Raymond released a long sigh as he stared at the view from his terrace.
"Hey."
He turned toward the voice, saw who it was, then looked back at the scenery.
"Why are you doing that?" the voice pressed.
Raymond gave a small shrug. "Doing what?"Though deep inside, he knew exactly what Joel meant—volunteering to be Nicole's partner.
"You didn't have to do that," Joel said.
Raymond exhaled again.
"It's hard watching you glare at the guy who could've been her partner if Dave paired them," he said flatly. "So I stepped in. Isn't that simple? You didn't say anything earlier, but your glare? Man, you were burning holes through that poor guy." He shook his head.
"Nicole agreed, so it's fine," Joel replied.
"Yeah, I guess I should thank you."
Raymond sighed once more."But you're really marking her as yours. Don't you think that's unfair to her?"
"Unfair?" Joel scoffed. "She drives me insane—when I touch her, when our eyes meet… and especially when our lips touch." His voice held nothing but raw honesty.
Raymond stared.Joel is in love again, he thought.
"Do you even need to let go of your past relationship? If you can't, don't drag her into it," he warned. "You can handle that mess. Nicole? I'm not sure she can. She's the type who loves with her whole heart."
Joel let out a slow breath."I know that… but I want her, Raymond." His eyes locked onto his cousin.
"And if your ex comes back? Will you leave Nicole for her? Don't be stupid. Don't do something that's going to hurt a woman. It's the worst feeling in the world," Raymond said sharply.
Joel looked at him—then suddenly laughed.
"What the hell is funny?" Raymond snapped.
"I'm just amazed," Joel chuckled. "You're actually talking to me seriously for once."
Raymond ignored the jab.
"Yeah, I get it," Joel continued. "But I want her too much. When the time comes, and if I make a stupid decision… punch me. Hard."
"Whatever," Raymond muttered.
Joel only laughed softly and stared back at the view.
"I wonder what really happened to her… why her trauma runs so deep," Joel said quietly.
Raymond hesitated. "I asked Melissa. Casually. She didn't say much because it wasn't her story… but she told me this: Nicole's mom remarried after her dad died in an accident."
Joel nodded slowly. "How old was she?"
"Maybe nine. And here's the shocking part—Melissa said Nicole's stepfather tried to molest her when she was ten."
Joel's entire body froze.
"I'm not joking," Raymond added. "Nicole, Jonathan, and even their mom suffered abuse from that man. It's heavy. That's why Melissa avoids talking about it."
Joel swallowed hard."That explains everything. Why she's afraid of me. Why men intimidate her."
"Yeah. If you want the full story, ask Jonathan," Raymond replied firmly.
Joel went quiet, absorbing every word. Then, finally, he patted Raymond's shoulder.
"Come on. Let's go inside. We still have class tomorrow."
Joel stepped inside first.
Raymond lingered a few seconds before following him.The night was already deep.
♣♣♣
Julie found Nicole sulking alone on a bench. The dancers were rehearsing—maybe it was her break. Melissa wasn't around, busy with theater, so Julie quietly sat beside her.
"Your thoughts look heavy," Julie said gently.
Nicole flinched. "Ah… Julie." She forced a small smile.
Julie said nothing more—just watched her. She could sense the storm inside Nicole.
Nicole sighed shakily."I'm confused."
"About what?"
"I told Dave I didn't want him as my partner for now… but now I feel like taking it back. I keep thinking about it," Nicole admitted.
Julie nodded.She knew exactly what Nicole meant.
"And why do you feel that way?" Julie asked softly.
Nicole lowered her gaze."I don't know. I know he didn't mean it… but is it right to use that as an excuse to avoid him?"
Julie hummed thoughtfully."For you, Nicky—do you think you made the right choice?"
Nicole didn't answer immediately."I always feel something about him," she whispered. "I get intimidated but… I've liked him for so long. Even before we became dance partners. I don't know what to do."
Julie smiled gently."Nicky, whatever you choose, none of us will blame you. You think before you act. And even if you get mixed up, that's alright."
She tapped her shoulder."We're human. We make mistakes. Then we fix them. If you like him, it's okay. If you love him, that's okay too."
"L–Love? Huh?! N–No!" Nicole protested, cheeks red.
Julie chuckled softly."You like him. You have feelings. Where do you think that leads? The person you admire most usually becomes the person you fall for. We just ignore it because of pride."
Nicole swallowed, embarrassed.
"You'll figure it out," Julie said warmly. She handed her a bottle of water. "Here."
"Thanks…"
Julie gave her a comforting smile.
"Miss Villa, come inside now," Cielo called.
"Go on," Julie said.
Nicole stood, giving her one more grateful look.
As Nicole walked away, Julie noticed Cielo staring straight at her.
"Aren't you going in?" he asked.
"I'm not a dancer," she replied dryly.
He walked closer and stopped behind her bench.
"Go on then," she said.
"We've got three minutes left," he replied, sitting beside her.
Julie raised a brow."Why'd you call Nicole in?"
"What? Her brother told me to."
"Oh."
Then—without warning—Cielo grabbed her water bottle and drank from it.
Julie froze.
Idiot. Doesn't he know how to ask first?!
"Hey! Why are you drinking that? That belongs to someone!" she barked.
"If it's yours, what's the problem?" he asked calmly.
"Are you stupid? What if there's saliva on it?"
A slow, teasing smirk appeared.
"Then it's an indirect kiss."
Julie's face exploded with heat.
He stood, bottle in hand, and smirked wider."This is mine now. I don't have water anyway. Thanks."
IDIOT! Julie screamed internally while trying to control her breathing.
At least he wasn't interrogating her about her Pop Princess identity anymore.But that didn't mean she was safe—what if he was just waiting?
She eyed the water bottle he stole.
Calm down, Julie… calm down.
She folded her arms. She still had to wait for her brother anyway.
So she distracted herself however she could, fighting the boredom—and the fluttering in her chest.