Moonville Series 1: Secret Lovers

After the confrontation at The Echo office, the two cousins accompanied the two sisters to the parking lot. Alex is holding Angel since the latter's foot and lower back is still hurting. 'Let me drive, Ate," Alex said.

"Okay," Angel agreed.

'If only we can take you home," Richard said.

"Someday-" Alex said "-we might be able to do that."

'You don't want to go to the hospital to get checked?" Bryan asked Angel.

'I'm fine," Angel answered.

'Just have it checked immediately if you felt something unusual," Bryan said. They first arrived at Richard's car.

"Can I talk to Alex first?" Richard asked Angel.

"Sure. Just make it quick," Angel answered.

Angel and Bryan left, with the latter holding her Angel for support.

'I'm glad you reconciled with your sister," Richard said to Alex.

'Thank you for everything."

Richard held her hand. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

Alex smiled.

"I promise that I won't give up, too," Richard said. "I will do everything to fix this. Even if I have to face your parents and take their anger."

'I hope it doesn't have to come to that. I hope everything will be resolved."

Richard nodded. "Let's hope and pray for that."

Meanwhile, Bryan and Angel arrived at the latter's car.

"Thanks," Angel said.

"It's nothing. One is glad to be of service."

Angel smiled. "Bicentennial Man?"

"My dad's favorite," Bryan said. 'He doesn't get tired of watching it again and again."

'Just like Mom's Titanic," Angel said. 'I think Dad just loves her so much that's why he can endure repeatedly watching it with her."

'Just like my mom."

The two of them laughed.

"What will you tell your parents?" Bryan asked after.

'That I fell down, and I cried because of embarrassment."

"Do you think they will believe that?"

'I can't think of any other reason why my eyes are swollen," Angel answered.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Yes."

Bryan looked at her intently. She doesn't know why but she suddenly felt the warmth of his gaze. She felt he wanted to hold her, embrace her to console her, to make sure that everything will be alright. And she felt awkward. "Ahm... I'll just wait Alex inside the car. "

She opened the door and tried to get inside her car. Her foot ached, making her struggle a little. Bryan helped her, making her heart suddenly beat faster. She just cannot refuse because she can't even speak. Bryan was able to sit her on the passenger seat. 'Are you good?"

Angel just nodded.

'If your back ached or you feel something's wrong, go to your doctor, okay?" Bryan added.

Again, Angel just nodded. That's when Alex arrived.

'Thanks, Bryan," Alex said.

'No problem. I'll go now. Drive safely, okay?" Bryan said.

"Yes, Boss," Alex said.

'I'll be just behind you," Bryan added.

"That makes two of you and Richard," Alex said.

Bryan smiled. 'Bye!" He waved to them before leaving.

"Bryan's so nice, right?" Alex said while starting the engine.

"Yeah..."

Angel's gaze followed Bryan. He really is so nice, very nice. And it seems like she wasn't able to avoid Bryan de Vera's niceness. She seems to be slowly liking that 'nice' nature of him.

Everything is back to normal again. Angel ang Alex's relationship is back to how it used to be. They even slept together at Angel's room that night after the confrontation. And so, Alex's happy disposition is back again. The on thing that hasn't changed is the fact that Angel eats lunch at the cafeteria alone. Only this time, she's not sad anymore since she and Alex already reconciled. She is back to her I-don't-care-who-can-see-me-eat-lunch-alone nature. She doesn't care what others would think. She can eat her lunch all by herself. There are a lot of things she can do to not get bored. She can surf the internet through her cellphone of laptop. She can check her social media accounts of play games. She can also read an eBook, or even a real book.

Like today. While eating her favorite pimiento pasta with roasted broccoli by Roberto's, she's reading the eBook version of He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo. She's too engrossed in reading that she did not notice Bryan as he sat down on the chair in front of her.

Bryan smiled. He's been sitting there for a few minutes already, but Angel is still clueless. If she did not drink her Coke Zero and took her eyes off her iPad, she will not catch a glimpse of him. And because of shock, she chocked. 'Take it easy." Bryan handed her his handkerchief.

Which Angel accepted. 'What are you doing here?" she asked when her after coughing stopped.

'Eating lunch with you." Bryan closed his eyes and said graces for his meal.

Angel was stunned at what he just said.

'What are you having?" Bryan looked at her plate. 'Hmn! Pimiento pasta with roasted brocolli. That's nice. Tito Roberto's recipe is the best." He noticed her gazing at him. 'Why are you not eating?"

Angel looked down. Truth is, her heartbeat suddenly doubled. She doesn't know if that's because of her chocking Coke, or because Bryan suddenly appeared in front of him. Ether way, Bryan de Ver is the reason because she choked because of surprise upon seeing him.

'You're not used to eating with someone, right?"

Angel looked at him. Bryan smiled. Angel felt like her heartbeat became faster.

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'I was always wondering why you eat lunch alone. Even my friends are also curious. And we're also curious why you don't have friends."

Angel's awkwardness turned to irritation. Maybe it's because of Bryan's sympathetic gaze. The last thing she wants is for others to feel sympathy for her.

