Chapter Three

C-03: Happy Crush and Realizations

It was way past midnight, and yet I was still wide awake. I had tossed and turned so many times that the sheets were now half on the floor. I didn’t know what was getting into me—Isagani’s words kept echoing in my head.

“Goodness, Reya…” I mumbled, burying my face into the pillow.

It was just a brief moment, but I remembered how his arm lightly brushed against mine while we shared the umbrella. That small, harmless contact kept replaying in my mind like a broken record.

Am I seriously catching feelings? For real?

Well… who wouldn’t? He was charming, polite, soft-spoken. The kind of guy who actually lets you share his umbrella instead of ignoring you in the rain. That already makes him ten times better than most men I know.

And he’s good-looking, too—Tall, Dark, and Handsome. The perfect embodiment of TDH. Plus, his curly hair? That curly-fringed cut he had? Very few guys could pull that off, but he did—effortlessly. A true Island Boy. Sun-kissed skin, relaxed vibe, and just the right amount of mystery.

I think… I just added him to my mental crush list.

But before I could keep swooning, the mood in my head soured as another man’s face flashed in my mind—Mr. Drunk Bag Stealer. Ugh. What was his problem anyway?

With those thoughts spiraling around in my head, I didn’t even realize I had fallen asleep. The sharp ray of sunlight hitting my face woke me up. I groaned as I slowly sat up, realizing I had forgotten to close the balcony doors again. A soft breeze passed through the room, carrying with it the scent of salt and hibiscus.

I yawned, stretching my arms as I leaned against the headboard.

What should I have for breakfast?

Room service didn’t sound all that appetizing. Maybe I could stop by the bistro again? The thought of possibly running into Isagani made me feel… well, oddly giddy.

I got up and took a long, refreshing shower. Afterward, I slipped into a baby blue, flowy maxi-dress and a pair of floral flip-flops. I stared at myself in the mirror, unsure whether I should keep my hair up or leave it loose. In the end, I went for a half ponytail and clipped it with those flower hairpins I bought at the bazaar on my first day here.

The weather was lovely. I brought my digicam and snapped photos of everything that caught my eye—sunlight hitting the water, kids chasing bubbles, a couple posing by the lifeguard tower. It was a dead giveaway: I was having a good day.

Or so I thought.

When I reached the bistro, I caught sight of Isagani sitting by the deck. The soft breeze ruffled the ends of his khaki linen polo, which was casually unbuttoned at the top to reveal a baby blue inner shirt. He paired it with dark brown cargo pants. Laid-back, effortless—definitely his style.

Then my eyes drifted to the person he was speaking to. My stomach dropped.

Seated across from him, in sharp contrast to Isagani’s casual vibe, was Mr. Drunk Bag Stealer himself.

He wore a light gray sweatshirt and beige trousers—relaxed, yet somehow more formal. His aviators were pushed up into his short, flat-cut hair, like he was taking a break from starring in a cologne commercial.

How on earth are they friends?

Before I could spin into full overthinking mode, his eyes met mine. Sharp, unreadable. I quickly averted my gaze.

“Hi, can I have a table please?” I asked the receptionist, hoping my voice didn’t crack.

“Of course, Ma’am. This way, please.”

I followed behind her, trying not to look around too much, but as we weaved past tables filled with other guests, I saw exactly where we were headed.

Great.

The table was dangerously close to theirs.

"Reya!" Isagani called as I neared their direction.

I forced a smile, offering him a light wave. "Uh… hello, Isagani."

“Having breakfast?” he asked.

“Yeah, I was just about to.”

“Come and join our table.”

“Oh—no!” I quickly shook my head, trying not to sound too alarmed. The last thing I wanted was to sit across from him. “I’d hate to disturb you and your friend…”

I risked a quick glance at Mr. Drunk Bag Stealer.

“Thomas doesn’t mind,” Isagani said with a chuckle. “He’s on his way out anyway.”

Oh. So his name’s Thomas. What a gentle-sounding name… for someone so rude and stoic.

I bit the inside of my cheek to hide a grin. Him leaving would mean I’d get to chat with Isagani alone.

Before I could answer, Isagani stood and pulled out a chair for me. Clearly, he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Felize, kindly take Reya’s order, please,” he told one of the waitstaff.

Suddenly, I felt a little out of place. Just a few days ago, I was a regular customer. Now, here I was, being invited to sit at a table by the owner himself.

“I’ll have the breakfast special,” I told the waiter quietly.

“Make that two,” Thomas interjected.

Wait—what?

Wasn’t he supposed to be leaving?

“I’ll have it here before I go,” he added coolly, as if reading my mind.

“Hmm… a change of heart, eh?” Isagani chuckled.

Then he turned to me. “Right. By the way, Reya, this is Thomas—my best bud.”

“Hi…” I gave Thomas a small smile—one of those polite ones you offer to people you secretly don’t like, but don’t want to upset. I didn’t want to give Isagani any hint that I wasn’t fond of his friend.

“Thomas, this is Reya,” Isagani continued. “She’s a tourist, too… right?”

I nodded, returning his smile.

As we waited for the food, Isagani kept the conversation light and flowing—asking about where I’d been so far, if I’d tried the island tour, and what I thought of their bistro. Thomas, to my relief, stayed quiet most of the time. It was almost like he wasn’t even there.

But then…

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, Reya,” Isagani said with a small laugh. “I’m a little curious. What brings you to the island?”

“Just… taking a bit of a break,” I replied, keeping my tone breezy. It was a casual question, and he was being polite. But still… part of me tensed up, unsure how much to share.

Thomas cleared his throat. I glanced at him, but he said nothing. Just sat there, back straight, eyes on the view like he was tuning us both out.

