Chapter 13
"Whoa! This place is amazing!" I exclaimed in awe.
A pristine beach with fine, white sand stretched before us. In all the beaches we visited during the past days, I hadn't seen one with anything other than white sand. Almost all the sands were pure white.
"You liked it?" he whispered, and I felt his arm around me.
"No, I love it," I happily replied, turning to face him.
A broad smile lit up his face, seemingly pleased with my reaction.
"You know? It's my first time here in El Nido, and I'm with you," I shared, smiling. I couldn't help but glance at his lips, recalling the kiss.
It was just a brief one, but it felt like an eternity for me.
"Let's swim?" he suggested, and before I could answer, he pulled me towards the sea.
I didn't resist. It's as if my soul was left behind with that kis
Chapter 14"You know? I've only loved one woman like this. It's you," he said with a smile. I couldn't help but smile back.We're both a bit tipsy, and it's getting late. I don't know how we'll manage to get back to our room, even though it's nearby."I feel the same way! It's only you," I confessed like a child."Why can't you marry me?" he asked with a serious tone."Not now, okay? Just wait," I said and laughed. I saw him laugh too."Why? Are you still scared? Afraid you'll leave me hanging? You love me right? Baby, I know you love me. Isn't that enough?" I heard the pleading tone in his voice, but a smile played on his lips.Once again, I felt the emotions I had when I left someone without knowing him. What if that had worked out? What if I met Carlew afterward? Why am I even thinking about this? Tsk."Yes, but I
Chapter 15"Hi, cousin. How are you? Have you returned Zette?" Casey greeted us as we entered the unit."We're engaged," Carlew happily announced to Casey. I showed where the ring was on my hand."Whoa! That was fast, huh? Ayyyiiiiee!!"We had a bit of conversation or catch-up until Carlew eventually left."I'll visit every week, or whenever you miss me," he said before giving me a kiss."No need. It's okay, not necessarily weekly. Even twice a month is fine. I know you have a lot to take care of since you've been gone for a long time. Surely, I'll be busy too, right? Now that I have a job. So it's okay with me," I assured him. I saw him smile, and then he left.I was left alone in my room. I stared blankly for a moment after he left. I still couldn't believe that I was engaged to a man I love. It feels like I'm in a dream, and if I wake
Chapter 16I woke up with swollen eyes from all the crying. I quickly turned off my phone after reading that message, fearing that number might call again—or worse, Carlew might call to explain. I was afraid that if he did, I might believe him.I know I need to hear his side, but how? How can I listen when my mind is already closed?I sluggishly got ready, finishing my routine with no energy. The moment I opened my door, Carlew was standing right outside. His eyes were red and filled with exhaustion.I immediately slammed the door shut, and tears poured out of me uncontrollably. Despite his continuous knocking, I just sat there behind the door, sobbing."Baby, open the door. Let's talk," he pleaded, his voice desperate. But instead of opening it, I stayed seated on the floor, crying even harder."Baby, please open the door," he repeated.Hearing his voice break as he started crying made me want to swing the door open and hug him tight. But I couldn’t. My anger wouldn’t let me."Leave
Chapter 17As the night deepened, I returned to my unit. I wasn’t too affected by the two beers I had, so I was fine to make it back. Just like earlier, it was quiet, and maybe this time Casey was really asleep.I fell asleep quickly as soon as I lay down on the bed. Maybe it was also due to the alcohol in my system.The next day felt like a normal day to me. But I couldn’t help but check my cellphone to see if there were any texts or calls from Carlew. And when I saw that there were none, I quickly felt disappointed.I checked my phone every hour, hoping that he would text me again. It’s been days since I last heard from him. Luckily, I’ve been busy during those days.My boss almost buried me in work. It was as if he wanted to make things hard for me. I couldn’t complain, though, because I might get fired. I had no choice but to do everything.Those paper works helped me forget what happened to my heart for the meantime. Every day, I worked overtime, and sometimes I’d bring work home
Chapter 18I tried to sit properly on my bed, but I couldn’t. My stomach hurt so much. He quickly helped me sit up.Even though I felt awkward, I tried not to show it, especially since we still weren’t okay with each other.“Are you okay?” he asked.“Yeah. I’m okay. You can leave me now, I can handle this,” I said coldly. I heard him sigh.“No, I’ll help you. Please let me.”I didn’t complain anymore when he helped me eat. It’s not like I couldn’t use my hands, but I just couldn’t take them off my stomach because of the pain.“Why are you starving yourself?” he asked. I shook my head as an answer.“I’m sorry,” he said. I couldn’t stop myself from looking at him.I was in the middle of eating when he spoke like that. My chest tightened when he stared into my eyes. It felt like there was electricity connecting us.“I thought you left?” I changed the subject and tried to avoid his gaze.“Nope, I’m just nearby, watching over you,” he replied.I almost widened my eyes at what I heard. I co
