Rainbows and unicorns. Just think of rainbows and unicorns. Nothing but rainbows and unicorns.

I'm calm, I'm strong, this is nothing.

“So Soph…” Adam trailed off, snapping me out of my happy moment inside my brain.

“Rainbows and fucking unicorns!” I blurted out. Well, that wasn’t supposed to say out loud.

Adam physically flinched at my sudden outburst and slowly scooted an inch away from me, making me sigh in frustration. Running a hand through my hair, I finally thought it’s time to stop resorting to chanting weird things inside my brain.

I find it much easier to perform in front of a huge crowd than to deal with this problem.

Adam, sensing how uneasy I’ve become with each passing moment, decided that he should finally do the first move, “I know you’re upset.”

My eyes finally glanced to his direction, his hands were fidgeting as his elbows were resting on his knees, his hair that was usually gelled up was falling on his face, covering the good half of it, his gaze was set on the carpet of the floor, and the way his voice was losing the usual happy tone, was enough to break my heart.

He unintentionally caused me a heartbreak, but here I was, making him lose his normal self. I did this.

Reaching out, I took one of his hands to make him to stop twiddling and I pressed a soft kiss towards it. Something chase and a gesture of comfort, “I’m more upset to see you like this.”

“Then I’m upset that I’ve done this,” he muttered, “It’s my fault for not telling you.”

“It’s my fault for overreacting,” I countered, my tone becoming less depressed. We stared at each other for a good moment, before we had this mutual understanding that this might go nowhere if we continue with this.

“Let’s start with this then,” I breathed out, leaning against the couch to relax my tensed posture, “When did you find out.”

Even with the heavy air surrounding us, he managed to chuckle at my question, “I think the question here is, when’s the time I didn’t know about it.”

I should be offended, I really should have, but instead, I finally cracked a smile, giving him a light punch on the arm. Everybody has pointed it out, I shouldn’t be surprised with his answer. My job may be an actress, but that doesn’t mean I’m the best at hiding what I’m feeling. When I’m sad, I’ll cry, when I like a person, I’ll appear like a love sick puppy.

With the knowledge of this stupid crush, he didn’t push me away like somebody would if they found out. He treated me like how he used to, not a spark of indifference. That made me like him even more.

“You know why I helped him?” he questioned, referring to Axel. I shook my head and he gave me a soft smile, “It’s because I want to see you happy.”

“I fail to see how playing cupid with Axel Brooks is going to make me happy,” I let out a mocking tone.

I didn’t know if it was because I was slowly getting bitter with the topic or what, but I didn’t want that part of this heartfelt conversation.

Oh who am I kidding? I wanted to know it.

“Every princess needs a prince charming,” he told me. He held a face of seriousness even with the cheesy sentence.

“I don’t need a prince charming,” I suddenly yelled, my hands balling up into fists. I hated when people say that. It’s like the heavens aligned us to be together.

There’s no such thing as destiny. The reason why things happen is because people have done certain things to trigger an event. The idea of everything has been determined before it even happens is a terrible bullshit. The thing is, people are the ones who make their own choices.

And I believe that I have chosen all wrong choices presented to me.

“Sophia,” he reached out and cupped my face in his hands, “Every princess needs a prince charming.”

This time, he said it more slowly, as if he was trying to make a kindergarten comprehend something so simple. Biting my lip, I struggled to get away from his grasps, but there was a part in my brain that is saying that he was right.

“Or a knight in shining armor,” I countered.

“I’m not a knight in shining armor,” he said, finally releasing me, “I’m afraid my armor has been dented and broken.”

“Then it means you have fought so many battles already,” I tried to reason out.

“Well, with a best friend like you, I have a reason to,” he teased, earning a small laugh from me.

My head fell onto his lap and I heard him chuckle, reaching out to lightly stroke my face, “You like Brooks, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t,” I automatically answered, covering my face with my hands.

“Mhmm…” he hummed.

