“I WILL turn that kid into a lizard with no tail.” She mixed the love potion on Sage’s breakfast, and she did it in their restaurant’s kitchen. She decided to just order him a take-out meal.
“Selen. What do I always tell you?”
She turned to Nana Cora. “Do not curse. It’s bad to curse. We shouldn’t bring any suffering to others. Be kind even if the world is cruel.”
“Then why are you cursing a little kid?”
Selen dodged when her grandma was about to hit her head with a ladle.
“I am not cursing him, Nana. It’s just a fruit od my tongue—”
“Technically, that’s cursing. You should be mindful of what comes out from your mouth, you brat.” Her grandma went back in front of the stove. “Why, does he bother you?”
“That kid caught me putting the love potion on Sage’s drink yesterday. When we were at the park, he told Sage that I poisoned him.” Selen hissed and packed the canisters.
“Tell him it’s just his imagination.” Nana Cora waved her hand dismissively.
“Yeah, that’s what I told Sage. I don’t know if he bought it, though.” She leaned against the sink.
“He did. Why would he believe that kid if he’s still alive and kicking until now?”
Her grandma has a point. But still, she could not help but worry. There’s still a slim chance that Sage would believe in what Sean told him. Kids may be imagining things, but most of the time, what they tell is the truth. For the first time since she started bewitching Sage, she doubted herself and the power of witchcraft.
“How will I know if the love potion really works?”
“He will come to you after seven days, declaring his love for you.”
“Is there even a hint at this point? It’s been four days.”
“Well, usually, and this point, he’ll start showing his affection to you.” Nana Cora raised a brow. “Did he?”
Selen gaped at her grandma, thinking if Sage ever showed affection towards her. Was it yesterday when he held her by the wrist? She shook her head. It could be natural.
“Let’s see after seven days,” she said as she grabbed the paper bag.
“You’re leaving now?”
“Hm.” She waved her hand without looking back.
Sage was doing a workout in his front yard when she arrived at his house. He was half-naked, flexing his biceps that seemed to glisten under the sun. Selen fanned a hand on her face when the temperature suddenly became warm. And all she could do was to smile awkwardly when Sage reverted his gaze in her direction.
“I brought you breakfast.” She raised the paper bag.
He put the dumbbell down and beckoned her to come inside the house.
“Where is Sean?” She prepared Sage’s meal on the table while he washed his hands.
“He’s still sleeping.” He sauntered towards the table. “Have you eaten your breakfast?”
Selen nodded.
“Sean must have been tired running around the park yesterday.”
“Yeah. I’m glad he had fun.”
“Ah, anyway… I’ll be leaving early today.”
“Why?” He looked at her with the spoon still inside his mouth.
“It’s my best friend’s birthday today.”
It was Reinald’s birthday. He did not invite her, and she was not sure if he was going to celebrate. But then, she wanted to talk to him. They have to reconcile before it’s too late.
“I see.” Sage resumed eating his breakfast.
SELEN flashed a smile as she walked towards Reinald. He did not throw a party, but his parents decided to simply celebrate it. She and her grandmas were invited for dinner at his house.
“You came too early. My mom’s still cooking for dinner,” he told her grandmas. Reinald chose to ignore her.
“It’s okay. Actually, we came here early so that we can help,” said Nana Cora.
He ushered her grandmas inside.
Selen chose to stay outside. She sat on the porch step, hugging her folded legs. Soon, Reinald came back. He sat beside her and handed her a can of beer.
“It seems to me that you intentionally ignored my calls for the past few days,” she said with pouted lips.
He opened the can and took a gulp of his beer.
“No, I’m not,” he answered without looking at her.
“I can’t feel your sincerity, though.” She put her head on his shoulder.
“Come on, Selen. I’m quite busy with school works for the past few days. If I am really ignoring, I wouldn’t replace your bike’s broken tire.”
“Then, are you still mad at me?”
“Who says that I’m mad?” Reinald patted her cheek. “Too bad for me I can’t stay mad at you for too long.”
“I’m sorry, Rei… I had to choose someone else. It’s not because you don’t fit to be my husband. You are kind, thoughtful, and loving, no woman would not want you. But then, you’re my best friend and you mean so much to me.” She reached for his hand and clasped their hands. “I want you to live a normal life…”
“Yeah, right. Enough of this friend zone thing. You know that it’s my birthday today. You should be wishing me a happy birthday instead of—”
“Happy birthday, my dear Rei.” Selen hugged him tightly.
“Ah—Selen—you’re—squeezing me. I can’t breathe!”
She laughed as she distanced herself from him. Selen knew that Reinald was just joking. She cleared her throat and bumped his shoulder.
“You know what, I’ve been thinking about this for days and I’m dying to know why.” He gave her a side-way glance. “I know there’s something between you and Sage…”
Reinald shifted his body so that he could face her. “What did he tell you?”
The way his facial expression changed confirmed that there was really something going on between them.
“Nothing…”
He breathed exasperatedly. “Yeah, right. He will keep his mouth shut because he doesn’t have the courage to admit the truth.”
“How about you, Rei? Do you have the courage to tell it to me?”
“Why me? I have nothing to tell you.” He stood up and stretched out a hand to her. “Let’s go inside. It’s getting cold out here.”
Selen accepted his hand and let him tug her inside their house.
“HOW’S the business going?” Auntie Rona, Reinald’s mother, asked in the middle of dinner.
“Oh, it’s doing great!” Nana Violy said proudly.
“Both the restaurant and the flower shop,” Nana Cora added.
“I’m glad you already adapted the city life. We’re so worried about you from the start.” Auntie Rona turned to Selen afterwards. “How about our pretty Selen here?”
She smiled widely. “I’m doing great too, Auntie Rona. All thanks to Rei, I didn’t find it hard to adjust.”
Her gaze reverted in his friend’s direction when she heard him smirk. Selen was about to ask him why when her phone suddenly rang. She took a peek and saw Sage’s name on the screen.
“Oh, excuse me…” she told them before leaving the table.
She went to the living room to answer the call.
“Sage? What’s the matter?”
“C-can you come over?” He was panting.
“I—”
“Please…”
“Wait for me.”
Selen went back to the dining room and tell them that she has to go. Then, she ran outside and headed to Sage’s home.
“Sage?” she called the moment she entered his house.
When she could not find him downstairs, she went straight to his room.
“Sage…” She ran towards him.
He was leaning on the bed as he sat on the floor, crying. She did not know yet what happened, but her instinct told her that he needed comfort. So, she sat beside Sage and gave him a hug. He hugged her back, buried his face on her chest, and cried his heart out. He was crying like a baby. It was the first time that she saw him cry in person.
“I don’t know what makes you cry like this, but I want you to know that I’m here if you need comfort and company.”
It took Sage minutes before he calmed down.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said as he freed himself from her embrace. “You must think that I’m such a weakling for crying like that in front of you.”
“Crying doesn’t make you weak.” She leaned on the bed and stretched her legs. “It’s only natural for us to cry when we feel heavy in the chest.”
“I had a nightmare.”
She turned her gaze at Sage and found him looking at her too. His eyes were clouded with sadness. A kind of sadness that could make the one looking at those eyes sad too.
“What kind of nightmare was that?” she asked without breaking eye contact.
“I lost someone dear to me, and I can’t do anything to save that person…”
“Is it your parents?”
He shook his head gently. “It’s Reina… she’s my first love.”
The name kinda sounded familiar.
“Reina…”
Selen’s eyes widened as the realization hit her. Of course, it was familiar. Reina was Reinald’s elder sister, who died a few years ago.