𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙧. 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙝𝙞𝙙

36. New York

"When are you leaving?"

I took a bite of my cake before giving Hailey my answer.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Is Zayne coming with you?"

I smiled and shook my head. "He has an upcoming movie."

"Ahh, yung kay Julia?"

"Yes."

"Lily will be with Zayne, pababantayan ko," she said with a playful grin.

I laughed. "Kahit anong gawin ni Julia, hindi siya papatulan ni Zayne," I assured her.

I had already told Hailey about my relationship with Zayne before our parents caught us making out last week.

"Sabagay, pero mas okay parin ang nag-iingat. So when is the wedding?"

"Haha, I don't know about that yet. Our parents are the ones busy with the preparations, and I won't even be here."

"You will be in New York for how long?"

"Two months? Then may show kami sa Dubai, then back to New York again. I told you about my new business, right? I'll be launching my own brand of ladies' bags in New York. I informed my parents that I’d be busy, so they need to wait until I'm available."

"Dahan-dahan lang naman. It's your wedding; you need to pay attention to it too."

I nodded, knowing she was right, but my shows and the business launch had already been scheduled.

I had talked to Zayne about it, and he understood, knowing the demands of my career.

After we finished our coffee, Zayne arrived to pick me up.

I said my goodbyes to Hailey, promising to meet her again once I returned.

She joked about waiting for our wedding invitation, and I chuckled at her playful banter.

Once we were inside Zayne's car, he sealed his lips against mine in a sweet kiss.

"I miss you, baby."

"Ilang oras lang ako nawala, Z."

"Pero babalik ka na bukas. Mas mamimiss kita," he replied, his eyes filled with longing.

We decided to eat out, stroll around the mall, and catch a movie, making the most of our last few hours together.

When we returned to his condo, we made love, losing ourselves in each other all night long.

Three months of separation loomed ahead, and I was certain I would feel homesick without him by my side.

Yanie might be back in New York, but at least she would be with Michael.

As morning arrived, I felt an overwhelming heaviness in my feet as I turned to enter immigration.

Looking back at Zayne, who was waving his hands, I felt a sharp pang of sadness. Leaving him was incredibly difficult.

So this is how long-distance couples felt.

In that moment, I considered abandoning my career in New York and just staying here with Zayne.

🐬🐬🐬

Days passed like an eternity.

With the twelve-hour time difference from the Philippines, it was tough for both me and Zayne.

At 12 PM, he was eating lunch, while at 12 AM, I was fast asleep.

During my free time, he made sure to carve out time to talk to me online, even if it meant staying up late into the early hours.

I felt guilty knowing he was often sleep-deprived.

I couldn't afford to stay up late either; I needed to avoid dark circles under my eyes.

"Belle, you look different," Christian remarked two months after I arrived back in New York.

We were searching for a place for my business.

"Hmm, what do you mean?"

I did feel a bit tired these days; perhaps I had overdone it.

"You look like a goddess," he said, a teasing smile on his face.

I laughed at his compliment. "You look different too, but in a good way. Are you that excited for our Dubai show?"

I shook my head. It wasn’t just about the show; it was about going home to Zayne afterward.

"What about the wedding?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

I smiled widely. My mom was incredibly excited about the whole affair. I had told her that my friends would kill me if I didn’t invite them from New York, Paris, and Riversville. So, they were all included in the guest list.

The wedding was scheduled for a month after my Dubai show and two weeks after launching Bella, my own brand.

Yanie would still be able to attend my wedding.

"I can't wait to meet your husband-to-be. When are you going to announce the news?"

"After the Dubai show, maybe."

"This will be the news of the year!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

I felt a rush of excitement at the thought of becoming Zayne's wife.

Who would have thought that my high school fantasy would actually come true?

I would be marrying the man of my dreams.