AIRA stares blankly at the ocean. The sky is about to burst tears with her pain. Her hair long black hair and her long dress race with the cold wind wrapping her heart. She's so sad that day, she cannot believe that her boyfriend left her hanging without any goodbye whatever. She’s left clueless about their relationship. Everything in her head is at mess.

She turned around with her head down as she walks back to her room. “Excuse me.” She said coldly to the person blocking her way. “Hmp! Since you don’t want to move I’ll go the other way.” Aira muttered silently as she walked away, but the stranger followed her and felt that it has been following her, so she turned around and look.

Aira’s big eyes grew big from shock. She feels like it's just a dream because the man who have avoided her and left her hanging without any notice is in front of her. “No! This is not real. He just looked like him. It’s not him at all!” She wiggles her head and scold herself in her head.

“Aira...” the man said in a husky deep voice and walks towards her. She’s totally shocked upon hearing her name. “No! It can’t be!!! How can he find me of all places? He really followed me here? Is it really him? How come he’s much handsome in person?” The other side of her brain said. He moves closer, and she goes backwards till she fell in the sand. “It’s me Cendre. I know you are in shock because I’m finally with you after 3 years of waiting. The long wait is over my love because I'm going to stay. I won’t leave you ever again.” He stretched a hand towards her. Aira hesitates to accept his hand. Disoriented and shocked. It is hard for her to believe that the man he had been waiting for years is finally in front of him, and he surprised him! A very sweet surprise that could give her heart attack.

“I know you have so many questions in your head now and I know you are shocked that your boyfriend this handsome” he said with a grin, grabbing her hand and help her stand and held her in his arms sealing her lips with a kiss full of love and longings.

Aira felt her knees weaken as his kiss wrapped her whole being. She responds to his kiss and embraced him like her lips and arms have their own brain that acted accordingly.

“I love you and I will never let you go. I know that you know what I mean.” He whispered in her ear.

Upon hearing his words, she cried because she knew that the chase is over. She wiped her tears and looks up to him with a frown on her face. “What do you mean? I don’t understand.” She asked, pretending that she doesn’t know anything about what he is talking about.

“Come on Aira, don’t play dumb again. You know what I mean. I have given you many hints through the years. Don’t tell me you never notice them because I will get frustrated of your stupidity.”

ON a sunny afternoon in Turkey, Stefan, Ken and Cendre are sitting enjoying their coffee under the sun in Antalya. The three grew up together, but they hate one another in terms of being clingy. Ken is jealous of Stefan because he is always around Cendric and The latter hates ken because he is like a girl while the least hate both for being so clingy just to take him away from every woman he wants to date. The two always act like gay in front of him to drive away women.

Growing up, the two followed Cendric to the underworld doing stuff that is dangerous. They became gangsters and always on the run when police have tip about what they do. Now that they are old, they keep a low profile in doing underworld business. “So when are you going to settle down? You just got out from the jail because of your ex and now you are dating some actress. Are you serious with her? You’ve been together for a long time” Cendre asked Stefan.

“I don’t know. It is so complicated and I still want to play. What about you? Will you be with Ken?” He answered with a grin on his face.

“Don’t mind Ken. He is just messing with me because he is afraid to be left.” He laughs. “Hmm if there will be a woman who rejects me, that will be the sign that I will settle down and leave underworld and never let her go.”

The two were shocked with his answer. Cendre was known as notorious playboy in the underworld, many girls find it hard to refuse his charm and good looks. He is tall, with fair skin, kissable full red lips and curly hair. And if you add up his husky voice, many women might strip off or offer themselves to him. All three are handsome, but he is different, he is handsome with a strong sex appeal.

“Who wants to reject you bro? It's not easy to resist your charm. I bet in this lifetime, you will never find a woman to reject you.” Ken said as he sips his coffee.

“We’ll never know if no one really dare to reject me. Who knows if she’s around the corner. I have a strong feeling that I will meet her soon and don’t you try betting with me. You have lost millions to me because of a bet. I always win.” The latter answered. He leans on and stare blankly at the sea. He has some strange feeling going on inside him so knew that something good will happen to him. Maybe the big change will arrive soon.

Under the fireplace over wine and cigarette, Cendre browse his profile at a dating app he downloaded. He’s been using the app lately and few of his friends know that he use it. He doesn’t want to share it with Ken and Stefan because he knew they will laugh and tease him.

“Hi” a user named Sadako messaged him. He looked at her profile. She looks cute and sexy. He didn’t reply to her fast to check out what she’s going to do next.

“Did you paint that painting behind you? It looks so good.” She said on her second message. He frowned upon reading the message. “Sorry if I messaged you. I just want to make friends.” Now he is hooked! He is curious about her so he decided to reply.

“Hi. The painting is not mine, but I am an art collector.”