Soon, the food arrived. Just as the plates were set down, Isagani’s phone buzzed. He excused himself with a quick apology and stepped aside to take the call.

That left me alone with Thomas.

I tried to focus on my meal, but before I could even take a bite, he finally spoke.

"You’re hiding something, aren’t you?" he asked, his tone casual but pointed.

I turned to meet his gaze. "Whether I am or not, it’s none of your business."

He let out a quiet laugh. “Feisty… how come you were so kind earlier?”

He reached for the napkin and wiped his hands with slow, deliberate grace. His plate was already cleared. I rolled my eyes. Why the sudden shift? Why act all gentle now?

"There’s no reason for me to be kind to a jerk like you," I snapped.

He nodded, seemingly unbothered. “I see that you’re the type to hold grudges.”

Then he stood up, pushing his chair back with a soft scrape. “It’s obviously too late for me to apologize,” he added. “But I had my reasons.”

My jaw dropped a little as I watched him casually make his way out of the bistro. That’s it? No goodbye? No attempt at clearing things up? But I suppose I shouldn’t expect anything from someone like him.

A few moments later, Isagani returned to the table, his usual bright smile still intact.

“I see Thomas left,” he said as he settled back into his seat.

“Yeah…” I nodded, still a little stunned. Judging by his tone, he didn’t seem the least bit surprised.

“Is he always that rude—I mean, stoic?” I asked, unable to keep the question in.

Isagani let out a soft laugh. “Not really. He’s just not the type to socialize much.”

“I’m not surprised,” I muttered, half to myself.

“He’s not that bad, though,” he added with an easy smile. “A lot of people like his type—cold and unreadable. You know, the strong, silent archetype.”

I shook my head without hesitation. “Not me.”

That earned a fuller laugh from him. “Noted.”

Then he leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table. “So, what’s on your itinerary today, Reya?”

I smiled and pulled out a slightly crumpled flyer I had tucked into my bag earlier. “Actually, a staff member gave me this this morning. There’s a discounted water activity package. Looks fun.”

He leaned in closer to read it. “Ah, yeah. That’s one of our partner tours. They usually head out mid-morning. Planning to try it?”

I hesitated. “A bit…” I bit my lower lip. I wasn’t about to admit that I was nervous about, well, maybe running into a shark.

“Nice,” he said with a grin. “Would you mind if I tagged along?”

Goodness! Yes, please! I wanted to scream that, but of course, I had to play it cool.

“Sure,” I said, trying not to sound too excited. “But aren’t you busy running this place?”

He laughed. “It’s not like I’ll be gone forever. Besides, I’ve been meaning to squeeze in some fun myself. Why not today?”

He gave a casual shrug. “And it’s more fun with company, right? Doing things alone gets old fast.”

Before I could even process my racing heart, he added, “Give me just a minute—I’ll let my staff know I’m stepping out for the day.”

With that, he stood up and disappeared through the kitchen doors, leaving me sitting there trying not to squeal like a high schooler.

I watched as he walked away, calm and easy like the ocean breeze itself. My chest felt warm, fluttery. I could feel the corners of my lips tugging upward as if they had a mind of their own.

I clutched my bag and opened it, pulling out the digicam. I figured I should charge it now if I wanted to take pictures later. But as I flicked the power button, a red warning sign popped up on the screen: low battery.

“Ugh, no,” I whispered.

Thankfully, I still had time—it was only a little past ten, and the activity wouldn’t start until eleven.

When Isagani returned, I hesitated a bit before speaking up. “Hey, um... my camera’s battery is running low. Mind if I charge it for a while before we go?”

He nodded right away. “Yeah, of course. I still need to head back to grab a change of clothes anyway.”

He smiled at me again, this time softer. “Let’s just meet at the activity center in, say, thirty minutes?”

I returned the smile with a small nod. “Sounds perfect.”

As he left, I couldn’t help but whisper to myself, This day just might turn out to be one for the books.

I wasted no time and headed back to the hotel. Since I had a bit of time before meeting Isagani, I figured I should do a quick change, too.

I settled on a simple black two-piece bikini, adding a layer of coverage with a pair of blue denim short shorts and a sheer white button-down top. It felt just the right amount of relaxed and beach-ready. I pulled my hair up into a messy bun, letting a few strands fall loosely to frame my face. Then I slipped into a pair of strapped flip-flop sandals and gave myself one last look in the mirror.

I looked… happy. Lighter, maybe.

I felt like a teenager getting ready for prom, heart pounding because she was going with her campus crush.

With time to spare, I decided to snap a few photos of myself—just to capture the moment. I turned on my phone but kept it on flight mode. I didn’t want any messages or reminders of life back home interrupting the calm I was trying to build.

As I scrolled through the little album I’d just created—beachy, playful selfies with faint sunlight streaming in—I accidentally swiped one photo too far.

It was a shot of my desk. Work notes scribbled on a pad, highlighted tabs sticking out of documents, a coffee mug half-drunk. I remembered taking it before I left—some kind of mental to-do list.

That’s when it hit me.

I had been so selfish toward myself all this time.

Everything else in my gallery was either pictures of memos, schedules, receipts, or grocery lists. No beaches. No smiles. Not even food photos. Just… proof of how hard I had been trying to survive and stay productive.

It was quietly overwhelming.

Then my alarm buzzed—a soft chime I had set earlier to remind me of today’s activities. The sound pulled me back, gently but firmly.

I stared out the window for a moment, soaking in the salt-scented breeze drifting in from the ocean.

I took a deep breath, then whispered to myself, I’ll make it up to you.

To the version of me I’ve been neglecting.

I grabbed my bag, slung the camera over my shoulder, and made my way out of the room—ready to reclaim a little joy.