Coffee, Maybe? Love, Maybe.

67 | CMLM

JANELLA

I told Zev that he should wait for me by the garden but of course because he's Zev, I immediately saw him waiting outside the cabin. He was wearing a cream colored dress shirt paired with shorts and loafers. Wow, akala mo naman hindi siya nasa beach kung magdamit.

"Sabi ko sa'yo hintayin mo ako do'n sa garden ah?" bungad ko no'ng makalapit.

The guy only grinned. "I know how bad you are with directions, Zia. I would've waited at the garden for 30 minutes if I didn't come here."

I raised my brow. Lumalaban na ba 'to sa'kin? Parang nagiging katunog na siya ni Cyan eh.

"Sana nga hindi na lang ako pumayag. Balik na lang kaya ako sa loob?" I threatened to walk a few steps to go back inside the cabin but being the man that he is, Zev swiftly grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers together.

"You're locked with me, love. Let's go."

Parang timang, Peralta.

"Gising-gising din, Peralta. Walang 'love' dito," I said, totally letting him drag me away now. Tingin pa ako nang tingin sa paligid at baka makita kami ng iba.

"Maybe not on your end but on mine, it's a different story," he answered, giving me a warm smile after. Wow. Ang pogi.

Realizing what I just thought about, mabilis akong umiling-iling at sinaway ang sarili. Kung saan-saan na pumupunta ang utak ko at nakakainis dahil si Zev lang ang nakakagawa nito sa'kin.

The walk didn't take long. After a few minutes, we arrived at the garden he was talking about and must I tell you that I was mesmerized by the view. Ang daming bulaklak sa paligid at may mga lights din na nakasabit sa mga puno. Everything was created into perfection.

"Wow," I muttered. "Ang ganda dito!"

I heard Zev chuckle beside me. "I think that's the most excited face I've seen from you since coming here."

"Well, to be fair, lights do make me calm. Lalo na kapag ganitong environment," I answered and smiled at him.

"That's not even the highlight yet. Let's go somewhere."

Hinila ulit ako ni Zev papunta sa mas loob pa na parte ng garden. There I saw one big tree adorned with lights. Sa baba no'n ay may nakalatag na picnic mat. Walang laman. It's simply a mat but somehow, it made me jump in glee. Pakiramdam ko ito ang pahinga na kailangan ko sa lahat ng nangyayari sa buhay ko nitong nakaraan.

"Careful, love!" Zev warned when I started running towards the mat. Parang bata ako no'ng hinayaan ko ang katawan ko na bumagsak doon.

"Zianne!" Zev shouted and scrammed to make his body a shield for mine, making me laugh as loud as I can. "That wasn't funny at all!"

"Ang OA!" natatawa kong saad at pinalo pa ang braso ni Zev. "Damo nga 'yong nasa ilalim 'di ba? Ano namang mangyayari sa'kin diyan?"

Narinig ko ang marahas na pagpapakawala ni Zev ng buntong-hininga. Ang awkward ng posisyon namin ngayon dahil nakahiga kaming pareho sa mat, with me on top of him dahil sa "heroic act" niya kanina.

"Still, Zia," hinawakan ni Zev ang parehong braso ko na parang yinayakap ako mula sa likuran. "Hindi natin alam kung may bato ba sa ilalim. Baka napahamak ka. Just... be careful next time, alright?"