Amore and Liam's first night on the island began beautifully. Amore's anger toward him had finally dissolved after he joined her for a swim.
"Am, by the way, aren't you hungry yet? It's late into the night. We should probably get out of the water and eat. The water is getting colder, and you might get cramps if you soak too long. Let's head up," Liam invited her.
She realized she was indeed starving.
"Okay. My feet are actually starting to feel numb. Let's go. We'll start a fire right away to get rid of the chill," she replied.
They waded ashore and gathered dry wood from the surrounding area.
"Go ahead. I'll handle the fire. I brought a lighter, so it'll be quick. Go change first, and I'll follow. The wind is making it even colder. Go on."
"Okay, thank you," she said, secretly impressed by his concern for her. The breeze was biting, so it was only right for her to change. Amore immediately followed his advice and went into her tent. She changed and washed her wet clothes.
She put on a blouse and shorts. These were the only clothes she had brought, so she had no choice even if she felt the cold. In her excitement earlier, she had forgotten to pack a jacket.
She returned to Liam—who had finished starting the fire—so he could take his turn to change.
"Liam, go change too. I'll prepare the food. I'll grill the pork I brought; I have plenty of side dishes. I've got this. Just come back quickly so we can eat."
"Alright," he answered briefly before turning away.
She felt a flicker of disappointment when he didn't even bother to look at her; she thought she looked quite sexy in her outfit.
He returned quickly and sat beside her. Amore found herself smiling unexpectedly. "Liam? What's going through your head? Why have you been so kind to me lately, following everything I say and want?" she mused.
She suddenly shook her head. She was thinking about Liam like a crazy person again
*Goodness, Amore, stop it!* she scolded herself. *You'd better focus on your plans against Regor.*
"Hey, are you thinking about something? You're staring off into space," Liam noted. He had been watching her for a while.
She hadn't noticed his gaze because her mind really had wandered. "Oh... nothing. Here, let's eat," she answered quickly, snapping back to reality.
"Thanks. By the way, is your plan after three months still a go? Are you really going back to Manila? What about me here?" he asked, his eyes seemingly softening
"Yes, I'm pushing through with it," she replied. "And what do you mean, 'what about you'? Didn't I say you should stay here and look after Uncle Gusting? You won't gain anything by coming with me to Manila. You'll only be in danger there."
"And why is that? Is it Kuya Regor you're afraid of?"
"I'm not afraid of him. Maybe *you* are."
"Me? I'm not afraid of him. I beat him once when we were younger. But of course, he wasn't as evil then as he is now. I don't know what got into his head to make him do all this."
"Because he's greedy. If I can truly prove that he was the one who killed my Daddy, I will definitely kill him too. If a life was taken, a life must be the payment," she said, flashing a very sarcastic smile.
Shock was written all over Liam's face. He couldn't believe how angry and determined Amore was to get revenge.
"Really? You'd actually do that? From what I see of your character, Am, you aren't a killer. You have a gentle face and a heart of gold; I know you know how to forgive. Don't take the law into your own hands," he reminded her. He sounded just like her father.
She rolled her eyes. "What did you say? Me, kind? Not at all." She even let out a laugh.
"So, all your kindness toward me was just for show? If it were, you wouldn't have helped me in the beginning, and secondly, you wouldn't have taken me with you when you escaped. Why didn't you just leave me behind?"
She smirked. "Tsk! You're being dramatic. Of course, I didn't want my conscience haunting my dreams because I abandoned you."
Liam smiled.
"Enough of this talk. Let's just eat. Here, eat this. Open wide!" she said, feeding a piece of grilled pork to Liam.
"Hey, don't do this all the time or I might get used to it. I might end up looking for this. You know, Am, I really like having someone take care of me."
"It's fine while we're here in Cebu pretending to be a married couple. I'll do it, but on one condition: don't fall in love with me. Whoever falls, loses. This is just an act, so be a wise man," she reminded him again. She took a bite of food, smiling as she watched the waves crashing against the shore.
"Wow, you're intense! Fine. No falling in love. Yes, I know—it's because only Lysander occupies your heart and mind."
"Yeah, exactly. I'm done eating. How about you?" she asked, feeling completely full.
"Yeah. I'm full already."
"Okay," she said. As she reached for the dishes, Liam did the same at the exact same moment. His warm, soft palm brushed against her hand.
They both felt a strange spark. Amore immediately withdrew her hand.
"Ah... I'll just be the one to wash these. You stay there by the fire so you don't get cold," Liam said.
"Alright, Liam."
The Cold and the Spark
Even in front of the fire, Amore was shivering, but she tried to endure it. Liam returned from washing the dishes and saw her huddled, hugging herself. They were a bit far from the shoreline where the air was colder; closer to the water, the air was somewhat tempered by the warmth of the sea.
