For all these years, I have been waiting for her. Now, that I have finally found her, I’m not sure if I should act promptly. Oh, how I wanted to touch her! She is just within my grasp. Right there. Just right there. This distance is killing me. Truly. But, will she remember me when I show myself to her?

~Ruen, from his journal ‘Finding Her’

~ 0 ~

“Hey, Jen, have you ever been stalked before?” Lianne asked while sitting comfortably beside her best friend who was eyeing a football player just two seats apart from them.

“Huh? I’m sorry. Wha- What did you just say again?” Jen replied apparently enjoying herself staring at the hot jock.

“Nah! Forget it!” Lianne answered clearly annoyed.

“Oh! Com’n Lianne, I’m sorry. I’m just keeping myself entertained. If you hadn’t noticed, it has been boring in here since we got in the plane, with you just being silent. It seems that you are in a really deep thought though that’s why I didn’t bother you. You haven’t even told me about the meaning of what you said in our conversation in the phone this morning!” Jen complained while facing Lianne.

“Okay! Okay. Talk about pestering me, ” she mumbled. “I said, have you ever been stalked before?”

Jen just stared at her for a couple of seconds as if thinking what to say. Then, she burst into laughter and said, “Are you alright, Lianne? For a moment there, I thought you were going to ask me if I’m still a virgin. Sheesh.. Yes of course! You know me already, girlfriend. A lot of guys are mesmerized with my beauty, so obviously, they would stalk me. Hahah!” Jen answered proudly with her chin lifted up.

“No! I mean... in a different way. Of course I know about your stalkers. What I want to know is if you ever had a certain guy who you felt was rather...different?” Lianne shifted her eyes on the airplane window. There were enormous clouds grouping around her side, milky white in color and beautifully serene, definitely in contrast with the confusion in her heart. “I mean good good different; a unique one that captivates your heart, ” she explained slowly while holding her hands together.

“I bet your question is related to this morning’s phone conversation right?” Jen remarked.

A slight smirk developed on the corner of Lianne’s mouth. “You know what Jen, you really are good at perceiving things.”

“Hah! Tell me girlfriend what is bothering you this whole time, but-” Jen stopped, looking at Lianne in a silly manner. “Oh! I’m soooo happy right now! My girl at last have noticed a guy!” She quickly hugged her as tight as she could.

“Ah! Jen, stop it! You’re really crazy you know that!” Lianne smiled and then blushed at the thought of her memory with the man last night.

“So, I will just assume that you haven’t had any unique guy in thought?” she asked in a raised eyebrow.

“Unfortunately, haven’t found one yet dear, but I’m not worried. I believe that someday I will meet him. If it may not be at the present, then probably in the future, or maybe, just maybe, it could be from another lifetime. Who knows right?” Jen flashed an endearing smile towards her.

Lianne, however, was taken aback by her response.

“Heeyy! What’s up with that dazed look on your face?! You should know, I may look like a liberated woman, but I’m a hopeless romantic too!” Jen winked at her.

What she heard from Jen really hit her good. It made her contemplate even more, but then Jen pinched her cheeks.

“Hey! Lianne! You’re starting to get silent again. Start sharing now or I’ll get bored again, ” Jen pleaded.

With that, Lianne bit her lip, then started in a rather shaky manner, like she was in a confession with a priest. “Well, you know that I went to the city library yesterday right?”

“Yah! I know that already, keep going..”

“Well, you see, I saw this man standing on the second floor porch. He was wearing a black coat and he was staring at the trees in the garden. I thought it was odd for him to stand there knowing it was quite windy that time. but he suddenly glanced down at me and our eyes met for a second. I looked away, but I really felt myself blushing after that. When I was at the library counter, Madame Sella handed me a piece of paper with my name on it. It looked like a love note.”

Lianne took the folded paper out from her hand bag and showed it to Jen.

“Find me in your dreams?” Jen read, her perfectly penciled brow arching. “Why would a man give you a love note with a single sentence? He should have at least placed, I love you or I need you, not this one.”

“I don’t know why, but the words really made me cry that time, ” Lianne confessed but left the part where her heart ached upon reading the words.

“I was in my favorite spot when Madame Sella approached me informing that the man who gave this had just exited the library. Without thinking, I went to the porch and saw him about to go out of the entrance gate. I managed to ask him why he gave this to me and who he was but he didn’t answer my questions. He just gave me a smile and then left. It irritated me that he didn’t respond but I have no choice, I was in the second floor’s porch that time, I couldn’t stop him from leaving. And one more thing, I know you would really love Jen.” Lianne abruptly stopped as her cheeks blushed a shade of red and then continued. “He is one mysterious, really good looking man.”

“Awww! Gahhh! I am already assuming he is! You wouldn’t be that much engrossed if he is not, right? So, then what happened.” Jen followed curiously, batting her eyelashes and flashing a big smile.

“Then what happened...” Lianne retorted back. “Uhm, that’s just it! That’s what happened. That’s what’s bothering me since this morning. Kinda boring isn’t it!” Lianne asked, keeping to herself all that happened subsequently last night. She didn’t really want for her to know. It would really be a hard time for her to explain what she felt that night. And for Jen to know about the kiss would really be an embarrassing thing for her.

