Gabriella and Olivia moved from the kitchen to Olivia's room carrying their adobo with rice and a bottle of wine her mother gave them.
"So, what is it you want to share about Charles?" Olivia asked while raising her right eyebrow.
"So here's the tea." Gabriella said and acts as if she's about to share the hottest issue on their campus. When she saw how intrigued Olivia is, she burst into laughter.
"What?!" Olivia asked while watching her friend laugh hysterically.
"Nothing…" Gabriella said, still laughing while clapping her hands. She eventually stopped after a few minutes and wiped the tears in her eyes she got from all the laughs she made. "You know I like Charles, right?"
"Yeah, but do you still like him after what he has done to you?" Olivia asked.
"Well, he has done nothing to me."
"Nothing? Then what about those bruise you had on your arm when you met with him? Don't give me those lies again." Olivia said as if saw what happened that time. Gabriella shakes her head and chews the food on her mouth before talking.
"It wasn't him that I met, it was Jonas. He used Charles' mobile phone to text so I when I received the text message, I felt really excited and rushed to the soccer field." Gabriella explained as she rolls her eyes.
"So it was Jonas, he's the one who put bruises on your arms?"
"Yeah, let's not talk about that asshole. My blood's boiling just by hearing his name."
"Mine too." Olivia agreed feeling irritated. Now that she realized she blamed someone for something they didn't do, she felt so much guilt inside. Especially when she remember how she talks to Gabriella the moment she was consumed by her worries and annoyance.
"Here's what I really want to say…" Gabriella said. "When I first saw Charles, I thought it would be just a happy crush. But then the deal happened and I got to know him better." Gabriella added she stops for a moment as she smiled and took a glass of water; she played with it as she continues speaking.
"He was really nice and sweet." Gabriella said with a genuine smile. Olivia listen to her attentively and as she watch her friend talks, she realized how deep her friend have fallen for this guy that even her feel what she's feeling.
"But I think he misunderstood something." Gabriella said and raised her head to look into her friends eyes. "Do you remember Carlos' birthday? When we play spin the bottle?" she asked.
"Yeah, what about it?" Olivia asked as her brows furrowed.
"The time when Carlos points someone and ask whether I like him. Who do you think Carlos was pointing his fingers to?" Gabriella asked.
"Isn't it Charles?"
"It was Jonas. I also thought it was Charles so I nodded my head. Everyone on the circle except us knows it was Jonas. Gosh! I even thought I have confessed my feelings to him."
"What?!" Olivia exclaimed in disbelief.
"The last time I've seen Charles was when I met Jonas at the soccer field. He heard Jonas asking me to go on a date and when our eyes met, he suddenly walked away."
"Jonas asked you on a date?! Tell me you refused!"
"Of course!" Gabriella's said as her voice suddenly went up and her lips slightly curled up while Olivia signed in relief. "What the fuck? Do you really think I would agree?"
"Well, you easily fall for an athlete." Olivia said and shrugged her shoulders.
"Not him!" Gabriella's refused stubbornly. "As I was saying, I think Charles misunderstood everything." Gabriella added as she continued to eat her supper.
"So, what are you gonna do? Clarify everything to him? Confess?" Olivia asked curtly.
"Why not? I actually planned to confess to him the next time I meet him."
"WHAAAT?! Are you for real?" Olivia asked in surprised and disbelief. Gabriella laughs at how exaggerated her friend reacts. Instead of answering her friend, she just laugh sand continue eating her meal again, while Olivia was just looking at her every move.
It has been days since Gabriella thought of confessing her feelings. While at it, she thought that Charles might reciprocate her feelings after spending time together for a few times. She's so ready to confess her feelings for him but at the same time, she's not ready to hear his answer. So, just comfort herself by thinking that Charles and her has the same feelings.
Time has passed and both Olivia and Gabriella are now laying on the bed while watching their favourite drama when Gabriella's phone suddenly rang. She quickly got up and answered the phone.
"Mom?" She answered while her phone was her phone was placed in front of her ear.
"If there's nothing you have to do there, come home." Her mom said and turns off the call.
Gabriella looks at Olivia who just paused the drama they were watching and watch Gabriella's reaction instead.
"It was my mother. I believe I must leave. Her voice was no longer appealing." Gabriella said and made a glum expression.
"As you should." Olivia said with a straight face and put her laptop down and then gets up from her bed. She opened the door of her room and extended her arms to tell Gabriella that she should leave already.
Gabriella laughs and took her bag before walking outside her friend's room while Olivia followed behind her friend.
"You're leaving already?" Olivia's mother asked when she saw them walking towards the front door of the house.
"Yes auntie, thank you." Gabriella smiled. Olivia's mother just nodded her head with a smile on her lips before turning head attention back to what she was reading.
"I'll only accompany you up to this point, so go home on your own." Olivia said after walking with Gabriella up to their gate. She might sound heartless but she actually didn't enter their house until Gabriella disappeared in her eyes.
When Gabriella arrived at their house, Carlos was there, sitting on one of the sofa on their living room.
"What bought you here?" Gabriella asked steadily.
"Just visiting." Carlos said and lean on the sofa again.
Gabriella walks towards her room and took a half-bath and changes her clothes into something more comfortable. After she was done with her skin care routine, she goes down and walks towards their kitchen and drinks some cold water.
