Third Person POV
She's patiently waiting at one of the luxurious restaurants in town, tapping her nails on the table while holding her phone in the other hand. She takes a glance at the entrance to look for any signs of Jonas but finds none.
She heaved a deep sigh and took a little sip of her wine. She leaned her back against the chair and swirled the remaining wine. Her face lit up when she saw a familiar car park near the restaurant. She immediately fixed her hair and checked herself in the mirror.
Nang makuntento sa ayos, mabilis siyang umayos nang upo at hinintay ang pagdating ng kasintahan niya. Gumuhit ang malaking ngiti sa kaniyang labi ng tuluyang pumasok si Jonas sa loob ng restaurant. Palinga-linga ito at parang may hinahanap. Kaagad niyang itinaas ang kaniyang kamay para kuhanin ang atensiyon nito.
Jonas immediately strode in her direction.
"Happy anniversary, babe." Masayang bati nito kay Jonas nang dumating siya. "What took you so long?"
"Happy anniversary. I'm sorry, I had to see someone." He apologized after making eye contact with Valerie.
"See someone?" Tumaas ang kilay nito na tila nangungusisa. "Was that person really so important that they caused you to be late for our date?"
"Valerie, he's one of my investors. I'm sorry." He immediately responded. Valerie nodded, then heaved a sigh.
"Okay. Fine." Naniwala naman ito kaagad.
Jonas gave her a small smile and sat on the chair. He grabbed the menu and scanned it. His brows furrowed when he saw the prices of the food. Everything was expensive. Napabuntong-hininga ito saka ibinalik ang menu sa table. His eyes diverted to the food that had already been served: steak, salad, and expensive wine.
Valerie just smiled and held his hand on top of the table. Jonas stared at their hands together. He doesn't feel anything; there's no spark. He doesn't feel thrilled about it. It seems like he was just shaking hands with an investor or a client.
"It's fine. Ang importante nandito ka na ngayon. So, anong nangyari sa pag-uusap niyo?" Tanong nito kay Jonas at uminom ng wine matapos bitawan ang kamay nito.
Natigilan naman si Jonas, pero kaagad rin namang napatingin kay Valerie. He fixes his tie and grabs the glass of water in front of him. He suddenly feels the dryness of his throat.
"It's fine." He said between his breaths.
"Are you sure? Bakit iba ang nakikita ko ngayon? Mukhang hindi maganda ang mood mo dahil sa client na 'yon. Did he pull out the investment?"
Jonas cleared his throat. He could feel the throbbing of his heart. He muttered a curse in his mind. He couldn't understand why he suddenly felt anxious about lying. Maybe it's because he met someone who was part of his life before.
"Sort of."
"That's not good news at all. But don't worry, it's not your loss, it's theirs." Valerie stated while cutting the steak.
Nakahinga naman nang maluwag si Jonas dahil dito. Sinimulan na rin niyang hiwain ang steak.
"Babe..." Malambing nitong tawag kay Jonas. Saglit na tiningnan ni Jonas si Valerie bago itinuloy ang paghiwa ng steak.
"What is it?"
"Uhm, I was thinking... since we've been together for almost ten years now, why don't we settle our relationship for good?"
