Her Avenues [GXG]

Prologue

YEAR 2023

"Tired of living alone in Thailand?"

She asked me, grinning as she walked towards me and gave me a solid hug after we hadn't seen each other for more than a year.

"I missed you so much..."

"I missed you, too! Gusto mong mag-check in sa hotel muna para magpahinga or byahe na tayo pauwi sa Nueva Ecija? Alam kong pagod ka sa flight."

She took my luggage and placed it in the compartment, getting ready to leave the airport where she had waited for me for almost half an hour.

"I wanna go to the tower," I whispered. It made her stop moving. I quickly looked away when she was about to look at me. I can't meet her questioning eyes.

"Pardon?" She inquired as if she didn't want to go to the place I mentioned. I know she heard me. I looked back at her only to see her worried face.

"Ilocos Sur, I wanna go there." I was initially hesitant to tell her about my plan, but I really wanted to go there.

I feel like I have to.

For the last time...

"Bakla ka ng taon! Kaloka! Akala ko ba," she paused for a while after realizing that she was unintentionally raising her voice at me. I knew she would react like this.

"I thought you went to Thailand to move on? Bakit ka na naman babalik sa Ilocos?" She continued with a lower tone this time.

If there's one person who saw me on the verge of death because of misery, it was her. So I completely understand where she is coming from.

I just gave her a confident smile. Telling her that I'm now okay and there's nothing to worry about.

"You're overreacting," I gently replied while fixing some strands of her wind-blown hair. "I just appreciate how beautiful the place is... so I wanna go there."

She seemed unconvinced, but she didn't try to reprimand me anymore. I heard her sigh out of frustration. I laughed only to let her know that I was not as depressed as she seemed to think I was. "Calm down kasi!"

"Hmp, 'yang pag-iinarte mo talaga. Fine! Fine... I'm just worried about you. I can't even imagine you being hopeless and devastated again. How many years have you wasted crying for someone who isn't coming back anymore? It's been what? Three years? Going four? Ghad, stop hurting yourself." I just snorted at the frankness of her mouth. No brakes. Unfiltered.

"Stop worrying, will you? I'm beyond happy and fine, like white wine!" I faked my laughter. I wonder if she heard my voice crack. "Come here," I chuckled as I hugged her again to cover up the latter. "I really missed you."

I could tell that her words had hurt me because a single tear escaped from my eye. I hurriedly wiped it away so she wouldn't think I was crying over the same thing again.

After the hug, I slightly pinched her cheeks to lighten up her mood. Her forehead is wrinkled. "You know what? We haven't seen each other for a long time, and then you're here just giving me a sermon. I wish I hadn't just gone home." I acted sullen.

Her mood altered immediately. She pouted while raising both of her hands in the air, indicating that she had given up. I know that she can't stand me. In the end, I still got what I wanted.

"Do you like the song?" She inquired while manipulating the audio system. We're now on our way to Ilocos, and she's driving me there.

"M-mm." I cocked my head and leaned on the headrest, feeling the chills that the unfamiliar music gives me. It has a rhythm and lyrics that make my heart warm and freeze at the same time.