Yannie Ace Ruiz"Hi, girls," Ramil greeted us with a smile. Veron gave him a stern look while I offered a small smile. Perhaps Veron was still annoyed with him after our encounter earlier when we arrived here.I sneakily glanced at Josh beside Ramil, surprised to find him looking at me. Our eyes met, and I caught him staring. I suddenly coughed, catching myself off guard, and quickly turned away."Are you okay?" Veron softly asked, gently patting my back. I gave her a subtle nod."Let's take a group picture!" Ate Aika suggested cheerfully."Sure! Let's go!" Ramil agreed, pulling Byron and Josh a bit closer to us. Veron subtly squeezed me, bringing me closer to them until Josh and I were side by side in the middle."Okay, one, two, three!" Ate Aika counted, holding the camera in front of us.I forced a small smile, even though I felt awkward. Especially when..."Okay, just the two of you now!" Ate Aika happily instructed Josh and me, causing my eyes to widen."P-Pardon?""Patt
Yannie Ace Ruiz"Yannie, is your shoulder still hurting?" Veron asked as she sat beside me.I gave her a small smile and replied, "It's fine now. I'm okay, don't worry."Veron sighed. "Sorry, huh. Maybe I shouldn't have insisted on bringing you here.""Huh? Why?" I asked with confusion."Because I'm annoyed with Josh. Since we arrived here earlier, he didn't even bother to approach or talk to you. I pushed for it, thinking there might still be a chance for you two. Now, look at what happened..." Veron said, sounding guilty."Don't worry about it. Maybe that's just how he is towards me, so it's fine if he doesn't want to talk to me," I replied, with a hint of sadness in my voice. "But let's not dwell on that. Let's just enjoy ourselves here.""That's a good idea!" Veron agreed, pulling me up from my seat. "Let's go!""Where are we going?" I asked, curious."The party for Ate Rica is not until this afternoon, right?" she inquired, and I nodded."Yes, not until this afternoon,"
Yannie Ace RuizVeron quickly opened the door of our current location when there were consecutive knocks from outside. Ate Lory, the smiling woman introduced to me by Ate Rica earlier as one of her friends, greeted us."Hi, Girls! The dinner party for Rica is about to start. You can go outside now," she said with a smile."Okay, Ate. Thank you," Veron and I replied, and she left us."Let's go," I invited Veron, but I was surprised when she stopped me."Wait, Yannie.""Why?" I asked, puzzled."You seem too excited to go out. Eager to see Josh, huh?" Veron teased me, causing both my cheeks to warm up."N-No, not really. We're being called, so it's better to go out—""Come on! You can't fool me. I understand you're excited to see Josh again—""I really am not—""But it's better if we freshen up first.""Huh?" I asked Veron with confusion.She smiled at me and gestured towards the large mirror in our room, guiding me to the chair nearby. "It would be better if you let your hai
Yannie Ace RuizI can't understand myself why I'm hurting so much from what I saw earlier. I know I have no right to feel this way, but I can't help but dismiss my own feelings.I continued walking even though I didn't know where my feet were taking me. It's as if they had a mind of their own, just wanting me to get away from there. As if doing so would somehow ease the pain I was feeling.I came to a stop in my walk when tears suddenly fell. I didn't want to cry, but the tears flowed involuntarily. I slowly lifted my gaze and surveyed my surroundings. I saw the shoreline and the bright moon surrounded by stars. I hadn't realized that my feet had led me to the beach.From where I stood, I sat down on the soft sand. The surroundings were quiet, although there were still a few people around. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore seemed to provide comfort during those moments.I admit that one of the reasons I came here was in the hope that Josh and I might still reconcile. Bu
Yannie Ace RuizI don't know how long I've been lost in thought because of everything that happened last night. My mind keeps replaying last night's events and Josh's words to me."So, leave her alone because this girl is mine."I know Josh only said those words last night to ward off two foreign guys bothering me at the beach. But until now, I don't understand why my heart still races because of it. Especially when..."I don't like seeing you with another guy. I don’t know why. I just… I just hate it.""I don’t know why… I just… I just don't want you to think that I like someone else."My heart feels like it's about to burst, and my cheeks burn. I don't want to overthink or get my hopes up. But because of what he said last night, I can't help but hope and let my heart fall for him even more."Yannie!" I jolt as Veron startles me. "Looks like you're deep in thought there. What's wrong? Any issues?""Huh? Uh, n-nothing. Nothing at all," I stammer in response to Veron. She sits b
Yannie Ace RuizSince Veron and Ramil returned from scuba diving, I've noticed that they rarely argue now. Like at this moment, Ramil is helping Veron carry her belongings out of the room. It's already four in the afternoon, and everyone is busy preparing to leave."What happened?" I ask Veron as she distances herself from Ramil to retrieve her own things for the car."Huh?""Why did Ramil help you carry your stuff?""Oh, that? It's nothing. Maybe he just wanted to help," Veron replies. Just as I'm about to continue our conversation, she abruptly changes the topic. "By the way, Yannie, I think we might struggle with commuting home later.""Huh?""It's almost rush hour, and we might encounter heavy traffic.""Yes, I thought about that too. But we don't have a choice but to commute home, right?""Why don't you join us on the way home?" We both quickly turn as someone speaks from behind us. We see Ramil smiling at us."Yes, Yannie. I'll give you a ride and drop you off at Josh's
