Forty-Four

He was also pleased with Nenette's reaction when she saw that he had brought a cake. He even apologized, saying he hadn't prepared anything special, so that was all he could get.

Sean and I continued teasing each other while eating.

"Go on, talk to him so we don't take too long," he suddenly said seriously after all our playful banter.

"Huh? Are you sure? Where will you wait?" I asked, making sure.

"I'll just stay here. Aunt and Ainee are outside, so I'll be fine. And if I wasn't okay with this, I would've dragged you away a long time ago. I know—and I can feel—how whipped you are about me, so I'm sure you won't leave me," he boasted.

"Oh wow, the wind is really strong today!" I joked, making us both burst into laughter again.

"Go on! Let's get this over with because I want you all to myself," he grinned.

"Should I be scared now?" I asked, feeling my face suddenly heat up.

"You should be! I bite. Rawr!"

"Ugh, you're insane!" I laughed, feeling even redder.

"Insane for you, that's why you love me, right?" he said proudly.

"Enough already! You sure know a lot of things. Come on, I'll walk you to the terrace with Aunt.

As we stepped out onto the terrace, I was surprised to see Georje there, and the entire place suddenly fell silent. I nodded at Ainee before turning to Auntie.

"Aunt, Sean will stay here for a bit while I talk to Georje," I said. I could see Georje looking down, clearly nervous and uncomfortable in his seat.

"Of course, nak. They're just going to talk, right?" she asked Sean with a big smile. She rarely called him by his name, usually just nak (short for anak, or son).

"Of course, Aunt," Sean replied, keeping his arm around me and gently squeezing my shoulder, reassuring me that he was okay with staying behind while I talked to Georje.

"Uh, Sean," Ainee suddenly spoke, sounding tense as she sat between her boyfriend and Georje."

"Hmm?"

"Let me introduce you to Georje. He's my friend from Mindanao," she said nervously, her voice giving her away. Sean smiled at her before greeting Glen, whom he already knew.

"Hey, Sean bro," Sean said as he extended his hand to Georje.

Georje slowly stood up, hesitating for a moment before finally shaking Sean's hand.

"Georje."

"Glad you come here," Sean said calmly.

"Uh, I was hoping to talk… if that's okay?" Georje asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, sure. No problem," Sean replied before glancing at me.

"Ga, are you ready?" he asked. I simply nodded and smiled at him.

"Can we talk in the kitchen, Ain's?" I turned to Ainee, who quickly nodded and smiled.

Sean pulled me close and kissed my forehead again before walking away. When I looked into his eyes, he gave me another reassuring nod. Not wanting to delay any longer, I followed Georje to the kitchen so we could finally talk and get this over with.

"How have you been?" he greeted me as I approached," It's obvious that he's forcing his self to stay strong.

"I'm okay, I'm happy," I simply replied while looking straightly to his eyes.

"Yeah, I can see that you're doing well now," I can see the sadness in his eyes, but it doesn't affect me. It's like I don't care anymore.

"Let's not drag this out because there's really nothing left to talk about. But since you're here, I'll give you this chance—because Ainee said this is the reason you came," I said bluntly.

"Yes, I wanted to see and talk to you. Because our last conversation didn't go well. I also wanted to apologize in person for what I did," a little hopeful.

"Georje, even if you came all the way here, nothing will change. I'm sorry, but I have to be honest with you. There's no point in giving you hope when there hasn't been anything for you to hope for in a long time. I've done everything for you—I know you know that. If our last conversation wasn't clear to you, I hope it is now. I know you and Ainee have already talked, so I hope everything makes sense to you now," It's better to be honest, even though I know my words will hurt him, because that's truly how I feel.

"Yeah, we talked earlier. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to cause any trouble. I just… I didn't know there was already someone else. So, I thought I still had a chance," His voice turned sad, but not his expression. Maybe everything he heard and saw between Sean and me earlier outside had finally sunk in.

"Georje, to be honest, even if Sean wasn't in the picture, I'm sorry, but the truth between us would still be the same. There's nothing left for you to come back to because I can't trust you anymore. And I've realized that enough is enough. I also have the right to be happy—and to be respected, which you never gave me." He was speechless at what I said. I saw tears in his eyes, but strangely, I didn't feel any pity for him.

"Thank you for coming here so we could talk. We'll be leaving now—we don't want to be on the road too late," I said, bidding farewell. He only nodded, unable to look me in the eye.

"Lui, I'm sorry," I heard him say just as I stood up to leave. I didn't know what to say. I wasn't even sure if I had fully forgiven him. So instead, I just patted his shoulder and walked away toward Ainee's room to get my bag.

It was a short conversation, but it gave me a huge sense of relief. I was happy because it was finally over—there was nothing to worry about anymore. And I was grateful that he didn't cause any trouble.

"Ga?" Sean called out the moment he saw me coming out. He quickly stood up and walked toward me.

"Hmm? Shall we go?" I asked.

"Are you okay now?" he asked as he got closer.