"You'll accompany Carlos today; he'll pick up your cousin and grandma from the airport." Her mother said when she saw her at the kitchen. Gabriella chokes on the water after what she has heard.
"Grandma's going home?" Gabriella asked as she puts the glass she was holding on the counter table and look at her mother with excitement visible on her face. Her mother looks at her and she was seemed shocked.
"Yeah, pack your thing. You'll be staying at you grandma's rest house for one night." Gabriella's mother said and continues what she was doing inside the kitchen.
Gabriella walks out of their kitchen and go to her room to pack up her belongings.
Despite the fact that Gabriella was not constantly around her grandmother, Alex and Gabriella were always their grandmother's favorite grandchildren since they were the children of their late Father, who was their grandmother's favorite child.
"Carlos! Let's go!" Gabriella said while walking down the stairs carrying her black travel tote bag. Carlos turns his head to her and made a shock expression while looking from her head to toe.
"Are you going to ran away? With whom? With Jonas?" Carlos asked and covers his mouth. "It is sad to let you go as you cousin, but I support the two of you. Let me carry that for you?" Carlos added and took the bag Gabriella was carrying.
"What the fuck are you saying?" Gabriella asked with disgust on her face and hit Carlos on his head. Carlos looks at her with wide eyes.
"Did you just curse inside the Pereira's residence?" Carlos asked and attempted to call Gabriella's mother to expose what Gabriella has just done but Gabriella immediately covered his mouth.
"What are you still doing? We're going to be late." Gabriella said as she pulled Carlos outside their house.
Gabriella sat on the passenger sit while Carlos was the one driving. She leans on the chair and immediately falls asleep as soon as the car started running.
"We're here." A slight shake in Gabriella's shoulder jolted her awake. She promptly opened and rubbed his eyes before peering out the window; her vision was flooded with hue green due to the surrounding trees. She turned around to face the person behind her and ask about their current location, but she was taken aback when an unexpected figure emerged in front of her.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Gabriella asked aloud, startling the person in front of her, who then slumped on the chair.
"What happened?" Carlos asked as he peeked on the open door of the car. "Oh! I invited Jonas, he been with us since we started traveling, but you didn't notice since you sleep like a log." Carlos added. Gabriella turned her eyes to Jonas, she rolled her eyes as soon as she see his face again and hurriedly get out of the car.
"Gabby, my darling! Come here, Lola missed you so much!" Gabriella's grandmother said and welcomed her with a warm hug.
As soon as her wrapped around her grandmother's arms, her mood suddenly changed. As if her grandmother's hugs was a pill that could boost someone's hormones easily.
"I've missed you too, Lola. It has been years since I last saw you." Gabriella replied, still not letting her grandma go.
"Hoho, you're still this old grandma's baby! Let's come inside. I've bought a lot of give for you and your brother." Her grandmother said and holds her granddaughter's hands. "Your palm's a bit rougher than the last time I touched it, Is Isabelle making you do hard work?" The grandmother asked again while raising her eye brow.
"No! Mom's doing all the works at home besides it has been a long time since you last touched my palms." Gabriella said while slightly shaking her head. They walk inside the villa while holding each other's hands.
"Where's your brother anyway?" Her grandmother asked and turned her head to her back where the car is parked to check whether Alex was behind them.
"He's busy with father's business as usual." Gabriella said and hugs her grandma's arms as they walk towards the villa.
When they got inside, the grandmother took Gabriella to her room right away. The room was large, with a king-size bed and a large flat-screen television in front of it. A beautiful white carpet covered the whole floor. There are a few paintings on the wall as well. There was also a large sliding door on the west side of the room that led to the balcony, which offered a spectacular view of the sea.
"Look at this bag I bought for you, isn't pretty? Gabriella's grandmother asked as she show her beige Louis Vuitton Bagatelle. The grandmother shows more branded bags and clothes and tell her story on where and why she acquire those things while Gabriella was attentively listening to her.
On the evening, Gabriella helped her grandmother cooked her favourite meal and some dishes her cousin requested while they were enjoying the scenery outside.
"I would've cooked adobo and sinigang only if Alex was here." Her grandmother said while she was preparing all the meals on the table. They finished cooking immediately because her grandmother asked for a helper to help them cooked the dishes her cousin requested. The only dish her grandmother cooked herself was Gabriella's favourite dish.
"I'll just call them, lola." Gabriella said after they finish preparing the table.
Gabriella walks out the villa and looks around, searching her cousins could've been when she suddenly heard her cousin's voice.
"That's all you're going to say after what happened to us?" Though Gabriella can't clearly see who it was because of the dark she already knew it was Sofia after hearing her pleasant, Carlos' little sister and her cousin.
"Nothing happened to us. I told you a couple of times; I will not take responsibility if anything happened to you." a familiar voice said.
"Nothing?! It almost ruined my life!" Sofia's voice started to crack. Gabriella hide behind the tree so she could hear more of their conversation when someone suddenly tapped her shoulders.
"What are you doing here? It so dark in here, were you looking for Jonas? Oh! He was peeing!" Carlos said and laughs. Gabriella turned her head again to where she heard her cousin, but since it was dark, she can't see whether they were still there or not.
"Food is ready, let's go inside." Gabriella said and took Carlos' arms and pulled him inside the villa. She turns her head again as if she'll see them this time before entering the villa.