Chapter 42: Can we be friends?
We were bothughing when we heard a knock on the door. It''s already 10:00 pm, who would knock at
that hour?
I was about to go and open the door when Gabriel grabbed my hand and he took the lead inside. We
heard another knock before Gabriel opened it and I frowned when I saw Greg outside Gabriel''s room.
"Greg," he called him.
"Oh, I''m sorry to bother you," he said looking at our intertwined hands and then he looked at me
smiling. "Madi, is this yours?" He showed us a white handkerchief.
And my eyes widened as I looked at him. That was my handkerchief embroidered with my childhood
nickname, ''Maiden''.. where I got the name of my restaurants.
I took it straight away and smiled. "Thanks, Greg."
"Tss!" I Gabriel huffed. "So, is that just your reason why you knocked on our door at this of ate hour?"
"Gab?" I squeezed his hand.
"Yes," Greg replied shortly.
"You can give it to her by tomorrow, so why do you---"
"Because I also want to say goodnight to her." then he smiled at me. "Goodnight, Madi."
"Goodnight, Greg." I returned his smile.
"Goodnight, cousin." he patted Gabriel on the shoulder before he disappeared from our sight. I felt
Gabriel''s grip tightened and I slightly winced.
"Gab!"
"Oh, I''m sorry, love." he sighed and checked my hand after closing the door.
I was about to turn around when he pulled my hand again, so I looked at him confused.
"Love..."
"Hmm?"
"Can we be friends?" And my lips curled into a wide smile with his question. I took a step forward and
stared at him. I can''t believe he''s really asking me.
"Of course, why not? Friends?" I said taking my hand and offering it for a handshake.
"Friends," he said epting it with the same smile as mine.
But when he pulled me into a hug, I don''t have a choice but to hug him again.
"Tsk.Tsk. You know what, my friends'' list was consists of nice and kind people. Now, I really don''t know
If I can still call it ''nice list''."
"And why?" he looked at me furrowing his eyebrow with his hands still on my waist.
"Because you added to that list. You''re totally the opposite of them. They know how to smile andugh
often, but you''re not. They were nice to others but you''re difficult to approach. You''re cold, distant ...."
he started to open his mouth, nodding "... rude, a big jerk and---"
"And what else, heartless? Bastard? Arrogant?" He interrupted me, holding back his smile.
"Exactly! Those were the words I was about to say." I saidughing at him.
But he justughed, shaking his head. "Love, I promise to lessen your bad impressions towards me."
"Owws?" I don''t believe him.
"Yes. I told you, you can p me."
"Alright." I shrugged, smiling widely.
"Okay, let''s go to bed, it''s gettingte."
"Yeah, I''m going to bed. But you... you''re going to sleep on the couch." I said smiling as I pointed to the
couch. His jaws dropped.
"Love, we both fell asleep in bedst night."
"Yeah, we both fell asleep in the bed st night''." I emphasized the word st night''. "But that wasst
night and tonight is another night, so you''re now going to sleep on the couch." I patted him on the
cheek before jumping on the bed with my back first.
"Ohh... it''s really nice to sleep in the soft... and ...fy bed... hmm..." I said rolling my body left and
right. And when I looked back on him, I chuckled as I found him still in his post, frowning. "Hey, love?
Are you just going to stand there? Aren''t you going to sleep?" I bit my bottom lip to suppress myugh.
"Love, that''s a king-size bed."
"And so?"
"And so? That''s enough for the two of us. We can sleep on both sides of the bed and it''s still---"
"Uhmm... is that so?" I asked him getting up. "If you want, you can sleep here and I''ll go to sleep on the
couch."
"Huh?" He frowned.
"But tomorrow I''ll tell your Mom that you let me sleep on the couch, while you sleepfortably in your
bed. Hmm... how''s that?" I pretended like I was going to take the spare pillow, but then I heard him
speak.
"Oh, God, woman! Fine! I''m going to sleep now--- ''on the couch''!" he emphasized thest three words
and I chuckled.
He took some extra pillows and nket from the cab andid down on the L-shaped couch while I
settled myself, staring at the ceiling. But then I was back to thinking again. We can''t stay that way
forever, no matter how I wish... I know we can''t.
"I love you, Madi." My head snapped in his direction.
"Should I answer you back, I mean, do I need to say I love you, too?" I asked him feeling the heaviness
of what we were doing.
"Of course, you need to." he checked on me, raising his head from the pillow.
"Hmm... alright, I love you too."
I sighed, looking back at the ceiling. I turned my head in his direction and all I can see is just his head.
He rolled over and I sighed. How can I go to sleep when I know he''s notfortable?"
"Gab..."
"Hmm? Yes, love?"
N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.
"Are you still awake?"
I heard him chuckled. And I realized my question. He''s obviously still awake. How silly of me? How
would he respond when he''s already asleep?
"Yes, love." he raised his head. "Why, are you still cold? Do you want some cuddle buddy?"
And it''s my turn tough at him.
"No thanks. I was about to ask you to sleep here in bed, but I changed my mind. I think you''re already
comfortable on that couch, so goodnight."
"Ohh...e on, you''re kidding." he got up immediately and ran to the bed.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him when I felt the other side of the bed dipped in his weight.
"Thanks, love," he said grinning widely.
"Fine." I put two pillows between us and smiled at him.
"What''s that?" he asked frowning.
"Barriers. Sleeping barriers, my love."
"Oh, sleeping barriers, huh? I thought you wanted some cuddle buddy?"
"Hah.. no thanks, just cuddle yourself if you want." I rolled my eyes but he justughed at me.
"Okay, just feel free to hug me when you change your mind." He winked.
"Hahaha... do you know how to spell the word ''wish''?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, wish, it''s W-I-S-H, wish."
"Wrong!"
"What? But that''s the spelling of that word."
"Nope, they''ve already changed it and this is the new spelling of the word ''wish''... Y - O - U !"
His frown got deeper.
"That''s you! You just ''wish'' until the morninges that I will hug you!" and with that, I turned to my
side of the bed as he continued tough.
"Okay, love. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," I replied smiling.
"I love you." It was then that my smile faded.
"I love you too." I sighed.
-''Goodnight, love.''- I muttered silently before closing my eyes.