The next morning...
I woke up feeling dizzy and tired. My head was heavy, and I felt like I was burning.
"Ouch…" I said, unable to hide the pain I was feeling. Mira, who had just woken up, stared at me.
"Sera?"
"Why does my head hurt? What happened last night?" I asked, still feeling dizzy. I felt like I was going to puke.
She looked away when I asked her what happened. She didn't even answer me. Before I could ask again, I ran to the bathroom because I felt like I was going to throw up. I leaned over the sink and vomited. Mira, clearly concerned, shouted from outside the bathroom.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
I wasn't able to respond because I kept vomiting. My stomach hurt too. When I was done, I brushed my teeth to get rid of the taste. I also washed my face to lessen the heat I was feeling. When I went out, Mira looked at me with a worried expression.
"I'm sorry, Sera," she said, her eyes teary. I frowned at her. I remembered when she said the wine wouldn't make me drunk. But why was I feeling like this now?
"You lied to me. You said wine was fine," I said, my voice hurt.
"You drank too much last night. That's why you got drunk," she replied, helping me sit on the bed. I was still a bit dizzy and felt unwell. "I'm sorry. It was my fault. I know you don't drink, yet I still let you," Mira explained.
I sighed. It had already happened. And in fact, I actually liked the taste of the wine. That was the first time I had tasted an expensive drink.
"How did I get to bed?" I asked, because I couldn't remember some parts of the night.
"You walked, and I assisted you," she said, but her eyes kept wandering as if she was hiding something. My eyebrows furrowed in curiosity.
"Did something happen?" I asked, trying to get an answer.
"Huh?" Mira hesitated, clearly unsure whether to tell me what I needed to know. I stared at her, waiting for her to finally speak.
"What? Tell me… did I do something wrong?"
Lucca's POV
I was watching the fragile woman drink wine like it was her first time. Then Mira mentioned that it really was her first time drinking wine.
I watched her with amusement because she started becoming talkative. From the few times I had encountered her, she seemed introverted and didn't like talking to other people.
Seraphina kept telling Dominic to pour more wine into her glass. She drank it like she was drinking water. Mira, on the other hand, looked worried about her friend.
"She might not forgive me after this," she said, clearly anxious.
"We shouldn't have let her drink in the first place," Dominic said, also worried as he looked at Seraphina.
Damian and I just watched them deal with their own problem. They created it, so they should solve it.
Seraphina kept talking about random things that didn't involve us. I couldn't even understand what she was saying. Her being talkative was way cuter than her being quiet and nonchalant. I was seeing a different side of her because of the alcohol.
"I thought this wine wouldn't make her drunk," Mira said, frowning, not knowing what to do.
"It has less alcohol content. How did this happen?" Dominic asked.
"Wasn't it her first time? It's expected," Damian explained. I stayed where I was, sipping my wine while watching the woman in front of me.
Then Mira told Seraphina to go to their room since dawn was coming. At first, she refused. She still wanted to drink, and I knew she wasn't in her right mind. She was doing things I couldn't imagine her doing.
Dominic helped Mira by convincing Seraphina that they needed to sleep since it was already morning.
I kept watching them while standing. I thought they would head straight to their room, but Seraphina suddenly paused and looked me in the eyes. I saw a glimpse of a smile on her lips.
"Lucca's handsome, but his temper is like a girl on her period."
That statement annoyed me for the rest of the night. Dominic and Damian teased me endlessly. They kept laughing just because of that one comment Seraphina threw at me. Was I like a girl on her period? How could she compare my temper to that?
I got out of bed early in the morning because I couldn't sleep. I was still frowning as I left my room. My mood from last night hadn't changed. I was still irritated by Seraphina's comment.
I went to the kitchen and made myself some coffee, hoping it would calm me down. As I stepped out, Dominic and Damian also came out of their rooms. I raised an eyebrow. Why were they awake so early? Weren't they tired?
They both gave me knowing smiles before heading to the kitchen to make their own coffee. I just shook my head and walked outside the villa. Even though I could feel the cold breeze, my body still felt hot from irritation.
"Look at your face," Dominic said, laughing. They joined me at the wooden table outside the villa. I frowned at him as if I wanted to kill him.
"I still can't get over what Seraphina said to you," he added, laughing again. Damian was smiling too, clearly entertained.
I stayed silent, frowning as I drank my coffee. I needed to get rid of this annoyance before it ruined my entire day.
"Seraphina was a completely different person last night. I liked her being talkative," Dominic commented.
Yeah, she had been talking nonstop, like she was hosting the party. I just hoped she would remember everything she did and regret it.
"What if you ask her to drink again? That's when you can get the ring," Damian suggested.
I looked at him as he casually sipped his coffee, as if it were a perfectly normal plan.
"Hey, that's unfair," Dominic argued.
"And what do you think is fair?" Damian raised an eyebrow. "It won't hurt her. It's just a way for Lucca to get the ring."
I considered Damian's suggestion. But the question was, how could I make her drink with me? She had already declined my offer before. Why would she accept now?
I sighed deeply and sipped my coffee, thinking of ways to make things work.
As we continued drinking, we heard footsteps coming from inside the villa.
So, the girls were already awake.
****
Seraphina's POV
"What? Mira, did I really say that to him?" I was shocked when Mira told me what I had said to Lucca last night. My face turned red.
