Narration IV

I'M IN the lobby with your coffee and croissant. I read Baker's text message, and a smile automatically crept onto my face.

I immediately grabbed my purse along with my phone and headed outside so I could see Baker's face na. I already miss him even though we literally just parted ways 7 hours ago.

Is what I'm feeling right now even normal? I am just crazy in love with Baker... and being in love with him seems so new to me that I can't help but question if what I felt with Wyatt before was even love.

Perhaps I did love Wyatt before, but not the kind of love that I could be myself around him. Maybe my love for him was the kind of love that I depended on him so much that I forgot to love myself. I let him control me for years, and I lost myself in return. It even got to the point where I just contented myself with everything, even if I wasn't entirely happy, because I assumed that was normal.

But I was wrong all those times... This is what being in love is.

This is the true meaning of being happily in love with someone else.

No secrets. No lies. No pretentiousness. I am just being the real me, because I am not scared to get judged by him because I know he will accept me, even with my flaws.

When the elevator doors opened, I almost ran when I saw Baker waiting for me. He looked so fine and fresh, kahit na we got back to our hotels at almost 1 AM na!

"Hello," I said to him.

"Good morning," he greeted me back. My arms automatically encircled around his neck while he placed his free hand on my waist while we exchanged smiles. He gently placed a kiss on my forehead before I removed my arms from him.

"Missed me already?" he said with a teasing tone. I playfully rolled my eyes at him.

"Says who, mister?" I replied, and he let out a soft chuckle.

"Breakfast for you, Miss. Rosenthal." He handed me the coffee and croissant that he'd been holding kanina pa.

"Thanks!" I beamed before taking my breakfast from him, immediately taking a huge bite from my croissant.

"Are you not going to eat? We can share," I offered him.

"I already had coffee." he smiles at me. "Besides, I'm sure that croissant is not enough for you." I instantly stopmunching on my croissant and looked at him with a frown on my face. Again, he just laughs at me.

"Are you saying that I'm matakaw?" I spat.

He snickers before wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "Even if you're matakaw, I still love you," he replies, kissing the side of my head, which made me smile.

"And you don't have to control what you want to eat when you're with me because I like seeing the smile on your face whenever you eat. I want you to be comfortable with me because I love everything about you."

The smile on my lips grew wider and I couldn't come up with a response, kaya I just reached for his face and kissed him on the cheek.

***

"Merci beaucoup," Baker and I told the photographer after a couple of hours of doing the photoshoot.

"De rien," the photographer replied, looking satisfied with all the photos that he had taken before he left.

The photo shoot went really well! Actually, parang naglaro lang kami ni Baker habang walang tigil kaming kinukunan ng litrato ng photographer kanina. The smiles on our faces were natural because we were having so much fun. I am really excited about posting our pictures together! The photographer showed us a few pictures kanina and it looks amazing!

The photographer will just email us the photos, and I can't wait to receive a copy so I can post it on Instagram, para makita rin nila Naomi and Maddie. And Kenzo, as well!

We were sitting on one of the benches at the park, appreciating the beautiful view around us, when I received a message from Wyatt.

Oh yeah... I had too much fun that I forgot about it.

I took a deep breath before reading his text message. I just simply replied, 'OK' before shoving my phone back into my bag.

"He texted me na." I told Baker, seeing the curious look on his face. He pursed his lips in a thin line before slightly nodding his head. He stood up from his seat.

"Give me a call if you need me," he said, offering me his hand so I could stand up too.

"I'll call you after," I said, smiling at him. He gave me a hug before I made my way to the coffee shop where I'd be meeting Wyatt.

***

"Hi." Wyatt greets me by standing up from his seat when he notices my arrival at the coffee shop.

"Hi." I greeted him back with a faint smile. When I took the seat across from him, I noticed he had already ordered me a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

"So, uhm..." I trailed off. I just wanted to finish this as soon as possible.

"Can I talk first?" He cut me off before I could speak again. The usual smug on his lips is unnoticeable. I sighed and nodded at him.

He exhaled sharply before his eyes landed on mine.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry about everything, Olivia," he said. His eyes didn't falter. I can actually see the sincerity in his eyes.

I swallowed, unable to say something.

I did love him before everything went south between us. And hearing him apologize to me makes me realize that I didn't regret loving him. I know to myself that I gave everything for us to work. But I guess we were not soulmates.

We were not meant to be.

We were just two souls who happened to be together, but not forever.

"I won't make an excuse for everything that I did to you because I know that I did all of that. And I really took you for granted, and I just realized that when I saw you happy with someone else." His eyes were glistening with tears.

"I'm really sorry for hurting you, Olivia." His voice cracked, trying to hold back his tears.

I gently opened my purse, taking out the engagement ring that he gave me and gradually handing it to him. I saw a painful expression on his face before he clenched his fist, holding the ring in his palm.

"I sincerely wish for you to find your own happiness, Wyatt. I want you to be truly happy despite everything that happened between us." I put my hand on top of his, gently squeezing it. I gave him a small smile, letting him know that I wanted to put everything that happened between us in the past behind us.

"My happiness was taken away from me, and now I'm living with the consequences. I really regret it. I really do... I am really sorry." And with that, a tear fell from his eye. I looked away. Holding back my tears.

He immediately wiped his tears away before getting up from his seat. Our eyes met, and he gave me a painful smile, and for a second, memories of us together filled my head.

"Goodbye, Olivia," he whispered as he walked away, and I let out the sobs I'd been holding back.

W H A T Y A S E Y