"Are you free tomorrow?"

Kasulukuyang nasa meeting ako at sabi ni Kaito, siya ngayon ang tatayong secretary and personal assistant ko ngayon. May sakit kasi 'yong secretary ko at sakto pumunta siya sa office ko kaninang umaga just to drop off food.

Alam niya kasing wala na akong panahon para kumain pa sa umaga dahil pagka-gising ko tinitingnan ko agad ang emails ko saka viber to check if there are new meetings scheduled for me.

"Wala ka bang trabaho, Kaito? Lagi ka nang nakadikit sa akin. Baka sabihan ako ng tatay mo na distraction para sa iyo," I asked him and he scoffed while arranging the papers on my shelf.

"Wala na akong paki sa ama ko, Fleurienne. I told you, wala na kaming connection. My work is also done for the next two weeks kaya 'wag ka mag-alala," he told me so I nodded.

"Saan tayo pupunta bukas?" I asked before scrolling through my google calendar to see if I have meetings scheduled for tomorrow.

"No, you don't have any meetings for tomorrow," sambit ni Kaito sa akin. Dahilan para tumingin ako sa kaniyang gawi. "You don't have to worry about tomorrow. Basta um-oo ka lang na umalis tayo bukas."

I pursed my lips before looking hesitantly, "Our flight is in three days, Kai... Hindi ba't mapapagod tayo dahil kailangan na rin nating mag-impake?" I asked at umiling naman siya.

"I'll help you pack your clothes para hindi ka mahirapan. I can also sleep sa condo mo para isahang punta na lang," he grinned at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Abuso ka!" I chuckled.

"It was worth to try," nagkibit balikat naman siya.

Tumayo na siya sa kaniyang pagkakaupo at humarap sa akin. "Rienne, diretsong sagot lang. May chance ba talaga ako sa 'yo o napipilitan ka na lang?"

I swallowed a lump of nothing. Saan naman nanggaling 'yong tanong na iyon?

I feel a mix of emotions flooding through me. Part of me wants to say yes, to give in to the feelings that I've been suppressing for so long. But another part of me knows that it's not that simple.

Bumuntong hininga ako bago siya tingnan sa kaniyang nga mata, sinusubukang hanapin ang mga tamang salita. I know that I can't keep stringing him along, but at the same time, I don't want to hurt him.

"I don't know, Kaito," I finally say, my voice barely above a whisper. "There are so many things that we need to work out first. Ayaw kong bigyan ka ng sagot na puwede kong pagsisihan. Masasaktan lang tayong dalawa."

I see the disappointment in his eyes, and I know that he was expecting it. But I can't help the way that I feel. I need time to sort through my own emotions and figure out what I really want.

Gusto ko pa rin naman talaga siya. Malaki rin ang posibilidad na mahal ko pa rin siya. Pero mayroon pa ring pumipigil sa akin at hindi ko alam kung ano iyon.

"I understand," he says, his voice low. "If you ever choose the latter, I'll stop pursuing you. I don't want to make things harder for you."

I feel a pang in my chest as I watch his eyes with a glister. It was because of the tears that were slowly pooling. Part of me wants to take back what I've said and  tell him that I do still have feelings for him. But another part of me knows that it's not that simple. We have a lot of work to do if we're going to make this work, and I need to be sure that I'm ready for that kind of commitment.

Darating din ang oras na alam ko na ang sagot. Baka mamaya, baka bukas, sa susunod na linggo, o sa susunod na buwan. Only time can tell.

"So ano sagot mo? Can I take you out tomorrow?" He asked after a long silence. To make it up to him, I of course said yes.

Hinintay niya akong tapusin ang aking trabaho para ma-ihatid ako sa condo unit ko. It was beyond 6 PM and he even offered to buy me dinner but I politely refused.

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, 6 AM sharp." Nanlaki naman mata ko noong narinig ko iyon.

"Gano'n ka-aga?!" I asked him and he just nodded with a smile. "What the fuck? Saan tayo pupunta? Don't tell me you're taking me to go hiking because Kaito, I am too tired for that."

Natawa naman siya, "No, Rienne. Just be ready at 6 AM. Don't bother bringing anything. Not even your wallet. Sagot ko lahat ng expenses natin tomorrow." Kahit ayaw ko ng gano'n ka-agang cal time, I still hesitant nodded at him before closing my door.

