"This is getting out of hand." Nadine told me as she squirmed around my room unable to stay still.
She was getting frustrated at some of our fans' reaction about my clubbing last night. Actually, I didn't go out without her permission, we've discussed about it even before we landed back to Manila. I told her that I, Bret, Andre, and Yassi's sister will go out clubbing to unwind and to catch up a little. I even invited her to come with us but the good girl that she is, she declined and told me to have fun instead.
Of course, she gave me a warning look before she agreed. Honestly, it took a lot of sales talk from me before she said yes; such as I'll be good, I won't drink much, and I even included not touching any fans whenever they'll request for a picture – which I kept, I made a stern point to put my hands in my pocket or at my back when someone asked for a picture. She smiled at my last statement and gave me a little slap on my shoulder. It's not like she didn't want me to have fun, she's just worried about the drawbacks that come along with it. Basing on my past issues, I don't blame her feeling that way. Maybe some of it was true but it was all because I can't have her back then, leading me to compensate all my frustrations with liquor and my night life.
My sweet and lovely Naddie who always has a smile that can brighten the darkest of murk. I'm not dumb to let her go. I've never felt this way before not even with my past relationship, she always has this compelled feeling and aphrodisiac smell that never fails to lure me in. I can't imagine a day without her in my life, and often times I wondered if I'm not good enough for her since a few of our supporters couldn't actually see my love and care for her. It hurts reading some bashful comments coming from the people with the word "JADINE" tagged along their usernames; sometimes I toss on my bed and think about some ways to let them believe that I am goddamn serious about Nadine, and what I would do not to lose her.
There was this one time I told her to actually publicize our relationship, I thought it was easier that way, but she deliberately turned it down afterwards. I couldn't understand it then, I doubted her even and thought that she doesn't love me enough, but now I finally comprehend where she was coming from. We're not really together that long, it was Christmas Eve when she at long last decided to commit – to let her guards down and actually allow herself to be happy – happy with me. Nevertheless, she's still thorough about it. She had set some rules for our relationship to work, all pointing out to keep it private as much as we could. Remembering about her visage then, the way she wrinkled her nose and twitched her eyes with wrappers on her hands thinking about what-not-to-do, I couldn't suppress the grin forming on my lips.
"What are you smiling about, James? Aren't you upset? Look oh! They're bashing you again." She flopped beside me, thrusting her phone on my face. Irritation scrabbled around her body.
"This is why I don't want us to publicize our relationship. Tingnan mo ngayon, they don't even know that we're together but grabe sila makabash." She let out a sigh afterwards and leaned her head on the crook of my neck.
"James, we're not together that long but ganito na. How are we going to keep up?"
It's true; it's our first issue as an official couple. For me, it isn't really that much. She's from Frontrow that I accidentally bumped into last night. It turned out that she's a friend of my non-showbiz friend too. It was just a small chit-chat and I followed her on IG in the morning. I didn't really think there was a problem with that not until some of our fans gone haywire about the whole damn thing.
I tilted my head to kiss Nadine's hair hoping that it can somehow obliterate the stress that she's feeling as of the moment. And put my forefinger on her chin to lift her head and meet my gaze.
"It was nothing." I started off. "Really, she's nothing. Me, Andre, Bret and Issa were dancing on the dancefloor when I accidentally bumped into her. I said sorry. She offered her hands and introduced herself and told me that she's also from frontrow and a friend of a friend of mine. I asked for her IG and that was it."
She met my gaze with a glare, piercing to the very core of my being. And right at that moment I know she was mad.
"Why do you have to ask her IG?" she hissed, storming out away from me. She didn't even bother facing me when she said that.
"Hey. Hey. Are you jealous? Is my Naddie really jealous?" I stood up and manoeuvred myself to her. My arms were caressing her shoulders – moving up and down, trying to calm her down. Nonetheless, I couldn't hide the grin on my face, it's unlikely of her to be jealous so I couldn't help but feel giddy at it. What did I do in my past life to deserve this girl? I must've been a really good boy.
Moving my arms from her shoulders to her waist, I hugged her tight and buried my face on her hair, awaiting for her to tone down a bit. But she didn't even budge; instead she unclasped my arms from her waist and moved away.
"STOP!" she said sternly. How can someone be so cute and be furiously mad at the same time?
"I'm sorry." Trying to hug her again. "It's networking. Frontrow is networking, so I need to do that."
"You have a lot of fans –or connections, James. You don't need her." She mumbled, as she sidled her way to the couch again and tucked her knee, bracing it with her arms. Consequently, she buried her face in it, and my heart twanged in pain seeing her like the way she is now.
I bent down and rested my palms on her feet, my thumb moving circles. "I unfollowed her and three other people already."
"No. That'll make everything fishy." She retorted, her voice shaky.
"People can think all they want, I don't care, and all I know is if you don't like her then I don't like her either. I would do anything to make you happy, anything. If I have to reassure you every day, I will."
"Babe, don't cry. I'm sorry. Really, it was nothing. Shhhh." I tried to calm her sobs. Then I hoisted myself and lifted her newly-wed style.
"Put me down." She squealed.
"Nope. Not until we reach the bed." shaking my head in the process.
"I said put me down! ROBERT JAMES REID!" she screeched again. And right on cue, I laid her on the bed and positioned myself beside her. She curled herself, turning her back at me and I hugged her again from behind while planting kisses on her shoulders.
"Babe, we're not going to sleep like this. And you're not going to leave this place mad. Let's sort this out. Please!" I finally pleaded. I don't want us to fight over petty things; in fact I don't want us to fight at all.
Heaving a sigh of surrender first, she told me, "I'm sorry. I know it was nothing. You even texted me from time to time that night and went home early. I just couldn't shake the jealousy off." At long last, she managed to cease her sentences with all the sniffs in between. And a sigh of relief escaped my mouth when she slowly turned around and faced me, tears crystallizing on her eyes. My hands moved instinctively and wiped it off.
"I'm sorry, too." Planting a kiss on her forehead. "Ikaw lang ang baby ko." I reassured her – I know it's what she needed most right now – and kissing her nose afterwards. "I love you." I sincerely uttered, and gave her a little peck on her lips.
"ALWAYS." whilst kissing her again. God, I love her. What will I do without you, Naddie?
ALWAYS has become our forever ever since our first trip in San Francisco. She let me listened to it back then, when we were driving to Napa Valley, and I remembered her IG post of me with a caption taken from that song. Sometime before, the song never really got into my liking; but on Christmas Eve when she played that song and rested her head on my chest, in an instant it has become my favourite. Now, every time I will hear it somewhere all I can think of is her and our bunch of happy memories.
She smiled at my last word while her eyes sparkled at the same time. Eventually she muttered, "ALWAYS." Returning my kiss.
Generally, like I always do, I pinched her nose and lightly brushed mine to hers. Furthermore, she snuggled herself near me and I laced my arms around her, locking her within.
I swear to God, I would die if this girl ever breaks up with me.