Stolen Glances

Chapter 12

[Navy’s POV]

It's almost 9PM the night was quiet, but my mind wasn’t.

I lay on my bed, phone in hand, thinking about what happened earlier and staring at Auri’s name like it might suddenly call me again. The room was dim, only the soft light from the streetlamp slipping through the curtains. Everything felt still, except my thoughts.

I turned to my side, hugging my pillow closer, trying to ignore how empty the space felt without any noise except the faint ticking of the clock.

But it didn’t work because all I could think about was Auri.

His face kept replaying in my mind like a soft loop I couldn’t turn off—the way he looked during our video call earlier. His tired eyes, like he was carrying something heavy but still trying to smile through it.

The way he ran a hand through his hair when he didn’t know what to say.

My phone buzzed.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

At first, I ignored it. Baka group chat lang, or random notifications. But it kept going.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

I frowned, pulling my phone out of my bag.

My heart skipped, it was

Auri.

Missed call (1)

Missed call (2)

Missed call (3)

Kinakabahan ako hindi ko sinagot ang tawag niya.

May notif

📩From Auri:

Hey… I miss you Nav! Musta kana?

Tinignan kulang yung message niya.

📩From Auri:

I miss you damn much, Nav! Please reply my messages, let's talk🥺

I hugged my pillow tighter, my chest feeling warm and heavy at the same time.

📩From Auri:

I know… I didn’t answer your calls before.

📩From Auri:

Look, I'm really orry for not answering your calls and not replying your messages or even update man lang nung nakarating ako dito sa Australia huhu.

📩 From Auri:

I’m really sorry, Navy.

I stared at the screen, my heart skipping.

Outside, the wind moved softly against the window. Inside, everything felt louder.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard, but I didn’t reply right away.

Hours later called he again.

Ringing…

Ringing…

I just ignored his calls and then he sent a voice message

📩From Auri:

I know I don’t deserve a reply....

📩From Auri:

Pero please… pakinggan mo lang ako kahit saglit.

📩From Auri:

I didn't ignore you dahil wala akong pake.

I read his message while my tears falling.

📩From Auri:

Inignore kita… kasi natakot ako.

I turned off my phone immediately and sleep.

______________________________________

Ilang araw na ang nakalipas simula noong nag message at tumawag si Auri sa'kin.

The sky this afternoon looked undecided parang ako lang. Half-blue, half-gray, like it couldn’t choose between staying bright or giving in to the rain.

I sat on the worn-out wooden bench near the school garden, tracing circles on my notebook kahit wala naman akong sinusulat.

“Uy, Navy, sasabay ka ba?” tanong ni Solenne habang inaayos ang bag niya.

I shook my head, offering a small smile. “Mauna na kayo. May aantayin lang ako.”

Hindi ko alam kung sino ba talaga ang hinihintay ko.... maybe it's just a reason to stay a little longer.

Pagkaalis nila, mas lalong tumahimik ang paligid. The kind of silence that makes your thoughts louder. I leaned back, staring at the branches above me, watching how the leaves danced with the wind.

It reminded me of him, Auri.

Hindi ko napigilang mapangiti nang bahagya, kahit may kasamang kirot. Naaisip ko yung mga panahon na nag-usap kami, nag-asaran, nagkakulitan…..

I hugged my notebook tighter to my chest.

“Bakit ba kasi ganto?” bulong ko, not even sure if I was talking about him… or myself.

After a whole year of silence, his name suddenly appeared on her phone. One missed call. Then another. Then messages that kept coming like they had been waiting too long to be sent.

I remembered how I just stared at the screen, unmoving. I thumb hovered over the call and over the reply box so many times.

I didn’t answer his calls, I didn’t reply to his messages, and I still hasn’t.

Now, sitting here at school, I could still feel the weight of that moment in my chest. Not anger… not exactly.

More like confusion wrapped in something I didn’t want to name.

Bakit ngayon lang?

That question kept repeating in my head like a broken record.

I lowered my gaze to the ground, watching the shadows of leaves sway over my shoes. She could still remember the way my heart reacted when I saw his name like it had been waiting for him even when I told myself I wasn’t.

