35. Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Five
Winking at Fate
SAL
Somewhere in Makati
After the broadcast, Sal went back to the one-bedroom apartment they had leased in Poblacion since it was too late to drive back to Batangas. She locked her door, kicked off her shoes, and poured herself a glass of water from the fridge.
From across the kitchenette, she spotted a gift box on the sofa.
It was the designer tote bag Harmon had gifted her before leaving for Cebu.
She sauntered over to the box and gave it a lingering look.
Before she figured out what to do with the gift, her phone rang with a video call request. It was Willow and Theola.
As soon as she picked up the call, their bright faces appeared on the screen.
“Congratulations!” they both said.
Sal sat on the couch, feeling triumphant. “Thanks, I was so damn nervous.”
Theola centered her face in the camera. “But it totally worked! I’m checking the conversations on social media and the negative chatter had lessened. We have some people wanting to see the grimoire in person now!” she said excitedly.
“God, that’s great news.” Sal exhaled. “I’m so relieved.”
“Order in some delicious food!” Willow suggested. “You’ve earned it.”
“I will. See you guys tomorrow,” she said, her heart feeling lighter.
“Good night and congrats to us!” Willow said before they ended the call.
All that talk about food made her hungry. As she considered whether she would order takeout, a text from Rafa unexpectedly came through.
Her heart warmed when his message appeared.
She wanted to tell him so much, including that she missed him, but she stopped herself.
She couldn’t continue being with him if she was developing feelings for someone else.
So instead, she just thanked him, saying it was nice hearing from him again.
A subtle sign to let him know that she still cared.
Then, also unexpectedly, another message came through her phone.
“Bravo. The broadcast was brilliant.” It was from Harmon.
Sal’s cheeks warmed as she thumbed a reply. “Thanks. I’m surprised that it matched your high standards,” she teased.
“You are the standard, Sal,” he replied boldly.
Sal’s face grew so hot that it burned her ears. She caught herself smiling at his reply. As she was typing another response, the ellipsis came into view again, and she waited.
“Are you coming to the opening night?” he asked.
Sal’s smile fell a little flat. She wanted to say yes, but she paused at the thought of Rafa.
Now that the grimoire wasn’t getting so much bad press, she could breathe a little and think about her feelings, both of them.
Rafa was kind, calm, and gentle. She loved him deeply, as he loved her.
But then there was Harmon. The magnetic and exciting Harmon. The man she could not look away from.
She had promised herself recently that she would stop pleasing others.
That she would think about herself and what she wanted.
She had spent her entire life trying to do everything everyone else wanted—for her parents so they would love her; for Rafa so that they, as a couple, would be happy; for Autumn Town, because it was an investment in herself too, right?
It was for her dream of pivoting into the arts, but even that was weighing down on her heavily.
For once in her life, she wanted to be selfish, to make a mess, to be bold like Willow and Claire before her, just to be free.
A life with Rafa versus a life with Harmon.
“Are you still there?” Harmon messaged.
Damn it all, Sal thought, and then typed, “Yes, I’m going.
” She was tired of over-analyzing. If she was going to decide about her life, whether she would spend it with either of them, or none of them, she would do so without vacillating.
She typed, “Are you in the city? I’m hungry. Let’s have a quick bite to eat.”
A minute passed before Harmon replied, “Yes. Where do I pick you up?”
“Let’s meet. Just send me the place and I’ll be there.”
She had challenged the negative narrative of the grimoire just hours ago.
So if she had the audacity to change the conversation around it, she’d have the same audacity to discover and choose the love she truly wanted.
The bag Harmon had gifted her was still in the box.
Its smooth black leather was too beautiful to keep hidden, so she removed it from its packaging, placed her belongings inside, and wore it proudly on her shoulder, and after a few perfunctory looks in the mirror, went on her way to meet him.