Then I remember Axel’s effort to get to me. To make me crack out of this impenetrable wall that I’ve built around me against him. I didn’t allow him to get near me, he was approaching and I was distancing, it’s like I wanted to give him the message that I wasn’t interested.

But did he stop? Nope. I really wish he did, but he didn’t.

And that’s when I started saying yes to him. I said yes to go to the movie premiere, I said yes to giving him a chance, I said yes to going on a date with him, heck, I even said yes to myself when I asked him to go on a date with me.

At first, I saw how dramatic the change in his personality was. I hated it with a passion, because the Axel Brooks I knew had this arrogant backbone, not just a boy who chases around the girl he likes.

On the night he walked away from dinner, that was when I saw him again, the boy I always knew. That was the only moment I felt how distraught I was when I watched him disappear from my grasp. It’s because the guy that walked away from me is the guy who kept up with the normal flow of things, the way we were before I found out.

And that made me correct myself, “Yes, I do.”

“And you finally admitted it,” he found himself saying in victory.

I stood up and shot him a glare, “It’s not that I want to.”

“Say whatever you want,” he shot back, before standing up as well.

I tilted my head to look at him and he pulled me into his arms, “I love you.”

Closing my eyes, I rested my head on his chest. All my life, I’ve been praying to hear those words from him, now that I finally did, I understand what he’s trying to convey. I guess there’s a part of me that is still hurting, but the bigger part was so relieved that nothing changed.

Because I love Adam Nicholas, in every sense of the word. I’ll go through hell and back for him, I’m willing to yell it to the world, and I’ll do everything for him, just to make sure we have each other’s backs.

“I love you,” I stated, returning the hug. He buried his face in my hair and I felt him smile.

Then I remembered the concert I was holding. I abruptly pulled away with my eyes wide, Adam looked down at me and his features slowly morphed into one of concern, scrunching his brows in confusion.

“I’m doing a concert on Friday,” I told him, and he gestured for me to continue.

Just like when I said the while ordeal to my mom, he showed a few comments here and then, but remained silent. I show a bit of hesitation when I told him, but when I explained why, he seemed disappointed yet he understood.

“Told anybody yet?” he questioned, slowly sinking back down on the couch.

“My mom, obviously Taylor, and now you,” I replied, slightly tugging on my hair with anxiousness, “Am I doing the right thing?”

“Do you believe it’s right?”

“I honestly don’t know,” I admitted.

“What time do you get off work tomorrow?” he asked, leaning forward towards me.

“About ten in the evening,” I said, pursing my lips, afraid where this is going.

He nodded before speaking, “Then we’ll have a late dinner with your father tomorrow.”

“Why?”

Instead of answering my question, he smiled as he stood and went to exit the room, “You already know why.”

After leaving me there to contemplate, I once again knew he was right. I already knew, I just didn’t want to do it.

That thought made me a nervous wreck the next day. If you think acting for the camera with Axel after our argument was bad enough, imagine doing it with the burden of talking to your father later in the evening.

“Just a few more days,” Taylor hummed, handing me my regular coffee, “You seem to be on the edge today.”

“Aren’t I always?” I forced myself to joke. She cracked a smile and nodded, giving me a little pat on the head.

“I’ll organize a meeting so free yourself tomorrow after filming,” she instructed, before she excused herself to talk to somebody on the phone.

“I’m just saying that I haven’t been here for two days,” Adam walked to my side, munching on an apple he sneaked out of craft service, “And I believe so much has happened since then.”

So much. So extremely much.

I’ve made a decision, I’ve managed to have a mini confrontation with Axel, and I’ve screwed up so many times than I’ve ever had during my whole career.

I’ve concluded something, I regret doing this movie.

We saw Axel round up the corner and approach the director, he nodded at every word, but I could see that his eyes were trained to us. I tried to give him a small smile, but as I did, he switched his gaze back to the director.

When we saw the director walk away from him, he found his spot on the corner and sat on the floor, flipping through the script he had clutched in his hand.

