LATRICE's P.O.V.
IT'S barely been an hour since we parted ways but I already miss him.
The moments I spent with him in the hotel keeps on flashing back.
I miss the bed, the couch, the chaise lounge; I miss him.
Those 5 days of my life is definitely worth keeping and worth remembering.
I occasionally remember the brief but sugary kiss that we shared.
All along I am in love with Manuel.
And I was on cloud nine when he admitted that he has fallen in love with me, too.
I never voiced it out though.
In the event that I would confess to him my true feelings, we'll surely have mutual understanding.
I wasn't ready to bring our relationship to the next level just so yet.
I was thinking that he had just fallen in love with the idea that we were together for several days and that we both enjoyed each other's company.
I want him to be sure of his feelings.
Moreover, from the very beginning, I've never seen him as a brother.
I also knew that it wouldn't be difficult to fall for him in any case.
He was my greatest companion for the longest time, 24/7.
Plus the fact that he is a perfect gentleman: adorable, brawny, caring, dashing, eager, famous, good-humored, and humble.
Above all, he had protected me beyond how a best friend must.
Now, when did I realize I love him?
It was that day when he proved me his words, 'I'd never let anybody hurt you. You'll be safe with me'.
I thought I'd go astray when Francis left me. But since Manuel stayed with me, helped me focus with my studies, guarded me from taking any vices, trusted me - I was able to move on with my life and move forward the soonest possible time.
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MANUEL's P.O.V.
DAYS passed by swiftly. It's been 5 months since the last time Latrice and I were together.
I had never revisited Baguio since then. In spite of this, we had kept our communication by habitually talking with each other over the phone.
Today I had to call Latrice up and remind her of the scheduled meet up with Celestine's couturiere for my very own sister's upcoming wedding.
She'll be travelling to Batangas this Saturday and will be staying in our house until Sunday.
Saturday is two days from now. I am excited to see her again.
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Saturday, 9:00AM.
I fetched Latrice from the terminal; we immediately headed to the couturiere, and headed home afterwards.
My parents were elated to see Latrice. It was her first time to pay us a visit here in Batangas. My mom let her use the guestroom, the room next to mine.
My family ate lunch with Latrice and I was glad to see the spontaneity in their conversation. Everybody proceeded to the lanai after our meal. We exchanged stories to one another until we were relaxed.
At 02:00 PM, we headed to our rooms and rested for a moment. And at exactly 04:00 PM, Latrice and I went down the house. Latrice invited Elena to go with us, and Elena agreed.
We watched Into the Woods and played in the arcades.
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LATRICE's P.O.V.
THIS weekend is worth it.
We didn't take long in Celestine's couturiere, but I have to go back after two weeks to fit in the dress.
When we got to Manuel's house, I was so happy to see Uncle Paul and Auntie Angela.
Elena, their youngest sister, was there as well. She's currently in the 8th Grade in St. Mary's. We rarely see each other, but I like her so much. She's a very sweet kid. She's teenager by now, yet she still loves to be cuddled. On every occasion she was travelling to Baguio, she would always bring pasalubong for me.
I feel at home with the Selegña family. They are very welcoming.
Tita Angela let me use one of the guest rooms. Luckily, it's the one beside Manuel's room. The room is painted with avocado green that makes the fully-air conditioned room cozy. There is a huge canvas hanging at the center of the room. The four-poster bed is covered with lime green canopy, it is complimentary to the color jade bed covering. On the left corner of the room is an antique dresser. It also has a connecting bathroom to Manuel's room. And there is a sliding door that leads to the veranda. The breathtaking view of the swimming pool can be seen from where the coffee table is placed.
I suggested Elena to come with us. We watched a movie and headed to the arcade house. We both played basketball where Elena got way higher score than I did. Afterwards we went for a sing-along. Price Tag and Chandelier were some of the songs we opted.
We decided to pig out at Pizza Hut. And before we went home, the three of us shopped for books.
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ELENA suggested for a night swimming. Manuel begged off for he had to work on the grades of his classes. Spending the night with Elena's company is worth it. We raced in the pool until we exhausted, and just chit-chatted on the poolside.
She has a lot of sound and bright ideas to share. Maybe she has gotten most of it from the massive amount of books in their library. With how she talks and elaborate on things, no wonder she's the 1st Honors in their class. Elena's a total example of beauty and brain. I bet she has a lot of admirers
Around 23:00 PM, we finally called it a night.
Before I proceeded to the guest room, I knocked on Manuel's room and said good night. He was about to finish his work, so he'd also be turning in the bed any minute from now.
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THE next morning, Manuel and I attended the mass with his family. After the mass, Uncle Paul and Auntie Angela decided to head home alone. And since Celestine met us at the church, she volunteered to drive us around the place. Manuel sat on the passenger seat while Elena and I occupied the backseat.
She maneuvered to the lane of beach resorts.
"The next time you'll come here, we'll have an overnight in one of these resorts." Celestine told me.
"That sounds good. I'm looking forward to that day."
"Can't wait! When are you scheduled for the dress rehearsal, Ate Latrice?" Elena asked.
"She's coming after fortnight," Manuel responded.
Celestine spoke, "That's two weeks from now. It's almost summertime, so we better have reservations now. What do you think?"
"We can do the reservations now."
We agreed to Manuel's proposal of reserving an accommodation as early as now. The siblings chose the resort nearest to an islet. As early as now, I am already excited for our upcoming outing.
We drove back to their residence. We ate lunch together, and after a short time I collected my personal belongings from the guest room and headed home.
