Tunog kaagad ng camera ni Grayson ang narinig ko nang umahon ako mula sa maalat na tubig dagat.

"Damn, sizzling hot."

I smirked before dipping my body again into the deep, deep sea. Ang sarap maglangoy ngayon dahil hindi masyadong malamig ang hangin. Wala rin kami sa sobrang lalim na parte pero sobrang linaw pa rin ng tubig. Kitang-kita ko pa rin ang mga laman-dagat na talaga namang gusto kong i-print sa memory ko dahil sa sobrang ganda at refreshing nila.

This is one of the proofs of how great God is.

Ipinagpatuloy ko na ang paglangoy at hindi na inisip pa na may kumukuha sa akin ng pictures habang lumalangoy sa Alona beach. I just enjoyed it since ito naman ang purpose ng pagpunta ko rito—to freshen myself and enjoy my life without thinking of all the things that made me hurt.

After so many minutes of diving and swimming, umahon na rin ako at pinunasan ang sarili. Kasunod ko si Grayson na tinitingnan ang pictures na kinuha sa akin. Naririnig ko pa ang ilang side comments niya tungkol sa angle ko, sa itsura ko, sa dilim at liwanag ng pictures, at marami pang iba.

Naupo ako sa lounger at pinunasan ang sarili gamit ang tuwalya na nakahanda doon.

"Ano na?" tanong ko habang kinukuskos ang buhok ko ng tuwalya.

Naupo siya sa lounger sa harap ko habang ini-scan pa rin ang mga pictures.

"yung iba, madilim ang kuha. yung iba naman, maliwanag. But it's okay since I took more than enough of photos of you so, later, I'll delete some kapag t-in-ransfer ko na sa laptop. Mas makikita natin kung okay ba o hindi."

Napangiti na lang ako nang bahagya. Ibinalik ko na ang tuwalya sa pagkakasampay niya kanina sa lounger at naupo sa tabi ni Grayson.

"Tingin nga," sabi ko saka hinawakan ang camera at bahagyang inilapit sa akin.

Nakita ko ang paglingon niya sa akin sa gilid ng mata ko, pati ang pag-awang ng bibig niya. Hindi ko na siya pinansin pa dahil gusto ko lang talagang makita yung mga picture ko sa camera niya.

"Damn, if you're going to seduce me, please inform me first, Summer," natatawa-tawa niyang sabi.

Tumingin ako sa kan'ya nang natatawa na rin. "I am not. Talagang turned on ka lang sa akin, Grayson."

Bahagya siyang tumawa. "Don't joke that way."

"Bakit? Nagigising ba?"

Humagalpak siya ng tawa kasabay ng pamumula ng leeg niya. Ilang beses siyang humugot ng malalim na paghinga bago binitiwan na ang camera sa akin at lumipat sa kaninang inuupuan ko.

"Basa naman tayo pareho pero bakit ang init pa rin ng pakiramdam ko?" natatawa-tawang tanong niya.

Tinawanan ko na lang siya at hindi na pinansin pa. Ngayon pa lang na raw shots ang pictures, ang dami nang magaganda! Paano pa kapag t-in-weak niya ang mga dapat i-tweak sa pictures, eh 'di lalo nang maganda? Feeling ko tuloy, gagawa siya ng sarili kong photobook sa dami ng pictures na nakaimbak sa laptop at cameras niya.

"Mamaya na nga pala ang street dancing para sa Saulog Festival. Let's watch it, Summer."

Nag-angat ako ng paningin sa kan'ya dahil sa totoo lang, nawala na sa loob ko ang Saulog Festival. Feeling ko kasi, hindi ko na kailangan 'yon para mas maramdaman ko yung Bohol.

I just feel like I'm already having my best days here and for some reasons, nothing matters anymore. I'm already starting to feel happy again.

"Oo nga pala, 'no?"

Tumawa siya. "You forgot? That's the reason why you moved to Tagbilaran, right?" He smiled. "May inihanda ang parents ko. Pupunta rin ang ibang pinsan ko para mag-inom. Isasama kita, ah? I want to introduce you to them."

It was so strange for me to feel this way. Wala namang kakaiba sa sinabi niya pero biglang nagkaroon ng isang malakas na tibok ang puso ko. Bigla akong nakaramdam ng pawis sa noo. Ewan ko ba!

"A-Ano namang ipapakilala mo sa akin sa kanila?" natatawang tanong ko bago ibinalik ang tingin sa camera.

"A friend."

I almost smirked. Oo nga naman, we're just friends. Ano pa bang aasahan kong iba? We're friends that have already made out with each other twice. We almost had sex.

Yup . . . friends.

"Okay, then." Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kan'ya. "Ihahatid mo naman ako sa hotel after the celebration, 'di ba?"

He chuckled. "Of course. You know that we can't stay inside the same room overnight." Pati ako ay natawa kasabay ng pag-init ng mukha ko. "Kaso baka late na 'yon. Don't worry, hindi naman ako magpapakalasing so I can still drive you to your hotel room."

Tumango ako at ngumiti. "Thanks, Gray."

He smiled and didn't talk anymore.