Chapter 19I woke up because of the weight wrapped around me. I quickly removed whatever was pressing on me. It felt heavy and hard to move. I turned around to continue my sleep when I realized something.I quickly sat up, remembering. I saw Carlew sleeping beside me. We were both undressed. I couldn’t help but blush at his appearance. What happened between us wasn’t a dream, it was real! I still felt sore down there.I immediately got up, picked up my clothes one by one, and went into the bathroom to change. Once I finished, I came out, and Carlew was still asleep.I couldn’t stop myself from smiling at the sight of him. He looked like an angel, whether awake or asleep. That was one of the things that caught my attention about him. He’s caring and sweet. It’s not hard to like him. From the start, there was something about him that seemed to pull me toward him, making me want to like him.I left him alone in my room and went to the kitchen. Surely, like me, he must be hungry. It was l
Chapter 20"I'm tired. Huhu," I complained.We had just started walking up the stairs to see what Bohol is famous for, the Chocolate Hills."Should I carry you? Or do you want to rest for a while on a bench?" he suggested, and I immediately nodded."Okay, let’s sit for a while. I need to recharge," I said, smiling. I saw the confusion in his eyes from what I said, so I smiled at him as we sat down.I held his hand before explaining what I meant."You’re my charger. You're my strength and my energy. So let’s rest for now, okay?" I explained, resting my head on his shoulder.We were both quiet, only the sound of birds and the wind was heard. There were only a few people here today, probably because it’s a workday and we chose this day to visit Bohol.Yesterday, I had already filed my resignation letter. I passed it to our head. I didn’t know who my boss was, so I just gave it to the head."What's this?" I heard the confusion in my head’s voice."Resignation letter? Why so soon?" they ad
Prologue "Miss Zette, wake up. The people who will prepare you will be here soon," our housemaid knocked, waking me up to convey the message. Reluctantly, I rose to take a shower. As I entered the bathroom, my reflection in the mirror revealed smudged makeup from crying the night before. I'm marrying a man I don't know? What the heck?! I could've accepted it if I at least knew him before the wedding, perhaps even had a single date. But no! It's been a year since I met that jerk. And now? I'm going to marry him. ** "Dear, get ready for dinner. Wear this dress. We have guests," Mommy said as she entered my room, holding a pink, sparkling dress. I nodded before she left. I was reviewing for tomorrow's exam. It's our finals, graduation is nearing, and I'm afraid of failing. If it happens, Mommy and Daddy will be furious. Especially if I lose my place in the honors. At around 6 PM, I changed and headed downstairs. I looked at myself in the mirror before descending the stairs. The liv
Chapter 20"I'm tired. Huhu," I complained.We had just started walking up the stairs to see what Bohol is famous for, the Chocolate Hills."Should I carry you? Or do you want to rest for a while on a bench?" he suggested, and I immediately nodded."Okay, let’s sit for a while. I need to recharge," I said, smiling. I saw the confusion in his eyes from what I said, so I smiled at him as we sat down.I held his hand before explaining what I meant."You’re my charger. You're my strength and my energy. So let’s rest for now, okay?" I explained, resting my head on his shoulder.We were both quiet, only the sound of birds and the wind was heard. There were only a few people here today, probably because it’s a workday and we chose this day to visit Bohol.Yesterday, I had already filed my resignation letter. I passed it to our head. I didn’t know who my boss was, so I just gave it to the head."What's this?" I heard the confusion in my head’s voice."Resignation letter? Why so soon?" they ad
Chapter 19I woke up because of the weight wrapped around me. I quickly removed whatever was pressing on me. It felt heavy and hard to move. I turned around to continue my sleep when I realized something.I quickly sat up, remembering. I saw Carlew sleeping beside me. We were both undressed. I couldn’t help but blush at his appearance. What happened between us wasn’t a dream, it was real! I still felt sore down there.I immediately got up, picked up my clothes one by one, and went into the bathroom to change. Once I finished, I came out, and Carlew was still asleep.I couldn’t stop myself from smiling at the sight of him. He looked like an angel, whether awake or asleep. That was one of the things that caught my attention about him. He’s caring and sweet. It’s not hard to like him. From the start, there was something about him that seemed to pull me toward him, making me want to like him.I left him alone in my room and went to the kitchen. Surely, like me, he must be hungry. It was l
Chapter 18I tried to sit properly on my bed, but I couldn’t. My stomach hurt so much. He quickly helped me sit up.Even though I felt awkward, I tried not to show it, especially since we still weren’t okay with each other.“Are you okay?” he asked.“Yeah. I’m okay. You can leave me now, I can handle this,” I said coldly. I heard him sigh.“No, I’ll help you. Please let me.”I didn’t complain anymore when he helped me eat. It’s not like I couldn’t use my hands, but I just couldn’t take them off my stomach because of the pain.“Why are you starving yourself?” he asked. I shook my head as an answer.“I’m sorry,” he said. I couldn’t stop myself from looking at him.I was in the middle of eating when he spoke like that. My chest tightened when he stared into my eyes. It felt like there was electricity connecting us.“I thought you left?” I changed the subject and tried to avoid his gaze.“Nope, I’m just nearby, watching over you,” he replied.I almost widened my eyes at what I heard. I co
