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Chapter 22

Angelo's P.O.V

Sonia, Daniels' mother, called out from the kitchen to tell us that the dinner was ready. Daniel has been complaining about being hungry all the way home whereas in fact, the guy was always hungry.

I was about to tell him something but I decided to talk to him after the dinner.

Sonia prepared a roast beef and mushroom, the smell made my stomach churned and I didn't realise that I was starving until I smelled the meals. Of course, she also cooked me my rice since Daniel told her that rice is always a part of my meal.

Everyone in the table was happily eating their dinner with a little chat then and there from either Sonia or Jared, but Daniel. He was sitting on my right side while Jared insisted that he would sit on my left.

I got a feeling that there's something bothering Daniel. He hasn't moved his plate or either took a bite of his dinner. I could feel that he's been thinking about the thing I was about to say. He might have taken it the wrong way and now he's worried about something.

Sonia was throwing him a curious and worry glare but didn't say anything and continued eating.

I looked at him. He was looking hard at his food on his plate like as if the food did something bad to him. His blonde hair was covering his eyes and I could feel his legs rocking up and down. I looked down to see his fingers was fidgeting with each other. That could only mean that he was nervous about something. Being around him for almost three months had me the ability to read the guy like an open book.

I slid my right hand under the table and held his hands. He stopped fidgeting and looked at me with almost pleading blue eyes- the eyes that could melt me up to the bone. He tried to smile at me and failed miserable.

On the other hand, Sonia and Jared were talking about the dolphins and penguins he played with earlier in the Sea world.

"Everything is fine." I whispered, still holding his hands. "Don't worry about anything." I gave him a reassuring smile. "Now, eat. You've been hungry since we were driving home."

He just stared at me and sighed in relief. He then picked up his spoon and fork and started to munch his food in front of him.

I caught Sonia looking at me with a smile plastered on her face before continuing to chat with Jared, who by then animatedly telling his nana about the massive polar bear.

After the dinner, Daniel was back to his normal self. I tried to insist that I would wash the dishes in thanks for their hospitality but Sonia just ignored me and threw me away to the living room.

We went to the living room and watched Big Bang Theory on the TV while Jared was cuddling on me. The kid was so adorable and I wouldn't complain if he would like to cuddle with me every day. After a while, the kid yawned.

"Time for bed, buddy." Daniel said, looking at Jared while sitting on my side.

He yanked Jared softly from me and carried him on his arms. "But first, I need to clean you up."

"Can Kuya go with us?" Jared asked while looking at me.

"Kuya is tired, buddy." Daniel explained. Jared frowned and looked like he was about to cry.

I stood up from my seat. "It's alright daddy." I said, looking at Daniel, who had a surprised grin on his face. "I can go with you. Daddy will clean you up first and after that, I'll read your bedtime story." I said, kissing the kid's forehead.

Jared giggled and cheered as we went upstairs to his room.

The boy's room was awesome. It was painted in blue just like his eyes, there was a bookshelf where his favourite books were properly stacked, a lava lamp, and a single bed with lots of stuff toys on it. On the far corner was his own bathroom. They went straight to it while I remained on the bedroom fixing Jared's bed.

After a while, both of the boy's emerged from the bathroom with Jared wrapped in towel being carried by his dad. They were laughing and giggling and singing a nursery rhyme. It was the cutest things I've seen and that kind of moment makes me yearn for my own son someday.

I dressed Jared with his PJ's and settled him down on the bed. Daniel asked me if he could take a shower while I'm reading Jared his bedtime story. I told him to go on.

Jared chose Narnia's Silver Chair for his bedtime story, however, it didn't take too long before the kid was in slumber. I guess he was so tired from the fun activity we had at the themepark. Honestly, I enjoyed it a lot as well. Being raised in a simple farm alone with limited resources wasn't the best childhood a kid could have, but it would surely open your eyes to the reality of life and to learn that everything has its own time.

I kissed Jared good night and put his teddy on his arm for him to snuggle before going down stairs. I found Sonia watching Big Brother alone. I seated beside her as she looked at me and smiled.

"So is Jared snoring now?" she asked.

I smiled at her. "Yes mum. The kid had drained all his energy earlier." I answered.

Her face softened while she stared at me with her green eyes. I bet Daniel got his blue eyes from his father, but his hair was obviously from her mum. "It's really late now. Why don't you spend the night here? Daniel can sleep in the couch and you can take his bed." She asked.

"Oh no mum, I don't want to invade your home. Your hospitality has been awesome to me and it would be too much if I'll spend the night here too." I answered, surprised.

