Althea

Arrived at the airport earlier than we thought and still there's no signs of Amelia. I could see my brother gyrating with excitement and he can't wait to see her either.

Just as we were looking around at the people leaving the main gate, we spotted Amelia. She has the brightest smile on her face when she saw us and she came running towards us with her luggage bags. Atlas took the quick steps and he had her on his arms just before she could reach us while kissing her.

I smiled at the couple who commuted to their own world and it was a little weird for me as well because I had never seen them like this before. But I guess, I need to get used to it.

They pulled away and Amelia gasped upon seeing me. I waved my hand with a smile as she looked shocked in between me and Atlas.

"That's okay. I know everything." I assured her and moved forward to give her a welcoming hug. She got stunned and I still hugged her while laughing.

"Chill out. I'm happy for you guys." I said, dragging away from the hug.

She went back to smiling big and hugged me. "Oh my God, it was so scary."

"He never let me know either." We reverted from the hug and Amelia slapped my brother's shoulder as I giggled.

"Actually it was just like an hour ago since I found out." I tell her.

"Seriously? God!" She said in shock and we started laughing as we could still see the amazement in her gaze.

She pestered me with questions on how I found out as the car ride starts and I explained it to her. I admitted that I was mad at first for keeping this a secret and Amelia gave me the same answer as Atlas does.

"You see, hun, it's not easy of us to keep it a secret either. It was indeed very hard for us to act normal in front of you guys. We knew we had something special going on since the beginning so after we realized, we couldn't just....be friends." She let me know while eyeing me and then smiling lovingly Atlas as he did the same on her.

"I understand. I really got it and that's why I'm cool with it. It was weird at first but not anymore. As I said before, I'm happy for you guys." They had the happiest smile on their faces as I said so.

"So, since Thea had already figured it out, how about Damien?" Atlas asked while driving and frequently looking over at me through the rear mirror yet her once awhile.

"It's totally up to you guys. But you know....he deserves to know the truth as well. You guys can't keep pretending forever." I gave them my preposition and they nodded.

I'm not sure of how Damien would react. But I can say that he would be happy as well. Speaking about Damien, my body instantly got chills and his handsome pictures reeled in my brain one by one.

My beautiful Damien.

I knew by now I would be smiling like an idiot but that's okay for me as long as I'm in my own fantasy land imagining our lives together.

Seeing at the front of the car, I could evident the love radiating in both of them. Maybe soon, that will be me and Damien. I blushed and scrolled through my phone on the images we had together. All the old and new ones, I could see myself clinging onto him and who wouldn't, with such a sweet handsome prince nearby.

"....earth to Thea?!" It was Lia's yelling and they were laughing at me as soon as I startled myself on her chorus call.

"I have been talking to you for minutes now and all I got in return was silence. What is in your head, hun?" She asked and I shook my head.

"Urmm, nothing." I smiled.

"Atlas just told me that you're selected into UCL for your higher studies. Congrats, hun! I swear we need to celebrate." She cheered and reached behind for me to hug, which I reciprocate.

"Yeah, it's overwhelming at first for me as well." I let her know, not giving it much thought.

"You don't sound so excited. Is everything all right?" She asked and I looked forward to catch them staring at me with concern.

Getting selected into UCL is a dream come true for many students like myself especially when you got the full scholarship but the thought of leaving everyone miles away, overwhelmed me. I have never been away from my family and friends yet when it comes to Damien, I can't imagine myself being 2000 miles away from him. It's like crossing the whole country from here to UCL and I'm afraid that I might lose him by the time I come back after completing my studies.

"Yes, I'm fine." I lied to them with an assuring smile and they let it be, thankfully not pestering me much.

Soon we reached home and Damien was waiting for us at the porch. He went for a hug towards Amelia and she took him in. It's like the old times now, the fabulous four had returned and we really spent the day with laughter. Most of the time I caught myself being engrossed in Damien's charming smile and sweet talks, though I was also a little affirmative that Amelia might had noticed it.

Later it was night, Amelia came by my house after visiting her parents to have a sleepover. After she arrived, I couldn't be able to catch her alone as my brother was clinging around her too much. Luckily, my father had went to his night shift job otherwise he would have catch them making out too.

Later by the time I was preparing to sleep, thinking that Amelia would stay over with my brother instead, I heard her coming in my room.

"Hey, sleeping already?" She asked as she slides in the bed beside me.

"Well, I thought you will be spending the night with Atlas. You guys were too busy." I teased her and she blushed while lightly slapping my bum.

"Nothing that sort of. He was too needy though, but I need my free time to relax as well. Plus I don't want to miss our usual girls night talks." She winked at me as she sat on the bed.

"Good, so let's start with how you guys really patched up? With details, yeah." I got giddy to know their love story and I love listening to stories. I could say that I'm a very good listener and you can say anything to me.

She blushed and begin narrating their story. It started since the day of Atlas's final year prom where Amelia went as his date and I went as Damien's. It was more like a plus one kind of terms between us and even though I was too young back then, I was screaming happy with Damien by my side. He took care of me the entire night and I couldn't forget that day because I had a close-call failure with Damien.

