When The Time Is Right ✔

Chapter 9

“Oh my gosh! Most awkward scene in my life!” Mich hollered as we arrived in my place. She still couldn’t get over the fact that we’ve bumped into Mrs. Pascual in the appliance center.

Well, me too. I wasn’t expecting to see her there. Actually, I wasn’t expecting to see her for all of my life. I am ashamed of what I did. I am embarrassed because Mrs. Pascual was so excited for me and Louis to get married but then I left and I let them down.

I felt like I failed them. Mr. and Mrs. Pascual. And I think I have disappointed them much.

“What is she doing in the same appliance center anyway? There are lots of those in Manila!” She hollered again as she threw herself on the couch.

I sighed hard and just tried to arrange the things.

Mich is shaking her head on the couch. “I really can’t believe it!” She continues to rant.

I just chuckled at her.

“What?” She asked me. “Don’t tell me you weren’t shocked?” She gave me a look. “And who is she buying the coffee maker for anyway? It’s not like they don’t have a big one in their mansion!”

I laughed at her expression. “Stop ranting, Agit. Just help me here.” I told her and she went to me, after she rolled her eyes on me.

“I can’t believe you are this calm when you should be the one acting like me right now.” She said as she unravels the packing of the rice cooker.

I smiled. “I don’t want to think about it.” I told her. “The more I think about it, the more I would feel guilty, the more I would feel bad.”

Mich looked at me, smiling. “You know what? Five years in abroad did you good, Hana.” She told me.

I chuckled. “Really?” I asked.

She nodded. “You matured a lot and I like how you think.” She beamed.

I narrowed my eyes on her. “Hey. I am mature even five years before.” I beamed back.

She raised her brow. “What? No way, Sissy! I freaking remember you running along the hallways and park with Zian Woo!” She beamed and I throw her a plastic bag.

She scoffed as the plastic bag hit her face. “Hey!” She beamed as she threw me the empty box of the rice cooker.

And just like that, we were back to what we were when we were kids.

**

“Come on, cheesecake! Let’s party!”

Mich was yelling at me. I am in my bed and it’s Saturday night. I just want to sleep all night long.

“Not this week, Mich.” I told her. “And you know I don’t party.” I added as I pulled my blanket up to my head.

“No, missy!” She pulled the blanket off me. “You have to come with me because it would be a lot of fun.” She told me as she took my hands and pulled me up from the bed.

I gave her a look. “Come on! I just want to sleep!” I whined.

She smirked at me. “You can sleep the whole day tomorrow!” She replied. “And besides, you slept the whole day. Practically.” She beamed at me before pushing me to the bathroom.

“Take a bath for fifteen minutes or else I will barge in there with my camera and post your nude picture on my i********:!” She threatened me and I just blew my cheeks in defeat.

God, bless my best friend and her reasoning. Please.

I took a bath in fifteen minutes like what she told me. Heck. I wouldn’t dare to take a bath longer because I know that she will really barge inside the toilet and take a nude picture of me.

She decided on what I should wear and now, I am very uncomfortable with this mini-dress. Hell, I think the loose shirt I was wearing a while ago was even longer than this!

She curled my hair and put makeup on my face. “Hah! I bet every guy will drool if they see you like this.” She muttered while smiling widely. Then she squeezed my shoulders.

“Let’s go, cheesecake!” She took my hand and we went out to the club.

I was whining at her the whole ride and I was bargaining that I should just stay one hour at maximum but she told me that it’s just nine o’clock and if I leave at ten, probably, the party is just heating up.

But what can I do? I’m already in her car and I can’t really jump out right now since it is moving. And well, she probably must have locked the door.

“Here we are!” She had her celebratory excited voice when she pulled off in front of the club. She looked at me then we walked out.

I waited for her when she gave her key to the valet parking.

“Let’s go!” She hooked arms with me and we went in.

Popping bottles in the ice, like a blizzard. When we drink, we do it right getting slizzard.

I wrinkled my nose at the sound. It’s too loud. It’s boosting like it will pump my eardrums. Please.

