The Reason He Chose Me

Chapter 21

Hindi ko maalis sa isip ko ang mensahe ni Chloe.

“He didn’t just agree to the engagement to get to know you. He had a reason for choosing you specifically.”

Ilang beses kong binasa ang mga salitang iyon habang nakaupo sa gilid ng kama. Gusto kong tanungin si Chloe kung ano ang ibig niyang sabihin, pero natatakot akong baka mas lalo lang akong malito. Mas mabuti sigurong si Adrian mismo ang tanungin ko.

Pero paano kung ang sagot niya ay magpapabago sa lahat?

Kinabukasan, maaga akong dumating sa university. May klase pa ako sa umaga, pero wala akong gaanong naintindihan sa lecture. Paulit-ulit kong naaalala ang mga sinabi ni Chloe at ang mga sandaling naging mabait si Adrian sa akin kahit hindi niya kailangang gawin iyon.

Ang pagdadala niya ng pagkain kapag nakakalimutan kong kumain. Ang pag-aalala niya kapag tahimik ako. Ang paraan ng pagtingin niya sa akin kapag akala niyang hindi ko siya napapansin.

Baka naman normal lang ang lahat ng iyon para sa kanya.

O baka ako lang ang nagbibigay ng kahulugan sa mga bagay na hindi naman dapat bigyan ng kahulugan.

“Belle!”

Napalingon ako nang makita si Mia na papalapit sa akin habang may hawak na iced coffee.

“Why do you look like you spent the entire night arguing with your own thoughts?”

“Because I did.”

Umupo siya sa tabi ko at iniabot ang kape.

“Adrian?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Of course.” Umiling siya. “Your fiancé is becoming a full-time job.”

“Don't remind me.”

Napansin niyang hawak ko pa rin ang cellphone ko. “What's that?”

“Nothing.”

“Belle, I know your nothing face. That's your something face.”

Napabuntong-hininga ako bago ipinakita sa kanya ang mensahe ni Chloe.

Pagkabasa niya, nanlaki ang mga mata niya.

“Wait. He specifically chose you?”

“That's what she said.”

“Okay, now I'm curious.”

“I'm not.”

“Liar.”

Tinapik ko siya sa braso. “I just want to know why. Ayokong gumawa ng sarili kong kuwento sa isip ko.”

“Then ask him.”

“Paano kung hindi ko magustuhan ang sagot?”

“Then at least you'll know the truth.”

Simple lang ang sinabi ni Mia, pero tama siya. Hindi ako puwedeng manatiling naghuhula habang unti-unting nagiging komplikado ang nararamdaman ko.

Pagkatapos ng klase, dumiretso ako sa library. Alam kong madalas doon tumambay si Adrian kapag may kailangang tapusin. At gaya ng inaasahan ko, nakita ko siya sa isang mesa malapit sa bintana, nakatutok sa laptop.

Nang makita niya ako, agad niyang isinara ang laptop.

“Hey. Everything okay?”

Umupo ako sa tapat niya. “We need to talk.”

Nawala ang bahagyang ngiti sa mukha niya. “That sounds serious.”

“It is.”

“Did I do something?”

“Not exactly.”

“Belle, you're making me nervous.”

“Good. At least we're even.”

Napailing siya, pero hindi na siya nagbiro. Hinintay niya akong magsalita.

Inilapag ko ang cellphone ko sa mesa at ipinakita ang mensahe ni Chloe.

Tahimik niyang binasa iyon. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang inaasahan kong reaksyon, pero nang bumuntong-hininga siya at napatingin sa bintana, lalo akong kinabahan.

“So it's true,” sabi ko.

“Yes.”

Isang salita lang. Isang simpleng sagot na parang mas mabigat pa sa mahabang paliwanag.

“Why me, Adrian?”

Bumalik ang tingin niya sa akin. “What do you mean?”

“You could have agreed to this arrangement without choosing me specifically. You could have insisted on someone else, or refused the whole thing. But you agreed before I did.” Pinilit kong panatilihing kalmado ang boses ko. “I need to know why.”

Sandali siyang natahimik.

“Do you remember our first year?” tanong niya.

“Unfortunately, yes. You spilled coffee on my project.”

“I offered to pay for the printing.”

“You also said the design looked like a confused shopping mall.”

“Because it did.”

“Adrian!”

He laughed softly, and for a moment, bumalik ang dati naming asaran. Pero agad din iyong nawala nang makita niyang hindi ako nakangiti.

“I'm sorry,” sabi niya. “I'm not trying to avoid the question.”

“Then answer it.”

He rested his arms on the table. “Before our families brought up the engagement, I already knew who you were.”

Napakunot ang noo ko. “Because I argued with you in class?”

“Partly.”

“That's a terrible reason to remember someone.”

“You were the only person who told me my presentation was boring while everyone else kept complimenting it.”

“Because it was boring.”

“See? Exactly that.”

Napailing ako, pero hindi ko napigilang mapangiti nang kaunti.

