Heartless (Completed)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

We were supposed to leave early this morning, but it seems like everyone is nursing a hangover, so there's been a slight change of plans. Instead of heading out now, we'll be leaving this afternoon.

"Care to explain why I couldn't find you last night, Desiree? Hmm?" I asked, a bit more sternly than I intended.

She was sitting on the bed, her hair disheveled, cradling her head in her hands, wincing from the pain of the hangover. She didn't say a word, but the way she grimaced gave her away.

"OMG!" she suddenly yelled, covering her face with her hands as if to shield herself from a truth she wasn't ready to face.

"What is wrong with you, really?" I couldn't help but ask, anxiety creeping into my voice. Her behavior was so strange, it was starting to worry me.

"Nothing," she muttered, falling back onto the bed. She threw a pillow over her face, her feet flailing aimlessly in the air.

"Alright, fine. If you don't want to tell me, that's okay. I'm just your best friend, after all. You don't owe me every little detail," I said sarcastically, starting to stand up from the bed.

"Are you trying to guilt-trip me?" she snapped, her irritation palpable.

"Is it working?" I replied with a smirk, sitting back down beside her.

She pouted before finally sitting up, her frown deepening as she faced me.

"This is because of Gino," she blurted.

I knew something was going on between them! I had sensed it the moment we arrived here in Ilocos. I didn't want to pry, though—I wanted to hear it straight from Desiree, without pressuring her.

"What did he do? And what about Gino?" I asked, feigning ignorance, but I already knew this was going to be something juicy.

She did the same thing again, covering her face with her hands. And then, in a soft, almost shy voice, she spoke.

"He... he kissed me last night. That's all I remember."

I didn't even bother pretending to be shocked.

"Uh-huh, and then?" I asked, keeping my voice calm, though inside, I was practically screaming in excitement. Finally! My best friend had a love life! OMG, GiRee is real!

"You're not even surprised?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Why would I be surprised? It's so obvious."

"Seriously?!" she exclaimed, eyes wide.

I shrugged and smirked at her.

Tss. Oh, come on, Des. You can't keep secrets from me.

"You're not mad?" she asked again, this time in a softer voice.

I slapped her arm lightly and grinned. "Are you kidding me?!" I squealed, unable to contain my giddiness. "Of course not! Why would I be? I ship you two so hard! And don't worry, I'm probably the only one who's noticed. I always keep my eye on you, you know."

Desiree cringed at my words.

"But isn't it... awkward? I mean, we're friends and..." she trailed off.

"Desiree, love is mysterious and full of surprises. Whether you're friends or not, when it hits you, there's nothing you can do about it," I said, my tone softening as I looked at her.

"Actually, you're the only one who knows about this. So please, keep your mouth shut in front of our friends. I just want to be sure that this isn't just some fleeting infatuation. You know me, Eli, I don't mess around with guys if I'm not serious. But Gino... he's different. I'm sure about him. I just don't know if he feels the same. When everything's clear, maybe then I'll tell the others. Besides, I... I love him."