Kahit maaga ako bukas gigising dahil sa trip ni Kaito, I still wanted to go out so I decided to change my clothes into a more casual one before getting the keys to my car and going to my parent's grave.

I saw that there was flowers again kaya inisip ko kung kanino naman galing iyon. Baka 'yong asawa ni Daddy.

Pingpagan ko 'yong lapida bago mag sindi ng kandila saka umupo sa damo.

"Mom, Dad... I'm so lost right now," I whispered while looking at the tombstone. " I don't know what to do about Kaito. I think I love him, but I'm scared. He hurt me so badly before, and I'm afraid he'll do it again. But I also know that he's changed. He's been pursuing me, and working really hard on himself. I just don't know if I can trust him. Please, can you give me some guidance? What should I do?" I asked as if they'll reply.

I stayed there for a few minutes and posted on my IG story that I was currently here.

Lumipas ang halos isang oras kaya nag-paalam na ako sa kanila at nagdasal bago bumalik sa aking condo unit. Agad naman na ako naligo at nag-skin care bago humiga sa aking kama. I ordered food na lang dahil tinatamad na akong mag-luto.

After I ate dinner, I brushed my teeth and slept.

My alarm woke me up at 4:30 AM so I did the usual routine I do. I took a shower immediately and I decided to wear a flowy, light purple dress. I feel relaxed and carefree in this outfit. I'm also bringing a jacket just in case malamig ang pupuntahan o 'di kaya umulan.

After an hour, someone knocked on my door and I knew that it was Kaito. When I opened the door, he was wearing a black cargo pants, and a white sweatshirt. His hair was pushed back on the side, and he smelled so good!

"Good morning, Fleurienne. You look mesmerizing as always," he winked before kissing me on the forehead. Nagulat ako sa kung anong ginawa niya kaya lumunok lang ako bago alanganing ngumiti.

"Good morning, Kaito," I also greeted him.

We went down sa parking at sumakay na sa kotse niya. He took his silver Porsche today, which would definitely catch people's eyes on the road.

"Why did you use your flashy car?" I asked. "Yumayabang ka na ah!" I poked his shoulder and he chuckled before starting the engine of the car.

"I just figured  you'd be wanting to take pictures in front of my car with a nice view we're about to see in a few," he winked. Hindi naman ako mapakali sa inuupuan ko. He said that I can still take a nap because it was an hour drive papunta roon sa lugar na sinasabi niya.

Before I slept again, kinuhanan ko ng video ang nangyayari ngayon at tinapat sa kaniya ang camera at nilagay sa caption passenger princess >> saka pinost sa aking IG story.

When I opened my eyes again, Kaito was already outside the car at umikot siya sa pintuan ko para pagbuksan ako. Paglabas ko ay nag-inat ako bago kusutin ang aking mga mata. Noong luminga na ako sa paligid, saka ko nalaman kung nasaan kami ngayon.

"Bakit tayo nasa Pampanga, Kaito?"

Ngumiti lang siya sa akin bago kunin ang aking kamay, "You'll see." We made our way through the people in line kaya nag-taka ako kung bakit hindi kami pumila. Siguro he made reservations. May kinausap siyang lalaki kaya naiwan ako sa sulok para  hintayin siyang matapos kausapin ito.

After a few minutes, may pinirmahan siya at sinenyasan na akong lapitan siya. Lumabas naman kami ulit at namangha ako sa view ng open space. The grass was yellow-green colored at kitang kita ang mga bundok sa malayo.

"Surprise!" Kaito said and I immediately hugged him which caught him off guard because it took him a few seconds before hugging me back.

Naglakad naman kami papunta roon sa hot air balloon namin and we waited for it to be inflated before we stepped on it. The guide told us what to do when we already want to go down and how to control the balloon before letting us fly up.

As the hot air balloon slowly lifted off the ground, my heart started racing with excitement and a tinge of fear. I couldn't believe I was actually up in the air, floating above the earth with Kaito beside me.

"Ang ganda!"

Looking down at the patchwork of fields and trees below, I felt a sense of awe at the beauty of the world from this vantage point. The wind gently tousled my hair and the warm sun bathed my face, creating a sense of freedom and exhilaration.

"Oo nga, maganda nga," reply ni Kaito habang nakatingin sa akin. Umiwas naman na siya ng tingin noong nilingon ko na siya. I just chuckled softly before looking back below.

