CHIARA and Gabe were in the school library that day. They were both studying for the upcoming midterm exams next week.
After Chiara was done reviewing her lesson, she opened her laptop and started reading the novel that she wrote.

She was in high school when she started writing short stories. But then she had to stop writing when she went into college since her extra time was put into Toby.

But then last week, she tried writing again. And she didn't expect that she would finish a short novel in that amount of time.

"What's that?" Gabe asked her.

Chiara didn't realize that he was already looking at her screen. Before she could close her laptop, Gabe had already read that. “You’re writing a story?” he asked.

Gabe adjusted his chair and went closer to her. Chiara blinked when she realized how close they were to each other. Their faces were almost inches from each other.

While Gabe was looking at the screen, Chiara couldn't help but look at his face. From his straight nose, red pair of lips, dark and deep set eyes with thick and long eyelashes.

His eyes moved to his hair which was slightly long and almost covering his ears. His hair looked really soft… She suddenly wondered what it felt like to touch it.

Chiara's cheeks heated up with what was running in her head. “Uh, I had nothing to do last weekend so I tried to write something."

Gabe turned to her with his lips parted in awe. “Can I read it?”

Her eyes widened. “Huh? Uh, you can't, Gabe." She bit her lower lip as she closed her laptop. “Sorry, Gabe.” She was too shy to let Gabe read her works. Especially since it was a romance story.

“Fine. I'll just wait for it to be published then. Did you already submit it to a publishing house?"

Chiara shook her head. “I think publishing companies will pick this up.” She turned to her laptop. She couldn’t handle another rejection right now.

“I think it will, Chiara," Gabe said with a smile on his face.

Chiara looked at Gabe with furrowed brows. “How can you know that it's good when you haven't read it yet?"

He smiled at her. “Because it’s written by you. And I believe in you, Chiara.”

I believe in you…

At that moment, Chiara felt like something warm caressed her heart.

“There’s no harm in trying, Chiara,” Gabe said with an encouraging smile on his face.

Gabe believes in her. She also needs to believe in herself. Chiara suddenly thought to herself.

"Come on. Let's just have dinner in my apartment," she told Gabe when he asked her again to dine outside. Whenever they eat outside, it is always Gabe who pays for them.

“Really? You're going to cook for me?” he asked her with a big smile on her face.

“If you want.” She told him.

His smile went wider. “Of course. I want to.”

After they arrived at her apartment, Chiara asked Gabe to sit on her sofa. “I'll just change before I start cooking."
“Don't worry, Chiara. We can wait.” Gabe said with a smile.

“We?” she asked in a confused tone.

Gabe chuckled at her. “Me and the hungry monsters in my belly." He put his palm on his stomach, which made Chiara laugh. After changing into a fresh shirt and shorts, Chiara went to the kitchen area.

“What are you cooking?” Gabe asked her. He took a peek at the casserole on the stove. “Is this sour soup...?” he asked, looking at her.

Chiara nodded at him. “Yup. Prawn soursoup,” she answered. "I was planning to use pork but then I checked I already ran out of stock. I just decided to use seafood." She explained to him.

Chiara noticed that Gabe pursed his lips. But before she could ask, he already smiled at her. “Now, I can't wait,” he said, leaning on the kitchen counter and watching her.

Chiara looked at Gabe who was also busy watching her from his position. She found him staring at her. Chiara didn't know why she started to get conscious around him.

While Gabe continued to look at her, his expression slowly went serious. “I still don't get it while your ex left you. You’re beautiful, you’re amazing, talented—”

“T-talented?” Chiara asked in disbelief, raising her eyebrows at him.

“You can write stories. You can cook. That's talent, Chiara.”

Chiara pouted her lips to stop herself from smiling.

“I know… that the day will come when your ex-boyfriend will regret that he left you." He looked at her straight in the eyes. “I hope when that day comes, you won't think of going back to him. You deserve better, Chiara.”

She met Gabe's deep pair of eyes. “Don't worry, Gabe. I would no longer go back to him. I promise you that."

“HOW was Gabe?” Chiara asked Mary when she saw Gabe's sister in the lobby of Mendez Medical Clinic.

She didn't see Gabe the whole day. According to his text message to her, he was feeling under the weather that's why he wasn't able to attend class that day.

That's why after her duty at the coffee shop, she decided to visit Gabe in his condo unit but he found out he wasn't there. Instead of going home to her apartment, she found herself in his family's hospital, and there, she found out that Gabe was confined there.

Chiara was worried about him. She didn't know why Gabe was suddenly confined in a hospital when he was just doing fine the other day?

“He’s fine now,” Mary said, smiling at her. Then she shook her head a bit. “I don't know what's gotten into him that he ate shrimp last night. He knows he's allergic to that."

Chiara stilled. Allergy? Gabe was allergic to shrimp?

Her lips parted when a sudden realization hit her. That was why he was rushing to go home last night. That's why after dinner, he already said goodbye to her. That's why she noticed his ears were red before he left.