Caught in the Rainy Season(COMPLETED)

Chapter 13

We went to our favorite coffee shop. Thankfully, there weren't many customers, allowing us to focus on our tasks. Dameon and I were both concentrated on our work, occasionally asking each other for opinions, especially if he seemed uncertain about something.

To keep things casual, we ordered some cake, pizza, and coffee from time to time.

As I busied myself with my papers, I caught Dameon murmuring some not-so-nice words under his breath. I dropped my pen when I noticed he was distracted by his phone.

I playfully nudged him. "Hey, looks like you're done! On your phone already?" I teased.

But he remained fixated on his screen, so I lightly tapped his arm to get his attention.

"Why are you hitting me, miss?" he complained with a grin.

"I thought you needed to finish your assignments, not scroll through your phone," I replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

I returned to my work, but then he nudged me again. Frustrated, I turned back to see him still glued to his phone, his tasks clearly left unfinished.

"Come on! You need to get moving so you can finish everything!" I sighed.

"Sorry, my groupmates are looking for me," he replied, his expression suddenly serious.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go!" I urged, feeling a bit frantic.

"Don't rush me; it's embarrassing for them to wait," he said, still not moving.

"Your leader is going to be mad at you! They'll get back at you on your project!" I snapped, my patience waning as I imagined him getting in trouble.

"They're just being persistent. I already told them we can use Messenger," he complained.

"Dameon, go! They're wasting their time!" I wanted to throw my pen at him, but I held back.

"I'm the leader. I can handle this," he said defiantly.

"Well, what about me?" I shot back, crossing my arms.

"Don't use me as an excuse, Mr. Dameon Sean Villin. We agreed that academics always come first," I reminded him, recalling our earlier promise before our hangouts.

"Even in situations like this? Remember last week when I was in your position? You made me leave too, so please, just do your thing," I continued, but he shook his head slowly.

"We prioritized our studies and dreams over everything else. That's our motto, right?" he replied, begrudgingly recalling our agreement.

"Yes! Now go, or I will," I threatened.

"Fine! Ten to twenty minutes, then I'll be back," he said, playing with his car keys in his hand.

"Even if it takes one, two, or three hours, I'll wait for you here, promise," I assured him while continuing to gather our things.

Through the glass wall, I watched him walk away.

Once he left, I returned to my work, determined to make the most of my waiting time. I finished my papers and checked my phone. They were probably still in discussion, so I turned my attention to the tasks he'd left behind. I smiled when I realized I had completed them.

I grabbed some extra paper to jot down answers for him while I waited, hoping to lessen his workload. I added some notes on topics that might help him understand better.

We often worked like this; when we grew tired of the coffee shop, we would sit in his car, sharing knowledge about our courses and helping each other out.

"You're really done?" I heard Dameon's voice behind me, causing me to drop my pen in surprise.

"Yeah, and I finished it. How about you? Are your meetings done?" I asked as I watched him retrieve the pen from under the table.

"Yup! But why did you finish this? How could I-" He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the sticky notes I'd left on the side.

"If you think you're unsure about my answers, you can do it again by yourself. I just wanted to help you," I said, biting my lip. Why was I meddling?

"If you think I'm mad, I'm not. Thank you so much, Miss Taniesha, for organizing the information and explanations. It'll help me understand better. I'll review it later," he said, glancing through his papers with appreciation.

"I'm not sure if everything is right," I admitted shyly.

"Not sure? Are you kidding me? You're the one who always scores the highest in your batch!" he smirked.

"Don't say that. What time is it?" I asked, remembering our earlier discussion.

When I checked the time, I sprang into action.

"Can we stop by the mall before we go home? I want to buy something for your parents," I suggested.

Dameon nodded, "Sure, we can. There are malls along the way, but it's not necessary."

I insisted, feeling embarrassed about showing up empty-handed. Thankfully, I managed to persuade him.

While at the mall, we wandered around the ground floor, searching for gifts.

I decided on a nice bag for his mother and a simple outfit for his father since Dameon had told me his dad was a businessman.

"You look tense, Miss. Don't be too nervous," he chided as we descended from the car.

As we approached their house, I noticed his parents waiting for us, glancing at each other. I exchanged a nervous look with Dameon, who then stepped forward as his parents approached us.

"It's nice to finally see you again, Iha. I miss-" Mrs. Villin began, but her husband interrupted her.

"Hon, let's go inside first," he suggested.

I was taken aback when Mrs. Villin reached out to take my arm, pulling me away from Dameon. I heard him grumble softly.

They welcomed me warmly, treating me as if we'd known each other for ages, quite different from how I had first interacted with Dameon. I felt an immediate connection, especially with Tita Dal.

She insisted I call her that.

"You didn't remember? Niesha may not have told you, but we're friends," she said, catching me off guard.

I had no idea!

"In fact, your father and my husband are business associates, which is why I know you, hija," she added, answering my silent questions.

That explained why I'd seen my dad talking to Dameon earlier at my house. But why hadn't my parents mentioned this connection to me or to Dameon?