Dare Me To Love You (ITL Series #1) |COMPLETE

Dare 34

CHAPTER 34

MONICA

I SIGHED, breathing out all of my exhaustion away. We--well, they mostly did the work--spent hours searching for Sam in the opposite island where we played yesterday's game. I got loggy easily so I stayed inside our cabin and thought about my life decisions.

Parang mas napagod nga akong natulog sa cabin buong araw habang iniisip-isip kung tama ba ang mga desisyon ko sa buhay, kung tama bang nilayo ko ang loob ko kay Gab, kung tama bang hindi ko siya pakinggan. While I was dramatically thinking about it earlier, I had some cringing moments and embarrassing thoughts. Like how I easily gave up on his 'panliligaw'.

They eventually found Sam and I don't know where are they right now, all I know is I'm hungry that's why I'm wandering around the resort; searching for a pub or a Korean resto that sells crunchy kimchi.

Nakahanap naman ako, open resto-bar siya. Okay na 'yan basta may pagkain, hindi naman ako iinom, eh... kakain lang talaga. The night I spent drinking is enough, I'm actually getting better each day. Maybe this trip is really helping my heart. Minsan na nga lang akong umiyak at hindi na talaga ako nagdadrama sa tuwing naiisip ko siya at ng mga ginawa niya sa akin.

Binigyan ako ng menu ng isang waiter at habang nag-oorder ako ay napansin kong sine-set up ang maliit nilang stage sa gitna. I asked the waiter what's the deal with their stage, I don't know why I asked in the first place. Siguro isa na rin 'to sa coping mechanism ko, ang magsalita.

"You just arrived right on time, Ma'am. There's a special guest, a very loyal customer and he insisted singing tonight." meh. I fought the urge to miss and reminisce 'his' voice in my mind and picked whatever I see appetizing on the menu, with the kimchi of course.

I entertained myself by doing some origami with a paper displayed on the table. 'Yung mga papel sa restaurant na nagpo-promote ng bago nilang dish. I got four of them since naka-upo naman ako sa pang-apat na taong table. Lahat kasi ng two-seat tables ay na-occupy.

Someone then the guitar that caught the people inside this resto's attention. It caught my attention too, bigla na lang bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko ng kumanta ang isang napaka-pamilyar na boses. Oh, God. What did I do to deserve this kind of torture?

"It's how you used to say

'I love you' and 'I miss you'

It's how you pretend to love me then

When you wandered of the things we've done before

Now it's late to turn back anymore..."

When I glanced at the stage, I saw Gabriel holding the guitar and singing in front of everyone. Nakita kong may mga babaeng ngumingisi-ngisi at nangingisay sa kilig, but I don't care... good thing I'm not one of those girls, not anymore. I remembered what the barista said in Haven... that he only sings when he's confused or... hurt.

Tumahimik lang ako at agad na umiwas ng tingin sa stage ng makitang tumingin siya sa akin. Iniwasan kong mapagawi sa stage dahil ramdam ko ang titig niya. I can feel the shiver down my spine as I nervously continued the origami art I was doing.

"I 'want' to say 'I love you'

I used to say I miss you

But now it's all gone

Are we fading away?"

My fingers froze from folding. His lyrics sounds like it was meant to be sang... meant for me. I don'g want to assume but it felt right to feel like it was for me.