This is why I like to sleep on Saturday nights. I hate noisy places. I can’t stand a place where there are a lot of people. The feeling of my skin getting dumped with someone else’s skin just makes me cringe. Gross. Having intimate moments with a stranger.

“Come on! The party just started!” She beamed at me and she led me to the dance floor.

I looked at her and shook my head. “I can’t dance. I’ll just sit there.” I practically yelled at her because the music is so loud and I can’t hear anything but that freaking Far East Movement song.

She gave me a look but she agreed. Hell, that’s the most she could do for me now because i definitely didn’t want to go here.

So, I walked to the bar and ordered the lightest drink I could have. The last thing I want now, aside from broken eardrums, is getting a freaking heck of a hangover tomorrow. Although this is the first time I’m drinking since it is alcoholic and I am allergic to alcohol.

The bartender gave me the lightest in the house. I thanked him curtly and started drinking. I don’t really get why people wanted to come to places like this. It’s loud. Jam packed. Smoky and smelly.

Everything about this place shouts stress and people are embracing it whole heartedly.

I watched a girl grind her butt with a guy. The guy was smirking and he was groping the girl’s thighs. I cringed at the sight. How can they stomach that kind of intimacy?

I sighed and shook my head as I sipped on the drink. This is good. It tastes like pineapple juice with a bit of tonic in. My gosh. This is going in my system.

“Hana?”

I looked at a smiling Zian staring down at me.

I nodded. “What are you doing here?” I asked him.

He gave me a look as he sat beside me. “Well, do you own this club now too?” He retorted and I rolled my eyes on him.

He just laughed. Then he eyed my drink. “You don’t drink, Hana. You’re allergic.” He told me.

I chuckled. “This is the lightest in the house.” I replied. He nodded then he asked the bartender for a beer.

“So,” I started as he waited for his drink. “What is the trendy vocalist of the most sought-after band in the Philippines doing here? Don’t you have schedules?” I asked him.

He smirked. “I would party whenever I want, Hana.” He told me.

“You don’t party.” I beamed.

I know. He doesn’t. I have been with him for long too and I know almost everything about him. He doesn’t want these things. He was more of an underground person than a party person.

He laughed. “Okay! I can’t really lie to you.” He told me. “Michelle asked me to look after you because she’s worried about you.” He confessed.

I narrowed my eyes on him. “And you agreed?” I asked. So that explains Michelle’s persistence. That’s why no matter how I was whining, she wouldn’t stop. She got it all planned. She set me up with Zian. Very nice.

He smirked. “Why would I not? It’s a pretty good offer, in fact.” Then he drank on his beer. I smiled. “Thanks.” I muttered.

He smiled and patted my shoulder. “I would always want to watch over you, Hana.” He told me.

I smiled and nodded. “You’re the best.” I replied and he pinched my cheek.

“Silly. If I was the best, then why did you fall for him?”

I can barely hear it but I think I heard it right. I looked at him. “Thanks for always being there for me.” I told him.

He looked at me and smiled. “I told you. It’s my pleasure.” He stared into my eyes. Yet again, I am reminded of the worst mistake I have ever done in my whole life.

Have you ever looked back from what you have done in the past and wondered why you did such stuffs? Have you ever tried thinking to yourself why you made such silly and wrong decisions?

I have. Always.

Before I go to sleep, I would always think of why I chose Louis over Zian. Why I chose to leave Louis than fight for my love for him. Why I agreed with that silly engagement in the first place.

Regrets. That’s all I have now. I regret my decision to agree with the engagement. I regret my decision to choose Louis over Zian. I regret not fighting my love for Louis. I regret leaving. I regret it every day.

But then I look at Michelle and it dawns on me.

What would have happened if I stayed? Will she still be with me? Will she still be my best friend? Everything I did was to save our friendship. And when I think of it, when I look at it now, I did the right choice.

I mean, you can have another lover. I can meet someone who would love me. I know. But someone like Michelle? No. She’s my soul sister. My best friend. My soul mate.

I may have regretted everything that I did, every decision I made, but everything is just worth it for friendship.

And Zian. I’m happy he’s here with me.