It was that time when we were dancing for a melodic music on the background and just by looking at Damien, I felt myself leaning in to him. That was my first time having a closer view of his smooth kissable lips and I couldn't help but to imagine them on mine. Just while admiring them, I had lost my self control and went for a kiss.

Just a little closer but it got to be an interruption when some idiot pushed us aside, knocking the sense out of him. I gasped as soon as I realized what I almost did and ran away from there. On top of that, I never got the chance to say anything to Damien. I didn't even know that whether he would want it or not. When I got back home, I screamed in my pillow with frustration running in my head and I even avoided Damien for no reason. I was fifteen back then and I didn't have the courage to face him without knowing his full reaction.

Coming back to Amelia, I realized I wasn't listening everything in details as I was in my own reverie but I still played along her. After all, I'm all in for their relationship and there's no need much of explanation further.

"I must admit it, keeping the relationship as a secret really sucks. Only now I feel so free and sound." Lia laughed while shifting herself to another sitting position.

"Not so free yet. Remember you guys have to plan on telling Damien too." I let her know as I slanted my body towards the headboard.

"You're absolutely right, hun. And speaking of Damien...." She trailed on her words which made me to look at her confusion. She wiggled her brows at me playfully.

"What?" I unconsciously giggled.

"Ah, there comes the blush." She cheered while pretending to give me a closer look.

"Stop." I whined, smiling ear to ear.

"From what I saw just now, I can say that he's clueless about your feelings. When are you going to tell him?" She asked, surprising me.

"F-Feelings? Pfft, no." I mumbled, getting nervous out of nowhere as she will be the first person to ask me so.

"Liar. I saw that lovey dovey eyes of yours piercing through him. That should be something and I'm not stupid." She said, now nudging my shoulder and I smiled.

"Okay, fine. Yes, I-I like him. Like a lot. But I'm scared." I told her, revealing my feelings for Damien.

"Scared? Why?" She asked with concern.

"Scared that I might not be good enough for him. He might have never feel that way about me and I don't want to ruin our current relationship, you know." Amelia stared at me with a sigh.

"But Thea, you can't just simplify things like that. You don't know what's going on in his head until you get into it. Like who knows, Damien might really like you but he is just afraid of rejection....maybe." She said.

"No way. Why would he be afraid of that? I would scream a big yes for him if he ever confess." I whined and she laughed.

"Girl, that's it. You wouldn't know what's inside his mind if you never tell him. He might think that you don't like him at all and finally decides to move on to someone else." Amelia said with a hint of humor but it scares me.

What if she's right?

"No, Damien wouldn't go for someone else and I-I knew it." I felt extremely sad for a reason and she patted my shoulder for comfort.

"Hey, it was meant to be a joke. But you can't always expect the man to do the first move and....now, I could really see why you're not that excited for UOL" She let me know and I looked up at her.

"You're afraid of losing him." Her statement made my eyes watery and I hugged her. Facing my insecurities once and for all.

We talked more about my inferiority complex, especially about me being plus size and Amelia completely denied that fact. She convincingly berated me on how to see myself the other way and that night we were consumed with a lots of conversation plus some arguments in between.

At last I got convinced that loving myself is as important as the love I have for Damian.

Gosh, I really sound like a simp girl now. But I don't think I mind at all.

*****

Next day, we planned a whole day out and thankfully Damien was with us this time. It's been so long since we had done this so we get really excited when the day starts. First we went to our favorite spot, it was one of the rural side of the forest where we found an amazing breeze of waterfall with a mini cave on the inside. We found it when we were young while sneaking out of school to celebrate Amelia's last few days with us before she leaves to other states. Though it was actually surprising that there's few people around here today.

We unpacked our bags to open up a picnic spot of our own and later got soaked into the water. I would be the last to get in as I always have this little hesitancy to step into the water. It would fully cover up to my chest and I tend to get clumsy with those slippery rocks to take my balance. Afraid of drowning, I would do just fine while relaxing on the side but they wouldn't let me too and I can't fight them.

"I got you, princess." Comes a light whisper from my back as it almost took me by surprise. But instantly I got washed with chills when I noticed that it was Damien, standing so close to me. It's that kind of proximity where I could even feel his breaths fanning my skin.

My heartbeats to race when I felt his hand gently intertwining with mine as he was trying to lead me into the water. He took one step in before staring up at me with an encouraging smile. It took me a second to come out of my his reverie and realize that I should be the one to get in the water now.

I went in as soon as I got my realization and I stumbled a little when my feet came across a slippery rock beneath the water. It was that moment when I lost my ability to breath as Damien held me by waist while pulling me lower to him. He had me wrapped around his arms and slowly guided us into the water. Our bodies moving in sync and even the cold shivery waters weren't a thing for me any more.

All I heard was sounds of cheering and a nudge on my back for me to gain my conscious.

"You're eating him alive with your eyes." It was Amelia with the dramatic 'rawr' expression and I rolled my eyes at her. It took me a second to know that the water had soaked me till my chest and I could finally feel my toes nuzzling over the sands underneath.

"Stop." I shushed her while splashing the water on her before peering around to check on them. Luckily, Damien and Atlas were already making their way to stand under the huge water falls so he wouldn't have listened on her words.

"I think you better tell him."

"What are you talking about?" If she means by me confessing to Damien, then I'm not sure about it.