"Yes," Mira chuckled, remembering what I did. She also said that I had been very talkative, and it was the first time she had ever seen me like that.
"It's because you fooled me. I told you I didn't want to drink, but you forced me," I frowned. How could I go out and face Lucca? He was probably furious because of what I said. How could I compare his temper to a woman on her period? I had never been the type to speak without thinking. I always made sure to filter my words before saying them. But last night… I felt like a completely different person.
"How can I face Lucca?" I asked, frustration written all over my face.
"Maybe just apologize?" Mira suggested.
"As if he would accept my apology," I said. Knowing his personality, he was the type to hold grudges against people who offended him. I was even afraid to get near him.
"Just try it," Mira insisted.
"This is entirely your fault, Mira," I said, my voice hurt.
"I'm really sorry, okay? I checked, and the wine only had 5% alcohol. I didn't expect it to make you drunk."
"I'm a first-timer. You should've known that." I tried to blame Mira, but deep down, I knew it was also my fault. I was the one who kept insisting on drinking because it tasted good. This was the consequence of my stubbornness.
"Let's go out. I want to drink coffee," Mira said.
I hesitated, but I couldn't hide forever. I sighed deeply and told myself to just pretend that nothing happened last night.
Mira and I went to the kitchen. She made coffee while I prepared warm lemon water. I don't drink coffee since I'm not used to it.
"Do you think the boys are still sleeping?" Mira asked.
"I don't know," I replied, secretly hoping they were.
"Let's sit outside," she suggested.
After making our drinks, we went outside the villa, but it was a mistake. The boys were already there, drinking coffee. It was too late to turn back because they had already seen us.
Dominic smiled at us, while Damian and Lucca looked at us blankly.
"Good morning, boys," Mira greeted them as she sat down and placed her coffee on the table.
I stayed standing for a moment, hesitant to sit. Then Dominic called me over and offered me a seat beside him, across from Lucca. I had no choice but to follow. I sat down, avoiding Lucca's gaze by focusing on Dominic instead. Mira sat beside Damian, and they started talking.
"What are you drinking?" Dominic asked, peeking at my cup. "Ah, lemon water," he answered his own question.
I just smiled and took a sip, still avoiding Lucca's direction.
"You really don't like coffee," Dominic said.
"Yeah… it makes my stomach rumble," I replied, still trying not to look at Lucca.
"Are you hungry?" Dominic asked.
Even though I wasn't, I said yes just so I could escape the awkwardness.
"Can we eat now?" I asked as I stood up, but everyone looked at me. I immediately regretted it.
Dominic laughed and called someone on his phone, asking for food to be brought to the villa. I thought we'd go to a restaurant, but no, we were staying there.
I sat back down, trying to ignore Lucca. Mira and Dominic joked around, with Damian occasionally joining in.
After a few minutes, the food arrived. The smell made me hungry.
For breakfast, we had fried rice, hot dogs, tocino, beef tapa, corned beef, dried fish, cucumber salad, and papaya. There was a lot, more than we could finish.
I focused on eating, though I could still feel Lucca's stare. I couldn't escape him. I decided I would talk to him later and apologize. I wasn't even in my right mind last night; it was the wine's fault.
After eating, Mira and I offered to clean up, but Dominic insisted that the staff would handle it. I wasn't used to being served like this. I was more used to serving others.
Mira looked at me and subtly signaled that Lucca had gone to the seaside. Dominic didn't notice and kept talking.
Mira distracted him so I could follow Lucca.
I took a deep breath and gathered my courage. Talking to him felt impossible, but I had to do it. This wouldn't be the last time we'd meet. Since Dominic was already my friend, we would see each other often.
I walked along the shore, following Lucca's footsteps. I had never done something like this before. I wasn't the type to approach people, especially not like this. But somehow, fate kept pushing me toward them.
I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I accidentally bumped into something hard.
"Ouch," I said, closing my eyes as I held my forehead.
A few seconds later, I opened my eyes and froze.
I had bumped into Lucca's back.
I quickly stepped back and bowed my head.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," I said, stuttering.
"Why are you following me?" he asked, his face emotionless.
I looked at him briefly but looked away, unable to bear his intense gaze.
"I'm sorry," I said softly, the apology meant for what I had said last night.
"Sorry for what?" he asked, waiting for me to answer.
I tried to meet his gaze even though it made my whole body feel numb. I wanted to hate his eyes, yet I was curious about what they were trying to say. They were eyes that hid secrets.
"For last night," I said, still stuttering. I was sure Lucca already knew.
He raised an eyebrow, examining me as if checking whether I was telling the truth. I wanted to punch him for looking at me like I was a criminal, but I stayed calm. I deserved this, it was my fault. If I hadn't drunk so much last night, I wouldn't be dealing with this difficult man.
"Right. You said I'm handsome, but my temper is like a girl on her period," he repeated, emphasizing every word. It made me want to bury myself in the sand. I bit my lower lip.
Now, how could I face him when he clearly wanted to mock me?
"I'm sorry," I said again, without explaining myself. I wanted to blame the wine, but I didn't bother. He already had me cornered.
He didn't respond. He just stared at me with that blank expression. I felt uncomfortable and wanted to leave.
"I already said sorry. I'm going," I said, turning my back.
"Now I remember you," Lucca said.
I stopped.
"I almost hit you with my car, didn't I?"