Rewritten by Fate

Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

LIA POV

I was back in the Sunken Garden, my favorite spot on campus. The gentle breeze played with the leaves of the acacia trees, and the sound of distant laughter filled the air. It was the perfect day to sit down and write, so I opened my notebook, pen poised to continue the story I’d been working on for days.

It was supposed to be a romance—two people meeting by chance, falling in love despite the odds. But now, as I stared at the blank page, the words just wouldn’t come. I tapped my pen on the paper, trying to force the ideas out, but nothing worked. I had a mental block, and it was frustrating.

I leaned back on the bench, sighing, and let my gaze drift to the open field where a few students were playing frisbee. Others were lounging on the grass, chatting and laughing. Everyone seemed so carefree, so relaxed. For a moment, I envied them.

And then I saw him.

Evan.

He was on the other side of the field, completely absorbed in his camera, taking pictures of everything around him. He looked... different. Happier, maybe. The usual cocky grin was gone, replaced by a genuine smile. His eyes were focused as he moved around, capturing moments like they were pieces of art.

I watched him for a while, forgetting my writer’s block. There was something about the way he carried himself today—so free, so unguarded. It was like seeing another side of him, one that I hadn't noticed before.

Suddenly, a flood of ideas came rushing into my head. My pen began to move across the paper, words flowing easily now. And the funny thing was, without realizing it, I was describing him—Evan. Every detail of the character I wrote mirrored him exactly. The way he smiled, his confident but playful nature, the way he observed the world with a sense of curiosity. It all matched.

I paused, reading back over the description. The guy in my story had become him, whether I wanted to admit it or not. I laughed to myself, feeling a bit ridiculous but also... excited.

I looked up from my notebook, only to find Evan looking right at me, his camera hanging loosely around his neck, his eyes locked on mine. There was a warmth in his gaze, and before I could react, he smiled—one of those genuine, heart-stopping smiles. Then, he raised his hand in a friendly gesture, lifting a single finger as if to say, *just one second.*

I furrowed my brows, unsure of what he meant. Was he asking me to wait? Or…?

Before I could figure it out, Evan lifted his camera and aimed it directly at me. I froze. My heart skipped a beat.

I wasn’t ready for that.

The moment he clicked the shutter, I felt a rush of panic. I snapped my notebook shut and jumped to my feet, quickly heading towards him.

“Evan!” I called out, my voice sharper than I intended. “Burahin mo 'yon!” I demanded, reaching for his camera the moment I got close enough.

Evan’s grin only grew wider. “Why? You look great in it,” he said, his voice teasing, but there was a sincerity in his eyes that made my heart flutter.

“I don’t care, delete it,” I huffed, trying to grab the camera again, but he easily held it out of my reach.

“Wag ngang makulit, Evan,” I said more firmly, irritation bubbling up, though I wasn’t sure if I was more frustrated with him or with how my pulse quickened whenever he was near. I stretched up to try and take the camera again, but suddenly, without warning, Evan’s arm wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me into his side.

I gasped, completely caught off guard, and before I could protest, he angled the camera towards us both, his arm still securely around me. He pressed the shutter, taking a picture of the two of us together.

I should’ve been mad. I should’ve pushed him away, but something about the way he held me—so effortlessly, so naturally—made me freeze.

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat louder than the last. His warmth seeped into my skin, and I could feel the solid weight of his arm around me. There was a safety in his embrace that I hadn’t expected, a sense of comfort that felt foreign yet undeniably right.

I could hear my thoughts racing, telling me I should step back, pull away, but my body didn’t listen. I just stood there, leaning into him slightly, feeling the rise and fall of his breath against my back.

Evan chuckled softly, his voice low and smooth, “See? You’re even cuter when you’re caught off guard.”

“Shut up,” I muttered, though my tone had lost all its bite. I could feel the heat creeping up my neck, my cheeks undoubtedly flushed.

He loosened his hold on me slightly, but not enough to let me go completely. Instead, he turned the camera around so we could see the picture he’d taken.

There I was, looking as surprised as I felt, my eyes wide and my lips slightly parted. Evan, on the other hand, was smiling like he always did—confident, a little smug, but in this picture, there was a softness in his eyes that I hadn’t noticed before.

“I told you,” he murmured, leaning a little closer. “You look beautiful.”

For a second, I forgot how to breathe. The world around us seemed to fade, and all I could focus on was the sound of his voice and the way my heart raced when he was this close.

I swallowed hard, pulling myself out of whatever spell I was falling under. “Okay, fine,” I said, clearing my throat. “Just don’t post it anywhere, got it?”

Evan laughed, finally releasing me from his arm. “Your secret’s safe with me,” he promised, his voice light, but his eyes lingered on mine, making me wonder what else he wasn’t saying.

As I turned to walk away, I couldn’t help but glance back at him. He was still standing there, watching me with that same soft smile, and for the first time, I didn’t feel annoyed. Instead, I felt something else—something warm, something unfamiliar, but something I wasn’t quite ready to name.

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