𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 // 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗 𝚍𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚜

xviii. sand castle, sunset... you

Casa Kalinaw

All I could think about the entire ride from Malabon to Batangas was Daniel asking Kiera out. I knew it would come to this, but the more I think about it, the more confused I become. I can't just let her date him, but it doesn't appear like I can tell her that without explaining why.

Hi, Kie! You can't go out with Daniel.

Hi, Kie! What happened to not dating until you graduated college?

Hi, Kie... I like you.

As if I can say all that, we're just friends after all and as for the last part... she doesn't date a friend. But the day Daniel saw Kiera hanging out with Xi-Anne two weeks ago, he asked me if I know her too or if she's my girlfriend, but he didn't get an answer from me; I want to say no cause she really wasn't, but there's a part of me that want to say yes cause that way he'll leave her alone. No, it didn't.

“Jah, Tingnan mo pamangkin natin,” Kuya Yani spoke up, nodding his head in the direction of Kiera and our nephew. “Tingnan mo pamangkin mo, Jah, ayaw mahiwalay kay Kie.”

I turned to face them by the coast; they weren't far away because it was still high tide, but Tim opted to build a sandcastle with his Tita Kiera while we set the table for dinner since we arrived late afternoon.

The resort features both a pool and a beach, which you can enjoy depending on your preferences. I liked it both, but Kiera isn't a big fan especially beach. She isn't a big fan of deep water, and the last time she went near one, it made her sick, but she still appreciates the beauty of it, especially during sunsets. She likes sunsets a lot.

I smiled, watching them. “Hindi na nga ako pinapansin ni Tim e pero okay lang naman, si Kie 'yan e.”

“Bakit ano meron kay Kie ha, Jah?”

My eyes furrowed as I turned to face my brother and did not respond, knowing full well that he would only torment me. He knew me well enough that I didn't need to tell him that I liked Kiera—my best friend—before I understood it myself.

“Okay, ayaw ako sagutin oh. Joke lang naman, 'di ka na mabiro. Bakit nga ba hindi ka sumasali sa kanila, Jah?” My brother asked, as if I were not assisting him in setting up the table.

“Bakit din hindi ikaw?”

He lifted both his hand up, showing me a plastic spoon and paper plate. “Kasi nag-aayos ako ng table para sa dinner natin. Anong oras na rin kasi para maaga tayo makakain.”

“Ano pala ginagawa ko, Kuya?”

“Nakatitig kay—”

He was interrupted by our nephew's voice, which I am grateful because I know what he's going to say; I've been doing it since I saw her on the couch with Tim on her lap, which is both a pleasant and dangerous sight to see.

Kiera with a kid. With my nephew!

“Tito Jah! Tito Yani!” Tim ran towards us, jumping happily. “Tita Kiera and I made a castle. Can you take a picture of it po, Tito Jah? With your film camera? Please... please...”

I let out a small chuckle, messing up his soft hair. “Of course, Timmy, let me just get my film cam, okay?”

He nodded, grinned, and clapped gleefully before going to his father to brag about the sand castle he made while I took my film camera and was about to stroll towards the direction where Tim and Kiera made the sand castle. However, I stopped on my tracks and my hands holding the film camera appear to have their own minds.