PHOTOS

“HOW ARE YOU? When is the wedding?” Jocko asked him while swirling the wine in his glass.

“Maybe next month, I want to make it as soon as possible,” he said thoughtfully.

I was left out. The redness on my two cheeks immediately went up. Lawrence really handles all the

details of the wedding. My only role is to wear the gown and the bridesmaids.

“You really are a road to forever!” he joke, then had a fist bump with Lawrence.

Carrick arrived later, bringing the dinner of Lawrence and me. We walked into the home and decided to

dine there.

Lawrence remained silent. Even the meeting of his brows was not enough to deter him from looking

towards Carrick’s group.

“Would you like to go swimming with them, Julia?” he asked coldly.

“Uh, not first. I’m okay here.”

He leaned back to his seat and looked at me with twitched brows. “So, what do you want to do, then?”

My face heated. I know he doesn’t mean anything, but why did what he said come to me differently? I

sat up and sipped the juice in front of me.

“Alright, let’s go upstairs. I want to show you something.” He finally stood up and held out his hand to

me.

I hesitated for a moment. Something came to mind immediately. Carrick’s group was just outside, and

they can go in at any time. What will they think of us by chance?

But eventually, I saw myself reaching for his hand.

He took me to one of the rooms there. My heart was thumping hard against my chest. Add more grip to

my hand as I entered the room.

I covered my mouth as we turned right to the door. I could not move my feet because of what I saw.

“These are supposedly my surprise for you,” he said softly.

Tears were forming at the corner of my eyes. As I examined each of the hung photographs one by one,

my emotions were repressed.

“Lawrence, these are all amazing!” I exclaimed. How are the pictures hanging in the room?

Those photographs were taken on the day of Cindy’s wedding and while I was on vacation at the

Saavedra Resort. There were also pictures of us taken when we had a picnic in Tagaytay.

My stomach fluttered. “How does it happen?” I still couldn’t believe it.

I could feel his arms wrapped around my waist and his small kisses on my shoulders and neck.

“I hired a personal photographer. I told him to take a picture of you. There are also some pictures from

Cindy and Samantha.”

“W-why?” I said with my shaky voice. I was suddenly terrified to learn that he was monitoring my every

move ever since.

“Actually, this is for my own purposes. I always want to stare at you even in the photo until I come up

with an idea to have a collection of your pictures, or maybe I’m just obsessed with you,” he said huskily.

His kiss was getting deeper. His right hand drops to my thigh, pulling up my skirt again. Lawrence’s

fingertips are electric. I seemed to be running out of energy even though I was leaning on his broad

chest.

He twirled me around, clasped my both cheeks, and kissed me tenderly. And then his warm hand ran

down my body, and I shivered.

I would not have wanted to finish that kiss, but I could almost push him because of a series of knocks

from the door.

“Damn it!” Lawrence muttered sharply.

“Guys, what?! Go ahead with that later!” It was Jocko’s voice without knocking on the door.

“Get the fuck out of here, Jocko!” Lawrence answered.

“I’m sorry, bro, but Franco is here and looking for you!” Jocko said behind the closed door.

When he heard his brother’s name, he completely separated from me. We walked out of the bungalow

together, holding hands, and met up with Franco in front of Carrick.

Like before, he wore only a typical checkered polo and faded jeans. He looked up at me with his

familiar dark features. But there was still the playful smile on his lips.

He immediately stood up and left the others to step closer to us.

“We’ll just talk for a moment,” he said, releasing my hand and facing Franco approaching.

I just sat quietly in the chair in front of Carrick.

“Looks like the siblings are talking seriously, huh?” said Jocko.

We both turned to Lawrence and Franco, who seemed to be talking seriously. I noticed Lawrence frown

as he faced him. His jaw clenched hard while he shot him a dark look.

The intense nervousness in my heart immediately rose, especially when Franco stared at me for a

moment before facing Lawrence again.

They left for a while, and I never saw them again.

“Margaux, let’s go swimming!” Julia awoke to my silence.

“Maybe later? You, go ahead!” I refused.

It’s good that they didn’t ask me again, so I just turned to the barbecue that Santino cooked.

While eating quietly, I felt someone sitting beside me, and I was shocked who it was.

“It looks delicious, doesn’t it?”

I looked over, and my eyes looked for Lawrence. This belongs to .

“Someone just talked on the phone. He will come back soon. So how are you?” asked Franco.

I turned over with a folding seat next to me. His eyes shot at me directly.

“Good. Why are you here?” I said under my breath. I looked down at the barbecue I was holding.

“If I told you, would you leave Lawrence for me?” Franco said while grinning.

I frowned at him. My breath seemed to stutter from my lungs. I feel like he has something to say and

wants to convey.

“When that day comes, you promise not to give up,” he said in a serious voice.

I was even more nervous because of his words.

“What is it, Franco?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“I have important things to do here,” he said without leaving my face. “Just ignore what I said.”

Even if I want to be complacent, I can’t do it because Franco’s type is not the one to joke like this.

I just turned my gaze to the barbecue I was holding and never looked at him again.

***

“KAREN, WHO SENT this?” I call as I notice the bouquet of roses on my table.

“Ah. I don’t even know, but there’s a letter attached to it. Don’t worry. I didn’t read it,” she said as she

glanced at the open door.

“Okay, thank you!”

I opened the letter and read it.

For you, my lady!

I frowned and thought for a moment. Suddenly I was so nervous when I realized who sent me flowers.

I sat down in the swivel chair after squeezing my senses. At the same time, the phone rang on my

desk.

“Yes, Karen?” I answered.

“It’s Franco Fontanilla,” she said on the other line.

My heart skipped a bit. There was the familiar whistle again every time I heard his name.

I quickly accepted the call and leaned back in my swivel chair.

“Hi, did you like the flowers?” His voice is full of speech on the other line.

“Uh, yes! Thanks, but you shouldn’t have bothered anymore.”

“You want to go for lunch?” he asked smoothly.