two rings, Natasha finally answered.
“Pris!” Natasha gushed through the receiver “Well, You should have told me that Luis is in town and he became hot so that I wouldn’t have gone on a lunch with him.” Priscilla’s eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open. “Don’t worry, nothing happened. It was just a friendly date.” She added to calm the other.
“Were you aware that he’s my cousin before hand?” Priscilla asked as she rolled out of her bed.
“Nope.” Natasha answered popping the ‘p’ sound. “I only found that out after lunch. Do you want to know how?” she added enthusiastically.
Not waiting for her best friend’s reply, Natasha continued. “When we were bidding our goodbye, he told me he’ll introduce me to his younger cousin because he is sure his cousin and I will click together. I asked him who is his cousin and where does this girl lives and he answered me that his cousin lives nearby and goes by the name of Priscilla. Priscilla Hamilton!”
“I was like OMG! She’s my best friend and he was like ‘No way! I’ll be dead!’ It was funny!” Natasha chuckled over the phone.
“Good thing he is aware that he’ll be dead by now.” Priscilla joined Natasha, chuckling.
“He even wants us to have lunch or dinner together with Amanda and Steve. I’d say I would love that and I’m sure you would love that too.” Natasha informed. Priscilla then heard a knock coming from her door.
“Oh wait, sweetie. Someone’s knocking at my door” Priscilla said through the receiver. “Who is it?” She said as she covered her cell phone.
“It’s me, honey. Don’t you want to eat with us? The food will be cold.” Her mom answered on the other side of her door.
“I’ll be there in a minute mom!” She yelled as she stood up. “I’ll call you later again, Tash! Bye! See ya!” With that, she hanged up and walked out of her room.
*
After breakfast and lunch, Priscilla decided to relax at their backyard and enjoy the view. The flowers that were personally planted by her mom were beautiful, she thought.
“Having a great week so far?” A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked over to see it was her cousin, Luis holding two teacups.
“Absolutely! I miss home I’ve been really busy with school that I wasn’t able to come here very often.” She replied as she sat at one of the tea garden set of her mom’s.
“Here have some tea.” Luis said as he puts down a cup of tea in front of Priscilla.
“Thanks” Priscilla mumbled with a smile. “Wait, you did not tell me that your date last time was Natasha!” she added crossing her arms while pouting at her cousin.
“Sorry, Baby. I didn’t know that she was the Natasha you’ve introduced to me when we were young. I thought she was a different Natasha.” Luis answered as he puts his cup of tea down on the garden table. “Wait, she told you?”
“Of course!” Priscilla responded confidently as she took a sip of her tea. “I’m happy you realized Amanda is really for you.” She added with a smile.
“I know and maybe you were right that I was just scared of losing my bachelor status.”
“So, have you called Amanda?”
“Yup, right after my lunch with Natasha.”
“When will your wedding be?”
“Well, we’re not yet sure about when will we have our wedding but I’ll inform oce we’ve worked out all the details.”
The two then sat in comfortable silence as they drink their tea before Luis spoke up. “I’m guessing you have already informed Steve that I’m your cousin?” Luis spoke up, interrupting the silence between the two of them. “I dropped by at the flower shop where he works. He greeted me better than before then I figured out that you already told him.”
“What do you mean?” She asked, acting as if she didn’t understand him. Luis just gave him a don’t-pretend-with-me-look. “Well, yeah I told him but how did you noticed?”
“Look, your eyes are sparkling upon the mention of his name and he wasn’t talking to me coldly” Luis answered bluntly. “You know, he seems like a nice guy.” He added before taking another sip from his cup of tea.
“Who’s this guy you are talking about?” Charles chimed in the conversation as he walks behind Priscilla’s chair. Luis then coughed a little, surprised with his uncle’s sudden question. “Priscilla? Luis?” He asked looking at the two, one at a time as no one spoke up.
“Well, I-it’s…uhm I- uhh- You see Dad, the—”Priscilla answered her dad nervously, choking down all the words that would come out of her mouth.