“I’ll talk to him,” I told Adam and he gave me an encouraging pat on the shoulder, slightly pushing me to his direction.

As I got neared, I could see that his eyes were glued to the script, but he wasn’t reading anything. They were empty, as if he was just trying to distract himself. I don’t want to sound too assuming, but I presumed he was distracting himself from me.

Dropping on the spot next to him, he continued to ignore me. I coughed out to get his attention, but nothing. Finally slamming my hand on his script, he slowly lifted his gaze towards me, and unsurprisingly, glared at me.

“What do you want?”

“We’re done, aren’t we?” I told him, waiting for his confirmation.

“We never started,” he corrected.

We just sat there, staring ahead of us, watching the busy set where we have spent our whole summer in. People were running around, props men were carrying various heavy things around, and as usual, the director and George looked as stressed as always.

“You’re here with him again,” he spoke, pointing towards Adam.

“I found out,” I admitted, telling him that I know about Adam playing cupid. He shook his head, probably cursing my best friend for informing me. It’s not really anybody’s fault, we all just running around this circle and we couldn’t catch up with each other, “Do you regret anything?”

Fearing his answer, I held my breath as I waited for him to finish the little argument he had in his mind. With a relieving moment, he shook his head as he dropped the script on the floor, “I don’t, but I want to so I could have at least carry a grudge against you.”

Should I be offended or not with his answer?

“I really am sorry,” I let out sincerely, “But you know, I told Adam what I feel.”

His eyes widened and he gritted his teeth as I saw his knuckles turning white with how tight his fist was. Something inside me was soaring with happiness due to his reaction. He still cares.

Without his consent, I continued on, “I was really happy with his response, because he told me that he loves me.”

We were going to the wrong path, but this is what I wanted. To unintentionally lead him to the conclusion that something happened that may cause a romantic relationship between my best friend and me.

“Good for you,” he growled, his tone bitter and sour as it practically dripped with anger.

“It’s my biggest joy to hear it from him, I felt like I was up in cloud nine,” I started my small fantasy land speech, “But, he doesn’t love me in that way.”

He stiffened, before ever so slowly relaxing his limbs form the new piece of information that I gave him. Clearing my throat to make him look at me, I internally smiled in victory when his gaze fell upon me.

“Why are you so happy if he doesn’t reciprocate them?” he questioned as if he trying to solve an impossible puzzle.

In a normal romantic novel, the girl usually cries her eyes out with a tub of ice cream or she will completely redo her look to make the guy regret he turned her down.

But no, Adam had given me this special feeling of understanding that I cannot seem to let go.

“Because I understand the way he understand me,” I answered, leaning against the wall, “I don’t get it either, but just the fact that I could stay by his side is enough for me. Now that I admitted it, there’s no holding back, we’re closer than ever.”

I hope he could see through with this also. I wish that he could feel that I was trying to make him do what I did. Even if we didn’t end up together, we were still friends, we still have this special bond that nothing could break.

When he didn’t respond anymore or even comment on what I said, I sighed and stood up, dusting my pants as I stared down on him, “One more thing,” I paused as I slowly backed away, “I have a concert on Friday, I hope that you would come.”

As I made my way back to Adam, my chest felt heavier more than ever, but I cracked a smile. I’m praying that somebody would hit some sense into the both of us so we could just stop this petty thing.

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Summary Drop!

Happy Valentine's Day, my peaches! For those who are single, don't worry, we'll be each other's Valentines. If you thought that I haven't waited all year to make this pun, then you're darn wrong, because I'm literally laughng at how corny I am.

Get it? Heart Valentine!

So as you all cringe at my pathetic attempt for a joke, let me thank you for your patience and a deep apology for being practically AWOL for almost a month. I'm going to spare you the gory details of how bad this month has been, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Question: What do you think of Sophia and Adam's relationship?

Comment, vote, and hit the follow button, because that's perhaps the best Valentine's Day gift that I'll recieve.