The next morning, Fae woke early, even though she had gone to bed late. Suzanne and Isle were still fast asleep, curled up side by side, and Glacey was dozing next to her. Quietly, she got up, brushed her teeth, and fixed her hair and face until she was satisfied with her reflection in the mirror. Then, careful not to disturb the three girls, she tiptoed out of the room.
She wandered down to the beach. The sun hadn't fully risen yet, so it was still cool and calm, a perfect morning to walk along the soft sand. The sensation was freeing, almost weightless. For once, her thoughts weren't clouded by pain or worry. The sea breeze brushed against her skin, soothing her in a way nothing else could. It was the kind of morning that invited reflection, a moment to think clearly.
Saying what she had the night before had lifted some of the weight she'd been carrying. Even if it didn't change how she felt or even if her feelings went unreciprocated, it didn't matter. She had let it out, finally. The release alone made her heart feel lighter. She had been holding it all in for years, never imagining that shouting it into the night like that would feel so… liberating.
It was funny, really, how she wasn't alone in this. Her friends, too, carried secrets for people special to them. They all had believed they knew each other inside and out, but last night had been a revelation: time spent together wasn't always a measure of how deeply you knew someone. Some corners of a person's heart remained unseen, no matter how long you'd been by their side.
The game had been an eye-opener. It showed them that even after years of friendship, there were layers still hidden, feelings still buried. Their confessions had reminded Fae that everyone, even those she thought she understood perfectly, had parts of themselves they hadn't revealed.
She closed her eyes and let the morning wind sweep over her. "I hope this wind from the sea carries away all the pain from my secret feelings on him," she whispered to herself. "Let it take with it these feelings so I can learn to redirect them, to let go. I know I'll never be seen the way he saw Suzzane. I'm tired of hurting from years of keeping it hidden. No matter how I look at it, I've always been the one who loses."
It was enough, she decided. The time had come to let go. There was no reason to cling to a hopeless situation. No one would catch her if she fell any further. No one could save her from the depth of her own heartbreak. She had been making it harder for herself, and that had to end.
It was time to open her eyes, not just physically, but emotionally. Time to let her heart be ready for whoever might step into her life next. Someone deserving, someone real, someone willing to love and care for her. She continued to feel the sea breeze on her face, across her shoulders, and along her entire body. It felt good. It felt like possibility.
"Deep in thought again, huh?" a familiar voice called from beside her. Fae's lips curved into a small smile before she opened her eyes. Slowly, she turned to see Liam, his face soft in the morning light.
"Good morning," he greeted.
"Good morning," she replied.
"You're up early. Didn't sleep well?" he asked, concern in his tone.
"I slept fine, actually. I just woke up early and wasn't sleepy anymore, so I thought I'd come here while everyone else is still asleep. What about you? Why are you up?" she countered.
"I've just gotten used to waking up early. You know… varsity training," he explained casually.
"Oh, right. Were you the first one awake in your room?"
"Leon's already up, but he's messing around with Rob, you know how hyper he gets," Liam said, laughing.
"Hey, I asked first! You still haven't answered my question," he teased.
"Sorry. What was your question again?"
"Why do you look so deep in thought?" he pressed.
"Nothing much. I'm just enjoying the wind on my face. I hardly get to come to the beach, so I'm savoring it. It feels… nice," she said with a small smile. Then she turned back to the sea and closed her eyes again, letting the breeze and the morning sun fill her senses.
"Come on, try it. Close your eyes and whisper to the wind what you want. Who knows? Maybe it'll hear you and it'll come true," Fae encouraged him, though she didn't look back. She kept her gaze on the sea, eyes closed, letting the breeze brush against her face. She had no idea if Liam actually followed her suggestion.
When she dared a peek, she couldn't help but laugh, he had, in fact, done exactly what she told him. She shook her head and turned back to the waves, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Minutes passed in quiet companionship, standing side by side. She didn't mind his presence; she didn't want to disturb him, even though the idea had been hers. In truth, she wasn't entirely sure the things she whispered would ever come true.
"What did you whisper to the wind? Can I… know?" Liam asked after a while.
Fae smiled faintly before answering.
"You don't have to tell me if you're not ready, Fae. I'm not insisting," he added, shyly explaining himself.
"It's about what I said last night…" she admitted, knowing he hadn't expected her to respond.
"I wished the wind could carry away all the pain I feel. I wished it would take with it everything I feel for that person. It's exhausting to hurt alone, knowing I'm the only one suffering. Even though I know he doesn't notice me, I keep fooling myself. Even knowing he might never like me back, I've been foolish all this time. I want to let go of what I feel for him. I think it's time to open my eyes to others, to be ready to open my heart to someone new. Maybe someone will see me, like me, love me truly, and care for me, something I've dreamed of for so long, even if it seemed impossible," she poured out in a long confession.
There was silence. Curious, she looked over at him to see what he was doing.
His face was radiant, his smile beautiful, and his eyes sparkled as he met her gaze. They stared at each other for what felt like a long moment, yet she didn't feel awkward. Instead, she took comfort in the softness of his expression, in the simple joy of having him as a friend. He was so caring and loving it's just that he has no girlfriend yet.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she finally asked, bemused.
"I'm just happy. I didn't realize the wind would respond to my whispers like that. If I'd known, I would've done it a long time ago," he said with a smile.
"Really? Are you sure? You know it's not real… I just did it on a whim earlier. I didn't know if it would work or not," she admitted, cheeks warming.
"Trust me. Believe it or not, it worked. The wind carried my whispers," he said, teasing her joyfully.
Unbeknownst to her, Liam whispered to the wind, wishing that Fae would meet his gaze. If she did… then it would be his chance, the moment to take a risk with her heart. Now or never.
They both laughed together, a warm, shared sound.
"You know too much!" she teased, still smiling.
"It's true! Believe me! I'm not joking," he insisted.
Their laughter was interrupted by a shout.
"Hey, enough! I'm starving!" Leon called out, standing a few meters away.
"Did you see any food we brought here?" Liam asked, feigning a philosophical tone.
"Ugh! I mean, come on, get over here so we can start cooking," Leon groaned, stomping his foot in mock frustration.
"Alright, fine. My twin's getting cranky again," teased Liam, and they both laughed.
Arm in arm, they walked over to where Leon was, Liam continuing to tease his twin.
"Stop it, you two. You're acting like kids. You'll probably annoy each other again," she scolded. They shot each other playful glares, and she just shook her head, smiling at their antics.
In the end, breakfast wasn't cooked, the twins were too impatient, so they ended up ordering food instead.
The three of them ate first. Rome had gone back to sleep, according to Leon. It was a small relief for Fae, she didn't want to see Rome, who had mysteriously disappeared the night before. She needed to control herself, to avoid letting her heart get hurt again. She couldn't risk it; she would be the only one to suffer.
After breakfast, the three friends decided to take a swim. It was their last chance to enjoy the beach, tomorrow they would return to Manila, and they had no idea when they'd get to come back again.