31 Chapter Thirty-one: You can't fall in love with me

Gabriel's POV:

I noticed Dad called Madi to follow him outside. And she did. I just can't follow them immediately because my Mom keeps on babbling about my little fight with my sister.

When she's talking like this, giving us her non-stop lecture about us being siblings, that we're no longer a kid anymore, me and Nancy can never walk out unless she's done. We need to listen so she can stop early from her speech.

When she's done, I rushed towards the veranda and there I found my father and Madi seriously talking.

"Dad!" I called him. 

He turned around and smiled at me.

"Son. I'm just talking to your girlfriend."

"I can see that." I said in a serious tone. I don't know what they talked about and I don't know what he said about me to Madi.

I looked at Madi but she turned around and now her back is facing me.

"Take care of her, Son." Dad patted my shoulder and I looked at him. "She's one of a kind. Even you search for another like her in this world, you can never find someone like her again. Try to love her son."

I can't find a word for that moment. It seems that Dad has a clue. But I just nodded. He walked back again inside and I walked on where Madi stand. She didn't notice me. She's lost in her thoughts. I sighed before I asked her.

"Are you okay?"

She looked at me and she nodded.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked not looking anywhere but to her eyes. And she nodded.

"Earlier in the kitchen.. before I kissed you, did you.. uhmm.. already know that they were watching? That's why so said I love y-----"

"Yes." she answered smiling. "I already saw them, that's why I said I love you."

I don't know but her honest answer somehow gives me an uneasy feeling.

"Hmm." I said nodding and turned to look outside the garden.

"Why? It's part of the act right? So, I just played my part."

"Yes. That's only a part of the act. And it's a good job, Madi."

Yeah, all of these were just a part of the act. Part of my game. I glanced at her and she also glanced at me. She smiled but didn't reach her eyes and she looked back again outside.

-'I'm sorry Madi. For bringing you to my mess. I promise after I finished this plan, I'm going to let you go. But this time. I need you to stay beside me to continue my plan. I need Stacey back, I need to show her how much the pain she gave me from the past.'-

I turned my eyes away from her and watched the white butterfly sipping the nectar from the red rose. And I sighed before looking back at her face.

-'I hope we can stay like this 'till this act ends. I'm sorry Madi, but you can't fall in love with me. You can't fall in love with this man who still holding a grudge from the past. I can't give you my heart, because I don't know where I lost it. And I'm not sure if I still really have it inside me.'-

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"Hey dude, what are you thinking?" Phillip patted my shoulder. I am sitting at the barstool while sipping one of Dad's favorite brandy.

"Nothing. Just thinking something." I said before I gulped the remaining content on my glass.

"Something or someone?" It's Justine's question from my left side. "You know what, I'm happy that you already moved on from ex----"

"Justine!" his brother cut him off. And I just sighed.

"What? What's wrong with that? Isn't it true, Gab?" he looked at me before he looked back to his brother. "He already moved on, can't you see.. he now have a Madi in his life."

"Well, in that case, I agree. You're lucky with her, cousin. I can feel that. Don't let her go."

I smiled and shook my head. "Don't worry, i won't let her go. I will tie her on my hips if it's needed."

"That's my man! Fight!" they shared a high five.

And then we heard some laughter from the kitchen. We all shared a look with a crunched eyebrows.

"That's our Moms." Phillip said shaking his head.

"Let's go, maybe they're were throwing nasty jokes again. Good luck to your girlfriend, Gab."

And I remember Madi was pulled by Aunt Morgan with them earlier. I agree with the two and walked towards the kitchen. We're still a few steps away from them when I heard Nancy's laugh. We just stay standing on the door frame and watched the girls together with 'my girlfriend'. They were now preparing for dinner.

"Sissy, do you know that Gab is allergic to peanuts and anything with peanuts?" Nancy asked Madi while chewing peanuts from the bowl.

"Yeah." she answered and I raised my eyebrow. How did she know it? I didn't mention any of it to her.

"Nancy, why don't you slice the carrots and the cabbage?" I bite my lip when Nancy frowned.

"Ma, you know I can't!"

"Then how would you learn if you're not trying?"

"But Ma----"

"It's okay, Nancy. I'll teach you." Madi gets the knife from Nancy's hand together with the chopping board.

"Okay." Nancy smiled at her. "Sissy, do you know how to cook?"

"Uhm.. yup." she also smiled at her. And then she whispered something in Nancy's ear. I raised my eyebrow again when Nancy nodded excitedly. 

And then she starts to chop the vegetables with Nancy holding her cellphone. And my eyes couldn't believe how she chopped all the vegetables around her.

"Oh goodness! How? How did she...."

"How did she chopped those veggies so fast?" Phillip continued what Justine supposed to ask.

When I looked at them, they have the same expression as mine.

"Wow, Sissy! How did you that?"Nancy asked our silent question. But Madi shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"Maybe because I always cook and I love to cook".

"Gabriel is so lucky for you, Madi." Justine and Philip patted both of my shoulders when they heard their Mom's voice.

"And you know what the old sayings says.. the way to a man's heart is through his stomach." that was Aunt Cindy.

"My Gabriel is so lucky for you." Mom's added.

"Yeah, and you know what? Stacey can't even lift a pan and-------"

"Nancy!" all the three women shouted at her, our mom and our two Aunts.

"Oops! Sorry... sorry, Madi."

But Madi didn't say anything, she just smiled at her. And I swear, if I could just break my sister's neck, I did since the moment she opened her mouth.

"Well, I agree with Nancy. Your ex can't even wash a single spoon, what more in cooking?"

I glared at Justine.

Aunt Cindy suddenly changed the topic and after a while, they were laughing while Madi and Nancy continued their chopping lessons.