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, why are you at this kind of place? I hope you are not like other guys out there who wants to have sex and ask for some nude pictures. I just want to be friends, have a normal conversation.” This message from her made him more interested. He cannot believe that there's a woman who speaks her mind like that and she's so damn brave to say that to him.

The unexpected encounter with her made his heart move. The moment she speaks out her mind and made it clear that all she need is a friend to talk with over the night made him want more of her. It is strange, but he actually falls for someone he doesn’t see and feel, and he meet that person on a dating app! He never does this kind of stuff. It’s not his style to go dating on a dating app. He finds it so embarrassing, but at that moment....it’s different. He’s going to try it with her.

“No I am not like that. I am just passing by too. Checking out what’s this and that.” he replied.

“Well that’s good. I hope we can be good friends.” That was her last message to him.

KNOCK..knock..knock!!

Endless loud knocks you waked up Cendre from his dream.

Ken came in rushing to his room telling him that they need to go back in Oslo immediately because of some problem their men encountered with their drug deal. Irritated and frustrated, he cupped his face with his palm. It could have been a very peaceful vacation without any problems. The odds are always in his way whenever he wants to be at peace.

The vacation ended so fast because of one mistake. The two arrived at past one in the afternoon. Cendre strictly ordered Ken to not disturb him and that he must not accept any calls from them till he wakes up. He is tired from a long journey and now it will be another round of stress because of the idiotic people in the underworld who doesn’t know how handle properly.

In the evening, Cendre prepared his meal and checked his phone if the girl named Sadako messaged him. He wants to talk to her first before bursting out from anger because of idiotic people in the underworld.

“Hey! How are you?” After sending the message he started to eat dinner and take a bath.

“Hi. I see that you are an art collector. Do you have many paintings? Who painted the one on your profile picture and what is your name to address you properly.” She answered.

Sitting on the couch drinking some blueberry juice, he looks at his phone smiling. “Cendre is my name. You? What is your name and from where are you? Why are you here?”

“Nice to meet you Cendre, I am Aira. I am from the Philippines. Just passing by trying to find someone to talk to for the mean time.”

“I wonder why you said that most guys are here for sex? Have you encountered someone like that here? Talk for the mean time? What do you mean?”

“Yes I have encountered many people here who wants that thing, some of them are fake too. I mean l, you know..a poser something like that. Where are you from?”

“Norway is my country and I grew up in Oslo. You are so far. You are lucky because I am not like them.”

The two kept on talking for hours. They ask many things about themselves. Talking to her makes him feel so calm and safe. It feels like she's an angel. He doesn’t want to stop having conversation with her. The time they spent talking, a strange feeling starts to grow in his heart that he never felt before.

“I like you.” Short but meaningful message to her. He is getting nervous while waiting. This is new to him because that feeling he never had it before with any girl he dated.

“How can you like me? You don’t even know me and you and we just talked lately.”

“I know my feelings are real. I like you. You are different. This is genuine.”

“Prove it then. Call me on my number. Here it is +639065436587. If you are real, call me.

Cendre called him and said hi. She ended the call after answering him with hello. “Do you believe me now?”

“No! Send me a picture now and let me see if its really you in the profile.”

He took a picture and send it. He’s smiling while doing it. This is something new and again this girl never fail to amaze him with the kind of challenge she’s gives.

“This is not enough. I'm so sorry, I am just taking precaution before I trust anybody so you have to earn my trust to believe you. Video call me now.”

Grinning from ear to ear, he walks out from his apartment and called her. It excites him inside when she smiled while looking at him. The call was short yet heart-stopping.

“So what can you say? Do you believe me?”

“Yes, I believe you now but still I cannot accept your feelings. It's hard to reciprocate your feelings when we just meet. Believe me you will never like someone like me in your life.”

Aira told Cendre everything about her, from being a rape victim and sexually harassed by a hacker. She decided to tell about to make him realize that she’s not the type of girl that he would want to love.

“Now you see what kind of woman I am, tell me how to love you back if i myself can’t give you your needs like that of sex and lastly, I like someone else so it is impossible for me to like you. You are a nice guy and you will find someone better than me. Friendship is the only thing you can have.”

“You are just saying that to drive me away. What I have for you is real and you will see that your flaws are the things that make you beautiful in my eye if you give me a chance. I won’t give up. I’ll find you and prove that I am serious.”

“Then prove it. I will give you a chance but look, I cannot promise to love you because I am still mending a broken heart. I don’t like rebounds. Ilocos Sur, Philippines. That’s your clue. I give you one month to find me. If you fail you have no choice but to accept my friendship.”

Cendre felt his blood rising to his heart upon reading her reply. Nobody dared to dump him like that and nobody challenged him the way she did. Staring blankly from shock, he remembered what he said in Antalya that whoever dumps him, he will make him his and give her the love she ever dreams of. “I will make you mine and I will never let you go.” He muttered as he put down his phone. After a while he called his men and ask what was their problem. He tried hard to be calm and keep the good mood up.