"Were all of you in this together?" Aika looked at her sisters and Nat.
"Well, we didn't do much...all we did was keep a secret!" Jill shrugged her shoulders.
"Kuya was the one who called me and said he wanted to surprise you. He planned all these himself...I didn't do anything either!" Tricia recalled how Nat had contacted her before Aika flew to New York. She was equally excited to be part of the surprise.
"What about Jamie and your family? I thought you were celebrating Christmas with them?" Aika wondered out loud.
"I spent Christmas Eve with them and then took the next flight here." Nat winked.
"Ate, I think we should take our leave..." Jill tugged on Tricia's sleeve.
"See you tomorrow, ate. Take care of her, kuya!" Tricia waved and dragged Jill off, leaving the couple alone.
"Patty, Jill!" Aika called but her sisters snuck away quickly. These traitors...
"Stay with me tonight? I have a hotel near your apartment." Nat asked softly.
"Do I have a choice? Patty and Jill are gone..." Aika chuckled.
"If you want, I could send you back to the apartment..." Nat offered.
"I was just joking, muscles. Who else would I spend the night with other than the one who flew 24 hours to see me?" Aika smiled.
"The traffic is pretty bad...do you wanna take a 20 minute walk with me?" Nat held out his hand.
"Why not?" Aika placed her hand in Nat's.
"I still can't believe you're here..." Aika was still wrapping her head over the fact.
"I thought you said that you miss me?" Nat skillfully protected Aika from an oncoming bicycle.
"And you flew across the world because I said that?" Aika turned to face Nat.
"No matter where you are, I'll run to you as long as you miss me." Nat kissed Aika's hand.
"Anywhere? A lofty promise you're making there, big boy." Aika teased.
~
"I don't have pyjamas with me..." Aika realised that she had followed Nat back to his hotel room with nothing to change into for bed.
"You have my sweatpants and shirts..." Nat chuckled as he opened his (mostly empty) luggage. He was going to be here for only 3 days anyways.
"Wait, if you're here...how is Jamie coming back to the Philippines?" Aika remembered that Jamie was still in Singapore.
"I'll stop by Singapore to pick Jamie up before coming back..." Alice and Nat had already made arrangements.
"Got me worried there for a second..." Aika sighed in relief.
"Gosh, it's so cold..." Nat muttered as he pulled Aika closer to him on the bed.
"Can I confess something?" Nat asked.
"What did you do wrong?" Aika laughed.
"I didn't bring your present with me...I left it under the tree in Singapore." Nat gave Aika an apologetic smile.
"I thought you were my present?" Aika was surprised that Nat had another present.
YOU ARE READING
Beneath The Surface
RomanceAika Robredo was a poster child: with a Masters from Harvard, a respectable career trajectory and dependable eldest daughter of the Robredo family. Everyone was telling Aika that all she had left to do was finding her 'dream guy' to settle down with...
