Kitty sat quietly on the beach, gazing into the distance as the waves gently kissed her feet. The blue sea seemed to merge with the sky, and under the moonlight, the view before her looked like an endless mystery. She had a bottle of red wine with her, something she bought from the bar before deciding to hang out on the sand. Sleep hadn't visited her yet, so she thought some fresh air might help.
If anyone saw her now, they'd probably think she was heartbroken. Next to her was the bottle of wine, a glass with traces of red liquid, and she herself looked completely lost in thought. But it wasn't heartbreak that was bothering her—she still couldn't believe what had happened earlier.
"That jerk's got some nerve! He said no one here is pretty, then kissed me?!" she muttered to herself, frustration churning in her chest. "Lance is really the worst! Maybe his life shortens every time he doesn't annoy me in a day!"
She gripped the glass tightly and took a sip. She didn't know if she was more furious or… feeling something else she couldn't quite explain. She felt insulted. Hurt. But most of all, she didn't understand why her heart kept racing every time she remembered what happened.
"That was my first kiss! It was supposed to be romantic! It was supposed to be special! Not like that!" She hadn't even realized her hand was clenched into a fist as the memory played over and over in her head.
"I will never forgive you for what you did. Your day will come, you bastard!" she seethed, her mind filled with the image of Lance.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the resort, Lance was just as restless. He sat on a medium-sized rock, staring out at the ocean. The cold breeze slammed against his body, but he barely noticed.
"Shit! Alcohol really messes you up!" He shook his head. "And that damn cousin of mine! Why did I even go along with his nonsense?!"
He took a deep breath, but it did nothing to calm the pounding in his chest.
"How do I face her now? What, am I just going to confess out of nowhere? Will she believe me or push me away even more?" He winced at the thought. "But… it felt good. So that's what a kiss feels like?" A grin slowly spread across his face. "Should've gone for the lips. If I was gonna get slapped anyway, might as well make it worth it!"
The next day, everyone woke up early to make the most of their remaining vacation time. After breakfast, they roamed around souvenir shops to buy gifts and little mementos of the trip. A few hours later, they returned to the hotel to prepare for their flight back to Manila.
Once back in the city, everyone went their separate ways to rest. Since Kitty lived alone in her condo, she spent her time cleaning and doing laundry from the trip. Gel, on the other hand, was busy chatting with Darius on FaceTime.
"You should practice driving on the highway, love," Darius coaxed, lying in bed with his phone in hand.
"I don't know… I get really nervous, especially when I think about how many reckless drivers are out there." Gel frowned, lying on her own bed.
"Come on, love. That's the wrong mindset. That car your parents gave you on your debut will go to waste if you don't use it."
Gel sighed. "Fine. Okay. Let's go for a joyride tomorrow. But you're in charge of me."
Darius smiled. "That's what I wanted to hear!"
The next day, Darius was already at Gel's house early. He even had breakfast with her family.
"It's good you've decided to finally use your car," Gel's dad said cheerfully as he sipped his coffee.
"I figured it's time, Dy. And besides, Darius wouldn't stop convincing me," Gel replied with a chuckle.
"That's right, honey," her mom agreed. "We bought that for you to use—not just to sit pretty."
"How about me, Mommy?" Angelo, Gel's younger brother, suddenly chimed in.
"Not yet, sweetheart. You're still young. Your time will come," their mother replied, stroking his hair.
"That's for sure, son!" their father added.
After saying goodbye to Gel's parents, the couple headed out for their joyride. Gel was behind the wheel, while Darius rode shotgun, constantly watching over her.
"Love, let them go ahead. Don't force your way into traffic—we're not in a rush," Darius reminded her when he noticed she was about to merge into the faster lane.
"If I didn't know this was your first time back on the highway, I'd think you were a pro already, love!" Darius teased with a laugh.
Gel smiled, her eyes never leaving the road. "I didn't think I'd be able to keep up with them. I'm actually kind of proud of myself right now!"
After a long drive, they headed to Gel's condo to rest. Darius lay on the couch with his head resting on Gel's lap as they watched a replay of his favorite NBA game. Suddenly, Gel's phone rang.
"Sis! What's up?" she answered when she saw Kitty's name on the screen.
"Clear your schedule for tomorrow—I'm claiming your whole day! I'll even handle asking permission from your boy toy," Kitty declared immediately.
Gel smiled. She was used to her best friend's surprise bossy tone. "Why? Where are we going?"
"We're getting a spa treatment! We were roasting under the sun in Batanes, remember? We need self-care!"
"Are you paying?" Gel teased.
"Uhm, hello? When have I ever invited you out and not treated you?" Kitty laughed.
Gel shook her head and glanced at Darius, who now had a raised eyebrow, listening in on the conversation.
"Alright then! I'll pick you up tomorrow, early, so we can avoid traffic!"
As the two friends talked, Darius smiled. In his mind, there was no one in the world more perfectly matched as best friends than Gel and Kitty.