One Lost Summer (Brave Series #2)

Chapter 3: Grale

Ashton Grale Buenavista

Grale slumped himself on his chair in front of the wide vanity mirror of his dressing room. Cora, his personal assistant immediately attended him to hand him a bottle of water. Pinunasan rin nito ang namuong pawis sa kanyang noo.

"Ang winner naman ng takes kanina! Grale, remove ko na yung make up mo ha." He nodded at Beka, his gay make-up artist who is really good in doing her job.

He then eyed Cora through the mirror. "Where are my clothes?"

"Naka ready na. Magpapalit ka na ba?" Cora asked him back.

He only nodded at her and then she left his side to get his clothes. Kakatapos lang ng shoot at medyo delayed sila ng two hours dahil halos hapon na rin. Nonetheless, the weather was still blazing hot.

When Beka was done removing his make-up, he reached for his changing-clothes to Cora and asked his whole team politely to leave the tent for a couple of minutes. Bumalik na rin sila sa loob pagkatapos niyang magbihis.

"Ito pala yung phone mo." Cora handed him his phone then she just returned fixing his things.

"Cora, did someone call?" He asked her.

She briefly stopped from what she's doing to face him and said, "Hind siya tumawag at hindi rin siya nag text."

Grale sighed as his jaw clenched.

Two months.

Thea was gone for two months and ever since she left for Japan to shoot for her own movie, and just came back four days ago, she never called him. Not even once. He tried calling her first, but all his calls were left unanswered.

'I wanted out, Grale.'

Those were Thea's last words to him that night. Honestly, he barely understood what happened two months ago. Everything was like a train of vague memory - things happened so fast he couldn't grasp even a single thing.

She clearly broke up with him right in front of his face, but what he couldn't get since then was that he never received enough explanation after it. She said she was tired, but what made her so much tired to the point that she had to break up with him?

And four days ago, Thea returned.

Grale breathed a heavy sigh.

Their whole team went back to the hotel they're currently staying at here in Ilocos. The movie he's currently shooting has this old-style storyline and this province offers beautiful old-stylish places. Just the right amount of aesthetic for the movie.

All of them enjoyed their early dinner and then Grale just politely excused himself afterward dahil pagod na talaga siya sa araw na ito.

He still plans to call Thea and hopes that this time she will answer him.

"Sumagot na ba?" Cora asked.

Umiling siya at sinubukang i-dial ulit ang number nito. Her line was still busy. Grale wondered who the hell she was talking with. "Fuck it," he mumbled and threw his phone on the couch.

"Bakit mo pa kasi tinatawagan? Diba nga nakipag break na sayo yung tao?" Cora asked nonchalantly without removing her eyes on her phone.

"I need explanations, Cora. She can't just break up with me like that. I, at least, deserve to hear every reason she has to say," madiin niyang sagot.

"Anong gusto mong mangyari ngayon? Four days pa tayo rito."

Grale just sighed as he palmed his face. She's right. No matter how much he wants to return to Manila, he can't. He's also tied with his full schedule and he can't just run away.