“Everyone around me usually wants something,” patuloy niya. “They agree with me because of my last name, my family's business, or because they think it might help them someday. You didn't care about any of that. You challenged me even when you knew I could make your life difficult.”

“I didn't know you could make my life difficult.”

“You called me an overpaid prince in front of our professor.”

“Because you were acting like one.”

“I know.” He smiled. “And somehow, that was the first time in a long while that I actually enjoyed losing an argument.”

Hindi ako agad nakasagot.

“That's why you chose me?”

“That's part of it.” His expression became more serious. “There was something else.”

Here it was. Ang bahaging matagal ko nang hinihintay.

“What?”

He looked down at his hands before meeting my eyes again.

“Do you remember the student orientation? The one where I had to give a speech?”

I nodded slowly. Naalala ko iyon. Late akong dumating dahil nasiraan ng gulong ang sinasakyan ko. Pagpasok ko sa auditorium, nagsasalita na si Adrian sa harap. He looked confident, polished, and completely untouchable.

“After the speech, I went outside,” he continued. “You were sitting near the old fountain, trying to fix your presentation boards. You didn't recognize me at first.”

“I remember someone asking me for tape.”

“That was me.”

Napakurap ako. “You were the guy who helped me carry those boards?”

“Yes.”

Bigla kong naalala ang lalaking nakasuot ng simpleng dark shirt, tahimik na tumulong sa akin nang malaglag ang mga gamit ko. Hindi niya sinabi ang pangalan niya. Hindi rin siya nagpakitang-gilas. Nang magpasalamat ako, ngumiti lang siya at sinabing, “Good luck with your presentation.”

“Why didn't you tell me it was you?”

“Because you were the first person that day who talked to me without treating me like Adrian Montenegro, heir to the Montenegro business empire.” He gave a small, almost embarrassed smile. “You were stressed, annoyed, and worried about your project. You didn't care who I was. You just needed help.”

I stared at him.

“And after that,” he continued, “I started noticing you. Not in some dramatic, love-at-first-sight way. I just liked how you were honest, how you didn't pretend to be someone else, and how you kept going even when things didn't go your way.”

“Adrian…”

“When our families suggested the engagement, I thought it might give me a chance to know you better. I knew it wasn't fair to agree without telling you how I felt about the arrangement, and I should have been honest about Chloe, too. I'm not proud of how I handled that.”

His admission softened something inside me, but it didn't erase the things that had hurt.

“So you chose me because I didn't know who you were?”

“No.” He leaned forward slightly. “I chose you because even after you found out who I was, you still treated me the same way.”

For once, I had no sarcastic reply.

He continued, his voice quieter. “You never tried to impress me. You never changed your opinions just to make me happy. You made me feel like I could be an ordinary person around you.”

I looked away, trying to hide the warmth spreading across my cheeks.

“That still doesn't mean you should have dragged me into an engagement without explaining everything.”

“I know.” He didn't argue. “You deserved a choice from the beginning. I can't change that, but I can stop making decisions for both of us.”

The honesty in his voice made it difficult to stay angry, which was inconvenient because anger was much easier to manage than whatever I was feeling now.

“I'm still not promising anything,” I told him.

“I know.”

“And you don't get to act like we're a real couple just because our families say we're engaged.”

“I know that, too.”

“And if you ever call me an overpaid prince's fiancée in public, I'll deny everything.”

He grinned. “Can I at least call you my favorite person?”

“No.”

“My favorite argumentative person?”

“Still no.”

“My favorite—”

“Adrian!”

He laughed, and this time, I laughed with him.

For a few minutes, things felt simple again. We talked about our assignments, Mia's latest complaints about her professors, and Lucas's invitation to the university event. When I mentioned Lucas, Adrian's smile faded just a little.

“Are you still going with him?” he asked.

“Yes.”

He nodded, although I could tell he wasn't happy about it.

“I don't like it,” he admitted. “But I won't stop you.”

“Look at that. Personal growth.”

“Don't ruin the moment.”

I stood and gathered my things. “I have to go.”

“Belle?”

I turned back.

“Thank you for asking me instead of assuming the worst.”

I held his gaze. “Don't make me regret it.”

“I won't ask you to trust me just because I say that. I'll show you.”

I left the library with my heart feeling strangely lighter. For the first time, I understood why Adrian had agreed to the engagement. It wasn't love—not yet, at least. But it wasn't simply an obligation, either.

And somehow, that made everything more complicated.

As I reached the university gate, my phone vibrated.

It was a message from Chloe.

“I hope he told you why he chose you. But Belle, there's one thing you should know before you decide what to do with your feelings.”

My steps slowed.

Another message appeared.

“Adrian has never introduced anyone to his grandmother as someone he wanted to keep in his life. Not even me.”

I stared at the screen, my heart suddenly beating faster.

Then Chloe sent one final message.

“Ask him why he wanted you to meet her before your engagement was even announced.”