Chapter 4 - Finding Noah

NOAH'S P.O.V. 

"You know..one of these days you're gonna regret the decision you made." I took a glimpse at her and left out a sigh before focusing on the road. 

"Which one?" I asked, I've made plenty of bad decisions and most of them are still left unsolved. "Don't think I didn't notice, you glanced at that girl passing by the hotel." She sounded intrigued. 

"So? She looked like someone I knew." Technically, I wasn't lying since she is someone I just knew. 

"Someone you slept with?" she mumbled loud enough for me to hear. 

"Anna!" I shouted in disbelief. This woman! 

"What? I'm not entirely wrong am I? I'm your older sister, I know the look on your face when you're bothered, guilty or worried. But this time, I'm sensing a hint of regret." 

She got me. This is why I don't often show myself up to her. 

"Whatever. It's not like we'll be seeing each other again. So, just shut up and let me drive in peace" We're on our way to Anna's apartment to drop her off.

“One last thing, we may not be siblings by blood but you have always been considered part of the family to mom. So, visit her once in a while, I’m sure she misses you.” 

I nodded back at her as a reply. 

We arrived at her house and as we were about to go in, my niece popped out of the door, running excitedly to her mom's embrace. Anna was always the reliable one when it comes to our family's hotel business, to be a CEO at the age of 29 is not easy, especially when she's also a single mother to a 5-year-old kid. 

I stood behind them and watched how my sister missed her child, it was heartwarming to watch until... 

"Uncle Ugly!" Nina ran towards me, 

"Hey, Stitch!" I teased her and carried her for a hug as we were walking towards the apartment door. 

I put her down when we reached the door, 

"You're not coming in?" my sister asked. 

"Nah. Maybe next time. I'm going back to the resort, I have an event coming up." She nodded and waved me goodbye. I turned my back and drove off. When I arrived at my apartment, I saw the family picture I took with my parents 14 years ago, before the boating accident that happened at the very place where my Resort Hotel is located. 

After all these years, I thought becoming successful would fill the void and kill the guilt of losing them, but It never did. 

Erin's P.O.V. 

A few days passed after that incident on the street. 

After a while of thinking, I realized he wasn't one to blame. It was probably my fault. 

Maybe I freaked him out thinking I'd hold him accountable for that night, or maybe he found me unattractive after all, or maybe he just saw me as a one-night stand kind of girl. But whatever it is, It's no longer a big deal. So, I took out my luggage to start packing for tomorrow instead. 

The next day, I left home and arrived at the airport by 10 A.M. and after a 2-hour trip, I finally arrived at Siargao. 

As soon as I stepped out of the airport, I could hear the ocean. It was refreshing to be away from all the hustle and bustle of the city and just breathe in all that fresh air.

It pays to be friends with Nathalie at times, and this is one of those times. I can't wait for my feet to touch the sand. It's been so long since my last vacation. 

After checking in at a resort. One of the staff escorted me to my cabin, I couldn't help but admire the surroundings as they gave a traditional and tropical vibe and were serene and beautiful! 

The cabin I stayed at is a charming nipa hut with a hammock hanging by the patio, inside is a cozy receiving area beside the queen bed facing the balcony overlooking the ocean. I stayed outside the balcony for a while admiring the view. 

It was almost sunset when I decided to attend the event hosted by the resort. 

I wore a white bohemian ribbon back midi beach dress paired with a pair of bohemian flats and small pearl earrings. Instead of tying my hair into a messy bun, I braided it. Then after splashing some light makeup and perfume, I grabbed my rattan sling bag and the documents I needed and checked myself out in the mirror for the last time before heading out. 

Nath told me N would be waiting by the beach bar. 

The wooden pathway to the beachfront was surrounded by tropical plants and had fairy lights hanging from above which instantly gave out a zen ambiance. 

As I reached the venue, there were already plenty of guests enjoying the event. Some were at one corner laughing, some looked pretty serious talking about their businesses, and some were watching the fire dance. 

No matter how many times I've helped Nath run some errands, I could never grow accustomed to these business gatherings. I took a deep breath and waltzed my way to the beach bar to finish my job because the sooner I get the job done the sooner I could enjoy the rest of my stay here. 

A few more steps to reach the bar when I noticed there were a few people gathered there. Oh Great! The whole alphabet is here! 

"Excuse me, I'm looking for N?" I spoke loud enough for all the letters to hear. 

As soon as I spoke, a man whose back was facing me turned his head slowly, which I wish he didn't after realizing who it was. 

Noah's P.O.V. 

My job here in Siargao kept me so busy that I barely had the time to get back to Taguig. We're about to celebrate the success of our beach expansion project tomorrow night. 

I turned around when I heard footsteps walking towards me from behind where I'm seated.

"Dude" It was Jacob - my business partner, who handed me a cold bottle of beer and took the seat opposite mine where we could still observe the ongoing preparations on the beachfront for tomorrow's event. 

"What's up?" I asked, knowing Jacob and this familiar bottle in our hands he probably did something while I was out again. 

"So, uhh... I kinda fired our receptionist." After hearing his confession, I gave him a piercing look. That made him look away. Unbelievable. 

"Are you fucking serious?" I couldn't help my sarcasm burst. This is unbelievable. 

I held a hand on my forehead, "I'm going back to my cabin, you better find a replacement by tomorrow night or I'll have you dressed as a bell boy the whole month" I finished my beer and stood up. 

"Woah. Now that's just being unfair.." he stood up following me. 

"Yeah? Tell that to our receptionist you fired for sleeping with you" Jacob froze. I turned at him. 

"What? Forgot about the hidden cam in the janitor's closet?" I looked back and gave him a smirk. 

"F*ck.." I heard him curse under his breath. 

"Move that table at the back and have the catering crew oriented for tomorrow night" I instructed Jacob as I walked back to my cabin. 

Jacob is great at managing the resort, but he gets f*cked up for stupid reasons once in a while. 

After entering my cabin, I went straight to my desk to check some emails. It took me a few more minutes to stare at the screen of my laptop before deciding to call it a night. 

The next day, I had to run a few errands for the event. Jacob assured me that everything was set and that he had someone stand in as a receptionist. 

I went back to the resort and noticed the cabin next to mine seemed to be occupied, must be one of our guests who just arrived. 

When the event started, my whole staff, Jacob, and I welcomed our guests with a speech and offered some complimentary drinks from the bar. 

I let Jacob do all the socializing since he's good at it while I stayed by the beach bar surveying the crowd in case anyone needed me. It wasn't long enough before a few friends of my sister came to congratulate me.

My gaze pierced through the crowd when a seemingly familiar face caught my attention. Her. I instinctively turned my back as she was walking towards my position. 

Why the fuck am I hiding? 

As soon as I heard she was looking for N. It hit me, Did she follow me? 

I slowly turned and our eyes met. 

"You?"