Sometime In July (2024 edition)

Chapter Eighteen

"Am I too late?" Seth's voice finally broke the silence, soft yet heavy with emotion.

"Too late?" Yssa repeated, her brow furrowing in confusion as she held his gaze.

"Glenn?" His name lingered in the air, the question weighted with uncertainty.

"I couldn't marry Glenn," she said, shaking her head, a gentle smile forming on her lips. "I'm in love with you." Her voice dropped to a whisper as her hand reached up to touch the side of his face, the warmth of her palm sending a shiver down his spine.

Sensing the intimacy of the moment, Jane quietly excused herself. She knew they had much to talk about and left them to it, slipping downstairs for her cup of tea.

That night, under the soft spell of rain falling over Lake Palace Hotel, Seth and Yssa sat on the veranda for hours, the world beyond them fading into the mist. She explained everything.

Seth leaned back in his chair, listening intently. "Your father told me your godmother was Jane Atienza, not Jane Villalva."

Yssa smiled warmly. "She's Mrs. Jane Villalva now. She got married just two days ago. The hotel manager here? He's her husband." She paused, chuckling softly. "Maybe my father just forgot about her new last name."

Seth nodded, the pieces starting to fall into place. "So that's the ceremony your dad mentioned..."

Yssa laughed lightly. "He even gave you her old address. I bet you met her mother instead—gray hair, with a cane?"

Seth smiled, remembering. "Yeah, I did. I didn't understand a word she said."

"That's because she only speaks Manobo," Yssa said, her laugh bubbling through the rain-soaked night.

Seth also laughed, shaking his head. Then, after a long pause, he turned to her again, the weight of his next question hanging in the air. "Your father also mentioned Glenn being with you. And when I asked the clerk, she said two Ordonios are staying in a room here."

Yssa nodded, her expression softening. "Glenn was here, yes. He came with me to make sure I'll be fine, but he left right after he brought me to Ninang Jane's house."

Seth's brow furrowed. "But Brandon said you came here with him."

Yssa sighed, the weight of the past days seeming to settle on her shoulders. "Yes, that's true. Glenn insisted on coming. He didn't want me traveling back alone."

Seth's jaw clenched slightly, the hint of jealousy hard to miss. "So, he cared about you."

Yssa smiled again, her gaze steady on his. "Yes, he did. He told me exactly that."

Seth looked away, his face tight, processing the words.

"But you know," Yssa's voice softened, "no matter how many times he said he loves me, no matter how much he showed he cared, my decision was final."

Seth glanced at her, the question burning in his eyes. "And what was your decision?"

Yssa held his hand gently, her touch anchoring him. "That I love you," she said, her voice unwavering. "And I could never marry someone I don't love."

Seth turned to face her fully now, his heart pounding. "What about the Ordonios in Room 04?"

Yssa's smile grew, a playful glint in her eyes. "Seth, Glenn isn't the only Ordonio in the world, is he?"

* * *

They talked long into the night, their conversation flowing effortlessly until the early hours of the morning. Yssa finally returned to her room about an hour before dawn, leaving Seth alone with his thoughts. He lay awake, replaying everything they had said, everything they had shared. As first light approached, he couldn't shake the restlessness inside him.