Chapter 9.2: Beautiful Tonight

“What could I do? I just missed you so much.” She said as she pulled away from the hug. I rolled my eyes when I saw that she even winked at Fire.

The girl that Fire called Love looked at me sourly as soon as she noticed my presence. “And who is this? New flavor of the week?” She asked Fire as she scanned me up and down.

“Nah! She’s Solene, som — a close friend.”

A bitter smile worked into my face.

*He just introduced me as his girl to his aunt and cousin earlier but now that we're in front of this girl, he just introduced me as a friend.

“Hey girl, I’m Fire’s first love. Lovelle Cuesta, nice to meet you!” She beamed at me and I didn't liked the way she gave emphasis when saying the words, *Fire's first love.

*So she’s Fire’s first love? The very first girl that had the honor to be with him first. And the girl to have the pleasure to still be looked by him with tender and bright eyes.

*Why did I even expect so much when he just introduced me as his “girl”. I mean, it could mean anything to him. But not mean more for him. I’m nothing nothing compared to his first love and I have nothing to be compared to her, I realized.

I forced a smile to my lips that I gave to Lovelle. “Nice to meet you too.” I said, making it sound happy as I can.

After that I followed Fire to the table. Lovelle was also following us. In my peripheral vision, I could see how she rolled my eyes at me while she's walking by my side, following us to the table where we planned to sit and eat our food.

I was just bored sitting while taking small bites of the food I took. On the other hand, Lovelle and Fire were happily chatting in front of me. I am slowly loosing my appetite thanks to the scene I’m looking at right now.

“Excuse me,” I told them before getting up which I’m sure they didn't notice. Fire’s attention was all at Lovelle that he didn't even noticed my disappearance in front of them.

*Maybe I should just punch him on the face for telling me that he’ll stick to me while were here and now he can't even take a quick glance at me because his first love is around him. Gosh! Im so upset, I want to to just drown at the pool I saw at a distance.

I roamed the garden to take a deep breath and relax myself while admiring the decorations and the lights lit up around every corner of the event proper. I walked until I reached the pool are at the back garden where I heard someone's voice.

“Can't you just act that you're fucking happy with this engagement party, Sophia?” Kian’s voice thundered.

From afar, I saw his back but I can't see the woman he’s calling Sophia because completely blocks her with his body. Sensing that this is something I shouldn't observe, I quickly retraced my steps back to the table where Fire and his *first love* is.

“Where did you go, Solene?” Fire asked with furrowed brows. The irritation visible in his tone.

“Just from the cr.” I lied and gave him a short answer. *I don't want to tell him that I left because I was feeling like I’m only a breeze of air in front of him and his Lovelle.

“Where’s Lovelle, by the way?” I asked him aiming to change the topic and I didn't failed.

“She just left. Someone called her and told her it's important.”

I smiled inwardly and went to take a seat beside him. I continued eating. Silence enveloped our surroundings as well as between me and Fire. But the silence was short-lived when Fire’s aunt talked on the microphone.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you so much for coming to the birthday party that became an engagement party of my one and only son!”

The people cheered and clapped, which I did as well.

“This party won't be completed without the presence of our birthday boy, Kian James Escarra, and his soon to be wife, Sophia Anne Garcia!” After that the said couple went into the stage and made a toast in front of the guests present.

*She was the woman Kian proposed to earlier. Was she the same Sophia Kian was talking to when I heard him in the back garden?

I admired Sophia’s beauty while she was standing on the stage with Kian. She looked like a model with her grace and porcelain white skin that showed how well-off her family is.

“She’s beautiful . . .” I mused.

“You're still more beautiful than her.” Fire said as he watched the couple go down the stage.

I stared at Fire as my heart pounded hysterically. *Why are you like this Fire? How could you make me feel pain and butterflies at the same time?

I could never explain how badly I wanted to tell him how I feel. But I want him as much as I’m afraid to lose him. I wonder if I could even have the courage to confess everything to him. *To tell him I want more than our contract could offer. I want more that he could offer. That I’m hurting everytime I’m reminded of our awful deal and its terms and conditions.

I was so lost in my thoughts while staring at him that I heard the playing of sweet and slow music. Some of the guests have already made their way to the open space at the center of the garden to dance with their partners.

“Are you planning to melt me with your eyes?” Fire said. His lips twitched into a playful smile.

I was yet to construct a believable answer when he stood up and showed me his hand.

“Shall we dance?” He asked, slightly crouching his body to bow down to me.

I looked up at his gray eyes and the next thing I knew was he was already holding my hand while his other hand was on my back. We were slowly dancing to the hymn of sweet and melodious music being played at the speaker. He didn't remove his eyes from me as we danced. I triumphantly held his gaze throughout our dance. Fireworks exploded above, coloring the black, dark sky. Its colorful light also reflected on us, reflected in our eyes. There was a blast of colors in Fire’s clear gray eyes that enchanted me and prevented me from looking up at the sky where the light was coming from.

*I think I will stop searching for fireworks in a dark night sky if I could see them beautifully through someone's eyes.

*I wish time would freeze at this moment. Where I’m the only one Fire looks at with his ethereal eyes. Where I’m in his touch and he grips my hand as if he won't ever let me go. I could dance forever with him in this garden. Where I could forget everything that was written on that piece of paper I scribbled my signature on that night I arrived at his penthouse to ask him to help me restore my scholarship.

*I could dance with him until I could forget all the pain and suffering — until he tells me that he's willing to dance forever with me too.

And maybe this night, just this night, I’ll assume that the song he’s singing right now on the stage for the closing performance was meant for me. That I am beautiful tonight and that he feels wonderful about it.


*We go to a party
And everyone turns to see
This beautiful lady
That's walking around with me
And then she asks me, "Do you feel alright?"
And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight”