Tiffany
My forehead creases as I gaze at my cellphone. Since this morning, I haven’t received any texts, calls, or even a chat from Travis.
I am currently on a trip to Baguio, and this time, I’m accompanied by Jairus, who’s driving.
“Why can’t you seem to look excited? Aren’t you thrilled? You’re going to be a model,” he teases me.
I give a half-smile and glance out the window. Travis mentioned to me before that he didn’t want me to be involved in his career.
So, I can’t comprehend why he suggested that I replace the model who was supposed to accompany him on a photoshoot. When I asked him why not Jela, he said she had other commitments and couldn’t make it. To my surprise, Migz agreed, and even the management of the clothing line approached him to be their endorser.
Well, news about us being together quickly spread on social media and in the showbiz industry. However, I’m grateful that they respected our privacy. Our relationship is very private, but no longer a secret.
Contrary to our expectations, I didn’t receive much hate from his fans. Most of them are actually happy for us and wish us a strong relationship.
But aside from them choosing me as Travis’ partner for the photoshoot, there’s something else bothering me right now.
Travis is not contacting me at all. He doesn’t even respond to the messages I sent—not even a single dot. I have no idea if he’s already there.
“Is he too busy to even let me know?” I asked myself, lost in my thoughts.
Jairus chuckles. “You’ll be surprised if he suddenly reaches out to you.”
I ignore him and keep my attention outside.
“Why don’t you take a nap? We still have a long way to go.”
I suddenly smile as I remember where we’re headed. If there’s one thing that convinced me to do this, it’s knowing that the photoshoot will take place in Baguio.
That place holds a very special place in my heart, especially since it’s where Travis and I started getting close again. Not to mention all the adventures we’ve had there.
“Nope. I want to enjoy the view,” I reply.
“Okay.”
As we pass by a fast-food restaurant, we decide to stop for a moment to eat. It’s so that we won’t be too hungry by the time we arrive. It’s also a chance for Jairus to rest a bit.
I notice other customers in the restaurant glancing in our direction. Perhaps they recognize me and are curious about the guy I’m with.
“Just don’t mind them. Get used to the attention, especially when you’re with a handsome companion,” Jairus teases, winking.
I roll my eyes at him. “You’re full of yourself. Just wait and see; we’ll probably be part of the rumor too.”
He shrugged. “I don’t really mind.”
I shake my head before continuing with my meal.
After we finish eating, we resume our journey. Several hours pass, and we finally reach the city of Baguio. With the window down, the cold immediately embraces us.
As far as I know, the location for the shoot is the yellow trail at Camp John Hay. So I furrow my brows when he heads straight to what appears to be a villa.
“Wait, what are we doing here? Travis said we should go straight to the venue, right?” I ask him, confused.
“Change of plans. The location was changed last minute,” he replies confidently.
I widen my eyes and turn to him. “Why wasn’t I informed? When did he say that?”
He smirks. “Last night.”
I rub my temples and try to calm myself. But I can’t help but feel annoyed, as if I’m the only one not updated about things.
I’m supposed to know everything!
After a few moments, we stop in front of a villa. As we get out, we are greeted by a flamboyant gay man.
“Finally! You’re here. Let’s go,” he says in a haughty manner before pulling me along.
Confused, I glance back at Jairus, who simply follows behind us.
“Don’t worry. They’ll just dress you up. I’ll wait outside,” he reassures me.
Though puzzled, I let myself be led. Until we stop in front of a room. Jairus takes a seat on one of the chairs outside.
As we entered the room, a fairly large mirror greeted me, along with lined-up makeup products and a rack displaying various types and colors of dresses.
“Alright. You just sit here and relax,” says the woman who approached me, guiding me to sit down.
After a few moments, they began to work on me.
To be honest, I’m not fond of wearing makeup. So, I was surprised when I saw myself in the mirror afterwards. I almost didn’t recognize myself due to the makeup and the styling of my hair. I looked fierce.
“Actually, even without the makeup, girl, you’re already on point! Your long hair is enough to captivate Travis Vernon. He’ll surely be stunned when he sees you,” Betty, the lady who welcomed me earlier and did my makeup, says in a haughty tone.
“Thank you,” I smiled at her, as well as her companion who worked on my hair. They curled my straight hair, a style I never thought would suit me, but surprisingly, it looked good on me.