But I couldn’t just forget the year he was gone. No messages, no update walang kamusta and now he wanted to talk like time hadn’t changed anything?

My phone was still in my pocket. I knew it was there (the message)

I also knew I wasn’t ready to look at it again.

So I stayed still on that bench, letting the noise of the school pass through me while I stayed trapped in the silence Auri left behind and the one I was choosing now.

Replyan ko kaya siya!?" Tanong ko sa isip ko. Kinuha ko kaagad ang phone in my pocket and I replied his messages!

📩To Auri:

Why now, Auri?

Iyan talaga ang tanong ko simula kahapon, bakit ngayon pa??

📩From Auri:

Because I don't want to hurt you, I want you to focus your dream and not to disturb you. Gusto ko na masanay ka na wala ako sa tabi....

At pagkabasa ko sa message nya parang gumuho ang Mundo ko. Fuckkk!!!!

📩To Auri:

Fuck, Auri! Sa ginawa mo mas sinaktan mo ako, even update man lang na na siya kana sa Australia, or even just words like I'm okay, wala. And yeah nasanay na ako na wala ka.

I exhaled shakily.

📩From Auri:

I'm really sorry Nav...

Ang bilis yung t***k ng puso ko.

📩To Auri:

It's okay, Auri! And maybe you're right kailangan muna natin mag focus sa mga pangarap natin.

📩From Auri:

Nav....

Ang sakit sakit gusto kung awayin siya pero hindi ko magawa,

📩From Auri:

I promise Navy, mag re-reply na ako sayo, tatawag na ako just please forgive me. I'll do everything that you want, patawin mulang ako huhu.

Gustong gusto ko iparamdam sa kanya ang sakit na nararamdaman ko kung mga panahon baliwala lang ako sa kanya, gustong gusto ko.

📩To Auri:

Everything that I want??

📩From Auri:

Yeah, everything baby

📩To Auri:

Let's be stranger for me and focus to our dreams. No calls, no messages wala kahit ano. You can only talk me once graduate na tayo and become successful in life.

📩To Auri:

You can only message me kung pauwi kana dito sa Pilipinas and I'll wait for you Auri.

📩From Auri:

No, no, no baby I don't want us to be stranger huhu! I promise nag re-reply na ako tatawag ako wag lang ganyan huhu

📩To Auri:

You want me to forgive you, right!? Then do it.

📩To Auri:

Take care of yourself always Auri and good in your life without me.

Gusto kung kausapin siya, kamusta siya, kung kamusta sa Australia, kung okay lang ba siya, kung na miss nya ba ako pero dahil letching reason nya gusto ko nalang na hindi kami mag usap.

📩From Auri:

No, no, no baby please no

📩From Auri:

Baby....

📩From Auri:

I can't

📩From Auri:

I'm really sorry, I don't want us to be stranger baby

📩From Auri:

Baby please....

Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko ang alam kulang subra akong nasasakyan ngayon, tumutulo na ang mga luha ko at pinagtitinginan na ako nga mga students dito pero hindi ko nalang pinansin dahil sa sikat na nararamdaman ko.

📩From Auri:

Kahit ayaw mo akong kausapin, kahit galit ka pa, kahit late na ako....

📩From Auri:

I’ll still try, I won't give up baby! I do love you, I love you so much Navy Celeste Sinclair.

Ang bigat nga nararamdaman ko ngayon, para akong pinagdugtungan ng langit at lupa, bigla nalang may nag abot ng panyo sa'kin at pagtingin ko it was Jace.

Umiyak kalang ilabas mo lahat lahat, nandito lang ako sasamahan kita Celeste"aniya niya

Pinapunas ko kaagad ang mga luha ko,"salamat Jace" and I smiled.

Hindi kapa ba uuwi Jace???" Tanong ko

Kung uuwi kana uuwi narin ako" he answered.

Sabay na kami ni Jace palabas ng school at pagkadating nagpa alam na ako sa kanya,

Bye na Jace mag ingat ka, lalabhan ko muna itong panyo ko bago ko I suli" aniya ko and he laughed

Sige na Celeste, mag ingat ka ha" Jace said with a soft voice.