FF7: Moving-on

"Did a glimpse of my memory ever flashed on your consciousness, my ex-hubby?" - FF7

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SUMMER vacation passed so quickly. Yrrah was back in Manila for her last year at university. She moved to a three-bedroom condo unit just a few blocks away from the university. It's just probably a 30-minute walking distance if she wanted to exercise or a ride away with a local jeepney.

It was actually Zach who bought it when it was just about to be built. He said it would be a good investment. He gave it to her during their divorce settlement, as it will be useful to her than him. She actually appreciated him for it.

Now that she's almost finished with her Business Management course, her wisdom towards investment deepens as she could apply it to her own real-life situation. Somewhat, her ex-husband taught her to be an investor.

Unintentionally? Maybe?

Right now, the value of that unit doubled from when they bought it.

She asked her friend Neisha to stay with her instead of renting a bed space in the boarding house, as she's originally from far away province of the southern area of the Philippines. Her other friends were just from Manila so, they didn't need to rent a closer place. She didn't ask her for rental fees but she insisted to pay her even just as much as the amount that she's paying on her previous boarding house. She agreed to it. All she needed is someone willing to be with her anyway. Or she's going to be mad for overthinking.

Manang Fe visited them every two weeks with their housemaids to clean the condo and laundry her clothes. Now, she's back of being quite a spoiled princess. The third bedroom is for them when they're in Manila or for their guest when Princess wanted to stay with them for bonding. Sometimes, even Barbie, Lucas, and Aeron spent their nights there.

"Cyst, when are you going to give your 'sweetest yes' to my cousin?" Princess, out-of-the-blue, asked. She stayed with them that weekend as they did their group project. They were currently watching a love story on Netflix. Yrrah almost choked as she was eating some popcorn.

"Yeah, right, Bes. He's been courting you for almost three months now. And he even transfers to our university and stays here in the Philippines for you," Neisha secondly motion.

Yes, Aeron started courting her after her friends went back to Manila. He kept on texting or calling her every day. He even visited her in Quezon province on the weekends, giving her flowers, chocolates, and stuff toys. Though Yrrah wanted to move on and forget her ex-husband, she didn't want to use him as a rebound. She didn't want to be in a relationship for the sake of just being in it. She didn't want to be unfair to him. She wanted her next relationship to be as real and true as possible. She actually turned him down two months ago.

"I'm not ready for a romantic relationship yet, Aeron," she told him, after a month that he started courting her. She was much aware that he's just a visitor in the country and soon, he's going back to the States.

"I'm willing to wait. Just let me show you how much I like you," he said.

She actually didn't expect him to transfer to their university. She was actually surprised on the first day of school when he was one of their classmates in one minor subject. Well, their university is one of the prestigious in the country anyway.

"He said that you're the only girl who didn't give in to his charm at once. You really challenge him," Princess added.

"Oh, so I'm just challenging him, huh?" Yrrah rolled her eyes.

"Opps, sorry! It's a wrong choice of word, cyst," Princess said. "He told me that he really falls in love with you. You know, he grew up in the States and he's not used to courting girls," she admitted.

"I'm not trying to be hard to get, cystah. I just don't wannabe in the relationship that I'm not sure of. You know, I'm just trying to brace my heart, not to be broken," she explained. 'Again.' Her inner voice added. She really wanted to tell them that she's just in the process of healing her crushed heart. Would it help them to understand her?

"How about Lucas, Cystah? He's been courting you since last year," Yrrah threw some popcorn to Princess, teasing her back.

Princess pouted and made a face. "Ehhh, he's our friend. I already told him that we should just stay as a friend but, he said to just let him."

"Exactly! We're not giving them false hope. They're just being persistent. So, let them." She giggled in feign.

"Awee! When does my hair ever grow?" Neisha pretended to brush her long hair. But they understood that she's pertaining to having a suitor cause at the moment, she didn't have any suitor.

"Keep brushing it!" Princess threw the pillow to Neisha while Yrrah had thrown some popcorn. The three ladies played like small kids. Popcorns everywhere as well as the throw pillows.

HOW she wished that it was Zach who's been persistent in courting her! But, for three months since he went out of their unit, he never dared to even call her, while she tried to dial his number. But, of course, it was not a roaming number. It was disconnected already. And she didn't know his local phone number in the States.

Who would believe that they are even friend in their social media account?

She remembered asking him before when they were just been married for a month.

"What's your FB account?"

"Why are you even interested in my FB account? Wanna stalked me, wife?" he asked with a winning grin plastered on his lips.

"Don't put your hope so high." She arched her right eyebrow and grimaced in annoyance.

"Better not know it! You're just gonna be jealous of the women I am with before," he replied.

"So, full of himself!" she said, and the arrogant man even winked at her.

She actually searched for his account but she couldn't find it. Truly, she was curious about him. He even Google couldn't find anything about him as well. She never asked him again.

