The next morning, I woke up late since Cory and I stayed up late as well. It was around two in the morning when we both fell asleep. The first thing I noticed as I opened my eyes up, she wasn't in the room with me—on the bed we shared the whole night.

I reached for my phone on the table next to me and left her a message there. She didn't reply, but soon enough, Cory came back carrying a paper bag inside.

"Wow, naman! Gising na siya. Good morning!"

I smiled as I saw her. Maaliwas ang mukha niya ngayon. Something is different from her. "Good morning... where have you been?"

"Ay, hinanap-hanap agad ako?" patawa nitong tugon sa akin. She put the paper bag on the desk. "Galing ako sa labas at nagbayad ng bill. Pwede ka na naman lumabas today so we'll leave before lunch para makapagpahinga ka pa."

"Hmm? Aren't we supposed to be going sa Cuyo mamaya?"

"I rebooked it," aniya. "Buti na-sched ko dahil next day ay walang lipad so we would wait for another two days para lang may flight pa ulit do'n. Pero ngayon wala muna tayong gagawin, I just want you to rest muna and have time for yourself."

"Kaya ko naman."

She looked at me raising her brow. "Hindi mo sure."

"Kaya ko nga," natatawa ko pang sagot. "If you think na hindi ko kaya, kayang-kaya ko naman. 'Wag kang mag-aalala sa akin."

"The last time I tried to let you go alone on this crazy idea of yours, napahamak ka. I don't want that to happen again kaya this time, ako muna ang masusunod at ako muna ang pakikinggan mo. Take a rest and that's all you need to do."

"Sure... but I'll pay you as well, for the bill—"

"Hindi na," she cut me off. "You don't need to pay me or anything. You don't have to worry about it, okay?"

"Are you for real?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes, and if you do so, hindi ko naman tatanggapin 'yon. Hayaan mo na 'yon. Ang mahalaga naman, you're fine and alive. I don't care about the money if spending it for someone who made this trip special for me. I feel like that's the only way I can repay the way you helped me—just everything. Alam mo na kung ano 'yon..."

I smiled. "Thanks for being such a great person, Cory..."

"Well, you wouldn't find someone like me anymore. 'Di ba? Malaking kawalan ni Derek."

I laughed at what she said. "That's where I would agree. He didn't know what he'd lost. Good for me, right? At sa akin ka napunta."

"Huh?!" halos may gulat pa iyong sinabi niya. "Good for you, good for you ka riyan. I will never be good for you. Kala mo naman. Assuming ka na naman. Akala ko pa naman dahil naalog na 'yang utak mo, titino ka na, pero mas lalong lumala ata? Ewan ko ba, Douglas."

"Sabihin mo na lang kasi, pareho na lang din 'yong nararamdaman ko para sa akin."

"Porque ba ako nagbayad ng bill mo, love na agad kita?'

I shrugged off. "Ay, hindi ko sinabi 'yan. Ikaw na nagsabi niyan, ha? Pero I would love to be loved by you. Paisa nga, babe."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Bahala ka sa buhay mo. Kumain ka na muna and then after that, magpalit ka na ng damit mo. Sa hotel ka na lang maligo ulit."

"Yes, babe," I giggled, but she tried to ignore it.

She handed the food to me from the paper bag she brought. She bought some fast food as she said would be the nearest place cheaper to buy some food. She ate with me and after that, she helped me fix my stuff. Yesterday, Cory went back to our hotel just to pick up some clothes for me so I could change. The things she did for me are incomparable and I don't think anyone would do that for me—except my family who still don't have an idea what happened to me.

"Why don't we just tell your parents what happened before we go there sa Cuyo?" Cory asked. "Alam mo naman, they should know it, too."

"They will worry about me."

"Natural?! Siyempre, mag-aalala talaga 'yong mga 'yon sa 'yo. You almost died and I was there. I saw it with my two eyes. Hindi ko nga alam kung anong gagawin ko."

"See? Ikaw pa lang halos pagalitan mo na ako."

She let out a sharp breath. "Nagsasabi lang naman kasi."

"Then let me handle it myself," I said. "It would be better for me to talk to them about it in person so they would see my condition personally. Kung sabihin ko thru phone, baka kung ano pang gawin nila."

"Okay... if that's what you want, hindi na kita pipigilan."

"Saan sa pagiging girlfriend ko?"

She scoffed and shook her head. She didn't respond to me and just put both of our stuff sa bag nang padabog. When we were done packing and checking all the stuff before we left the hospital, we made an agreement that we'll never go back here for the rest of our trip here in Palawan. She even made me lock with her pinky finger just to make that promise.

When we were all settled to go, we left the hospital and headed straight back to the hotel where we are staying. May itinuro pa ako sa kanya kanina habang nasa daan kami dahil napansin ko na may karatula ro'n na may event mamayang gabi. Hindi naman iyon malayo sa hotel namin. Kung lalakarin, it would be five to ten minutes of walk, kung magbabagal ay aabutin ng twenty minutes.

Cory didn't respond to it so I guess she wouldn't like us to go there. Pagkarating namin sa hotel, we went to our room and I lay down on the bed. She told me that I should rest and that's what I will do. I woke up thirty minutes after falling asleep and then I found her sleeping on the couch which is so uncomfortable for her.

