CHAPTER I

(LOVESICK)

“The most inherently masculine thing I can do is throw caution to the wind and love you.”

-----Anonymous-----

IN the middle of the platform and standing, Andrea screams, “Let’s, party!” losing it for the night dancing and drinking.

“Let’s make this night the best night ever!”

“Whooo!!! The best!”

Everyone cheers, jamming to the hype of the moment. While all along, Andrea is in her world and drowning after falling in love and ends up once more breaking in two. Taking the multiple heartbreaks at hand, she once again took the wild turn wanting the attention on to herself. Using this night and the first in the cruise ship. Partying and making everything the perfect night that for everyone had only just begun.

“Andrea!” rushing his way past the sea of the drunken partygoers, Sky forces his way seizing his cousin’s arm and dragging her down the platform. Fuming with rage he screamed, “What do you think you are doing?” tightly grabbing her arm and pulling her out from the middle of the hungry fangs good-for-nothing men in that club, and looking at her in deep disappointment. 

“Come on Sky.”

Andrea protested, acting like a child and in her tipsy state. Which only escalated Sky’s anger, now didn’t care who will see him or will it be a shame. For he’s taking responsibility and seriously to babysit a spoiled heiress who stupidly believes in a childish fairytale of love and 'happy ever after'. Love and everything about it that he has long gone abandoned and curses. 

“Stop this and let’s go.”

“No! Why would I go? The night is still young.”

Andrea protested and still. Standing on her stubborn self even though she knew that Sky will not let her be for the night nor slide anything that she did. She shakes her way out acting like a child, pulling Sky’s tight grip onto her arm, and demands.

“Let go!” trying to remain in place, acting like the victim and the damsel, she pleaded, “Just let me be, will you, Sky!” pulling her arm back, with Sky’s hand mark and burns. She rubs it with her left hand with an irritating look and warning, “I’m not a kid anymore, so will you please leave me alone!” pushing him away and turning her back, she continues to dance with someone, she did not care who.

But before she could dwell once more in the grove, Sky grabs her arm once more and this time it is hard and aggressive. Hitting the end of his patience, Sky gasped.

“That is enough, your drunk!”

“Sky, relax. Let loose even just for this night, alright?”

Sky pulls her out, yet only earning a silly laugh from her tapping his shoulder before once again joining the crowd. Unwavering he closed his eyes with irritation, scratching his head before taking a deep breath out. He shakes his head for having to look after a troublemaker in love and a broken cousin of his, a smart one, yet a stupid fool when it comes to love. 

“Sky.” Bea taps Sky’s shoulder and pleading with her sorry eyes, palms together, and guilty expression for not being able to help her once more turn wild best friend.

“It is okay, Bea you are not at fault for this.” He assures hands on his hips and sighs, “This is going to be a big problem later on.” Thinking ahead and for the consequences at hand, he looks back towards his stupid cousin and curses. “That is, it!” finally hitting the end, he will not let this one end just like that.

Wide-eyed, Bea gasped, “Oh, no.” following Sky in tails knowing that before this night ends, another messy fight will surely break in between the two, she whispers to herself. “This will not turn good.” Worried as she was the one who called Sky to stop the drunken Andrea, her mind is warning about the only possible paths that will leave her in jeopardy. 

First, she will be cut in between the fight once more between the two, and second. Andrea will scold her in disappointment for calling Sky. But she has to, or else everything will turn worse than they would expect. But either way, she has no escape.

Up with her drink, Andrea once more stands in the middle of the platform with exhilaration. “Let’s party!” she screams, earning the cheers of the people at the club taking the worst mess that is plowing a problem for Sky. 

Bea sighed in guilt and worry. “I tried to stop her, but she would not let me.” Explaining the same old cycle of Andrea’s behavior, she held her breath and out, presenting with her hands pointing towards Andrea. “As you can see.” Looking at the wild crowd around with the drinks high in two, she smiles with guilt feeling slightly useless for not being a help when the same thing happens.

With a deep breath in then out, Sky closes his eyes, refuting between his brows with a sigh, “Whose guy is it this time, no, the right question. What did that jerk do this time?” Nailing the bottom-line Bea smiles awkwardly, she looks back and forth to him and unto Andrea, he calls, “Bea.” Taunting a hunt, yet assuring her that he will not jump into a scene of confronting anyone.

Fully aware that in his kin naïve belief of the fantasy theme of love. Every man she will bump into will be a stupid love story to tell. 