When everyone was satisfied with my appearance, they made me wear a cream-colored formal lace dress. It was slightly below the knee in length. They also gave me a pair of cream-colored stiletto heels. I cringed a little because I wasn’t used to wearing such things.
“Ready to go, girl! Good luck!” Betty said, trying to hold back a laugh.
I smiled at them again and thanked them.
As I walked out, I caught Jairus reading a magazine. But he quickly looked up at me before his eyes scanned my entire outfit.
“What do you think?” I asked hesitantly. I wasn’t used to dressing up like this.
He grinned. “You’re starting to look like a real person. It turns out you’re a girl after all.”
I glared at him. I shouldn’t have asked for his opinion.
He stood up. “Let’s go. They’re waiting for you.”
I nodded, and as we walked down a long corridor, I tried calling Travis again.
But he cannot be reached now. It’s not like earlier, when it was still ringing.
The annoyance I felt earlier was replaced by worry. “Is he really okay? His phone is turned off now.” I started to panic.
“Maybe his phone just ran out of battery. Don’t worry too much,” he casually replied.
Doesn’t he find the situation right now suspicious?
I raised an eyebrow as we stopped in front of two tall doors. Jairus opened them and gestured for me to enter.
“I can only come this far. Once you pass the living room, just go straight down the hallway. That’s where the location is.”
He gently pushed me inside. I was about to ask a quick question when he swiftly closed the door.
I had no choice but to follow his instructions. But my eyebrows furrowed because, as I made my way down the hallway, I couldn’t see a single person or any equipment.
Filled with curiosity, I continued walking. Even though my heart started to beat rapidly with unexplainable anxiety.
When I reached the end, I froze. It’s a wide and spacious area. There’s no one here except for the large portraits hanging on the wall.
I held my breath as I slowly approached them. I covered my mouth in shock as I confirmed who was in the pictures.
I felt the corners of my eyes burning with heat. Because right in front of me now are my stolen pictures. I didn’t know that he was secretly taking photos of me too.
Some were taken while I was sleeping, reading, or engaged in various activities. Different emotions were evident in each photo. There were happy, sad, irritated, and seemingly exhausted expressions. Genuine emotions that naturally surfaced and didn’t need to be faked when preparing to face the camera.
After a moment, a familiar song began to play.
“You thought you were the only one who loved taking pictures of me. Well, of course, it’s me too.” Travis suddenly appeared from nowhere. He looks dashing with his formal suit and killer smile. His hair was even styled.
“What’s this all about?” I asked, tears welling up in my eyes.
“You know what? Now that you’re standing right in front of me, I know in an instant that those photographs don’t give any justice to how beautiful you really are.” He started walking towards me.
“Are you sure we came here for a photoshoot? Maybe this is actually the filming location for your next TV series, and you just dragged me along to be your leading lady. My talent fee is expensive,” I teased him, although the truth is, I wanted to burst into tears because of the overwhelming emotions I was feeling at that moment.
“I don’t need to drag you anymore. Because you’re truly the only leading lady in my life. Only your lips will touch mine, and the reel of my life’s camera will revolve around you. Now...”
Tears streamed down my face as he suddenly knelt in front of me and pulled out a small box from his pocket. He opened it, revealing a ring adorned with small diamonds.
“You need to marry me. I won’t ask you anymore since I will not take no for an answer.” He grinned.
I wiped away my tears and lightly slapped his arm. “Bossy as ever.”
He smiled at me and carefully placed the ring on my finger. Then he stood up and pressed his forehead against mine.
“I love you, future Mrs. Vernon,” he sincerely said.
“I love you, Mr. Vernon,” I whispered as I gently cradled his face in my hands.
As our lips met, the lights suddenly flickered on, and the cameras started clicking one after another.
But I couldn’t care less. Because right here in my arms is the one and only man that I love and will spend the rest of my life with. I thought I would really lose him for good on that Christmas Day. That’s why I’m really thankful that he survived the gunshot wound he got from Mike, who had been captured and got a life sentence in jail already.
No matter how many times we turned our backs on each other, I knew that at the end of the day, our hearts would find their way back into each other’s embrace.
It’s good to be back. And this time, I won’t be lost anymore.