Tiffany
I smiled and glanced one last time at the apartment I lived in. I would be gone for almost two weeks and wouldn’t be coming back here. That was the agreement Jela and I made yesterday.
I tightened my grip on the suitcase I was carrying before turning around and starting to walk out. I had made up my mind to accept her offer yesterday.
But I couldn’t help feeling nervous. Especially about Travis’ reaction. According to Jela, he had no idea that they actually followed through with that offer for me.
I was immediately greeted by the cool breeze as I stepped outside. It was a good thing I was already wearing a jacket. It made me feel the approaching Christmas season even more. I wonder if it will finally be merrier this time around.
The surroundings were quiet, with only the sound of the gate I was opening breaking the silence. It was only three in the morning. Thankfully, their photoshoot wouldn’t take place until the afternoon.
After making sure that I had locked the gate properly, I headed straight to my parked car and loaded the suitcase along with my other belongings.
But I paused when I heard the sound of an engine coming from a motorcycle approaching in my direction. I quickly closed the car door and looked up.
I need to stay alert. It might be a riding-in-tandem, for all I know.
As the motorcycle got closer, I couldn’t help but feel anxious. In situations like these, my paranoia easily took over.
But I furrowed my brow when I noticed a familiar figure. My suspicion was confirmed when he stopped right in front of me and quickly took off his helmet.
“Good thing I caught you!” Jairus said with a smile.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, confused, before glancing at what he was wearing.
“I would like to see you off. I just want to make sure one last time if you’ll be okay going there alone. I can accompany you, you know.” His voice carried a tone of concern.
I bit my lower lip and restrained myself from laughing at his appearance. It seemed like he hurriedly came here right after waking up. He was still wearing pajamas, and his slippers didn’t even match.
“I’ll be fine. You have nothing to worry about.” I yawned in response to him. I’ll tease him about his outfit later.
“You’ll have a long journey ahead, and it looks like you’re still sleepy. Won’t you consider having someone else take over driving?” he persisted.
I pondered for a moment. Honestly, he had a point when it came to that matter. Plus, I was also concerned about my car potentially acting up on the road.
But in the end, I just shook my head.
“Thank you for the offer and the concern, but I can do this alone. Besides, I’ll entrust the studio to you while I’m away. I’ll leave instructions for the apartment as well. Just take a peek whenever you have free time. I’ll only be there for about two weeks, so don’t do anything foolish.” I stared at him intently.
He suddenly frowned. “I’ll take care of everything here. It’s you I’m worried about. Just keep me updated, okay?”
I smiled. Ever since we were kids, he always looked out for me. Maybe that’s why I never had any other close friends, because he was more than enough for me.
“I will.” I glanced at my watch before turning back to him. “I need to go already. It might be late by the time I arrive there.”
He nodded, and I was about to shake my head when he suddenly hugged me tightly.
“Take care over there, alright? If you realize there’s really no hope, come back here. Even if I don’t like you romantically, I’ll still go and pursue you.”
I playfully hit his arm and broke free from the embrace. “You fool! Even if you were the last man on Earth, I wouldn’t even choose you.”
He scratched his head with a sheepish smile.
I left him with a few more instructions before finally getting inside the car. I lightly tapped both of my cheeks and started driving.
“This is the chance that you have been waiting for, Tiffany. You have almost two weeks to be with him, and you must succeed in your plan.”
I took a deep breath and prepared myself for the long journey.
***
I smiled as I finally caught sight of the arch that read, “Welcome to Baguio City,” a sign that I was entering the province of Baguio.
I had been fighting off the heaviness of my eyelids for a while now, keeping my entire consciousness alert during the nearly nine-hour journey. It was difficult to lose focus, as I might end up falling off a cliff instead of into the arms of the one I love.
I had stopped three times to eat and rest briefly. Although I wanted to enjoy the view of each place I passed by, I couldn’t because I had to concentrate on driving.
After a while, I finally reached the location for the photoshoot—Camp John Hay. I sent Jela a message to let her know that I had arrived before adjusting the parking of my car. Then, I grabbed my sling bag containing my personal camera and got out.
I was greeted by a chilly breeze and fresh air. I expected the weather to be even colder here, especially since it was December.
As I walked, I took out my camera from my bag and took the opportunity to capture photos of the towering trees along the way. But I almost dropped my camera when the beautiful view was suddenly blocked by Jela’s smiling face. I quickly lowered my camera.
“I’m glad that you made it! I thought you’d back out,” she cheerfully said.
I gave her a bored look, although her presence did put me at ease. It was not like when we first met, when her actions seemed suspicious. Was she going to be the antagonist in the story between me and Travis?
But now that I think about it, she wouldn’t arrange this kind of setup if she truly intended to sabotage things, right? Maybe her intentions were genuine and sincere.
However, the reason why she was doing all of this has been bothering me for a while now.