“Uhmmm…” looking away, Bea tries to avoid Sky’s eyes, but she knew she couldn’t. She then gasped, “You see…” trying to find the perfectly fitting word and a bit of lie, the guilty gestures that they can read and fully knew of her for being a terrible liar shows. 

“What did that jerk did this time, Bea?” Sky crosses his arms, exacting for the answer with the oozing presence of make it right. “Bea.” He calls with the third warning as Bea is left defeated, hands up in surrender. 

“I will only repeat the question for the last time, Bea. What did that jerk do?”

Bea gulp and deep while trying to find the right words or perhaps a lie. But she knows that she couldn’t lie especially towards Sky. Left with no option she clears her throat, precepting.

“It’s Eric.” Almost in a whisper, she unlocks her phone and showed Sky the photo of the fool who left Andrea out on a whim with his first love who just came back into the scene and ruined everything.

Now, as his wife and they are happily married with their wedding photo. Andrea’s first love and the man that she wanted to be with forever. But too fool for his ex-girlfriend and dump Andrea in the worst way possible.  

Firmly closing his eyes, Sky gazes up to the drowning drunken Andrea with which he cannot help but sympathize, yet a limitation is necessary no matter how tragic might it be. “This is still not right.” Almost in a whisper pitching with the problem at hand, broken or not, it's been three years since that break-up. “She took this far this time.” Taking out the words with a sigh in response, Andrea’s act of being okay all this time finally erupted. 

With regret in two, Bea confesses. “The truth is Andrea did not want to let you know.” Smiling halfway with a sorry and two, she nodded, confirming Sky’s thoughts. “She’s been hiding all the pain by dating guys she never likes. Making you think that she’s changed, boosting her spirit up believing in happily ever after just like the fantasy of every children’s book. But the truth, she never did forget Eric.” 

Sky let out a low whistle shaking his head with the same old mess. “Tsk!” he smirks, his voice trailing off. “I should have known better.” Knowing the thing and two, he should not have let his eyes off his cousin, and probably Andrea would not be a mess right now for foolishly taking the heartbreak tone to the past and the one who broke its heart, leaving the scar that hunts her. “She should have told me.” Disappointed thinking that no secrets should come between them, he is taken by a moment of deep thoughts for not understanding his cousin more and only looks at it as its spoiled nature and childish acts. “Still, this is not the way to do this.” Firmly standing for what is right, Andrea should have moved on in those three years that passed.

Too naïve and grown to that fantasy, he knows the difference of when you will draw the card between letting go or holding on.

Dancing her ass off, taking the spotlight all to herself, Andrea howls.

“More!” with the crowd drunkenly equally joining her feast.

She did not notice Bea waving her hand towards her, trying to warn her to stop for Sky is about to burst. Forgetting everything and did not have a second to look at it, for having fun is all that matters, she completely ignores it.

“One more!” dancing, singing, and a certified drunkard-crazy, Bea facepalm for her once more turn-crazy ordeal. 

Sky stumps his way up the platform, shoving the people away, and demanded. “Okay, that’s enough!” finally reaching the final roof of his patience, he pulled and dragged Andrea down while she struggles with his grip. “We didn’t come here, just for you to be wasted.” He reminded voicing a sense unto its naïve mind while trying to keep what he knew about the deeper reason why?

Still being a hard headed and difficult one, Andrea protested. “Stop!” pulling her arm from Sky’s tight grip, acting like a desperate broken-hearted heroine.

Somewhat she had the world against her, and Sky just becomes her number one enemy. She sobs, with her tears finally escaping.

“You don’t understand.” 

“Seriously.”

“Andrea, stop it.”

Bea pleads, but she didn’t stop. Sobbing in between words, she wanted to confess to Sky and tell him everything. With the no secret rule between them by which she broke 1st a long time ago.  Taking a promise amidst its knowledge and with the greatest taboo to call. For she did not confess everything about her first love. She wanted to run to his side and tell him how hurt she is right now, but she knew Sky would not understand. For with its natural genius brain, things about love is a dense word to call, worst her cousin has already taken that path and learned the lesson the hard way. Yet, she is not her cousin nor strong enough to move on just like that. 

Now fuming with anger, and though Sky wanted to sympathize and understand his cousin. There are things that you cannot change. The things that are long gone should not linger and should stay in the past to be buried and forgotten. Andrea should long learn that you cannot force love, that if you love someone, you have to let them go and see them happy no matter how painful it might be.

