Stolen Glances

Chapter 15

[Navy's POV]

October 10, Sunday. I woke up earlier than usual, even though it was supposed to be a rest day. The sunlight slipped through the thin curtains of my room, brushing softly against my face, but my mind was already wide awake long before that. Today wasn’t just any ordinary Sunday. Today was Jace’s birthday.

And we had a plan, I lay on my bed for a few more seconds, staring at the ceiling, letting the thought settle in my chest. There was something about birthdays, something about celebrating a person that made everything feel more fragile, more important. And Jace… he wasn’t just anyone he's my friend...pero special parin si Auri.

“Focus, Navy,” I whispered to myself, sitting up quickly. “You have things to do.”

I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and checked the time. 7:12 AM. Too early for most people, but perfect for someone who had a surprise to pull off. My messages with Solenne and Marco were still open from last night.

Plan:

*Meet at 9 AM

*Buy cake

*Decorations (simple lang, wag obvious)

*Bring Jace sa place by 3 PM

Simple, but also not simple at all.

I got out of bed and moved quickly, as if slowing down would somehow ruin everything. I picked out a simple outfit something comfortable, something that wouldn’t make Jace suspicious. A white shirt, denim jeans, and sneakers.

Nothing special. I didn’t want today to look special, not yet.

But inside me, everything already felt different.

By 9 AM, I was outside, the morning air still fresh and quiet. Sundays always had this calm feeling, like the world was taking a deep breath before another week begins. I spotted Solenne first, waving at me with that bright energy she always had.

“Ang aga mo ah,” she teased, crossing her arms.

“Mas maaga ka,” I shot back, smiling.

Marco arrived a few minutes later, slightly out of breath. “Grabe kayo, parang may exam.”

“Mas importante ‘to,” Solenne said dramatically. “Birthday ni Jace eh.”

I tried not to react too much, but I felt it again, that small, unexplainable flutter in my chest when his name was mentioned.

“Okay, focus,” I said. “We need to get everything before lunch.”

We walked together, talking about the plan, adjusting small details, arguing over what kind of cake to buy.

Solenne wanted something fancy, Marco wanted something big and I just wanted something… meaningful.

In the end, we chose something simple but nice but unforgettable. Jace liked chocolate.

“Classic,” Marco said, nodding in approval.

“Safe choice,” Solenne added.

By noon, everything was ready.

We managed to borrow a small space, just a simple place where we could set everything up. Nothing grand, just a few decorations, a cake, and us. That was enough.

While Solenne and Marco handled the decorations, I sat for a moment, staring at the small box in my hands, my gift.

I hadn’t told them about it. I didn’t know why, maybe because it felt too personal. Too quiet compared to everything else.

I opened it slightly, just enough to see what was inside. A simple bracelet. Nothing expensive, just something I thought he could wear every day.

“Para maalala niya…” I whispered softly, not finishing the sentence.

Para maalala niya ako.

I quickly closed the box, shaking my head. “Ano ba, Navy,” I muttered. “It’s just a gift.”

At around 2 PM, it was time for the hardest part. Getting Jace.

“Okay,” Marco said, stretching. “Sino magdadala?”

Solenne immediately looked at me.

I frowned. “Why me?”

“Dahil hindi siya mag su-suspect sauo,” she said, grinning. “At saka… ikaw yung pinaka-close niya.”

I didn’t respond right away.

Close, was I?

I exhaled softly. “Fine. I’ll go.”

I found Jace exactly where I expected him to be. Basketball court, of course.

He was alone, casually shooting hoops, like it was just another normal day. Like it wasn’t his birthday, like it didn’t matter.

“Jace!” I called out.

He turned, slightly surprised. “Navy? What are you doing here?”

I walked closer, pretending to be casual. “Wala, bored. Ikaw?”

“Same,” he said with a small shrug. “It’s just Sunday.”

I looked at him for a moment, studying his expression. There was nothing there, no excitement and no expectation.

“Hey,” I said. “Samahan mo ‘ko.”

“Saan?”

“Basta.”

He raised an eyebrow na para bang hindi makapaniwala.”

“Wow, over huh! So hindi na pwede magyaya?” I teased.

He chuckled. “Seryoso ba?”

“Oo nga, oa mo masyado,” I said quickly. “tara ba libre ko.”

He stared at me for a second longer, like he was trying to figure something out, then he sighed.

“Bihis muna ako, saglit Celeste” aniya niya.

After ilang minuto tapos na magbihis si Jace, he's wearing a white sando and black short. Kitang kita yung mga muscles niya na parang inaakit ka.