Veron VelazI was surprised and halted in my fast-paced walk when Ramil suddenly confronted me."W-Why?" I asked, astonished, as he stared at me intently."Why are you following me? I thought your boyfriend was supposed to take you home," he inquired."I'm not following you! Can't I have the same route?" I retorted irritably. "And, by the way, it was just a joke about going home with my boyfriend. He's too busy with other things," I added."Really? Or maybe... you just don't really have a boyfriend?" he asked with a teasing grin.I gave him a sharp look. "I don't know about you, but you better stay there!" I said before continuing to walk past him.It reminded me of the ongoing argument with my boyfriend since Friday. Up until now, he hasn't bothered to talk to me or check how I'm doing. I know him well; he has a lot of pride, so in every argument, it's always me who ends up making amends. This time, I'm not sure if I can do it again, considering that he's the one at fault in ou
Yannie Ace RuizI woke up to the sound of my cellphone alarm. I groggily reached for it on the bedside table to turn it off. Once I had my phone in hand and silenced the alarm, I slowly opened my eyes. A sweet smile instantly spread across my lips as I saw the unread chat messages from Josh.Josh Rain: Good morning, Yannie (smiley emoji)Josh Rain: I've had breakfast. Heading to school now. Don't forget to eat. Take care (blushing smiley emoji)Who wouldn't have a good morning waking up to messages like these from someone they like? I bit my lower lip, smiling, as I read his messages. I quickly replied to him.Me: Good morning, Josh! Take care on your way to school (blushing smiley emoji)It's been three days since Josh and I patched things up—three days since he expressed his desire to start over. Of course, I wouldn't let that opportunity slip away, especially when it was something I truly wanted. Since that day, Josh and I have been chatting regularly, just like when we first
"Oh my gosh! This is it, girls! Finally!" Ivory exclaimed happily as she approached us."Yes, finally! Can you believe it? We all made it here," Jenny added."I'm so proud of us, girls! Finally, this is it! Congratulations to all of us!" Veron chimed in joyfully.I smiled sweetly at my friends. "Congrats to us. I'm so happy and proud of all of us," I said as we gathered for a group hug.Two fast-paced years have passed, and finally, one of the most awaited days has arrived. The day when we would march together to mark the end of our studies. Yes, today is our graduation day, and my heart is bursting with overwhelming joy. All the exhaustion, sleepless nights, hardships, and sacrifices are finally paying off.I still remember the part-time jobs my friends and I took on just to support ourselves and our families. And now, the day we've all been waiting for has finally come.In a few moments, the line where we stood started moving, as they began letting us in one by one into the venue."
"Yannie..." Ramil uttered my name with a hint of concern when he saw me entering Josh's room.I looked at him questioningly until my gaze landed on Josh's empty bed. My brows furrowed slightly."Where's Josh?" I asked Ramil and Byron. The two took a deep breath, and I could see the worry and concern on their faces. It seemed like they had something to tell me but were hesitant. "Why? Did something happen? Where is Josh?" I asked again.Before answering, the two exchanged glances, seemingly urging each other to respond. Eventually, Ramil met my eyes and spoke. "Josh left. We caught up to him, but... he wouldn't be stopped.""Huh? What do you mean he left? Where did he go? Did he go home? Was he discharged?" I asked, confused and bombarding them with questions."He insisted on being discharged by his doctor. He left and went to the airport... to chase after Arriane," Ramil replied."H-Huh?""Arriane told him she was continuing her studies abroad. So, he hurried off to the airport to cat
Yannie Ace Ruiz"Nice! Nice try, bro. But drop that joke," Ramil broke the silence that enveloped us after Josh asked who I was."What try? What joke?" Josh asked Ramil, confused."Bro—""I'm serious. Who is she? Who are they?" Josh pointed at me and Veron."Get it together, bro. This isn't funny—""You get it together," Josh quickly interrupted Byron, then looked at me again. His gaze was far different from how he used to look at me. It was as if my presence confused him deeply. It was as if he had forgotten everything about me—everything about us.Because of those looks, my heart immediately grew heavy. I couldn't explain what I felt at first."Son!" Josh's parents suddenly arrived. "How are you, son? How are you feeling now?" his father quickly asked."I'm okay, Dad. I just... don't understand why I'm here," Josh replied to his father."You don't remember... what happened?" Josh's mother asked in confusion."I can't," Josh answered simply, which made my heart feel even heavier and
