State of Grace

66

After dressing up, Chiara saw Saint sitting on her sofa while playing on his phone. Agad s'yang lumapit doon para kuhanin ang atensyon.

"What do you think?" she excitedly exclaimed. Umikot s'ya para makita ni Saint ang kabuuan ng outfit n'ya. Saint remained silent.

Honestly, he just can't find a word to describe her right now. She looks like a fairy, she's so pretty, gorgeous, stunning, beautiful, perfect... he thought that those words are just an understatement.

"Sol! Hindi ba overdressed?" he turned off his game and smiled at her. "Ganda mo" he said honestly. Chiara can't help but to get shy when he said that bluntly.

"Really?! Thank you! Tara na" Saint helped her to check the plugs and locks of her condo unit before they go down the lobby.

Good thing Saint decided to bring his dad's car so she can be a passenger princess comfortably. After a long ride they arrived at a hotel building.

"Is this Iah's place?" takang tanong ni Chiara while fixing her seatbelt. "Sa family n'ya, pero he's not living here" sagot sa kanya ni Saint, he even mouthed 'Wait' so he can open the car door for her.

Sabay silang umakyat sa isang penthouse ng hotel. A big crowd and loud music greet them immediately. Chiara held the sleeves of Saint's brown coat for her to not get lost. She's kind of afraid to big crowds.

They stopped at every track whenever Saint have to great someone. For someone that is introvert, he knows lots of people. She thought while she keeps herself on his back. "Nakita mo ba sila Iah?" rinig niyang tanong ni Saint sa kausap. "Oh, nasa kitchen ata sila" Saint excused himself and walked away on that group of people that she's thankful so much, FINALLY!But she hissed again when Saint stopped,

Ang dami-daming kilala! reklamo n'ya sa isip

"Ayos ka lang?" nagulat s'ya sa biglang pagtatanong ni Saint sa kanya. She nodded on him immediately. "Let's go" he whispered. Inalis n'ya ang paghawak ni Chiara sa coat na suot. Instead, he held her hand. "Baka mawala ang baby" he said in teasing voice. Chiara rolled her eyes.

Instead on holding his hand, she chose to grip on his pinky finger that made Saint laugh before they started finding their friends again.

Doon nga nila nakita sa island counter ang mga kaibigan. Chiara immediately greet her siblings na inabutan agad s'ya ng baso ng alak.

"Ang dami mong ininvite" rinig ni Chiara na wika ni Saint kay Iah. "Don't worry I have security for crowd control"

Chiara doesn't know what happened next because Aera and Kiona also came, hinila s'ya ng mga ito kasama na din ang ilang babaeng kaibigan para mag-inuman sa malaking couch sa living room.

They started getting wild, they are playing board games. She knows that she have pretty high tol, pero nagsisimula na din s'yang magkatama noong paulit-ulit s'yang natalo sa uno.

"I have to use the powder room" paalam n'ya sa mga kasamahan bago tumayo. Sa sobrang daming tao, lalo pa s'yang nahilo at hindi mahanap ang powder room.

"Bel, saan ka pupunta?" nagulat s'ya sa kamay ni Saint na pumulupot sa bewang n'ya. Nakilala lang n'ya agad dahil sa amoy nito. "Washroom" sagot n'ya agad dito.

"Mali ka nang pupuntahan" Saint have to lean on her ears for her to hear him, ang lakas ba naman ng music. "Eh? Nasaan?"

"Come here" Saint never leave his arms around her waist. He keeps eyeing the boys who's looking over Chiara. "Thanks!" masiglang wika ni Chiara bago pumasok sa powder room.