"Yup!" I immediately answered and gave him a smile—a genuine smile from the heart.

"Aunt, we won't stay any longer. We'll visit again next time so we can chat more," Sean said politely.

"Yes, come back here. Come with Lui. And thank you for the cake you gave to Nenette," Auntie smiled as she hugged Sean.

"Aunt, we're leaving now. I'll visit again some other time," I said as she and Sean broke their hug. Meanwhile, Sean said his goodbyes to Glen and Ainee.

"Take care on the road. And thank you for everything you did—and for the gift you gave Nenette," Aunt said.

"I'm really sorry, Aunt. I had no idea he was coming," I apologized.

"Oh, child, don't overthink it. None of us knew, so we were all just as surprised."

"Thank you again," I said as Aunt cupped my face in her hands.

"Lui, come on now. Haven't I always treated you like my own child? Remember that, okay? You and Sean are like my own kids. So, stop worrying too much. I understand what you've been through, and I know it wasn't easy. But I'm happy to see you happy with Sean." I hugged Aunt Azon again before turning my attention to Ainee and Glen, who were laughing with Sean.

"Ain's, Glen, we'll be heading out now."

"Alright, take care. Chill. It's over. Everything's okay now," Ainee whispered as we hugged.

"Thank you. Thank you so much," I whispered back.

"Oh, don't mention it! We'll talk more when I sleep over this week, okay" she reassured me.

"Take care," she added, squeezing my hand before letting go.

"Glen, thanks. We'll head out now. Be safe on your way home!" I told him, knowing he still had to travel back.

"Thanks, you guys take care too," he replied.

***

"Are you okay?" Sean immediately asked as we both settled into the car. He reached over to hand me my seatbelt.

"Yes," I smiled at him. But instead of buckling up right away, I leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Thank you," I whispered. Sean unbuckled his seatbelt and pulled me into a hug.

"Anytime, palangga (love)," he said before giving me a kiss. Just as our kiss was about to deepen, there was a knock on his side of the car. It was a good thing the windows were dark-tinted, so I was sure no one could see what we were doing inside. Sean slowly rolled down his window.

"Sorry for the disturbance. Uh, Lui, just a moment. Bro, can I talk to you for a second? Just for a short while—I know you're in a hurry," said Georje, his face looking downcast. Sean looked at me.

"I'll just be a minute, palangga. Stay here, okay?"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! This won't take long, I promise. It's okay," he reassured me, pinching my cheek before opening the door and stepping out of the car.

I watched them as they stood behind the car, both of them looking serious as they talked. I put on some music while waiting for Sean to come back, but I kept glancing at them to make sure everything was okay. When I saw them shake hands, and Sean started walking back, I sat up straight.

"Ga?" I greeted him as he opened the door.

"It's fine, love. Everything's good now. Nothing to worry about," he leaned in and kissed me on the forehead.

"Finally! I get to have you all to myself," he teased, pinching my cheek before starting the car. I just looked at him, waiting for him to say something.

"Ga?" I called again.

"Hmm?" he responded, focused on driving.

"What did you guys talk about?"

"I'll tell you later, okay?" He glanced at me and smiled.

"Why not now?" I pressed.

"It's nothing."

"What do you mean 'nothing'?"

"Just wait, ga. I promise, I'll tell you later. Do you want to go on a date?" He changed the topic, then took my left hand and placed it on his car's gear shift together with his right hand.

I glanced at the car clock—it was fifteen minutes before ten in the evening.

"A date? It's late! Where would we even go on a date at this hour?" a bit surprised and confused.

"Leave it to me. Are you up for it?" he asked.

"Of course, as long as I'm with you!"

"Really now? We'll see..."

"Hey! Wait, I thought you were going home tomorrow for your family lunch?"

"Uh-uh… it's not happening anymore. Mom and Dad left earlier because my sister Chinky had something important to tell them. I don't know what it is because even Ate Leigh didn't know when I called her. Ate Leigh was also surprised since it seemed so sudden. So, I just told her to call me if there were any updates."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier when I called you?"

"Because I only found out when I was already on my way here. I got a call from Mom saying she and Dad were heading to the airport. I thought it was an emergency, but Mom didn't answer when I called back. I tried calling Ate Chinky, but she didn't pick up either, so I called Ate Leigh instead—but she didn't know anything either. I'll find out tomorrow. I'm not really worried, so they're probably fine," he explained.

***

After almost an hour of driving—

"Huh? Why did you take a different road?" I asked when he made a right turn instead of driving straight.

"Just wait and see," he said, flashing me a grin before winking at me.

"Wow! This place is beautiful!"

"You like it?"

"Yeah, it's gorgeous! What are we doing here? Don't tell me we're eating again—I still haven't digested all the food we had earlier!"

"Come on! Let's check it out," he said happily, unbuckling his seatbelt before stepping out of the car. I followed him. He took something out of the car's trunk.

"Oh wow! You really came prepared!" I teased sarcastically when I saw him carrying an overnight bag.