As we drifted along, I couldn't help but steal glances at Kaito. His eyes were fixed on the horizon, a small smile playing on his lips. I wondered what he was thinking, whether he was enjoying this as much as I was.

As we rose higher, I felt a sense of vertigo and my stomach did a flip-flop. But Kaito's steady presence beside me reassured me, and I felt safe and secure in his company.

As we floated along, I felt a sense of peace and contentment settle over me. I realized that this moment, suspended in mid-air with Kaito, was one of those rare and precious moments that I would cherish forever.

"So why did you decide to take me here?" I turned to his gaze and he didn't reply. Hinawakan niya lang ang aking kamay bago ako hilahin palapit sa kaniyang katawan para ikulong ng kaniyang mga bisig.

"Para magkaroon tayo ng pagkakataong makahinga," he said after a few minutes. I heavily sighed before leaning my head onto his.

"Thank you, Kaito."

He smiled before kissing my temple, "Always, my dearest, Fleurienne."

Bumaba kami after taking a lot of pictures and enjoying the view. We ate our brunch at the restaurant before we decided to walk for a bit para pababain ang kinain. I took pictures in front of his car and I also took pictures of him. We both posted a car picture on our Instagram story para malaman kung ano ang magiging reaction ng mga kaibigan namin.

After eating, pumunta naman kami sa grocery and he said we'll be baking pastries later para naman may aabangan kami or kakainin pagkatapos mag-impake ng gamit. Bukas ang flight namin. It's an 11 AM flight kaya hindi namin kailangan gumising ng masyadong maaga.

Excited na ako! Greece, see you soon.

We then went straight to my unit and I prepared the baking materials we were going to use while Kaito was getting my luggage from the storage room. Sabi ko sa kaniya na ilagay lang iyon sa loob ng kuwarto ko habang hinuhugasan ang lahat ng kagamitan.

He said we're going to bake  three kinds of pastries para raw ang matitira ay ipapatikim sa mga kaibigan namin bukas kasi alam naming walang mga kain 'yong mga 'yon pag umalis. Kami na magpapakain sa kanila, nakakahiya naman kasi e.

We're going to make brownies, almond and vanilla bean scones, and stuffed churro puffs. Just by looking at the pictures of the recipe, natatakam na ako. I'm excited!

Pinayagan ko na rin si Kaito na matulog dito. Pinipilit kasi ako e saka para naman hindi siya sobrang pagod bukas dahil ang layo ng dinrive niya kanina. Nakaka-awa rin naman kasi.

"Okay, are you ready?" I asked him and he nodded as he was tying the apron on his perfect body— Rienne, focus!

As I pre-heat the oven and measure out the ingredients for the brownies, I steal a glance at Kaito. He's so cute when he's concentrating on something, like he is right now as he stirs the melted chocolate. I can't believe we're actually doing this - baking pastries together in my own kitchen. It feels like such a domestic thing to do, but it also makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

I watch as Kaito expertly pipes the churro dough onto the baking sheet, and I can't help but admire his skill. He's definitely a catch, that's for sure. Kung ginawa ko kayang official 'yong relationship namin noon e 'di sana kami pa rin ngayon.

Kaito looks up at me with a grin and says something teasing, and I can't help but giggle. We have such a fun dynamic together, and I know that even if nothing ever comes of our flirtation, we'll always have moments like this to look back on fondly. And who knows? Maybe this could be the start of something more meaningful.

Maybe we could rekindle the love that we shared.

As the pastries bake in the oven, filling my condo with the delicious aroma of chocolate and cinnamon, and vanilla, I feel a sense of contentment wash over me. No matter what happens between Kaito and me, I'll always have a soft spot for him. If not as lovers, maybe as friends.

While the pastries are in the oven, I packed my things and he kept his word that he'll help me pack. After an hour of packing, we looked back at the pastries we made and it was already finished!

"You do the honors of tasting it first," Kaito said and I smiled before opening my mouth. Hinipan niya naman 'yong churro puff bago isubo sa akin at agad ako napangiti dahil sobrang sarap ng gawa niya!

"How is it?" He asked.

"Masarap! Puwede ka na maging pastry chef," I chuckled and he tasted his work too. Tinikman din namin ang iba pa naming gawa bago napagdesisyonang magpahinga na.

