Chapter 68

SAME BIRTHDAYS

Diane’s P.O.V.

Two months after graduation, I took the CPA board exam and thanked God that I passed it with just one take. I would no longer spend time for another review in that case. Another good news was David also passed the Coach University College Admission Test for his upcoming college.

He even topped it at ninety-eight, beating the previous record of ninety-one percent. Liam guided him, and my brother eventually decided to take Civil Engineering at Coach University. I was too proud of him that I couldn’t hide it. While treasuring every moment, I was filled with joyful energy, and my happiness was far beyond what I could take.

“Well, these calls for a double celebration! Perhaps, this weekend? What do you think?” Liam suggested when we gathered in the living room. He would pick me up here in our house so we could go to work together.

Liam indeed fulfilled his promise as he gave my brother a five-year full-scholarship grant in college. David was also offered a full-scholarship grant by the university dean because of his high entrance exam’s grade. It sets the new bar in Coach University’s name, but my brother didn’t accept it and just gave the opportunity to someone else.

“D-Don’t bother anymore, big bro. Maybe, you two can celebrate together since my sister also did a great job passing her board exam. She deserves to have fun, but I wouldn’t be joining you. It seems like I just want to t-take a rest this whole vacation period,” David explained before he continued. Bleak and despair were screaming in his expression.

“Hmm… the admission test was quite hard. It seems like my brain got suddenly drained.” Then, my brother just forced a smile, but the problem could still be seen on his face. “I’ll go first, sis, big bro,” he bade goodbye to us with a slight nod, and after that, he headed straight towards his bedroom. He didn’t even wait for me to call for him and just ended up locking his door.

“Mom, what’s the matter with Dave? Shouldn’t he be happy because he passed his admission test? And he was even the highest scorer in history, not to mention that C.U. is the leading university here! Is Dave having some problems again? I’m sure that this is not about the valedictorian thing,” I said while shaking my head.

“I don’t know about your brother, Diane. David started to act glum again after their J.S. Prom. He was always looking at nowhere, lost in his own world, and there was even a time that he bought beef instead of pork. Well, it was good that he was still able to focus on his entrance exam,” Mom informed us, who brought some baked muffins in the living room.

“Oh, I think I know the reason why, big sis!” Denise intervened as she grabbed two muffins. “Well, as you can see… brother was in love. But unfortunately, the woman broke up with him on the night of their J.S. Prom. Also, he first thought that the girl would only take a vacation, but it looked like she went to Europe and would stay there for good,” she whispered to us. Her already large eyes seemed to get larger while divulging David’s secret to us.

Honestly, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for my brother. Unbeknownst to him, I knew that he was in love with this green-eyed girl who happened to come from a rich family here in Quego. But I just let David do what he wanted because I knew that he was happy about being with her.

For the first two months after I accepted Liam’s proposal to be his girlfriend, I could see how David’s spirit had brightened too. Not because of my relationship, but because of his own feelings. Although his attention was merely focused on chatting with that girl, he never ran out of time to study harder and prepare for his tests. He always looked so inspired and motivated.

But now? It was as if I wanted to scold David for what he was doing. He was sulking and even locking himself in his bedroom. There was even a time where I saw him like an idiot who kept on staring at their pictures together in front of our family computer.

David looked so miserable that he couldn’t even eat more, unlike before. His gloominess stole his right to be happy, and that was why he couldn’t focus anymore. He was too young to be serious.

Heaving an infuriated sigh, I was about to stand up to follow David in his room and talk some sense to him when Liam held my wrist. “Let’s just leave him alone for now, sweetie. He might be really in love with that girl. He looked so upset, and he probably needed time to heal. I would feel the same way if you would break up with me, which I didn’t want to happen. Anyway, let’s go?”

I thought about what Liam said before I nodded to him, agreeing that we should go to work and leave David for now. “Okay! Mom, Liam and I are going now,” I told my mother before Liam and I pressed our foreheads on her right knuckles as our way of respect.

“Oh, all right! God bless you two and don’t you worry about your brother, Diane. Soon, he will be alright. Anyway, Liam? Always be extra careful when driving, huh?” Mom seriously reminded my CEO boyfriend.

“Yes, Mom. Don’t worry because I’m always taking extra care of Diane too,” Liam replied and showed his irresistible dimple, making my mom genuinely smile too.

“Denise, always lock the door, huh? Don’t play outside,” I instructed our youngest.

She just graduated from elementary and would go to high school as well. I planned to enroll her in St. Augustine’s Academy, where David would graduate next week. He was still blessed for ending up with the salutatorian title despite everything.

“Yes, big sis. You can count on me, so you don’t have to worry and just focus in the office. I will take care of Mom for now because it looks like I can’t trust big brother to do the job!” Denise was even giggling while bragging those words to me. I kissed them both before Liam and I finally left.

We were on our way to EGC when Liam opened his mouth to break the deafening silence inside his red corvette car. I told him that this one was my most favorite of all his cars so he would always use this whenever we were on a date or whenever it was only the two of us.

“Hey, it will be our birthdays together next month, so what’s your plan? What do you like to do, Diane? Where do you want us to go, hmm?” he asked.

Now that I was getting reminded of it, who would have ever thought that I shared the same birthday with the man I loved? As in, we were born on the same date. We just had a different year because Liam was ahead of me for five years. I would be turning twenty-two, and Liam would be turning twenty-seven.

I only learned about it last month when it wasn’t even my intention to look at his fingers while those were pressing zero-five-one-two as his unit passcode. I didn’t look at that before…

“Hmm… sorry, Liam. I accidentally saw your passcode. But why was it zero-five-one-two?” I asked in astonishment as we entered his unit together. He never failed from letting me enter first.

“It’s okay, sweetie. As I’ve said before, this is our place, and everything in my possession is all yours too. Anyway, May 12 is my birthday,” he replied while giving me some radiant smiles.

“Huh? So, we have the same birthday? Wow!” I couldn’t believe what I asked him. My eyes almost popped out of their sockets in quite a shock. “I was born on May 12 too,” I exclaimed.

“Oh, really?” He paused for a moment. Something flashed beneath his smiles. I hurried to examine the sudden shift, but it was too late. His vague expression disappeared before I could even identify it. “Well, it just shows that we are really meant to be, my queen.”

Liam quickly grabbed me by the waist and tenderly claimed my lips. It was as if there would never be tomorrow with how he used to kiss me while his hands were roaming against my soft skin.

He continued touching and stripping me until his fingers reached my private gem. I seductively clasped my arms around his nape while returning his dizzy-swaying kisses, and only God knew what happened next.