Embracing Tomorrow

Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Tinitignan ko ang sarili ko sa salamin, hands gripping my sling bag as I tried to calm my breathing. "You can do this," bulong ko pero parang walang effect. What if he's there? What if makita ko siya? Shit, mali ata na pumayag ako kay Sophie.

But I'm already dressed, and there's no turning back now.

Bumalik ako sa kama ko and sat down. I'm wearing a crop top with high-waist jeans. I'm so good looking right now, pero I'm not okay inside. I'm anxious na baka nandoon siya. And I miss him so much. Baka balikan ko pa 'yon.

I was about to sleep when my phone beeped.

Sophie Alcaraz: nandito na ako sa resort. where na u 😤

I rolled my eyes when I read her message. Typical Sophie. She has no idea what's going on inside me.

I got up and looked at my reflection sa mirror beside ng bed ko. I don't want to go, but what if he's not there?

I sighed and got my sling bag. Bahala na.

I arrived at the resort and it's fantastic! The resort was a tropical haven, with white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters stretching as far as the eye could see. Palm trees lined the paths, leading to luxurious villas with stunning ocean views. Wow! Maybe it's not a bad idea that I'm here.

While I was walking, I was texting Sophie. I felt anxious walking alone knowing it's my first time in 3 years seeing my 4th-year college classmates again.

Valentina Villanueva: I'm here, pick me up pls 😊

Sophie Alcaraz: Fck u,,,

I laughed as I read her reply. While I was waiting sa entrance, I heard two people laughing so I looked at them.

It's Dominic and a girl.

Nakatitig lang ako sa kanila nang tawagin ako ni Sophie. Hinila niya ako kaagad kaya hindi niya nakita si Dom. Was that his new girl?

As Sophie pulled me away, hindi ko maalis sa isipan ko kung sino yung babaeng kasama ni Dominic. I felt my heart drop. My mind raced as I struggled to keep up with Sophie's energy. She's so energetic, and I can't keep up because of what I saw.

I just let Sophie pull me through the main party area, trying to shake off my negative thoughts. Breathe in, breathe out. Pero kahit anong pakalma sa sarili ko ang ginawa ko, it still hurts. There are so many questions lingering in my mind, and I want answers.

"Val? You okay?" Sophie asked, napansin niya siguro na I was silent.

I forced a smile, "What? Yeah! I missed you, girl."

"Corny mo. Halika, inom tayo," pagbibiro niya.

"Gago, you know I don't drink." I laughed and forgot what I saw earlier when she brought up something related to Dominic.

"As if hindi ka uminom nung naghiwalay kayo," she said and laughed. I paused. Damn you, Sophie! "Just kidding, shake nalang."

We were catching up, and I completely forgot again about Dominic. Everyone seemed to miss me. And I missed them a lot too.

As we continued to chat and laugh with our old classmates, someone entered the main party area.

Dominic again, with the girl.

Sophie looked at me immediately as if she knew I hadn't moved on yet. I smiled a bit at her and continued watching the two. They were both wet; I think they went to the swimming pool first. I felt a stab in my chest when he introduced the girl as his girlfriend.

As I sat there, something in me snapped. Before I even realized what I was doing, my feet moved on their own. I walked closer to them. Tiningnan ako ng babae, pero bago pa man siya makapagsalita, I slapped her. Hard.

Mabilis ang pangyayari. Pagkatapos kong sampalin ang babae, nagkakagulo na ang lahat. Wala akong marinig, nahihilo ako. Shit, anong ginawa ko?!

Doon lang ako na okay nung narinig ko na ang boses ni Dominic na galit na galit, "What the fuck?! Why the hell did you do that, Valentina?!" His eyes were so angry while looking at me.

"I-I didn't m-mean to, I'm s-sorry." Because of how embarrassing that was, I ran. I ran as fast as I could. Nakalabas na ako sa resort pero patuloy pa din ang takbo ko. Hindi ko alam kung saan ako pupunta, basta tumatakbo lang ako.

I kept running, my heart racing, not only from the sprint but also from the overwhelming shame and panic flooding my chest. Tears clouded my vision, turning everything ahead into a blur. But I didn't care—I just needed to escape, to get as far away as I could from what I had just done.

Habang tumatakbo, may nabunggo ako. Scared na baka si Dominic, hindi ako tumingin. I just bowed and said sorry, pero hinawakan ako kaya napatigil ako. Fuck!

Dahan-dahan akong tumingin, and to my surprise, it's my new psychiatrist!

Gaya ko, nagulat din siya. "Okay ka lang?" I cried immediately after that question. I really hate that question. He did nothing but hugged me. Para kaming tanga dito sa gitna ng kalsada, but I didn't mind. I just wanted to let out all my pain, even to the person I barely know.

I woke up in a bed at halos maiyak ako nang hindi ito aking kama. I touched my body, and I still had my clothes. Okay, paranoid check. I sat up on the unfamiliar bed, blinking as I tried to figure out where I was. The room was tidy, featuring dark wood furniture and minimal decor—it was clearly a guy's place. My heart began to race once more.

I heard footsteps approaching, and then the door creaked open. It was Atticus, holding a glass of water. I panicked and pulled the blanket up to my chest even though I was fully clothed.

He chuckled a bit and said, "Chill po."

I squinted my eyes and replied, "Where the fuck am I?" pagtataray ko.

"You're here in my apartment. You fainted earlier, and I think it would be rude if I just left you in the street, right?" I stopped and processed what happened earlier. OH RIGHT!

My tears fell again, remembering what happened. Lumapit kaagad si Atticus and handed the water. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked calmly.

"I-I'm going to save it for our appointment," I said and chuckled a bit.

I hope he won't judge me like Dr. Salvador did when she first heard what is happening to me.

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Contains errors ;)
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