Just Because You Are

Chapter 22 (Part 2) - In Sync!

What force is more potent than love?"
- Igor Stravinsky

“Rise and shine, girl. Habol na lang kayo, ha. We’ll be waiting for you at Bucas Grande.”


Raffie’s eyes widened as she read Kate’s text message and glanced at the time on her phone. “Quarter to eight?” she yelped in surprise while rising up from the bed. Does that mean she overslept?

Closing her eyes, she gently massaged her temple as she remembered the things that transpired last night after they came back from the resort.

Quino’s song and his confession.

Or was that actually a confession?

She remembered his enthusiasm while singing…She remembered how she carefully listened to each of the words of the song which moved and flattered her at the same time.

And then she remembered how such feelings intensified when he told her that he made that song for her. For her.

It made her speechless. She wanted to say thank you, but she was speechless.

“…and this…I believe this was made for you alone.”

She remembered how he said those words, held her hand and placed it on his chest.

Still, she was speechless.
She didn’t know why she couldn’t find any words to say. Maybe because she was overwhelmed. Maybe because she never expected that kind of confession from him.

(Flashback)

“…and this…I believe this was made for you alone.”

He looked at her straight in the eye, waiting for her answer. And when she didn’t say anything, he went on with such a gentle voice, “Raffie, can you give me a chance to show you how much I meant every word in that song?” 

Still, she couldn’t open her mouth to speak any single word. ‘Answer Raffie! It’s just a yes or a no!’ her subconscious thoughts seemed to command her.

And then the grandfather clock suddenly made its sound, signaling that it was already midnight.

Her eyes glanced instinctively to the tall, pendulum clock standing nearby.

Quino immediately stood up, looking like he sensed Raffie was not yet ready to give him an answer that time. “Well, it seems like it’s already time for us to rest. We still have to wake up early to enjoy our island hopping,” he said, changing the topic quite smoothly while extending his hand to Raffie in a gentlemanly way.

Raffie merely nodded as she took Quino’s hand, stood up, and headed upstairs. Silence reigned between them as he walked her to her room. She felt that the situation was becoming really, really awkward.

When they arrived by the door of her room, she smiled and finally said, “Good night, Quino.”

“Good mornight na,” he quipped with a chuckle. “Rest well, Raffie. Thanks for your company.”

She simply smiled at him and finally entered her room, feeling so much intense mixed emotions. She just stood at the back of the closed door, her heart beating fast.

She went to bed still confused about how to sort out all the mixed feelings within her while silently humming the song he sang for her.

(End of Flashback)

“Anong oras na kaya ako nakatulog kanina?” she wondered as she prepared her things for the island hopping adventure.
“Naiwan na tuloy ako…so sino na kaya ang kasabay ko papunta dun sa isla?”

*************

“…Raffie, can you give me a chance to show you how much I meant every word in that song?” 

He had been planning to say those very words weeks ago. But a lot of circumstances got in the way, until he decided to just take it slow and wait for some more time.

But then he was somehow bothered especially when Robert came back. When was the perfect time? After three months? Four? Five?

When Raffie already moved on completely? How will he know? Can he just do something so he could show her that he was willing to be by her side after all she’s gone through?

Then the summit in Thailand came. Four days away from Raffie seemed too long, with the determined Robert by her side. He was in the airport when he saw the Instagram post of Robert together with Raffie, in a restaurant. The hashtags he used were upsetting:

#lunchout
#precioustime
#specialgirl

Totally upsetting.

Robert was really using his time wisely, taking every opportunity to win Raffie’s attention. But how about him? Still taking it slow?

And to top it all, he was out of the country for a few days! Who knows what Robert will do in just a short span of time?

Such thoughts made Quino really uneasy all throughout his travel to Thailand. And the busy schedule during the summit didn’t help. He wasn’t able to do anything to reach Raffie because President Andrew seemed to be monitoring him continually through Reese.

But Reese wasn’t a big challenge to him. He was able to steer away from situations which were obviously planned to keep him occupied with the finance executive’s  personal agenda. He knew her quite well.

Thanks to Raymund’s timely aid, he was able to leave Thailand just in time to make his big transaction in Siargao possible.

Yes, that “big transaction” was his resolution to spend the weekend with Raffie and to finally confess his feelings for her. As soon as he found out from Moira that Raffie was going with them on that trip, he immediately asked his brother’s help so he could make his resolution possible.

But then last night at the living room…that moment when he threw that question at Raffie…it was one of the most tension-filled moments of his life.

Especially since Raffie didn’t make any reply.

Why? Was it a deliberate decision not to answer him? Did he become pushy and impatient that it turned her off?

Worried about what really caused her silence, Quino decided to be more tactful and careful of his words and actions that time.

It was another day. And he was going to travel with Raffie towards Bucas Grande where the rest of the group were already waiting.

“Gising na kaya sya?” he wondered as he placed his backpack on a chair and looked at the staircase.

As if in answer to his question, Raffie emerged from her bedroom and went down to the living room. She looked fresh and pretty in her peach top and black leggings, her wet hair hanging loosely down her back.

“Hi, good morning!” he greeted cheerfully as soon as their eyes met.

“Good morning!” she greeted back with a smile. “Sorry, tinanghali na ako nang gising…”

Quino chuckled. “No problem. Achi just texted, pabalik na daw yung yacht from Bucas Grande, so I guess we have to walk to the beach now, doon na lang natin hintayin yung sasakyan…o, let me have that,” he said, motioning to take Raffie’s bag.

“Uhm, it’s okay, Quino, kaya ko na ‘to,” Raffie said just as Quino was about to take her bag.

But Quino shook his head as he held the arm Raffie was using to hold her tote bag. He then took the bag and said, “Remember the last time you said the same thing? Nagkaroon tayong dalawa ng bukol sa noo.” His eyes twinkled as he recalled the time when he volunteered to help her carry the boxes of ballet shoes and she initially refused.

It was the afternoon of the musical play.

And that same day, the sweetest, gentlest kiss Quino had ever remembered, occured.

Instinctively, Quino’s eyes flitted towards Raffie’s pink, dainty lips, and right that instant, all the memories of that moment flooded back to his thoughts.

That brief but surreal moment.

Short-lived, but unforgettable.

Will he ever experience that same moment again?

Quino didn’t notice that he was staring at her for a while until he saw  her lips suddenly smiling and her head shaking at the same time.

“Now that you mentioned that, I guess there’s no reason for me to refuse again,” Raffie said, handing her bag voluntarily to Quino.

“Good. Now let’s get going. Breakfast will be served on the yacht,” Quino said, feeling rather embarrassed at the thoughts playing in his mind. ‘Darn it, Quino! Behave, man! Behave!’ he reprimanded himself.