Setting Into The Horizon (Painted Colors Series 1) ON HOLD

Chapter 17

Chapter 17
Setting Into The Horizon

Sorin Koa

"Bakit ka ba kasi biglang nawala? Nag-alala tuloy kami." Hannah pushed my shoulder jokingly. "Lalo na si West!" she added.

Stunned, I was speechless for a long moment. I didn't expect I would create this much ruckus. Nahumaling lang naman ako sa ganda nung araw habang papalubog ito. I was admiring it from a distance at hindi na ako nakatiis at lumapit na sa dalampasigan. Hindi ko alam na ang tagal ko palang nawala kaya naiintindihan ko kung bakit ganito sila magpanic. Patuloy lang sa pagrereklamo si Hannah. Para ko na siyang nanay dahil minsan pabiro nito akong kinukurot sa tagiliran.

Ericka and her boyfriend came running after a minute. May kasama silang dalawang resort security. Ilang tanong at sermon kaagad ang nakuha ko kay Ericka nang tumayo na ito sa harapan ko. I apologetically smiled at her boyfriend before I tried to calm my friend.

"Koa, next time, magdadala na ako ng panali para sayo nang hindi ka na lumayo. Jusko! Ayon si West, sinuyod na yata ang buong resort para hanapin ka."

"Sorry for making you guys worry," I shyly smiled. "We're supposed to relax for this trip pero pinag-alala ko pa kayo—"

Heavy steps approached us from behind.

"Sorin—"

I spun around and saw West standing a few meters away from me. His face is flushed and even from a distance I can see his chest rising and falling. Before I could even acknowledge his arrival, he strides towards me and cups my face in his hands, his eyes searching mine.

"Are you okay?" West asked, his voice was husky and anxious. "Jesus— Are you alright?"

He's here.

Something passed through my stomach the moment he spoke. Something not so foreign. Alam ko dahil ilang beses ko na 'yon naramdaman at siya ang rason no'n. "Thank you..." I trailed off, letting my smile lit up my face. "...for coming."

West wraps me up in his arms, not caring about the ten sets of eyes watching us. He held me close, one arm tight around my waist, the other held the back of my head. I let myself be carried away with his familiar warmth. It is oddly comforting.

"You made me worry, 'Rin." His voice was barely more than a whisper. West runs his hand up and down my back, my head buried in his chest.

'Rin. Oh how can he make that sound so attractive.

His words from that midnight—when he's been on the brink of sleep on the rooftop and admitted quietly that he was more of himself with me than anyone else—cycled through my mind.

Before West could close his eyes, he glanced up and met my gaze with an expression that made my heart flutter.

Ako rin, West. I told him I felt that way, too.

Summer had passed by in a blink, and in those two months, West and I grew even closer. We'd video call each other, asking how our days went. I spent my summer in Dubai because my father wanted to be with me. They couldn't go home because of business reasons. The more distance between us, the more I learned about his character. The last time I asked him who his favorite singer is, that's also the time I knew he's a Swiftie. He likes Cruel Summer, Cornelia Street, Paper Rings and Lover from Taylor's Lover album. West learned how to play the guitar when he was five because his father would often serenade his mom with songs he grew up loving.

He's a man of very few words and emotions yet he openly shares these kinds of things to me and his eyes were expressing delight.

Looking back at it now, it's pretty dumb how the two of us started. All he had done was beat me to every essay contest—we've been bitter rivals since elementary and junior high school years. We'd battle on everything—grades, test scores, certificates and medals. Then one day he walked into the campus, confused. And somehow we became friends. Friends by fate I suppose, and I'm glad for every moment we shared together. But soon what felt like friendship blossomed into a crush, one that I couldn't get rid of. One that I couldn't deny.