"Are you cold? Wait. I have a jacket; I'll lend it to you. Hang on, I'll get it," Liam said.
"No need. I'm just going to sleep," she declined, feeling a bit shy about borrowing his things.
"Are you sure? Still, it's cold. Wait, I'll get it."
She couldn't protest further as he quickly left and returned with his jacket.
"Here," Liam said, handing it to her.
"But what about you? You'll be cold too."
"I'm fine. I can endure the cold air; besides, I can partially close my hammock. Use it."
"Thanks."
"But please bear with it. I haven't washed that jacket yet. That's the one you gave me back when I was at your house. But even unwashed, it still smells good. Just endure it if you don't like the scent of the cologne I used then, which is still there."
"It's fine," she said, sniffing the jacket.
"Hmm. This is okay. It smells very manly but cool. Thanks again." She put it on. Finally, the chill left her, and her heart—rather, her body—felt happy.
"You're welcome. Go on. Get in your tent and sleep. I'll stay out here. I made a hammock earlier, and I'll sleep there. Go ahead."
"Hmp. What is this? Don't shoo me away like that. Yes, fine, I'm going to sleep. Are you sure about the hammock? I think it'll be freezing out there since I have your jacket."
"It's fine. As I said, I can zip it up a bit. I won't get cold. Get in the tent and sleep. It's late."
"Yes, sir!" she complied. She had been feeling sleepy for a while now.
Liam watched Amore enter her tent before heading to his hammock. He added more wood to the fire so it wouldn't die out immediately and to keep the mosquitoes away.
Amore lay down, but sleep wouldn't come. The sleepiness she felt earlier had vanished. She was thinking about Liam again—specifically the moment their hands accidentally touched. She couldn't get it out of her head; it felt like an electric current had surged through her hand.
She tossed and turned, sat up, and lay back down, but her mind refused to let go of the moment. It played on a loop, keeping her awake. Her mind also wandered back to the first time she had helped him.
"So annoying! Just let me sleep. I haven't done anything wrong to you, Liam, so please stay away from my mind. You're getting on my nerves. I don't care about you. Argh!" she scolded herself like a madwoman.
If Amore couldn't sleep, neither could Liam. The incident earlier was also weighing on his mind. Even when he closed his eyes, he saw Amore's face. He didn't know why, but he felt a certain lightness of heart toward her. He had only been grumpy when they first met because he thought she was Regor's accomplice in the plot to kill him.
"Why? What is it about you, Amore, that you're always crossing my mind, even in my dreams? Who are you in my life?" he murmured.
Liam decided to get out of his hammock and head to the shore. He waded back into the water and swam around. He wanted to tire himself out so he could fall asleep. He reached the deeper part of the water before deciding to return to the shallows, fearing he might get cramps.
A Shared Drink
Meanwhile, Amore also got up and walked along the shore. She had missed this island so much. It had been over a year since she last visited because she had been busy tailing Regor. She also missed wading in the water, so she followed her heart. She kicked off her slippers and left them on the sand.
The moon was bright, illuminating the shoreline. The small waves shimmering with the moon's reflection were a sight to behold. She smiled as she played in the water. She used to have a companion for this. She and Lysander would always play in the sea whenever his family brought her along. They were always together, as if they were in their own world.
"Hey, Am! Why are you here? Can't sleep? It's almost morning. I can feel it. It's nearly one o'clock," Liam shouted from the water. He was heading back to shore when he spotted her.
"Ha! Oh, why are you here too? Can't you sleep either?"
"Yeah. That's why I went for another swim. Don't go in, though. You don't have extra clothes. You'll get cold again."
"I think so. I wasn't really planning to swim. I'm too lazy to soak because once I start, I never want to leave. Hey, get out of there."
"I strongly agree."
"I brought some beer, by the way. Let's drink. I completely forgot. I should have brought it out earlier; I might have been fast asleep by now. There are four bottles, so two each. Deal?"
"Sure!"
Liam came ashore and changed his clothes. They used the leftover side dishes as bar snacks. They shared the moment happily.
"Why can't you sleep? Are you thinking too much about your revenge against Kuya Regor?"
"Not really. There are just things that won't leave me alone," she answered.
"What's that? Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Nope, I'm fine. I won't die if I become anemic from lack of sleep," Amore joked. How could she possibly tell him that he was the one haunting her thoughts?
"Exactly. Finally, I'm feeling sleepy. I'll go to sleep. Good night."
Amore smirked. "Good night, even though it's almost morning." Liam didn't respond to her joke.
Enjoying a night on an island is so romantic, relaxing, and exciting when you're with someone who is your love, your home, and your treasure.