She waved her hands and huffed. "Non-sense." She stood up from his seat and yanked me up. "Now, go to Daniel's room and tell him you're spending the night here. Go."

"But...." I tried to complain but she pushed me gently upstairs.

"No more buts. Go now." She insisted.

I marched up to the stairs up to Daniel's room. He told me before taking showers that he'll leave the door open in case I needed something. I entered his room and I was actually amazed how neat it was. I mean, I wasn't expecting that a guy like him with a killer smile, tantalizing blue eyes and a Greek god look would have an organised room. There were computer table with a laptop and speaker on it, a baseball bat, a poster of a band AC/DC, and a wardrobe.

I could hear him singing in the bathroom as I closed the door behind me. I tried to call his name but I guess the sound of water splashing from the shower must have drowned my voice and couldn't hear me at all. I was about to turn around  and walk out of the room when a photo caught my attention.

Out of curiosity, I took out the photo from his side table on a photo album. In the photo was little Daniel grinning from ear to ear with Alex on his side while they were holding a baseball bat. They were probably around 9 years old judging how messy and childish they look. Daniel really looks like Jared when he was little and I find it really cute. There were the sparkling blue eyes that could take my soul away from my body, and the smile that makes me fall in love for him.

Silence...

Wait? Did I say fall in love? With Daniel? ME?

I jumped from my seat when I heard the bathroom door creaked open, revealing a naked Daniel with nothing but a towel on his head. He was wiping his hair when he suddenly froze on his spot. Actually, both of us froze. Time seemed to stopped around the room until he finally spoke up.

"A..An...Anj?" he stuttered, stunned.

I looked at him from head to toe, and when I realised what I was looking at, I screamed. "Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!" I covered my eyes on instinct.

"AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!" he screamed back, panicked rising on his tone. "What's the matter?" he asked, walking towards me.

"You're naked!" I threw him a pillow while covering my eyes. "Cover yourself up!" I screamed at him.

He then realised what was happening and he stormed back to the bathroom, covering his glory with the pillow I threw at him.

I then heard a footstep hurriedly marching towards the room and a loud knock behind the door. "Angelo, are you alright? What's happening? I heard someone screamed. Open the door." Sonia asked worriedly.

I then opened the door, revealing a tomato red face of mine, while Daniel was getting out from the bathroom, already dressed up decently. "I'm sorry mum, it was just..." I choked every words I spoke while trying to calm my heart beat down. "It's actually my fault, I should never..." I said, embarrassed to the highest level.

"What happened here Daniel?" she turned to Daniel.

Daniel has the same face colour as I have, since he has got a lighter skin tone, the redness from his neck all the way up to his face up to the tip of his ears was highly visible even from afar. "I thought no one was here so I went out from the bathroom naked. I didn't know Angelo was here and he saw my....he saw my..." he said, unable to say a word anymore.

"Oh my gosh Daniel." Sonia covered his mouth and tried not to laugh. "Aren't you rushing things too soon darling?" she quirked her eyebrow.

"It doesn't mean that way mum!" Daniel answered, still blushing.

I was there standing as if I was not there. I was praying so hard that maybe, the floor would swallow me alive and save me from the embarrassment that I was feeling.

"Fine then, I'll leave you two alone. I'm gonna go sleep now." She turned towards the door, but she stopped in her mid-step and turned back to Daniel. "By the way, Angelo is spending the night here. Take care of him. And, don't do the thing I wouldn't do." she marched out of the room, closing the door behind her with a winked.

"I'm sorry about that." Daniel spoke up after a minute of awkward silent. "You can sleep here, I'll take the couch down stairs." He said, getting a couple of pillow from his bed.

"Stop it." I said. "I'll take the couch, you stay here. I'm used to sleeping in the couch."

"No way, mister. You are my visitor so you stay here." He insisted.

I quirked my right eyebrow. "Excuse me Mr. Bradley? Are you ordering me?" I asked, the awkward tension has been dissolved now.

"I..I..." he stuttered, scratching the back of his neck.

I suddenly laughed aloud, loud enough not to disturbed the whole house, surprising him. "Calm down Daniel. I was just kidding." I said between fits of laugh. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something." His face suddenly hardened. "I need to get something quickly downstairs." I didn't wait for his reply as I quickly marched downstairs to grab the magazine that I was reading before.

When I came back, Daniel was sitting on his bed, fidgeting with his fingers while his legs were shaking. He then looked at me at the door and patted the space beside him. "Sit here." He said.

I went to sit beside him, holding the magazine in my hands. "What's up?" he asked, but I could feel the shaking in his tone.

"It's about my family." I answered, turning the page to where I saw the the article about the topic that I was trying to hide in my life.

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