"Haha! Of course! I'm always prepared," he said, laughing, before taking my bag so he could carry it for me.

"Oh, come on! I thought we were saving money? Remember, Mr. Go, we have something we're saving up for?" I reminded him. We had discussed his plans to start a business. He said he was almost ready, and I told him I had some savings I could add to his startup funds. He agreed, but he insisted that I would be an investor in his company. Since I couldn't match the amount, he was putting in, we couldn't go fifty-fifty. Instead, we agreed that I would keep adding to my investment whenever I saved up more money so that my share in the business would grow over time.

I was happy because my money would finally go toward something meaningful, unlike before when I spent most of it on vices like drinking and smoking. Ever since Sean and I got close, even before we officially became a couple, I had quit smoking because I felt embarrassed around him. He doesn't smoke, and when he drinks, he never overdoes it.

"It's not expensive here, ga, just the right price. So, it's okay. Besides, we rarely get to do overnight stays like this. Just let me have this one. Let's just enjoy, okay?" He put his arm around me and kissed me on the temple.

I had told him everything about my past before I moved to Cebu—I didn't hold anything back, even the mistakes I made. I wanted to know if he could truly accept me before our feelings grew deeper while he was still courting me.

"Why so sudden?" I asked him after we checked into a small but beautiful resort. I could tell the place would look even more stunning in daylight when we could see everything around us. Our accommodation was a simple cottage near the pool. The place was charming, made even more magical by tiny colored lights hanging from every tree, looking like fireflies—but they were actually small bulbs.

We passed by a small bar counter with relaxing music playing from the speakers. Two people sat at the bar, holding glasses of liquor.

There weren't many people around, making the place peaceful and relaxing. Sean placed our bags down and suddenly pulled me into a tight hug.

"What's the occasion?" I asked curiously.

"I'm just happy, ga. It feels so good to not have to worry anymore."

"Why? What happened?"

"Nothing much. We just talked earlier. He thanked me for allowing you two to talk. He also apologized for the trouble he caused. And he told me to take care of you—to love, cherish, and respect you, all the things he failed to do before. I told him there was no need to say that because I've already been doing all of those things, and I will continue to do so. He said he could see a different kind of happiness in your eyes now, so he has accepted everything, even though it hurts. He knows he no longer has a chance because he wasted all of his. That was it. Then he said his goodbyes, and I thanked him as well."

"Really? Why did he say that to you earlier? When I was in front of him, he barely spoke. He just listened to everything I said."

"That's just how it is—because he still feels guilty about cheating on you. Just let it go, okay? It's all in the past."

"By the way, why did you say you had worries? Were you doubting me, afraid that I might leave you or something?"

"It's not like that, okay? My worry was about him—if he was going to cause trouble. You know, I actually thought earlier that if he really tried to stir things up, we would go straight to my old classmate's house tomorrow. His dad is a judge, and I'd marry you right away so he wouldn't have any claims over you anymore." I was shocked by what I heard, and I was sure my face was turning red from his words.

"Huh? You seriously thought of that?"

"Why? You don't want to?"

"I'd be really stupid if I didn't agree to what you want. But if that happened, what about your family? Would they accept me?"

"Of course! No doubt about it! Ate Leigh really likes you, so I'm sure my whole family will love you too. Just chill, okay?"

"So now, let's just enjoy. By the way, I ordered some red wine—it should be arriving soon. Where do you want to hang out? Here or outside by the pool?"

"Wherever you want. I'll go where you want to go."

"Nope, that's not how it works. You're the boss here!"

"Oh, really?" We both laughed, then went back to cuddling as he put his arm around me while we sat on the bed.

"So, this is why you've been saying you wanted me all to yourself, huh? And you even ordered red wine! Hmmm… I'm starting to get suspicious…" I teased, pinching his nose, making him laugh.

"Can you still see me?" I suddenly asked.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be able to? I have 20-20 vision!"

"Because your eyes are getting even smaller when you make that face."

"You little—!" He started tickling me again. I was totally at a disadvantage because I was super ticklish. Luckily, there was a knock on the door.

"That must be your red wine," I teased.

"I'm not done with you yet!" he warned.

We didn't stay long by the pool because I got cold, and there were too many mosquitoes. So, we went back inside our cottage and continued talking while finishing the red wine he bought.

We talked about his business plans, which he was about to launch soon. He was visibly excited, and I could hear the happiness and hope in every word he said. Once everything was set up, he planned to resign from his job. But he said I should keep working for now and only think about resigning when he had everything in place and actually needed my help. In the beginning, he could handle things on his own.

We also talked about our plans as a couple, which made me even more excited about the future. He even asked if, when we eventually decided to get married, I would let my family know. He reassured me that I didn't have to worry because he would go with me anytime I was ready to talk to them. But he never pressured me—he always gave me advice but never forced me to follow it. He always gave me the option to decide for myself because, even though I was his girlfriend, my life was still mine to control. He just wanted me to know that no matter what, he would always be by my side.