Closing Time: 11 PM

14. Melting Under This Love

Well baby I surrender to the strawberry ice cream

Never ever end of all this love

Well I didn't mean to do it

But there's no escaping your love

-Accidentally In Love, Counting Crows

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"Chad. Please," she begged him with her eyes still shut.

Chad just left her home last night after going out for dinner and buying her fruits and it hasn't been more than eight hours yet when he came knocking her door again.

"Kara, please, let's just go," he told her. He was pulling her out of the bed while her bag is already on his other hand. "We'll be late."

"Saan ba kasi tayo pupunta? Hindi ba pwedeng mamaya na? Inaantok pa ako. Magpapaospital na lang ako tantanan mo lang ako," she contested while keeping her eyes closed.

"Kara!" he shouted in irritation which made her open her eyes. "Stand up now."

She scratched her head in annoyance and pushed the bedside clock to him.

"Chad Lewis! It's four in the morning for heaven's sake!" she said, still fighting him to sleep.

"You wouldn't stand up?" he threatened her. There was no answer from the sleeping Kara. When Chad realized that she does not have any intention of waking up, he immediately scooped her up and carried her going out of the house.

"Chad, ano ba?! Ibaba mo nga ako!" she struggled and spanked him.

"Stop shouting if you do not want to create a mess or if you do not want your neighbors to hear you," he warned her. He was still carrying her as they got out of the house. He pulled the door close and locked the gate of the apartment. He only put her down when they were outside. He opened the car door for her, settled her on her seat, and put on her seatbelt.

"Saan ba kasi tayo pupunta?" she asked him as he got in.

"Some place where hope is," he said and drove. He drove fast enough that in thirty minutes, they were already driving their way to Tagaytay. He hasn't been around the place for some time but the roads were empty enough for him to make them fly. Kara stopped asking him questions and rather took her chance to continue sleeping. She woke up when she felt a cold rush of air blowing her hair and kissing her face.

She realized that Chad has rolled the windows down and was playing a very soft music at the background.

She looked around and saw that the place no longer looked familiar.

"Asan na tayo?"

"Somewhere high," he smiled at her.

"Somewhere high?" she asked. "Antipolo?"

He shook his head. "I don't know how to drive going to Antipolo."

"Then where are we?" she asked. Chad took a left turn and drove faster and higher along the way. She continued looking around and since it was still dark, she still hasn't figured out where they were heading. After ten or twenty minutes, he stopped his car on the side. There were a few more other cars parked. They walked further up and went thru the entrance.

"Welcome to Palace in the Sky," he said.

"I know but what exactly are we doing here?" she laughed. She had been there multiple times and she doesn't know what made it special.

Chad did not answer her and continued walking. Kara decided to follow him and hugged herself because of the cool air until he stopped on one area with a bench for two.