“I believe Tio that my cousin, your daughter is in love.” Luis answered casually, cutting off Priscilla. Priscilla immediately kicked his foot under the table and gave him a death glare. “Oww!” he cried.
“Oh my gosh!” Ysabella gushed as she walked towards the garden table. She then paced faster towards her family. “Did I hear you correctly, Luis?” She asked her nephew to a very obvious answer. “My daughter is in love, now?!” She asked excitedly even before getting a response from her nephew.
“No, mom. Well, uhh.. Luis is just crazy! I—I’m not in love!” Priscilla denied as she continues to give Luis her deadliest glare. Ysabella then sat at the vacant chair next to her husband, Charles.
“She doesn’t want to admit it yet or maybe she just doesn’t know it YET.” Luis countered casually before sticking his tongue out towards Priscilla. “Do you know this guy named Steve? The one who’s living at her house? That’s him!” He informed his aunt and uncle, completely ignoring the glares Priscilla has been sending her.
Priscilla’s face was red. A combination of embarrassment and pissed with Luis isn’t really doing her complexion much justice.
“Is he a handsome guy?” Ysabella asked Priscilla, obviously interested with the guy. Her eyes looked lighter, looking really happy.
“Sort of but not as handsome as me.” Luis said cockingly with a smirk plastered on his face. He then looked at Priscilla, wiggling his eyebrows at her teasingly.
“You’re so full of yourself, Luis.” His cousin, Priscilla replied bitterly as she continued to stare at him.
“I guess from that answer, he must be handsome.” Ysabella said poking her daughter’s shoulders. “You know ,Pris? I think we should talk privately after all this topic should be a girl to girl topic.” She added as she stood up and pulled her daughter up. “Also, before your dad would go to your house now and murder someone.” She continued as she linked her arm with her daughter’s, seeing the serious and trying-to-be-calm face of her husband.
**
“So?” Ysabella cracked the silence between her and Priscilla as they walked in Priscilla’s room.
“Luis is just being a jerk, mom.”Priscilla said as she slumped herself in her bed. “He was just making fun of me!”
“Are you sure, dear?” She said rather teasingly. “By the looks of it, you may really have the interest for this guy. I know Luis. He is like his father. My brother would not tell such a thing if nothing would lead him to that conclusion. I’m pretty sure he raised Luis that way. I know Luis isn’t just making fun of you.” She said calmly and informingly as she sat beside her daughter. Priscilla then just sighed and didn’t answer.
“Am I right, Priscilla?” Ysabella asked raising her right eyebrows; she then earned a nod from her daughter.
“Aww!” She cooed as she saw her daughter nod. “I really want to see him! Can you bring him to our family dinner after your graduation here? I would meet him at your graduation though but I still want to see him here maybe he could stay over for the night and he—”
“Okay, mom. Don’t get too excited it’s not like Steve and I are actually dating.” She answered shyly, cutting her mom off.
“I’m pretty sure you’ll get there, sweetie.” Ysabella winked at her daughter before she pulled her for a hug. “I’m happy because I know you have finally moved on with Stephen’s death.” She added before pulling out of the hug.
“Mom, he’s beendead for several months now. I’m okay.” Priscilla assured her mom.
“I know he was your puppy or probably your first love, Priscilla.” Her mom answered her as a matter-of-factly. Priscilla’s mouth hanged open with her mom’s conclusion.
“I’m pretty sure you haven’t figured that out just yet but I know you loved him, dear. I know that your feelings were well reciprocated by Stephen.”
Her mom’s words made Priscilla think. Did she really love Stephen then? If she did, why didn’t she realize any sooner? Is that why she agreed with her parents’ deal with Stephen’s family? If it was another man, she knows she might have done something crazy, she will never in a million agree with it but when told that it was with Stephen, she have thought about it and agreed.
“You don’t have to deny it nor agree with it, Priscilla. You, yourself haven’t figured it out yet.” Her mom said, smiling down at her. “I could remember when we would get a package from them. Flowers and letters mostly addressed to you.”
Ysabella just smiled at her daughter. Her daughter is now a grown-up. She started to reminisce the days when her daughter was still young.
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