Pagkatapos ng swimming at photoshoot na ginawa sa akin ni Grayson ngayong umaga, bumalik na kami sa hotel na tinutuluyan ko sa Tagbilaran. I told Gray that he should wash on my hotel but he declined since malapit lang naman ang bahay niya rito at nandoon pa ang mga gamit niya. Kaya naman after niya akong maihatid, umalis na rin siya.

Dumeretso na ako sa bathroom para maligo dahil medyo naglalagkit na ang pakiramdam ko sa tubig-dagat na nasa buong katawan ko. Also, I want to prepare better since Grayson's going to introduce me to his family and relatives that will be there to celebrate with them.

I don't think that I want to make an impression. Maybe . . . ayaw ko lang mapahiya si Grayson.

It took me so much time to finish taking a bath. Nagtagal ako sa pagbabad ng katawan sa bathtub that I forgot we're going to leave before lunch.

Argh! Bakit ang sarap maligo sa lukewarm water?

Nang makapagbanlaw na nang mabuti, dumeretso na ako sa harap ng dresser para i-blower ang buhok. Minadali ko rin 'yon dahil nakita kong 11:05 a.m. na pala. Hindi ko alam kung anong exact time ako susunduin ni Grayson dito pero mainam nang all prepared na ako kapag nakarating na siya dito.

Pagkatapos magpatuyo ng buhok, kumuha ako ng isa sa mga casual dress na naka-hang sa closet. Una kong nakuha ang floral chiffon halter top dress. Habang isinusuot ko 'yon, narinig ko ang pagkatok sa pinto ng k'warto ko. Na-hassle pa ako nang kaonti sa pagkabit ng tali sa batok ko kaya naman pinagbuksan ko na muna si Grayson.

"Tapos ka na?" he asked as he entered the room.

I winced as I closed the door. "Hindi pa nga ako nakaayos, e."

He chuckled. "I don't really think that you need it. You looked naturally beautiful, though."

I scoffed before turning my back at him. "Can you tie this?" I said, raising my hair while holding the string of my dress.

Hindi kaagad siya nagsalita. Hindi ko rin siya narinig na kumilos kaya naman lumingon na ako nang bahagya sa kan'ya. He was just standing there, looking at my back. I laughed.

"Sige, ako na—"

The moment I said that, he stepped forward and held the string. He tied it quietly and for some reasons, my heart beat wildly. It was one of the few moments when I'd feel like it was one of the most romantic moments I'd ever have with him.

"Okay na."

Inialis niya ang pagkakahawak ko sa buhok, saka ito sinuklay gamit ang mga daliri niya sa napakagaang pakiramdam. I couldn't stop myself from sighing a little because of the tension I am feeling. Until I felt his palm on my left shoulder as his thumb started to caress it lightly.

"Your skin is not as lighter than it was but you're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he whispered to my ears.

I gulped, trying to chuckle. "D-Do you tell this to other girls? Your . . . past girls?"

He laughed a little. "I said they're pretty but I never told anyone that they are the most beautiful for me."

I turned around to face him. Our nose touched each other and that made me feel more tense. His palm is still on my shoulder but now, it slides down to my arms until he reachesmy hand.

"B-But why? Why . . . now? Why . . . me?"

His lip rose as he leaned closer. "I just know that you'll be the best."

The upper parts of our lips touched once again and that made me take a deep breath. I gulped as he slowly raised my hand that he's holding. He put it on top of his left chest and then I realized . . . our hearts beat just the same. It was like they were in a duet.

"It never . . . never beats this way before. Ngayon lang."

I looked away, gulping, before stepping back.

"M-Mag-aayos lang ako. S-Sandali lang."

Mabilis akong tumalikod at naglakad papunta sa dresser. Itinuon ko ro'n ang buong atensiyon ko kahit na maya't maya, napapalingon ako kay Grayson na nakaupo sa kama habang pinanonood ako. Humugot ako ng malalim na buntonghininga bago itinuloy ang pagmi-makeup.

As I applied my lipstick, napalunok ulit ako nang maalala kung paano ako halikan ni Gray the last time we made out. It's been almost two weeks since we met and it feels like a lot has happened already. Ang bilis ng oras.

Damn, malapit na akong umuwi ng Manila.

Itinuloy ko na ang pag-apply ng bloodshot lipstick that I bought when I went to mall before flying to Bohol. Nagulat pa ako't napangiti nang makita na bagay na bagay sa akin ang kulay kahit na medyo tanned na ang skin ko. Bagay rin sa kulay ng damit kong white na may kaunting parts na red.

After that, I rolled my hair up into a bun and added a metal clip on it so it would look better. Then I took my red wedge with an inch heel since hindi naman party ang pupuntahan ko. I tried to put it on my feet but Grayson went to me so he could be the one to do it.

"Is your favorite color red?" he asked.

I smiled. "Yup. Why?"

He chuckled as he put on the wedge on the other. "Wild guess." He looked at me and smiled. "We can't really stay in a room together for more than an hour, Summer. I was struggling a while ago, you know?" He laughed again.

I smiled. "Ako rin."

After that, I stood up, left him there, took my sling bag where my phone, wallet and everything important is inside and started walking to the door.

"Grayson, let's go."

I smiled to myself when I heard him hustle. I know I made a point in him and I really wanted him to know that. Besides . . . I already stayed here for 12 days. I only have eighteen days left here before I go back to the life that's for me.

Eighteen days . . . can I extend my stay?