Adria's Choice

Chapter 10

Right after John's proposal, we were all too busy packing up and getting ready to go back home to even talk about what had happened. Lexie stayed quiet during the flight back home, pleading a headache from all the drinks she'd had. She went back to the beach party after our dance lesson, leaving me desperately trying to sleep and not feel so alone while Karyl and John were still at it in her tent.

When our plane landed, Andrew was already there to pick up Lexie. I could not help it—I sneered at the sight of him, which hopefully, nobody noticed. Lexie looked so enthusiastic to see him, and even kissed him on the cheek. Andrew lit up like all his lifelong dream just came true. It was really pathetic.

The next day at work, Karyl was absent but she texted me asking if we could meet at my house after. Thinking she wanted to finalize her wedding plans—which we had already talked about in great detail since the first month after she met John—I gamely agreed.

One time over dinner with her and John, I kidded her that John should also have a say in the wedding plans. John's eyes went huge, and halfway through my laugh, I saw Karyl giving me her (patent-pending) evil glare.

Without needing any prodding, John dutifully recited, "My only goal is to get married to Karyl. My only role is to pay for everything she wants." He winked at me when Karyl wasn't looking. Karyl smirked at me.

I didn't joke about the wedding ever again.

When I got home after work, Karyl's car was already parked outside the house. Mom and Dad were out on a trip to Tagaytay. ("Just a sleepover date, anak," my dad would say, blushing as he did that. Creepy. And fine, cute.) I let Karyl inside and got some cola and leftover pasta from breakfast. After eating with gusto and praising me for my cooking, her face turned serious.

"I saw you, that last night in Boracay."

That one line made my heart pound like crazy. I tried very hard not to sweat it and tried to distract her. "Oh, Karyl, don't play coy with me. Lexie and I both knew what you were doing with John in the tent. We had to run away so we couldn't hear you!" I tried to mask my nervousness by stuffing myself with carbonara.

"Hello! We weren't fooling around in the tent! He was just telling me how he planned the surprise proposal." As usual, Karyl was waving her hands around as she spoke, sauce from her fork hitting me full on the face.

"Uh-huh." After wiping my face, I winked at her in that creepy way.

She finally grinned. "We weren't fooling around in the tent. We were planning to go skinny-dipping under the full moon and we were just making out while waiting for you and Lexie to go to sleep."

I laughed, trying hard not to let my relief show that she was diverted from her original question.

Her smile faded. "And that's when I saw you."

I should have known better. I tried to play dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Oh knock it off. I saw you dancing with Lexie, and—" Her voice was getting louder. Thankfully, we were the only ones there.

"What?" I said. "It was just a dance!" It was more than that. I knew it. And Karyl, the one person who could always see right through me, knew it, too.

"Adria, you haven't been able to lie to me successfully for ten years. She's my sister, for chrissake! This is wrong on so many levels!"

God, I'd never been more grateful that my parents had chosen to rekindle their romance that night. "I don't know what you're talking about," I huffed.