“I missed you, Zian.” I told him. He smiled at me. “You don’t freaking have a clue on how much I missed you too, Hana. I was so close to following you to Boston.” He told me.

“Why didn’t you?” I asked.

“Because I lost.” He replied. “You already love him and it’s not a bright thing for me to do. He had to do it. He was the one who should follow you there.”

“But he never did.” Here go my tears again. Whenever we talk about Louis, I can’t help but feel like my eyes are turning into leaking faucets.

“He was hurt.” He told me. “I was too.” He added. I looked at him. “But my love for you is greater than the hate, Hana. It’s greater than anything else. I was even thinking if you’d come back to me, I would accept you whole heartedly. That’s how great my love for you is.” He looked into my eyes.

Then I felt it again.

My heart beating fast.

It’s different from its pace whenever Louis is around. It’s my heartbeat pace whenever I was with Louis.

“And until now, I still do.”

I looked at him with wide eyes. “What?”

He took a deep breath and held my hand. “I know you love him. I know you’re hurt now.” He smiled weakly. “I know I should move on as well. But right now, looking at you, hell, I want to love you more, Hana. I want to wake you up from your fantasies with him. I want you to feel love. My love.”

“Zi-“

“I’ll work on it. It wasn’t hard before. I made you fall for me before. I can do that again.” He smiled at me.

Zian Angelo Woo.

Why can’t he stop making me feel so bad for choosing someone over him? The way he acts now makes me want to slap myself to reality. Here he is, the person who loves me, but what the hell is my heart doing loving someone who doesn’t even want to see me again?

I’m the most stupid person on earth because I let the best person go only to have the worst one.

“I’m up for the challenge, Hana.” Zian smiled. “I will make you fall for me again.” He told me as he held my hand.

I narrowed my eyes on him, smiling. I’m confused but I like this feeling. This feeling when I know that someone loves me and will always be there for me.

“But first, let me get you home.” He chuckled and pulled me out of the club.

**

“Well, you live in a nice building, Hana.” Zian told me as we rode the elevator.

I chuckled. “It’s a gift so it’s supposed to be this good, right?” I beamed.

He laughed at me. “Please. Enough with your witty responses, Hana Shaniah. You are not Anastasia Steele and I am not Christian Grey.” He told me.

I narrowed my eyes on him. “Wait. Who are those?” I asked him curiously.

He looked at me in disbelief. “You don’t know?”

I shook my head. “No. If I knew I wouldn’t ask.” I replied. He rolled his eyes on me. “Geez! You’re the only one who doesn’t know Fifty Shades of Grey!” He told me. “You even lived in Boston for five years! How come you don’t know that?” He gawked at me.

I gave him a look. “Do I have to know about them?” I rolled my eyes.

“No. But you should’ve at least heard about them.” He retorted. “You were too busy thinking of things not worth thinking.” He shook his head. “Not a good sign, Hana.” He told me. “You need a real education right here.”

I chuckled. “Now you’re the one with your witty words.” I teased him.

“Only because you are pushing me to.”

“I am not.”

“You are!”

“No. I’m not!”

“Yes. You are.”

“No-“

“Miss Hana?”

Zian and I both looked at the person who spoke. My eyes widened when I saw Nicole looking at us. Behind her is Louis. Who else?

“Hey, Nicole.” I greeted her and I felt Zian tensed a bit. He must have known about her too. Maybe Michelle told him. I don’t know but he is tensed anyway.

Nicole smiled at me then she looked at Zian. “Oh my gosh! Zian! Charge!” She beamed excitedly.

Zian smiled slyly. “Hi, Ni…cole.” His voice trailed when his eyes met Louis’. Nicole smiled at us and hooked arms with Louis. Ouch. This feeling again. “You live here, Miss Hana?” She asked me.

I nodded. “You too?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. I just helped Louis move things.” She replied. Then she looked at my door. “You live next door!” She beamed.

I glanced at Louis and felt like he is bored or something. “Ah, Nicole, I got to go inside. Bye. Have a good night!” I told them as I unlocked my room and pulled Zian inside before I die of heart attack.

What the hell is this? How can I even stay away when he’s just next door?!

Screw coincidence!