When we were on our way to the airport earlier, Cory mentioned something about her past relationship which I couldn't make fun of so I kept myself quiet. I didn't comment since I don't know her, so why would I say something about it? She might've mentioned it, but I have no right to say anything about it.

But who would've thought that this woman got engaged before? Iyon din ba ang dahilan kung bakit ang sungit-sungit niya?

When we landed right in Puerto Princesa, she was tired and already wished to get to our hotel as soon as possible. Hindi lang kami ang guest sa van na na-rent namin, obviously, there are also guests going to visit the underground river which is the important itinerary of our day.

I noticed Cory getting sleepy so I let her sleep on my shoulder. All throughout the ride, she was asleep. Maaga rin kasi ang naging flight namin and we just have to get on to the next schedule she booked for the underground river activity. She said her time's limited in Palawan kaya kung kakayanin ng oras, she'll do it fast.

On our way, I've got a lot of things in my head that I want to show her, but I'm not sure if she would like it. I mean, she could like it, but it wouldn't make a mark on her trip. Well, it would be possible, but maybe she'll forget about it later on.

After almost two hours of travel, we finally reached the place and as soon as we get to our hotel, there was a little bit of miscommunication, or on Cory's end, she might've booked the wrong room.

When the woman explained to us that they didn't book the wrong room for us where it was really what they'd got from Cory's hotel reservation, they only confirmed it. She felt a little fine later on when the staff discussed the good amenities we'll have and the beach is just a few minutes away by walking from our room.

But when we get into our room, she shut the door right in front of my face. I wasn't able to get my things inside and she shut me off.

Rudey rude-rude, Cory.

I knocked on the door and called her name a few times and I don't think she was paying attention to me. She was already having the time of her life inside the room and she might've forgotten she brought me here.

"Cory... baka nakalilimutan mo. Nandito rin ako?" I called her and knocked on the door once again. "Cory? I also wanna ask you... did you just argue with the front desk, but you really booked this room for both of us? Pwede namang umamin. Walang mawawala."

Still, she didn't respond to me so I just dropped my bag and left the hotel. I walked out of the premises and as the staff said we're only a few minutes away from the beach so I went to see what the island could offer here for us.

There were a few people around. Good thing we come here early and we could spend an hour or so before we go on the first trip of the day. I'm not sure if Cory would still go with it, but if she would look for me, it would be easy for her to find me on the beachfront.

When I found a good spot, I thought it would be time to take a quick dip at the beach. There was a vacant sun lounger near me and I just leave my stuff there and I hope no one would attempt to take my stuff away. I removed my shirt and my pants so I was left with my board shorts. 

I checked my phone and there was no message and that's totally fine for me. No one's looking for me so I've got all the time in the world. I jog towards the beach and when the water hits my feet, I slowly walked towards it and took a dive.

I get back up to the surface and quickly the breeze made me shiver. I let my upper body remain down under while looking around. Some people decide to get tanned and lie on the sand while some are just strolling around the beach.

It was quite a good few minutes when I decided to get back up and lie down on the sand on my back. I haven't put on sunblock and I will hate myself if I'll get bad sunburned. The next thing I knew, I was being pushed down together with the waves. I panicked I thought the wave was strong enough to pull me back to the waters and then I found Cory laughing hard so I pulled her closer to me joining where I am.

That didn't end well and I think she hated me even more.

When she lies down, a good thing for me, I won't have to deal with her getting so pissed at me. I seated next to her, still a few inches away from her. Both of us settled down from a little argument until our discussion went from her past relationship and my discovery of finding out she was adopted and her biological parents lived in Palawan.

I wasn't able to ask further about her biological parents as it seems like I don't have the right to ask questions about it. I was just there to listen and the fact that I get to know her was special to me.

I wanna make this trip special for her and so I'm trying to find ways to make it special for her even though she might see it as odd and weird, it doesn't matter to me. As long as I get her to smile with my corny jokes, I feel like I won and got her there.

Cory is like a wonder to me, she's pretty and yet there's more to discover and that's where I get curious to know her more.

When the wave reached our feet, I splashed some in her direction which made her furious at me. I hastily got on my feet and I hysterically laughed running away from her. Realizing after what I did to her, she didn't waste any more time so she came running after me, and who knows what she would do to me, but I gotta keep running or else, she'll kick me out of this island.

