He Was a Walking Red Flag; She Was Color-Blind (A Whirlwind Romance in Paradise) - Part 2

Because I couldn't believe you flew there to see and be with me, I became delusional, thinking that you might be the man I'll love forever. I thought you might be The One I've been waiting and praying for all along.

Our first destination was an unknown beach in front of a famous snack bar of a popular celebrity in the Philippines. When we got there, we took a few photographs on my phone, and I even had the nerve to post one of them on my Facebook account, with your face covered with an emoji and captioning it as if I had already found The One.

I only wanted to accompany you and watch you swim in the open sea, but you and the waves were calling for me. And so I jumped into the water with you, and I thought things were getting real the farther we stayed away from the shore.

Unafraid of getting burnt, we spent a couple of hours under the blazing sun, talking about random topics we could think of so that we could get to know each other better and get rid of the awkward silence. Those small details I’ve uncovered about you were more than enough to make me feel safe and secure in your warm hugs.

And from that moment on, I thought you had already proven me right that you are actually that good person that I think you are, as I was left wishing that every word you have spoken was with pure honesty. At the back of my mind, I was saying that I’ve already found the one I can fully trust, so I let my guard down and allowed you to get in.

From trying to distance myself from you, I was found swimming toward where you were. In an instant, I became a different person and did things I never imagined I could do, with my arms around your neck while sharing gentle and passionate kisses. I allowed you to touch every inch of me, with your hands traveling to the places only you, I, and the universe know.

While we were just in the shallow part of the beach, I felt I was drowning in this risky opportunity that presented itself in front of me. But I shrugged off all the doubts and what-ifs and tried to enjoy the moment that might never last long.

Then we got off the water and checked that famous surfing spot on the island. There, we spent more time admiring the picturesque view of the blue ocean and talked more about random things before we listened to our empty stomachs and finally decided to grab some food in a fine-dining restaurant by the beach.

We ordered pizza, but we felt it wasn’t enough, so we requested one more dish for each of us. When we finished eating, you began searching for your wallet, and at that moment, I thought you were a green flag.

I was already falling for you, but I fell deeper when you paid the bill just like I expected, although I wanted to pay for my own. At the back of my mind, I said, “This guy is not broke.”

It was our first shared meal, and I was happy you became the gentleman I wished you were – someone who wouldn’t let the girl touch her wallet during their first date.

We spent a few more minutes walking by the beach until we found our own spot underneath the coconut trees. We sat on the broken branch, held each other’s hands, and stole gentle kisses with my head resting on your shoulder, even if we were surrounded by some local islanders.

I had everything planned out during my stay on the island, from all the tourist spots I wanted to visit, the accommodations I would stay in, and all the restaurants I wanted to try. But your presence was something I wasn’t prepared for, which made me forget the exact reason why I intended to stay there for two weeks – to do some soul-searching and reignite my passion for life.

I don’t exactly remember when and where we discussed staying in the same accommodation, but I remember initially declining to the idea. Yet, you convinced me to do it, and I found myself agreeing that we could sleep in the same room on our first day of meeting each other in person.

Maybe I was too reckless and stupid, or perhaps I was enjoying your company so much that I didn’t hold on to my principles and values that I’ve held on to for so long.