"Fleurienne! Can you check if we didn't leave anything in the van?" Meila asked and I nodded before doing what she asked me to do.

We just landed from our 15 hour flight and our whole body was aching. Kararating lang din namin sa hotel at kababa lang ng van. Pumasok kami sa loob and we were greeted by the staff.

The bellboy took our luggages and we went straight to the buffet area to eat food bago kami magpahinga sa hotel rooms namin. We have our own rooms. Well, by partner actually 'yong hotel rooms pero kaming dalawa lang ni Kaito ang may sariling rooms because hindi naman kami.

After eating, I thought makakatulog na ako sa hotel room kaso hindi pa raw ayos iyon. Kaito said I should stay in his hotel room while waiting pero dahil sa dala ng antok ko, I fell asleep in his bed.

As I slowly open my eyes and become aware of my surroundings, I feel a jolt of panic run through me. I'm cuddling Kaito, and I shouldn't be. This is not part of the plan! Bakit ba kasi ikaw nakatulog, Fleurienne?

Tangina naman oh!

I try to extricate myself from his embrace as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake him up. But as I move away, he mumbles something in his sleep and pulls me back towards him. I freeze, unsure of what to do next.

Kaito, kailangan ko na umalis! Baka kung ano isipin ng mga kaibigan natin kapag nalaman nilang natulog ako rito sa hotel room mo at umabot ng halos siyam na oras!

Part of me wants to stay here, wrapped up in his arms, and forget about everything else. But the other part of me knows that I can't. I can't risk giving him the wrong idea.

But I've missed this. Just like old times.

Tuluyan na siyang nagising ang it was too late, "Hi," he said before removing his arms around me. I awkwardly smiled before answering him.

"Hey."

Tumayo naman na siya at kinuha ang towel sa cabinet. "Dress up. We're going out," he told me and I yawned while looking at him.

"Seriously? You already planned something for us dito sa Greece? Hindi ka ba napapagod gumastos?" I asked him and he chuckled before shaking his head.

"I'll meet you in 30?" He asked and I nodded before leaving his hotel room.

I decided to wear a blue and white sleeveless dress and put on minimal makeup before texting Kaito that I was ready. 

We took a taxi and it was a thirty minute drive from there. We walked a flight of stairs, before we stopped and I saw how beautiful the night was.

The stars were shining so brightly, there were fairy lights everywhere, romantic music was playing, and rose petals were scattered on the ground.

Kinuha ni Kaito ang aking kamay at naglakad kami palapit doon. He placed my hand around his neck while his hands were on my waist. We slowly danced for a bit and it felt unreal.

Pangarap ko lang 'to dati e.

The music changed and we stopped dancing. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang susunod na mangyayari kaya hinintay ko siyang gumalaw.

As Kaito got down on one knee and pulled out the small box, my heart began to race. I felt a surge of emotions—surprise, nervousness, and fear all mixed together.

"Palitan na natin last name mo?"

Hindi ko alam na gagawin niya ito dahil hindi pa naman kami, but now that it was happening, I didn't know what to say or do.

My mind was going through a lot of thoughts as I looked at Kaito's sincere expression. He was looking up at me, waiting for my answer, and all I could think was, Is this really happening? Am I ready for this?

Dati pa lang alam ko na soulmate ko na siya. Sadyang binibigyan lang kami ng mga pagsubok ni Lord para malaman kung kami ba talaga hanggang dulo.

What if hindi pa ako handa? What if we weren't ready as a couple? What if something went wrong?

All these questions flooded my mind, and I was frozen in place, unable to utter a word. I looked down at Kaito, who was still waiting patiently, and I knew that I couldn't keep him waiting any longer.

Noong ibinuka ko ang aking bibig, walang lumabas. I was at a loss for words, still trying to process the enormity of the moment and the decision that lay before me.

At that moment, I realized that I needed more time to think about this. I needed to figure out what I truly wanted and whether I was ready to take this big step with Kaito.

It was a shitty thing to do... But I slowly took a few steps back as the tears started to flow down my cheeks at nakita ko ang pag-alala sa kaniyang mukha.

"Rienne I—"

Hindi na narinig ang kaniyang mga sinabi dahil tinalikuran ko na siya at tumakbo.

Baka hindi pa ngayon ang tamang panahon.

Pasensya ka na, Kaito.