'Is that how pitiful I am?" She started eating again.

'Not really. Actually, they are scared to befriend you because you seem cranky."

Angel felt more annoyed. She knows her classmates are talking behind her back because she's always alone. And she's also aware they think of her as cranky or grumpy because she doesn't really socialize not only to her classmates but to her fellow students as well.

"But now I know the reason why you're like that."

She looked at Bryan. This time, she didn't feel irritated with that sympathetic look on his eyes. She felt her heart warmed up at Bryan's sympathetic gaze.

"You don't want to make friends because you're afraid to lose them."

Angel shyly looked down. She just focused on her plate full of pasta.

"And sadly, nobody had the guts to approach you and make friends with you."

"They don't want me to be their friend."

"They're just not brave enough," ani Bryan.

'What do you want me to do? Change myself just to have friends? Well maybe that's what I should have done before."

"No, you don't," Bryan said. "Real friends should be able to accept you whatever you are. As I've said, they should be brave enough to take the risk and enter your world."

"Well, I guess, my world is not worth their courage."

"It is."

Angel looked at him. Bryan is seriously staring at her.

"It's all worth it. And I want to be brave enough to get inside your world."

And with his gaze, Bryan made sure to make her feel he meant every word he said. It's the kind of look that made her almost forget that he always mocks her and he always likes to tease her. But even so, it didn't seem to matter anymore. Bryan seems to have changed her views on him. It seems like he could only show her pure kindness from that moment on.

Angel was the first to look down. She looked down at her plate. "You would not want to be my friend."

'Why? Do you eat people?"

She looked at him.

'If that's the case... well, I don't taste good, so don't eat me."

That made her giggle. "I will not dare, Mr. Bryan de Vera."

'Good to hear that." Bryan continued eating. 'From now on, I will eat lunch with you. So that you won't be alone. And, as a support to Richlex." "What?" Angel frowned.

"Richlex. Richard and Alex. That's what they do now, right? Combining couple's names, especially love teams. Like Kathniel, Jadine, Kimxie."

That made Angel laugh. "Mr. Bryan de Vera, I didn't know you're a fan of showbiz."

'I'm not!" Bryan denied. 'I just hear that from our maids at home. And also from our girl classmates."

"Really?" Angel smirked.

'Really," Bryan said. 'You know, we could also do that to our names. Brangelica. Just like Brangelina, right? Hollywood level, baby."

Angel laughed again.

"I'm glad you like my jokes." Bryan smiled.

If you're loving the book, nel5s.org is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience-all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! 'Very corny, actually," Angel joked.

'No, they're not!" Bryan pretended to get offended. 'Is that how you pay be for eating lunch with you?"

'I didn't tell you to have lunch with me," Angel said, then grinned widely.

'Oh... okay. So that's how it will be? After being nice to you, after choosing you instead of my friends at the other side of the cafeteria. So this is how you'll repay me?" Angel looked at Bryan's friends who are now looking at them.

'By the way. What did you tell your friends? For sure they're curious why you suddenly joined me for lunch."

'I told them I'm doing a social experiment, and you're the subject."

'And you even made me a guinea pig," Angel said.

'Of course not," Bryan said.

Angel suddenly remembered something. 'How about your girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?" Bryan frowned.

'Yes. She might not like us eating lunch together."

Bryan pondered. 'I don't have a girlfriend. Do you know who she is? Can you tell me her name?"

'Don't tell me Gina is not your girlfriend?"

'How can I tell you if you don't want me to?" Bryan asked.

Angel was surprised. 'But the whole BS knows about it. The entire CPRU, actually."

'I actually don't know how that started. Everyone just started thinking Gina is my girlfriend."

'Maybe someone spread that news." Angel suddenly became curious as to who invented that information.

'You seem bothered?" Bryan asked. 'Don't tell me you're jealous. Oh! Let's rephrase that. Tell me you're jealous."

'Why would I be jealous?" Angel looked away.

"Because you're one half of the love team Brangelica."

Angel giggled. 'Seriously?"

'Of course." Bryan laughed at his own joke. "Anyway, I know that you don't like Gina. But don't worry, I won't force you to reconcile with her and fix whatever issue you have with her." 'Good."

'So, are you allowing me to have lunch with you starting today?"

Angel looked at Bryan. He seems very serious at his request. Also, who would not want to have a lunch mate? Especially in the crowded CPRU cafeteria, where you can't help but feel self-pity whenever you eat lunch alone? 'Okay."

"Well, thank you, Miss Martinez."

I'm the one who should thank you," Angel said. 'You've done a lot for me."

'For Richlex."

Angel smiled.

"Why don't we make a toast to that?" Bryan picked up his glass. 'To Richlex. Let's hope that everything will be resolved so that they could freely love each other."

Angel also took her Coke in can.

'Cheers!"

The two drinks clanged their drinks and smiled. Angel knows they look stupid and she notice some students looking at them. But it doesn't matter. For in that moment, she finally gained a friend again. After 14 years. Oh, how long has it been!