Naglakad na kami. Every step, every second, I was worried he might figure it out. That he might notice something, that the surprise would fall apart before it even happened.

“Ang tahimik mo,” Jace suddenly said.

“Ha?”

“You’re usually more talkative.”

I forced a small laugh. “Nag-iisip lang.”

“About?”

I hesitated.“You,” I almost said.

“Wala lang,” I answered instead.

He didn’t push it.

When we finally arrived, I stopped in front of the door.

“Wait here,” I said.

“Why?”

“Maghintay ka nga diba ang daming tanong” i laughed and teased him

He crossed his arms but nodded. “Okay po, Celeste.”

I took a deep breath before opening the door slightly and nagsignal ako kay Solenne and Marco.

Everything was ready. Lights off, cake in place, decorations simple but warm.

“Okay,” I whispered. “Ready.”I stepped back outside.

“Pasok na tayo.”

Jace walked in slowly, clearly confused. And then....“Surprise!”

The lights turned on, Solenne and Marco popped out, grinning widely.

“Happy Birthday, Jace!”

For a moment, everything felt still.

Jace stood there, frozen, eyes scanning the room, taking everything in.

“You guys…” he said softly.

I watched his expression change confusion turning into surprise, then into something quieter, something deeper.

“You remembered,” he said.

“Of course we did,” Marco replied.

“Anong akala mo sa’min?” Solenne added.

I stayed quiet, just watching him and then his eyes found mine.

Happy birthday, Jace." Bati ko

“Thank you,” he smiled softly.

It's simple, but it felt like it meant more than just those two words.

The afternoon passed in laughter.

We ate, talked, joked around like we always did. Nothing too dramatic, nothing too big but it felt complete.

At one point, Jace was laughing so hard, and I found myself just… staring at him.

Like I wanted to memorize that moment. Like I didn’t want it to end.

“Uy,” Solenne whispered beside me. “Anong tinitigan mo diyan, huh?” she teased me.

I quickly looked away. “Hindi ah.”

She smirked but didn’t say anything else.

As the sun slowly began to set, everything started to quiet down.

Marco left first, then Solenne.

Until it was just me and Jace.

“Hatid na kita, Celeste.” he said.

“Oum sige ba,” I replied softly.

We walked side by side, the evening air cooler now, calmer.

“Best birthday I’ve had in a while,” he suddenly said.

I smiled. “Really?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “Simple, but… I don’t know. It felt real.”

I didn’t know why, but that made my chest tighten.

“I’m glad to heard that,” I said.

We walked a little more in silence, then I remembered.

“Wait,” I said, stopping.

“Hmm?”

I took out the small box from my bag.

“I almost forgot.” I handed it to him.

“What’s this?” tanong niya sa'kin

“Just… open it.”

And when he saw it, he smiled, not the loud and joking kind of smiles. But something softer.

“Bracelet?”

“Yeah,” I said, suddenly feeling shy. “Nothing special.”

“It is,” he said. I looked up at him.

“It is special,” he repeated.

He put it on immediately.

“Fits,” he said.

I laughed softly. “Good.”

When we reached my house, I stopped at the gate.

“Thank you ulit,” he said.

“For what?”tanong ko

“For today.” he said softly

I shook my head. “You don’t have to thank me naman eh.”

“I do, thankful na thankful ako sayo Nav.”

There was a pause, aquiet one." Oum sige na Jace" aniya ko

Mag-ingat ka pauwi Jace,"dagdag ko. Akmang tatalikod na sana ako...

“Goodnight, Navy.” Jace said

I smiled “Goodnight, Jace.”

He turned and started to walk away.

And I stayed there, watching him, until he disappeared from view.

______________________________________

That night, I lay on my bed again, staring at the ceiling.

Just like this morning, but everything felt different now.

My phone buzzed.

From Jace:

“Thank you… for everything Nav. Hindi ko makakalimutan ang araw na ‘to.”

Then another message popped up.

From Jace:

“Still wearing it." Napangiti ako pagkabasa ko sa message niya.

I stared at the message longer than I should have.

To Jace:

“Good! Don’t lose it huh.”

From Jace:

“I won’t, napaka importante to sa'kin...dahil bigay mo to.”

I stared at the screen for a while longer. My fingers hovered over the screen.

Then I typed, stopped, deleted, typed again and then I locked my phone instead.

Some things… I wasn’t ready to say yet.

But today, today was enough.

October 10, Sunday. Jace’s birthday, and maybe… one of the days I’d always remember.