***

"You, two, just sit there with the kids. Fluke and I will prepare the food. I heard Liza told them as I was putting the food in the dishes. She went near me and whispered, "Hey, I think that guy, Ohm, has a thing for you."

"What?" I asked her incredulously. "Stop talking non-sense, Lizzie!"

"Tsk! You know me. I can easily know what people's intentions are. And I know that that guy likes you."

Yeah. She never failed on her judgments. She was that type of person that was hyper and talkative, but very observant and she could tell right away whether she liked the person or not. There were a few times that she warned me about people I was acquainted with, but since I was too naïve a few years back, I did not listen to her and I ended up getting hurt.

"Lizzie. . ."

"Didn't you notice how that person look at you?"

I looked at her in confusion, though I knew what she was talking about. I could feel his stares at me back when we were in the living room. I just didn't want to look at him for I didn't want to assume anything.

It has been a long time since the last time I involved myself to someone. I had put a wall around my heart after getting hurt badly in my last relationship. I've had enough heartaches in the past that I didn't want them to be repeated.

"Fluke, the guy has been very obvious. He looked at you like how New looks at me. He looked so much in love with you."

"In love?" I coughed. "Lizzie, do you know what you're talking about? We don't even know each other."

"Then why don't you get to know him. I think he would like that." She said wiggling her eyebrows.

"Ugh. . . Stop this talk now. Let's eat now, please. You must be hungry. When you get full, you will forget everything that you said." I told her and bring some of the food I put on the dishes.

"I won't." She hurriedly walked next to me with the other dish. "This won't be the end. I know what I see. I will still be observing the guy, though."

I shook my head and just walked to were the others were.

***

The dinner had become a talk show, since Liza didn't want to let go of her observation about Ohm, that he was in love with me, she asked him a lot of questions about himself. This woman even made sure that the guy was sitting in front of me for her to observe how he look at me and whatever she wanted to know.

As Liza kept on asking Ohm, I learned about where he graduated and his major, and that he enjoyed swimming and he liked playing football. He also said that Sammy was his best friend since elementary. He had two siblings and both of them were living with his parents. Due to his work schedule, he decided to live in his condo by himself, but he made sure that he still visit them from time to time. The one that interest me the most was when he told us that his whole family had already met me before and his mom and little sister were my supporters.

When he said that life was too unfair to him because his family had met me a few times, but he only had a chance to meet me during the story conference, Liza immediately looked at me as if telling that she was actually right with what she said about the guy.

I just stayed quiet and listened to their conversation. Again, I could feel his stares, but I was just afraid to look at him. I just focused my attention with my food and attending to Lara from time to time.

After dinner, the guys told us to just relax since we were the ones who made dinner, they would be the one to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. I sat in the sofa in the living room looking at the kids playing on the floor. Liza sat next to me and said, "You saw and hear everything, right? And tell me that I was right with my assumption."

I just rolled my eyes and said, "You really don't know how to give up, huh?"

"You know me. Give up is not in my dictionary."

"Lizzie. . ." I started and released a deep sigh.

"Sweetheart" She reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Why don't you open your heart again? It has been five years. Don't you think it's about time for you to be happy?"

"I am happy."

"You know what I mean, Fluke."

"I know. . . It's just that. . ."

"You're afraid to get hurt again?" I just nodded in response. "Why don't you get to know him first? Oh. . . Let me correct that. . . Let us all get to know him. . . New has worked with him before so he knew bits of information about him, but I don't have any idea about him aside from the ones he answered to my questions a while ago. . . We'll help you find out whether he really is a good person and if his intentions are good."

I stayed quiet for a while and leaned my head on her shoulder. "It's just that. . . I don't know were to start. . . It took me a while to pick up all the pieces that had been broken. I don't even know if I would still be able to love again. Will I even give my heart to someone? I actually believed that no one would love me as me. I am just glad that you and Newie were there for me or else, I wouldn't be able to get up."

She caressed my hand and said, "You know that we won't let you be alone in times like that. I would've killed that person if I weren't pregnant that time."

I chuckled at her response. "I can still remember your face then."

"See. . . now you can just laugh it off. That only means that you are not allowing that incident in the past affect you. He's not worth spending time thinking. That fuc. . ." She stopped as Lara looked at us, so she just whispered, "kin' bitch bastard."

I let out a hearty laugh. Yeah, I might have recovered from the pain, but I was still hesitant to try again.

"The only good thing that guy gave you before. . ." She continued. "was the money."

I lift my head up and asked, "Huh? What money?"

"Don't you remember the book you wrote after that guy left? Sweetheart, it was a big hit. Until now, you're earning a lot from that book."

I sighed. "I never thought I would be able to write a book in just one go. Maybe the heartache helped my fingers move freely as I typed all those sentences. The whole book was done in less than a week and it was published two weeks after. That was unbelievable."

"Have you read it again?"

"Nope. . . I still couldn't do it. . . In time. . . Maybe when everything is okay. . ."

"You'll get there. New and I are here. And. . ." She paused. "Now, Ohm is here, too, for you."

"Lizzie!!" I exclaimed, but she just hugged me.

"Okay. Okay. I'll stop for now." She said, "But I'll continue tomorrow."

Ugh! This woman is such a bully.

***