As soon as I reached our room, I locked her out and a moment later, she started knocking so loudly calling out my name.

"Doggy! If you're not going to open the door, bahala ka na sa buhay mo," she threatened. "Susumbong kita sa boss mo. Sasabihin ko na tumakas ka lang talaga saka mo ko iniwanan dito sa PPS. You might lose your job because of that, gusto—"

And I quickly opened the door for her and saw a smirk plastered on her face. She was so proud with it dahil binuksan ko ang pinto para sa kanya.

"See? You know what I can do now?"

I pressed my lips together and nodded. "Yes... please come in."

"It would be my pleasure..."

She walked in and then turned her back on me. "Once you do that to me again, naku, iiwanan talaga kita rito sa PPS."

I shrugged off. "Okay lang, maybe some people would have the heart to keep me accompany and let me joined to their group back to Coron. For someone like me, it wasn't hard to get people to come to me. Kaya nga ako kasama mo ngayon dito, 'di ba?"

She squinted her eyes. " Are you telling to me na I'm easy to pull off?"

I raised my hands up. "Ops. I didn't say that. You were the one who assumed that. I didn't say anything."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Mauuna na akong maligo and after that, you'll go. You will only have five minutes!"

"Bakit naman?

"For locking me out, that would be your punishment."

"Okay, sure... I don't mind. Mabilis lang naman ako maligo."

"Gross."

I scoffed. "What? Anong masama sa mabilis maligo?"

She rolled her eyes at me and then grabbed her clothes and headed inside the bathroom. I found my bag beside the bed and picked some clothes to wear. 

While waiting for her, I checked on my phone and searched Dimaranan Palawan on Facebook and that might come out with such results regarding her family background, but it didn't give much results. I would like to see if I could help her with it, but it would be hard to search for something that has been out of her life for the past twenty-four years.

When she's done taking a shower, I get off the bed and walked to the bathroom. While I was inside, Cory wouldn't stop calling me to quickly finish showering so I did in less than five minutes and scolded me when I got out of the bathroom topless—which I'm wondering since she saw me topless already.

For how many times, right?

At that moment, Cory and I didn't waste any time and left the hotel to go to the underground river where it didn't take us long to arrive. Cory was the one who checked on the front desk for the book she made an online and good thing, this time it was right.

Ako na naman kasi ang sisisihin niya kahit wala akong ginagawa. Typical Cory.

As soon as we were called to board the boat, Cory was so careful not to make unnecessary movements otherwise she'll fall off the boat.

I've been here a few times before, not for leisure, but for work so I'm already getting used to the wonders we're about to see, but I watched Cory get awed by the fact that she was seeing all of them for the first time.

Just around forty-five minutes, I only did not get to see what it was like on the underground river, but see Cory fulfilled one of her bucket lists. She said when she heard of this tourist spot when she was younger, she wanted to see it personally, but with no time and money she couldn't afford to go there.

Well, it was perfect timing she got to meet me.

When it was time for us to go off the boat, I noticed something she was looking at something far from where we are. I just thought I should make fun of it and then what she said next caught me off guard, but I just kept my composure as I don't want to rub it off of her face.

And she got mad at me when she saw her ex-fiance there. She called him Derek Ignacio. I know she got plans after this tour, but basically, her mood got ripped off because she saw him. We went back to our hotel right after and then I checked her ex-fiance's social media, she wasn't lying when she assumed that it could be him and it was Derek.

And the worst thing to discover on his social media, he recently got married to a woman named Felicity Palma. And I noticed how it seemingly affect her, so I comfort her in a way she wouldn't notice that I do it. 

She might get annoyed with me, but that's how I will be able to reach her without offending her.

But then it seems like she's getting angry at me for comforting her. I guess, she's not used to it? 

This day, I've discovered a lot of things about her and I know for someone who has been dealing with this kind of thing, it wasn't easy. So, I gave her some space and I left the room for the meantime until her head went down cool.

I guess she needed that space that's why she go here in Palawan alone. I might suffocate her and I don't want that to happen. She'll come around... I know she wouldn't be able to resist me.

***

#PalawanDouglas #PalawanATBD #Imcrazyyouknow #SWIPxPATBD