I get up on the bed and went in her direction to pick her up. I carried her slowly to the bed and lay her down without noticing it. She didn't wake up and that was a good thing for me. I put a pillow wall between us so she wouldn't snatch my hair when she would think I put her next to me so I could cuddle.

Cory is the kind of person who would look at you like you did something bad, but she'll be the kindest person you'll ever meet. I didn't know what was the reason her ex-fiance would let her go. She was one-of-a-kind, something I would say others don't have. I may only know her for two weeks, but the way we get to know each other is something remarkable.

While we were both discovering what this island could offer to us, that's also the same thing we feel with each other—well, could be only me. 

If I would have to jump that cliff again, I wouldn't hesitate. It is something I'm not afraid of. Even death.

The next thing I knew, Cory's waking me up passed five in the afternoon. That was the longest midday sleep I had and thought that feed me more energy. Kaiisip ko kanina sa kanya, natulugan ko na lang din.

I noticed Cory just got out of the shower and wore something good. She was brushing her hair while I'm figuring out what was happening.

"Dinner na ba tayo?" tanong ko.

Humarap siya sa akin so she doesn't have to look at me thru the mirror's reflection. "Tell me honestly, a? Okay ka na ba? Wala ka na bang nararamdaman?"

I shook my head. "I think I'm feeling a lot better than yesterday. Saan ba tayo?"

"Let's go to the place na tinuturo mo kanina. We'll miss it kung hindi ka pa kikilos ngayon."

"Seryoso ka ba?"

"Gusto mo ba bawiin ko? Iwanan na lang kita rito mas better."

"Ito naman! Nagtatanong lang, e."

"Sige na. Go take a bath na."

"Yes, babe."

"Babe mo mukha mo."

Just like what she ordered me to do, I took a quick bath, and after that, picked some clothes for tonight. We're not sure kung anong klaseng event ba meron do'n, but the place seems like a club so we're also expecting a lot of people coming there.

By six, we left the hotel and we both decided to walk there rather than take a trike. Hindi pa naman gano'n kadilim pero nang makarating kami ay sakto dahil nagdilim na rin ang kalangitan. The place seems to be visited a lot of people when we walked inside and saw people everywhere.

As we're roaming inside, we just heard that there are drag queens who will be performing tonight and that could also be the reason why there are many locals and even foreigners tonight. Some said, from people at the bar counter, this is just a normal night for the club, it even gets busier when midnight strikes.

Nagkatinginan pa kami ni Cory and she quickly shook her head telling that we're not going to spend until midnight in this place. 

"What drink do you want?" tanong ng babaeng bartender kay Douglas.

"Oh, he's fine," si Cory ang sumagot sa akin. "He just got out of the hospital earlier so no alcohol for him now."

"Oh, alright. That's fair," she said, nodding her head. "What about you? What do you want?"

"I don't think."

"She does," sagot ko naman. "She doesn't drink much, but I guess she deserves one for tonight.'

"Douglas," she said gritting her teeth. May paghila pa ng t-shirt ko sa ibaba. "I don't want to drink."

"Nah, have it for tonight."

"Here you go," the bartender handed over a bottle of beer. "Enjoy."

Nanlaki naman ang mata ni Cory. "Anong akala mo sa akin? Tanggero? Hindi naman ako umiinom ng beer? Hanggang wine lang ako, 'no."

"Okay, pa'no 'yan? Bawal na 'to isauli."

She snatched the drink from my hand. "I'll drink it dahil bawal ka uminom. Kung malasing man ako tonight, bring me home safely sa hotel natin or I'll kick you out na talaga sa buhay ko."

"Ay, level up? Hindi na sa isla?"

She rolled her eyes and then she has a few seconds hesitating whether to drink the beer or not, but she ended up taking a few sips where her face turned so bad as she tasted it and she didn't like it. 

"Kaya pa?" I smirked.

"Kayang-kaya."

As we spend the night, she intently lose her bottle of beer somewhere else dahil no'ng tanungin ko siya kung saan na 'yon, nginitian niya lang ako. We both ended up getting some shakes na lang to drench down our throats while we are watching the drag queen performers tonight. I've never seen one in real life that's why I was watching intently and so was Cory.

By eleven, an hour before midnight, we left the club place and Cory was a bit drunk as the effect of the beer is getting on her system. I got us a trike back to our hotel and once we reached the place, I thought back piggybacking her, but she was too lousy so I just carried her in my arms.

On our way up, she was mumbling words and then she looked at me and ran her fingers on my face.

"It seems like you're the most beautiful man I've ever seen in my life..."

I giggled. "Well, thank you for that."

"Can I have a kiss?"

"Would you?"

"Yes."

"No... I won't give you a kiss."

"Just one, please."

"You wouldn't like it when I'll tell you what happened."

"Oh, please, don't," she smirked. "Just a kiss please."

"On the cheek would be fine."

"Yes..." she said and then I leaned my face closer to her and let her kiss on my cheek and she was giggling after. "I just kissed the most beautiful man in the world..."

I chuckled. "Oh, Cory... best night for me..."

As soon we reached our room, I lay down on the bed and she quickly fell asleep. She wouldn't remember it when she woke up tomorrow. I guess, I wouldn't tell her about it and keep it to myself. 

What a night.

***