“Boring? Well.. Not really. I’m just upset about the love note however. If he knew he’d go through some trouble giving you that, then he would have written a much better message than those words there?!” Jen said while folding her arms together in her chest.

“So, you think he is a unique one?” Jen added with raised eyebrows.

“Huh! Uhm, well maybe or...maybe not, ” Lianne replied hesitantly.

“Oh! Lianne! You’re sooo playing hard-to-get with your admirers!” Jen smiled widely, nudging her elbow on Lianne’s shoulder.

Their conversation was then cut when the flight attendant announced that they were nearing the resort, after a one and a half hour ride.

The co-owner of the Since Resort toured them in the whole place the moment they arrived at the front gate. Their baggage were unloaded and taken care off by the butlers awaiting them.

Riding a six-seater golf cart, Madame Brenda d’Abbadie accompanied them sight-seeing the hilly mountains at the east and west sides, the extensive fields in the north, and the rocky cliffs and white sand beach at the south all in just half a day. The last part, in the afternoon, would be the mansion situated at the center of the resort where Jen and Lianne would stay.

Madame Brenda d’Abbadie is the duchess of the capital, Sireix, where the Since Resort is located. She became the co-owner of the resort after an auction in which she was second to Mr. Gillard Rafael, the highest bidder. He envisioned the mansion to be the finest resort in the world, so he proposed a plan to Madame Brenda. For eight long years, she had been constantly supervising the resort since Mr. Rafael was preoccupied with other matters.

It was Lianne’s first time visiting the resort so she felt very excited. They were planning on staying there for five days since it was summer break. Jen’s two cousins had already arrived two days earlier and booked for the two of them. The resort is mainly owned by Mr. Rafael, a good friend of Jen and her cousin’s uncle, Sir Frederic. It is one of the finest resorts in the world including the frequently-remodeled mansion which had become a world heritage site but still used as a commercial five-star hotel.

When Lianne saw the facade of the mansion, she instantly felt that déjà vu feeling again. She was sure she has not been in this mansion before but felt as if she had. Stepping inside it, she found that there were certain areas in it that really draw her attention. Her emotions became stronger though when she entered her own room. A room that was assigned only for her.

“We are saving this room for any high-positioned or royal people who come and visit the resort, but it seems you’re lucky enough to be able to stay in here Miss Dievin. There weren’t any more vacancies in other rooms so we decided to situate you in here. The owner specifically wanted you ladies to enjoy your time here; relax, unwind and pamper yourself; thus separate rooms of your own is provided.” The co-owner explained honestly.

“Ah... um.. You really didn’t have to Madame.” Lianne exclaimed. “I’m very much fine with sharing Jen’s room really. I kinda find this room rather too big and glamorous for me.” She added timidly while facing the co-owner.

“Oh! Nonsense Lianne! This room is perfect for you! Although, I’m a bit jealous you get to stay in here, but what the heck! You’re my best friend! You deserve to have the best that suits your beauty!” Jen clarified. “Anyway, I’m not really sure if you would not get irritated if you find me sneaking in that hot jock’s room late at night would you?”

“WHAT?! Ahrrgggg! JEN! You wouldn’t do that!” Lianne yelled at her with widened eyes. “You little-, ” She abruptly stopped seeing Jen showing her her most effective pouty lips and cute puppy-dog eyes.

“Ahh! Alright! I’m staying here. For my sake.”

“Yes!” Jen bellowed in happiness.

“Well then, it’s fixed. You enjoy your stay here alright? Make this stay memorable.” The co-owner said while giving both of them a nice sweet smile.

Right after Jen left, Lianne proceeded to unpack her bathroom essentials planning to take a shower. They were just given two hours to unwind and unpack before dinner is served in the first floor. Her travel bags were neatly placed in a corner of the living room. She scanned the area and thought that it was truly a magnificent room. Indeed fit for a high-ranking official or a royal blood.

The velvet curtain drapes were from floor to ceiling, a color of lavender with gold flower embroideries. In the center of the living room is a huge glass chandelier illuminating a yellow light and directly below it, an old-fashioned coffee table, with Victorian-style set of furnitures around it. The carpet was fresh, dirty white in color, exquisite to the eye that Lianne found it hard to step on it. And the fireplace. The fireplace was indeed a fundamental in the room, especially during winter months. She stared at it and in an instant, her mind could register only one thing.

‘The fireplace in my dream!’ she strongly announced.

Then, she quickly sauntered across the room, opening the next door into her bedroom and was greatly astonished.

“How? How could this be? It’s perfectly the same!”

Standing at the bedroom door, she slowly probed every detail of her room. Although, the gems, rubies, and diamonds outlining the edge of the ceiling were gone; the furniture and the queen-size bed changed; but still, the fireplace and the balcony were extraordinarily the same. She darted inside and went towards the balcony opening the french glass door and saw the same scenery she saw in her dream.

“The sunset in the mountains...” she gently whispered while touching her chest. The wind blew her hair softly bringing the ocean scent.

Detecting the next scene in her dream, she then faced back towards the bedroom. She didn’t really understand what she felt that time but somehow, she was expecting something to happen. Seeing no one other than herself at the balcony made her feel empty. She bent her head down looking at the tarnished marble floor and noticed drops of tears from her eyes.