“What is wrong with you Andrea!” forcing his grip, holding her in both arms and turning his cousin towards him facing, he scolded, shaking her to wake from her delusion. “Enough is enough! You cannot go back to the past. Let it go, just let him be!” Pleading behind his disappointment, to the times that he goes unto his cousin’s rescue making him her mess up cleaner.

He just wanted to snap her out of the truth, that fairytales do not exist nor the naïve thoughts everyone thinks of love. 

With those words that is like a bomb drop from his cousin’s mouth, Andrea realizes the turn of emotions. Looking at Bea who quickly looked down with a sorry, but sending the thoughts that Sky should know, and lying for long will only make it all worst. She wipes her tears taking a deep breath arguing back.

“Wrong?” She retorted, letting go of her thoughts and pain that no matter how Sky could think of it as a stupid reason to cry over, her heart could not manage to let go. “Can’t you see it? How can you be so cruel, Sky?” she cries, wiping her tears away and pleading for a bit of consideration.  

Sky shakes his head and asks the question back. “Cruel?” he almost screams in dismay.

Of just how could she say such, knowing that out of all the people, she should know that from his past and what his life went through when it comes to that vehemence. He has a broken heart and a deeper hole that is not easy to fill and mend.

“I know it's not easy, but dragging yourself wasted like this? Be a bit reasonable, Andrea.” Knocking a sense out of her taking into consideration his uncle and the trust it gave him to look after its wild only daughter.

He took a deep breath, hoping to relay some sense unto her.

“Your drunk, let’s go back to the room, okay?” he ended up swallowing his anger pleading. 

Bea close and signs a pleading yes to Andrea taking Sky’s side and consoling, “Andrea, Sky is right. We know how to hurt you are now, but it’s been three years now, let it go.” She pleaded with a nodding act towards her. 

Yet with the stubborn one, Andrea screams. “No!” rejecting, she shoves Sky’s hands away, pointing back with the words. “I’m going to forget my suffering tonight, and no one can stop me!” remarking, they did not understand her at all or even try to be.

She warns her cousin and best friend with her hand. With a sign of stop with a hard earn conviction word from her eyes. 

Firmly closing his eyes once and for seconds, Sky could not take it anymore. “Andrea!” in anger grabbing his cousin’s arm harder and more forceful than before, clearly giving her the pain of his run-out patience.

He added adjuring, “We are going back!” holding her tight, dragging her out Andrea’s mouth dropped in pain as she can’t react or say anything from his aggressiveness and anger. “You’re not going to make a mess in this entire cruise.” Dropping the threat, he can’t afford to take the mess of his cousin.

Not this time and especially not because of some stupid first love she can’t let go off. 

“Let go, it hurts Sky!” still struggling, trying to break loose, Andrea raised her voice, creating a scene.

Successfully stealing some of the crowd’s attention who are now looking at their way. While she cries to be released like she is a damsel in distress in a romantic movie scene. 

“Andrea.” Bea pleads, trying to shut her up, yet to the rebellious phase of Andrea’s illusion of being a broken-hearted maiden, ‘no’ is the answer. 

More than had enough, Sky shouted at his cousin with pure authority this time. “Enough is enough, you're talking this night off!” turning away with another step, and almost out of the club.

A hand grabs him in return, constraining him to let go of Andrea. Forced him to face the ‘Hero’ of the play, or is it?

“Tsk!” smirking, Sky could not hide his disappointment and fuming anger.

Worst with someone out of nowhere who even did not know anything or even the slightest idea for everything that is currently happening is taking a grand heroic gesture he rather not buy. He looks besides, tracing its arm with his eyes that is holding him. But he couldn’t clearly make out his feature and only a glimpse of that person’s eyes from the dim corner of the club that they are in.  Added by the party lights and the natural dim lighted ambiance of the place with the people having fun and dancing.

“Let go.” Commanding and threatening, their eyes cross paths with each other.

A smile and a smirk are evident as the hero of a play whispers his dismay towards him with the words. 

“Make me.”

With the brewing misunderstanding and a heated starting argument, can this moment get any worse than this if he just knew who is the one in front of him? As they both will guess that moment and since?

 “YOU WILL COME BACK FOR ME, RIGHT?”

“I WILL, I PROMISE YOU THAT.” 

‘If the rest of the world hates us, then why are we so cute together?’

----- Anonymous -----