Chapter 64

After lunch, everyone went to the room that they will be staying in for the night. The girls were split into two groups. The first one is composed of Dianne, Ria and Jovie. The second room will be shared by best friends Edmalyn and Carla. "Besh, this manor is so fancy, right?" Edmalyn said. She and Carla are sitting on the bed. "Just the fact that they call this a manor, that in itself is fancy," said Carla. "Right." Carla observed Edmalyn closely. Even though she is not smiling and not saying anything, she can sense the happiness she's feeling. It's like it's emanating from within her. Somehow, she felt glad for her. "You look so happy," she told her. "I am happy," Edmalyn confirmed. "I'm glad that finally, you found the right guy," Carla said. "Yeah, me too," Edmalyn said. "But you know, sometimes I'm scared." "Why?" "That I might be wrong again. That I might get invested emotionally and mentally, then in the end, it's still not the one for me." The fear of uncertainty. Carla knows that everyone has that. She knows because sometimes she feels like that also. Being in the business that deals with people's lives, there is really a huge amount of uncertainty involved. But as a doctor, as someone who has the chance to save these lives or somehow make them better, sometimes all you can do is just jump in and take the chance. Maybe, that's also how it is with love. She has experienced it once, and it's something that she invested her whole life with. It still failed. "But Beshy, when I think of that, I just think that I cannot be happy by being skeptic and not taking the risk at love," Edmalyn said. "Will I let the chance pass that this might be it, or will I just jump into it and see if Carlo is really the one?" Carla smiled. Maybe Edmalyn is better than her when it comes to love and matters of the heart. Not that she's ranking themselves, but based on their experiences, Edmalyn has more heartaches than she is. Well maybe, that's the reason she has learned better than her. She did not confine herself to one single heartache, just like what she did. "How about you?" Edmalyn asked. "How is your love life?" "I don't have a love life," Carla said. "Really?" Edmalyn looked disbelieving. Carla's heart pounded. "Yes..." How would she know? She remembers not telling her anything. Or, did that someone divulge her thing with Joshua again? ‘Ri, we definitely need to talk about you messing up with my affairs.' "Carlo told me that Joshua had been busy lately," Edmalyn said. "And that's because he's pursuing a doctor in Tarlac General Hospital, and she is quite hard to pursue, so Joshua's time has been focused on that. That's why he can't concentrate on his Youtube channel lately." Carla was dumbfounded. "Tell me, Besh, who might be that doctor in TGH that Joshua is pursuing?" Edmalyn joked. Carla almost hit her best friend with the soft pillow because of her chaff. "You know, Besh? I really feel like Joshua is ‘the one' for you." Carla looked away. "Why do you say so?" She tried so hard to sound very unsupportive of that theory, but deep inside, her heart was beating so fast she started pinching her palm to calm herself a little. "Because, look. Since high school, you already have that something going on. Then, you fell apart. But then, years passed, you met again and now, that high school romance is happening all over again. Remember what people say? If you're meant to be, even if you go on separate ways and not see each other for a long time, you will still end up together in the end." Carla felt more nervous with what Edmalyn said. That is because she's agreeing to everything that her best friend told her. "That's why whatever happens, Joshua continues to appear in your life, and that is because he was meant to exist in your life." Carla tried to suppress the smile that wants to come out of her mouth because of what Edmalyn said. Yes, she kind of like that idea very much. "Spare me from your advocacy in true love," she said to Edmalyn. "I know you're happy in your love life. Please do not involve me." "Then why are you smiling widely?" Carla just realized she wasn't able to prevent her wide smile. "Nothing!" she said. This time, she literally threw the pillow to her because of embarrassment. ************************************************************************************* As for the boys, Mark, James and Jeralhd will be sharing the room, while Joshua, Joven and Carlo stays at the next room. "Joven, I just want to make sure that Carlo and I are safe," Joshua said. "But of course! You're not my type, you know!" Joven said as he turned his back on him. Carlo and Joshua laughed "And also, I have a boyfriend. Unlike you, who doesn't have a love life," Joven teased. "Oooh! Ouch! Can you warn me first before retaliating like that?" Joshua joked. Joven smirked. "You started it." "Fine... But, who knows? After this, I might have a love life as well." "Oi! Spill it!" Joven said as he went closer to his former classmate. There are two beds on the room. Carlo and Joshua will be sharing the first one, while Joven will be using the other. But that time, Joven sat down on Joshua's bed to hear his story. "What?" Joshua asked. "Is there something I need to say?" "You're unbelievable!" Joven said. Joshua laughed. Joven turned to Carlo instead. "You've been working with him lately, right? Is there something that you can tell me?" Carlo just smiled at Joshua. He looked at the latter who is also looking at him. "Don't worry about Joshua," Joven said to Carlo. "I'm here and I will protect you from him." "I won't object what Carlo will