The Fallacy of True Love (The Reyes Siblings #3)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

July—the summer before law school

Alonzo

I f there was one place where I should have been happiest, it was Santa Juanita.

Affectionately called Juana, it was the smallest coastal town in La Union, Philippines, and it boasted of the best waves in the region.

Throw in its delicious food spots and chill vibe, and it had all the ingredients for the ideal summer getaway.

I had my crew, a huge spread of dishes, and a prime view of the sea. Perfect, right?

So why did the act of smiling feel like I was trying to lift weights with the corners of my mouth?

“I booked massages for tonight,” my girlfriend Dani announced to our table, snapping me out of my thoughts. “They’re coming over so we won’t have to leave the villa.”

“Hell, yeah. I love the way you think.” Miggy grinned at her.

Beside him, his girlfriend Shar said, “I’m still not over the fact that we have our own villa. Have we thanked you enough, Dani?”

“It’s my pleasure,” Dani replied. “You guys are starting law school next week—you bet I’m going all out for this trip.”

I almost winced at the reminder of what was coming.

I’d known what becoming a lawyer entailed—years of studying, memorizing, and preparing for the bar exams. I’d known I had to patient; that I would fall behind my peers who’d start building their careers and living their own lives straight out of college.

It just hadn’t sunk in how much it would suck to feel left behind. Or maybe it simply felt worse since Dani had changed her mind about our plan to pursue law together.

More accurately, her parents had changed it for her.

Dani perched her chin on my shoulder and smiled up at me. “Happy?”

I nodded, answering, “Of course.” And I tried my best to make sure I looked like it.

She’d put in the effort and the money to make our vacation memorable. The least I could do was to be grateful and enjoy myself, especially since I couldn’t be sure when we’d all come here again.

“You know what we’re missing right now?” Without waiting for a response, Miggy continued. “Alcohol.”

I snorted. “We’ve only been here for two hours. Besides, this shake is awesome,” I said, lifting my glass.

“C’mon, bro. We’re not toasting to us going to law school with buko shakes .” Miggy shook his head and gave Dani an incredulous look. “Isn’t your guy supposed to be a genius? Maybe they picked the wrong person for valedictorian!”

Laughing, she told him, “Let Z enjoy his shake.” Her hand settled on my thigh. “We’ll have time for alcohol later.”

Miggy whooped and the girls laughed, so what else could I do but join right along?

Cam

Of all the days my internet had to conk out on me, it had to be one when the tourists were in town.

My first two years in Juana had been peaceful, with only the most die-hard surfers coming for the waves.

But after one viral video last year, visitors from Manila descended on us in droves.

Holidays saw them crowding our streets with their mosquito-splattered SUVs.

They wore trendy swimsuits and branded sunglasses and bombarded our town with their obvious city-ness .

A particularly loud group was taking up the best table in Cuppa Jo.

Even with my headphones on, I could make out their talks about partying.

I tried to focus on the line of code on my screen, telling myself that they were “on vacay” and were here to have fun, but their boisterous laughter and grating voices kept killing my flow.

Since my project was due tomorrow, I couldn’t afford any interruptions.

And then my music stopped.

The battery in my headphones had run out.

“—that bird tatt looks sick,” I heard a guy say. “Why don’t you ask her where she got it? You always said you wanted one.”

The collective weight of multiple eyes on me had my skin prickling. My instinct told me to meet their stares with my own, but I kept my eyes on my screen. There was nothing wrong with them checking out my tatt. It was beautiful, and my tank top left it on full display.

Nothing to get worked up about.

“I don’t know why you want one,” a girl answered. “What if you change your mind about the design? Her tattoo’s nice now, but what if she gains more weight or something? It’s going to stretch out and look bad.”

Gritting my teeth, I felt my body grow hot. More weight? Was she for real?

Someone shushed the girl, but she added, “What? I’m just being practical.”

“It depends on the placement,” another guy said. “Hers is on the back of her shoulder, so it should be fine. Besides, I don’t think she’s the type who cares how she looks.”

My head snapped toward them, and I zeroed in on the guy who’d just spoken.

Even seated, he towered over his friends, his tan, broad shoulders showcased in a sleeveless shirt. He had that winning combo of smiley eyes, straight nose, and full lips.

Lips that were curled in a smirk at my expense.

My fingers stiffened into claws on my keyboard as I glared at him. Who did he think he was to pass judgement about what I did or did not care about?

“You’re not really planning on getting one. Right, Z?” the girl attached to his side asked.

The guy she called Z opened his mouth, but the other boy spoke up first. “You can get ink removed if you change your mind. It’s painful but possible.”

“Nothing’s permanent,” Z agreed.

His girlfriend’s frown deepened. “My parents would hate it if you did.”

The smile on Z’s face seemed to falter before he hitched it back up. “Don’t worry, Dani. I’m not getting a tatt.”

I almost snorted. Not only was the guy an ass, he was spineless too. Either that or he was lying to his girlfriend, and neither option made him look good.

His gaze landed on me. He blinked, his lips pulling up into what he probably considered a charming smile. I narrowed my eyes further, and he raised a brow.

I was done with this.

Jabbing at my keyboard, I saved my work and closed my laptop. I chugged down my shake, barely taking the time to chew the coconut meat. Normally, that was my favorite part. I’d let the strips settle in the bottom of the glass and eat them last.

These jerks ruined that for me.

If we had been anywhere else, I’d have no problem speaking my mind. But I didn’t want to make a scene in my friend’s café. Not after everything she had done for me.

I shoved my things inside my bag and slung the strap onto my shoulder. As I brought my empty glass and plate to the counter, Nikki looked up from arranging a fresh batch of kakanin.

Straightening, she blew away the curl of hair that had escaped her ponytail. “Done with work?”

“It’s too noisy and my headphones ran out of batt,” I answered.

She grimaced. “Sorry about that. Go upstairs. It’ll be quieter, and you’ll still have Wi-Fi.”

“You sure?” I asked.

She gave me a pointed look. “Yes. Also, I told Jo she has to finish three pages of her activity book before play time. You working up there with her might motivate her.”

Nikki’s six-year-old daughter Jo was one of my favorite people in the world. I wouldn’t turn down the chance to spend time with her. “On it.”

Another bunch of tourists barged in. Nikki glanced at them before muttering to me, “Stay as long as you want.”

“Thanks, Nikki. Good luck.”

Nikki heaved a sigh and nodded, and I took off so she could focus on her customers.

On my way to the stairs, something compelled me to glance back. Z’s group had moved on from talking about tattoos to surfing. I rolled my eyes.

Of course they were here to surf. Whether or not they actually could was a whole other question.

It wasn’t one I cared to know the answer to. Whatever they did, I only wished Z and his friends would stay clear of me while they were at it.