Yannie Ace Ruiz"Rhiana..."I quickly wiped away my tears and just as quickly let go of Josh's hands when I heard Ate Rica's voice.My heart immediately pounded with anxiety as I slowly straightened up and turned to face them. There, I met the gaze of Josh's mom. I struggled to swallow because it felt like the words I wanted to say were fighting to come out of my lips. I didn't know how to start apologizing to her for being here now.I knew I had promised her before that I would never show myself to her son again. I had promised her before that I would disappear from Josh's life, but... here I am now, crying in front of her son. It was as if, in an instant, all the promises I had made to her and my determination back then had suddenly crumbled. I wanted to kneel before her again and beg for her to let me be with Josh.I struggled to swallow again before starting to speak. "S-Sorry," I said weakly while trying to hold back my tears. "I just wanted to make sure Josh is okay." I looked d
Yannie Ace Ruiz"No! No, Yannie! No!" Josh cried repeatedly, holding me tightly in his arms."J-Josh..." I managed to say with difficulty. I forced myself to utter his name despite the intense pain caused by the bullet wound."Don't leave me, Yannie. Just hang in there, okay? You can do it, Yannie. Please, don't give up!" Josh kept crying to me."D*mn it! How did she get away from you? You idiots!" I heard the man who shot me yelling at his men."You bastard! I'll kill you!" Josh shouted angrily at the man."I'm the one who's going to kill you! Thank your girlfriend for taking the bullet that was meant for your head! If she hadn't done that, you would be dead by now, and she would be crying over you. But don't worry, you won't be around much longer because I'm going to finish you off too." The man pointed the gun at Josh again.I swallowed with difficulty, feeling my breathing become labored."D-Don't..." I whispered weakly, trying to protect him."Wow. That's touching. You love this
Yannie Ace RuizMy tears continue to flow incessantly while my chest keeps rising and falling with the intense anxiety I'm feeling right now. I hold my breath as if exhaling freely might bring something wrong upon me, even though I'm just sitting inside this car.I don't know how many minutes or hours have passed since these men took me. I don't know who they are or why they are doing this to me. Over and over again, I replay in my mind if I have wronged someone."We're here," said the man in front of his companions. He stopped the car, and they got out one by one.The man beside me opened the car door and stepped out, giving me a sharp look. "Get out," he commanded.I struggled to swallow and looked around at where we were. It was dark surroundings, but I could see tall grasses around us, with a large warehouse in front of us."Get out, I said," the man repeated his order."Who are you? Where are you taking me? What are you going to do to me?" I asked fearfully, one question after an
Josh Rain MontezArriane stood quietly in front of me after seeing whoever arrived inside the coffee shop where we were."Aunt..." she said as the footsteps approached us.I lifted my emotionless gaze to the person who came closer and faced me. I could see the deep concern on her face as she looked at me, as if afraid of what I might do after learning the truth from Arriane. Her throat moved repeatedly as tears seemed about to fall."I'm sorry, Aunt," Arriane broke the silence. "I did everything, but... he's truly, madly, and crazy in love with that girl. With Yannie," she said to Mommy, then sadly walked out of the coffee shop, leaving us behind.I avoided looking at Mommy and lifelessly stood and turned away from her. I was about to step away, but she quickly stopped me and blocked my path. "Josh..." she said my name. I didn't respond and instead continued walking past her. But I stopped when she spoke again. "Aren't you going to ask me about what you've learned?"I smirked sarcasti
Josh Rain Montez"Bro, that's enough. You've had way too much to drink," Ramil interrupted me as he reached for the alcohol I was drinking. But I quickly pulled it away from him."I'm okay, Bro. I'm not drunk yet.""But, Bro, you've been here drinking for a while now. And you've been doing nothing else but drinking for days. You might get into trouble.""Yeah, Bro. Who knows what might happen to you with all this," Byron added.I took another sip of my drink and replied to them, "Whatever happens to me, it's probably better than this.""Bro, that's enough. You're drunk," Ramil intervened again, successfully taking the alcohol away from me this time."What the heck? Why are you so persistent? Why are you meddling?" I snapped at him, getting annoyed as I stood up."Easy, Bro!" Byron said to me."You're already drunk, so stop drinking—""Damn it! So what if I'm already drunk? Why do you have to interfere? Can't you just leave me alone?!"Ramil took a deep breath and looked at me wearily
Josh Rain Montez"Are you drunk again?" Mom started as soon as I walked into the house. But I ignored her and continued walking past her. "Seriously, Josh? Until when are you going to behave like this just because of that worthless girl?!" I stopped walking after she said those words. "She's gone, Josh. She left you, but you're still wallowing because of her!"I slowly faced Mom. "Have you been in love, Mom?" I asked gently, which seemed to stun her momentarily."What?""You know what, Mom? I've always wondered if you've ever been in love with Dad. Because every time I look at both of you, I don't see love between you."Her jaw clenched. "Stop talking nonsense, Josh. Don't drag me and your Dad into your drama.""I guess you've never been in love. That's why you're like this, maybe because you've never experienced loving someone, especially getting hurt." My vision started to blur as tears threatened to escape from me.Several days have passed since Yannie blatantly rejected me, but un