Chapter 17As the night deepened, I returned to my unit. I wasn’t too affected by the two beers I had, so I was fine to make it back. Just like earlier, it was quiet, and maybe this time Casey was really asleep.I fell asleep quickly as soon as I lay down on the bed. Maybe it was also due to the alcohol in my system.The next day felt like a normal day to me. But I couldn’t help but check my cellphone to see if there were any texts or calls from Carlew. And when I saw that there were none, I quickly felt disappointed.I checked my phone every hour, hoping that he would text me again. It’s been days since I last heard from him. Luckily, I’ve been busy during those days.My boss almost buried me in work. It was as if he wanted to make things hard for me. I couldn’t complain, though, because I might get fired. I had no choice but to do everything.Those paper works helped me forget what happened to my heart for the meantime. Every day, I worked overtime, and sometimes I’d bring work home
Chapter 16I woke up with swollen eyes from all the crying. I quickly turned off my phone after reading that message, fearing that number might call again—or worse, Carlew might call to explain. I was afraid that if he did, I might believe him.I know I need to hear his side, but how? How can I listen when my mind is already closed?I sluggishly got ready, finishing my routine with no energy. The moment I opened my door, Carlew was standing right outside. His eyes were red and filled with exhaustion.I immediately slammed the door shut, and tears poured out of me uncontrollably. Despite his continuous knocking, I just sat there behind the door, sobbing."Baby, open the door. Let's talk," he pleaded, his voice desperate. But instead of opening it, I stayed seated on the floor, crying even harder."Baby, please open the door," he repeated.Hearing his voice break as he started crying made me want to swing the door open and hug him tight. But I couldn’t. My anger wouldn’t let me."Leave
Chapter 15"Hi, cousin. How are you? Have you returned Zette?" Casey greeted us as we entered the unit."We're engaged," Carlew happily announced to Casey. I showed where the ring was on my hand."Whoa! That was fast, huh? Ayyyiiiiee!!"We had a bit of conversation or catch-up until Carlew eventually left."I'll visit every week, or whenever you miss me," he said before giving me a kiss."No need. It's okay, not necessarily weekly. Even twice a month is fine. I know you have a lot to take care of since you've been gone for a long time. Surely, I'll be busy too, right? Now that I have a job. So it's okay with me," I assured him. I saw him smile, and then he left.I was left alone in my room. I stared blankly for a moment after he left. I still couldn't believe that I was engaged to a man I love. It feels like I'm in a dream, and if I wake
Chapter 14"You know? I've only loved one woman like this. It's you," he said with a smile. I couldn't help but smile back.We're both a bit tipsy, and it's getting late. I don't know how we'll manage to get back to our room, even though it's nearby."I feel the same way! It's only you," I confessed like a child."Why can't you marry me?" he asked with a serious tone."Not now, okay? Just wait," I said and laughed. I saw him laugh too."Why? Are you still scared? Afraid you'll leave me hanging? You love me right? Baby, I know you love me. Isn't that enough?" I heard the pleading tone in his voice, but a smile played on his lips.Once again, I felt the emotions I had when I left someone without knowing him. What if that had worked out? What if I met Carlew afterward? Why am I even thinking about this? Tsk."Yes, but I
Chapter 13"Whoa! This place is amazing!" I exclaimed in awe.A pristine beach with fine, white sand stretched before us. In all the beaches we visited during the past days, I hadn't seen one with anything other than white sand. Almost all the sands were pure white."You liked it?" he whispered, and I felt his arm around me."No, I love it," I happily replied, turning to face him.A broad smile lit up his face, seemingly pleased with my reaction."You know? It's my first time here in El Nido, and I'm with you," I shared, smiling. I couldn't help but glance at his lips, recalling the kiss.It was just a brief one, but it felt like an eternity for me."Let's swim?" he suggested, and before I could answer, he pulled me towards the sea.I didn't resist. It's as if my soul was left behind with that kis
Chapter 12"Hey, what's bothering you?" Carlew whispered to me.I could feel his embrace, the warmth of his arms enveloping my body. We stood in front of the window where I was lost in thought before he approached me and hugged me."Nothing," I replied with a sigh. My eyes remained fixed outside the window. All I could see was darkness, unlike in Manila with its brightly lit buildings."Really? Why don't you tell me? I'm your boyfriend. You can trust me," he whispered. I sighed."I'm just feeling homesick," I said.I missed our large house, but it was empty. My room was filled with pink, but I preferred blue. It's ironic."Is it about your family? Come on, tell me. I'll listen," he urged. He led me to sit on the sofa to face him properly for our conversation. I didn't object and did what he wanted.I took a deep breat