CHAPTER NINETEEN

SAPPHIRE went back to her room after Hapi dragged Amethyst out of the guesthouse. It hurts to see him choose her cousin instead of her. Suddenly, her faith in Hapi shattered into tiny pieces. Crying, Sapphire packed her bags. They were supposed to spend the whole night at the resort, but Sapphire could not stay there any longer with the current situation.

After packing, she phoned Alexander and asked him to take her home.

Sapphire was leaving when Hapi appeared at the end of the corridor. Her tears welled up.

Damn these tears! Do they have an automatic function? I don’t want to cry! I don’t want to cry!

Sapphire kept repeating the words at the back of her mind, but it did not take effect. Maybe, mind over matter isn’t always applicable. She wiped her tears with her knuckles and started walking away.

“Sapphire,” Hapi uttered in a low tone.

She did not pay attention and continued walking.

Hapi grabbed her by the arm when she walked past him.

“Let go of me,” Sapphire said coldly without looking at him.

“Where are you going?” His grip tightened. It looked like he has no plan to let her go.

She shut her eyes tightly and heaved a deep sigh before turning to Hapi.

“I’m going home,” Sapphire said sternly and forcefully pulled her hand away from him.”

“I’ll take you home.”

She scoffed. “Don’t bother. Alexander will take me home. Have you seen him at the lobby? I told him to wait for me there.”

Sapphire took a few steps away from Hapi. And then, she looked back. But he remained standing from where she left him with his back facing her. Her heart ached even more. Deep in her heart, she was wishing that Hapi would keep on insisting on taking her home. But there he was, letting her leave just like that.

Come on, Sapphire! He may have said that he likes you, but it doesn’t mean that he loves you.

Liking and loving someone were two different things. You can like someone without investing in emotions.

She turned around, and with a heavy heart, she left for good.

Sapphire was sobbing like a kid when she reached the lobby. Alexander rushed to her when he saw her.

“What’s the matter, Miss Sapphire?” He took her bag and ushered her to the exit.

“Does my grandfather know about this?” she asked instead of responding to his question.

Alexander opened the door to the backseat.

“I wasn’t able to inform him because he was in the middle of a conversation. I’ll inform him later when I get back.”

“Have you seen Amethyst?”

He shook his head and beckoned her to hop in.

THE NEXT day, Sapphire went to school acting as if she was a spy. She hid from corners to corners with her eyes wandering around. She was doing her best so that she would not cross paths with Hapi and Amethyst. And seeing the latter was the last thing that she would want to happen. As for Hapi, she did not want to see him…for now. However, it was impossible not to see them when they all go to the same university and lives in the same village.

Sapphire groaned as she pulled her hair. If only she was not chosen as the class representative, she would skip school that day. She had to attend a meeting for the upcoming department week.

I don’t know why they still need someone as the class representative when we have our class presidents.

But the moment she entered the conference room, she wanted to run away. Her cousin Amethyst was there too! How unlucky she was to be in the same department as hers.

Sapphire lowered her head and let her hair covered her face as she strode to her seat. She took one glance at her cousin, who was sitting just across her. Amethyst was looking at her too.

She looked away and focused on the one in front.

“Now that every class representative is here, let’s proceed to our agenda. Anyway, for those who doesn’t know me, I’m Miss Fajardo, the teacher in-charge for the upcoming College of Arts and Sciences week. You can approach me if there would be any future concerns.”

“Yes, Miss,” they said in chorus.

“So, who has a suggestion for this year’s CAS week?”

Amethyst raised a hand.

“Yes, Amethyst?”

“How about a concert?” Her cousin suggested. “I know someone who can get the hottest boy groups to perform—”

“That would be quite expensive,” Rinbie chimed in. “It would be better it the school’s chorale and—”

“How can we attract outsiders then?” Amethyst countered.

“Ah, why don’t we talk about the booths first?” said Miss Fajardo.

“Let’s do the jail booth,” Amethyst said enthusiastically.

It seemed that her cousin would never run out of suggestions.

“But the CBA already did that,” said Clover.

Sapphire was thankful enough that Hapi was not around. She made a loud sigh that made everyone look at her.

“How about you, Sapphire? Do you have any suggestion?” asked Miss Fajardo.

“Uhm…Marriage booth? Café booth?” Sapphire shrugged. “I can’t think of something more unique than that. I’m sorry.”

“Marriage booth? How romantic.” Amethyst laughed sarcastically.

But she ignored that. From now on, Sapphire will act as if Amethyst doesn’t exist in her world. That’s the best she could do for the sake of world peace.

The meeting went on for another hour before it was adjourned.

Sapphire waited for Amethyst to leave the conference room before leaving her seat. And when she finally stepped out of the room, someone grabbed her by the wrist.

“P-Piewie?” Her brows furrowed. Sapphire could not understand what she was feeling. Why was she disappointed that it wasn’t Hapi?

“I’m sorry, Sapphire. But I need to do this,” Piewie said and tugged her through the corridor.

“I-I don’t understand. Where are you taking me?”

But everything became clear when they reached the parking lot. Hapi was there, leaning against the hood of his car. There was this wide smile plastered on his face. Sapphire snorted. How could he act like that after what happened between them?

“Here’s Sapphire as promised,” Piewie told his friend. “This is the end of our deal.” He ushered her towards Hapi.

Sapphire almost stumbled down if Hapi’s reflexes weren’t that fast. He instantly wrapped his arms around her waist to support her.

She looked at him with her mouth wide open. It was only yesterday, yet it already felt like forever. How could she miss him that fast despite that incident? Where did her hatred go?

She moved away from him when she felt her heart hammering against her chest. She was afraid that Hapi might feel it too.

“Are you alright?” He reached her cheek and gently brushed it with his thumb.

She could only close her eyes.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good. Let’s go grab a coffee.” His hand went down to her hand and ushered her to the passenger’s seat of his car.