Jealous

I WAS SO annoyed that I stabbed the steak in front of me so hard that I caught their attention and stopped talking.

“Sorry! The steak is a bit tough,” I explain.

Lawrence frowned at my reaction. He struggles to read what’s in my eyes. In the end, he is the first one to give up and look down before averted his gaze.

He quickly motioned for the waiter to approach us immediately. “Please change Ms. Collins’ food. Make sure the steak you serve is tender,” he ordered and looked at me seriously.

“Immediately, Mr. President!” the waiter politely said before taking my plate from me.

“No, I’m good.” I gently wiped my lips before standing up. “I’ll go take some rest. It looks like you have more to talk about,” I emphasized something to them.

“Oh, right,” said Elliesse, then shrugged.

Lawrence looked me in the eyes, so I decided to just look away. “Just enjoy your moment together. I’ll be upstairs,” I added before I walked away.

When I got to the room, I decided to change my clothes first to feel fresh. I’m now wearing only walking shorts and a plain white T-shirt with flip-flops.

I went out on the balcony for a moment to get some air. I have a good view of the whole Saavedra Resort. I’m struck by a large number of visitors on the beach today. Some people like surfing because the waves are so strong even at midday, while others just enjoy sunbathing.

I let out a deep sigh. “How are they downstairs?” I said to myself.

I shook my head one after another. “No, you should not be affected by this. After all, Elliesse only came here for work, so I should not worry.”

To stop myself from thinking, I decided to go to sleep.

***

IT WAS ALREADY dark when I opened my eyes. I quickly opened the lampshade on the nightstand and picked up my cellphone to glance at the time.

It was six o’clock in the evening. I think I slept longer. But to my great disappointment, I did not receive any text or call from Lawrence.

I can’t help but get annoyed. Isn’t he the one who asked for a favor, but he still has the desire to leave me in the air? It was difficult for me to leave the hotel to find him, but I was suddenly taken aback.

Tss. Why do I have to look for him? That’s actually good because I don’t have to pretend to be his girlfriend. In the end, I just did room service for dinner and bored myself waiting.

***

IT WAS LATE night when I heard a series of knocks from the door of my suite. Suddenly, I turned around and ran to open it.

But I restrained myself for a moment because I did not want him to think I was excited to open the door to see him. So I waited for him to knock once more, but he never knocked again.

I quickly turned the door open and noticed he was walking away. I quickly swallowed my pride and accumulated air in my chest before calling him out.

“Lawrence!”

He immediately turned around and step back to come to me.

“Did I wake you up?” he whispered under his breath. He put one hand on the door and bowed slightly to me.

“Hmm, no. I’m just preparing to sleep,” I lied.

His gaze settled on me before speaking again. “How was your stay here?” he softly asked, leaning against the door, indicating that he had no intention of leaving.

“Good, refreshing!” I delightfully said. I tried to hide the embarrassment on my face.

“I toured Elliesse for a while for her photoshoot tomorrow. We went to the other island,” he explained, following the reaction of my eyes.

For a while? It reached them midnight! Instead of voicing out, I just smiled at him.

“It’s okay. Your reason is understandable. You have nothing to explain in the first place,” I assured him.

He exhaled sharply before he adjusts his stand in front of me. “Have you eaten your dinner?” he asked, then turned around and took a look at my face.

“Yeah, I just asked a room service. Why are you here? Do you need anything?” I ask. I didn’t want to pity myself for eating alone while he was with the others.

His lips just twitched and then slowly stepped closer to me. I quickly straightened up and gave it a look of astonishment.

I was a little nervous. I could not have imagined that this would affect me for a few hours without seeing him.

“I miss you,” he said in a husky voice, gently caressing my cheek.

I swallowed hard. My heart was pounding. I would have done it if I could simply say that I miss him as well, but it would be best not to.

I tried to act normal and ignored what he said. “It’s late. You’re still early tomorrow, aren’t you?” I said and stepped to the side to penetrate my own control.

He gently lowered his hand and stretched again to find my stares.

“I’m sorry for my excessive action,” he whispered slower and softer that made my heart tremble.

He stepped closer to me, and I could almost smell his fragrant scent. I can’t do anything. I need to get away from this trap now.

“Elliesse! How is she?” I confusingly said.

I heard a sigh of relief before I slowly move away. “She’s okay.”

“Uh, it’s good, and you’re getting used to it again,” I said, voice shaking. I do not know how to hide the pain that draws into my heart.

“You really want that to happen, don’t you?” Disapproval was obvious in his eyes.

I tried to clear my throat. The more I looked at him, the more I want to avoid him.

“Yeah. Isn’t this the plan that’s why we’re here?” I said, but his eyebrows parted even more as he looked at me.

Again, I heard him gasping for breath before he speaks. “Rest. See you again tomorrow,” he said softly before he left my room.

Although he looked different, I’m sure he knows I’m glad to see him and Elliesse reconciling, which is good to speed up my work here.

***

THE YELLOW SHINING sun began to shine from the ground. It is so bright and enticing, as if inviting me to stare and appreciate the beauty itself.

I stretched out my hand to heaven. “Hmm, good morning, paradise!” I said quietly.

I looked down at the jet-black swimsuit I was wearing. My shape is perfectly proportioned to my slim physique and beautiful skin.

I woke up early to bathe in the sea. The weather is nice, so it’s good to soak in water. This is really one of the reasons why I went here to San Simon. Because of my busy schedule in Manila, I haven’t been able to swim in the water in a long time. Now I have the opportunity to make the most of my vacation.

I ran towards the peaceful water, savoring the beautiful white sand between my toes.

I enjoyed swimming in crystalline clear water. But I didn’t go very far since my eyes were constantly drawn to the magnificent corals and fish at the mouth of the sea.