tell you," Joshua said. "So, what is it? About your love life?" "You know, this is an interview already," Joshua said. "Just invite me on your show so that I could get paid." "Would you go?" Joven asked. "Nope," Joshua answered. "That's why! Just tell me already!" Joven insisted. Joshua took a deep breath. Will he tell him the truth? "Come on," Joven said. "There is nothing to tell," Joshua said. "I'm still trying to work it out." "You're impossible," Joven said. "Leaving me with a cliffhanger." "Don't worry. When everything is settled, you're the first one that I will go to tell the entire nation about it," Joshua said. "Promise?" Joven asked. "Pinky swear promise." The three of them laughed at what Joshua said. ************************************************************************************* The garden at the Guevarra manor is really the pièce de résistance of the place. It really is a pièce de résistance! It felt as if they are in a flower farm. Different varieties and species of flowering plants on patches lined the paved walkway. Fruit trees and non-fruit bearing ones surround the place. It seems like the garden was built for Instagram photo shoot, even if the app was developed decades later. Joshua looked around the exquisite view in front of him. His classmates excitedly posed in different locations of the garden. He smiled as he saw the happy and excited expression on their faces. But somehow, he cannot make himself feel the same as they do. Well, he also finds the garden very beautiful. But he has that thing about gardens that they always bring him some bad news. He wondered what bad news he will get this time on this garden. As for Carla, she's just watching around, particularly at Joshua. Earlier when Edmalyn joined the group, she noticed that Joshua did not join them. Well, he was there near them, but he's safely distanced that the others did not notice him not joining the fun. He just stood there observing them. Carla decided that this might be the best time for her to talk to him. Yes, she wants to talk to him because she wants to thank him about what he did earlier in the library. If he was not there to protect her, surely the box full of paper fell on her instead. Though the box seems light, and the papers did not seem that heavy as well to cause great damage, still, it will be quite painful. She walked towards him, and Joshua looked quite detached he didn't notice her standing beside him. If she hadn't called him, he might not even notice her. "Josh..." Joshua was surprised. "Carla!" Carla smiled nervously. "Hi... Uhm..." "Can we talk?" It was Carla's turn to get surprised. "Look, uhm... I just really need to tell you that what I've said last time, when we talked in front of your house... That was all true. I really... I'm really in love with you." Carla was completely speechless. Wait! Isn't she the one who should be speaking and thanking Joshua? Why is he the one talking now? "I know I said that I can't fall in love... I had my reasons. Someday, I will tell them to you. But, even that time, I was already loving you, but I just ignored it because I thought, I can't love. But I do love you since then. And it's not just the memory of what I felt during high school... It's something that I feel now." Carla does not know what to say. Not only because she's not expecting it. No matter how prepared she is in this kind of situation, it will never be enough. "I just want you to believe me. I just want you to give me the chance to prove how I feel for you. And I promise that I will not be that foolish kid I was back in high school. I promise to be better." And she knows he'll be better. Way better than before. Joshua doesn't need to convince her that much. Even before he started speaking, she has decided to give him a chance. "Just... don't call the police." Carla laughed at what he said. Even Joshua smiled as he looked relieved. "This garden is amazing, isn't it?" Carla said as she looked around. "Yeah, but... I have this thing about gardens. They always bring me bad news." Carla contemplated. Is he referring to those times they talked in gardens? "Well, I'm sorry if I caused you that 'thing,'" she said. "It's not just about what happened in the garden villa, and the gazebo at Ria's house," Joshua said. He paused a little, and Carla thought that was all he will say. But he said the real reason why he said those things. "I learned about Caitlyn and Tony in a garden." Carla gazed at him. Joshua looked like he has moved on with what happened, but she still cannot help but feel bad for him. Maybe because she started caring for him as well? "Then let's add something nice to those garden memories of yours." Joshua looked at her. She smiled at him, and after contemplating a few moments, he finally got what she meant. "You could have just said yes," Joshua said. He smiled. "Thank you," Carla suddenly felt nervous. No, it's not the romantic kind of nervous. It's that kind that Edmalyn just told her earlier. The feeling of uncertainness. The fear of uncertainty. What if she's wrong? What if she should not have given Joshua a chance? What if everything will also come to end? Just like in high school. Just like her first love. But then, what if it's not? What if she did the right thing? What if Joshua is really the one? What if she's really leaning towards her happy ever after? Carla knows that with all those questions, there is only one thing that she needs to do – jump into the chance and take it. Whatever happens tomorrow, at least she tried. At least she gave happiness a shot; at least she gave her heart a chance.