She couldn't believe that her yaya was friend with him in FB? She actually just discovered it last month when her yaya posted their pictures, tagged her, and Zach actually reacted it. She didn't send him a friend request. She stalked his account. Very seldom that he posted his own status. Most of time, he was just tagged on some groupie by his friends and she also discovered his Facebook Page, The Sizzling Hot Chef. Her jaw literally dropped upon checking it out. She never knew that her ex-husband was actually a great chef. That's the reason that he cooked and prepared their dinner in an elegant way all the time. After she learned about it, she felt lowly for herself. She felt stupid.

Every night before going to sleep, she was stalking his account but he never posted any current status. Some of the guests in his restaurant, complimenting him as the chef. Some guest posted a picture with him. She secretly envied them as he was all smiling with them. But in the few of their picture together, he was always pokerfaced.

He seemed so happy being single again. In one of the pictures, there's a blond lady even kissing him. She wanted to block him at that very moment but she couldn't hit the blocked button.

The photos of him that she deleted were actually backed-up to her Google photo and she's thankful for it.

So, much for moving-on!

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SHE focused her time on her studies. They're graduating students so, they're busy anyway. Their final exams for the first semester were over and it's Aeron's birthday as well. He made his decision to celebrate it at the bar with his closest friends.

Yrrah and Neisha were welcomed by the rambunctious music, neon lights illuminated the darker place, and the smell of mixed alcohols, smokes, different perfumes, and body odors. The very reason why Yrrah was never fond of the bars. Her eyes flicker several times as it's adjusting itself to the glimmering environment.

"Hi, beautiful and sexy ladies," Aeron approached them, as he gave them a kiss on their cheeks, "Thanks for coming. You looked so stunning on your outfit," he said closer to her ears. His warm, minty with the smell of whiskey breath tickled her ears. Very seldom that she actually joined them clubbing. It was actually Neisha who picked her outfit. They both wearing an all-black attire; cutout cropped tank top, showing their flat stomach, paired with an unzipped black leather jacket, black mini bodycon skirt, and a pair of heels stilettoes boots.

"Happy birthday," she greeted him.

She didn't complain when he snaked his right arm on her waist and his left with Neisha's while he accompanied them to the crescent-shaped cushioned chair with an oval-shaped table. Lucas, Barbie, Princess, and three other men were occupying it already. She already met those three men; Ram, Jeff, and Rei. They're Aeron's new friends and classmates. They're all Architecture students.

Princess offered them tequila at once and called for a toss, "Couz, I hope that you will have a happy love life already. To the birthday man!" They all raised their drinks and tossed.

"Thanks, Cousin! That depends on your friend here," he replied and looked at her. She just smiled sweetly at him. It's his day anyway. She didn't want to be a killjoy.

They had a few more drinks and Aeron guided her to the dance floor. Princess and Lucas were all sweaty as they've been dancing for a while and finally, they're an official couple already. Neisha was dancing with Ram and Barbie with both Jeff and Rei. She swayed her body in the rhythm of the boisterous music and he glided to her with the same intensity.

She placed her hands on his shoulder supporting herself as she felt light-headed already. Everything around her was spinning, and her knees felt wobbly. Aeron snaked his arms on her waist and pulling her closer to him. Yrrah didn't notice it at all. She rested her head on his shoulder as well.

"Hey, Bes! Are you okay?" Neisha saw her friend clung tightly with Aeron. Yrrah even smiled before she fell unconscious on Aeron's arms.

"I gonna bring her home," he told Neisha. Neisha wanted to go home with her best friend already but her friends told her to stay and let Aeron bring her to their condo.

"Be sure to bring her to our condo, not yours," Neisha even reminded him and gave him a deadly stare.

Aeron chuckled and said, "Yes, ma'am! I won't take advantage of her." He carried Yrrah out of the bar to his car.

YRRAH woke-up with a heavy head. The room was still darker as the blackout curtains covered the huge windows. She opened her eyes and looked at the digital clock on the side table, 10:35 AM was displayed on it. She closed her eyes and opened it again as her mind woke-up its senses.

I don't have a digital clock on my side table.

She scrutinized the room and it's not hers. She immediately sat down and the white blanket covering her body fell on her lap. She was flabbergasted to see herself on her natal suit. She immediately wrapped the blanket on her body and went to the bathroom looking for her clothes. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw it on the hanger. She washed her face and put on her clothes. But she couldn't find her underwear. She cared less about it. She saw her boots on the entrance and she couldn't see her purse. She immediately went out of the hotel unit, took the elevator going down, went out of the lobby of MGC Hotel, and took the first taxi on cue. He gave the taxi driver her address.

She tried her best to remember what had happened the night before. She remembered its Aeron birthday. She had a few drinks of tequila. She danced with him. She was kissing a man and made love with him. But she not certain if it's real or a dream. She couldn't remember much of it.

'Jeez, did I get laid by Aeron?'

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UNEDITED