CHAPTER 4 CONFESSION
837 Words
The silence between us in the bar felt heavier than any words could carry. Joaquin’s shoulders slumped, his eyes distant, as if the weight of the world had been pressing down on him. I wanted to say something—anything—to break the tension. But before I could, he muttered under his breath, his words muffled but sharp enough to cut through me.
“I’m in love with you, Thea.” He said
I froze. For a moment, I thought I had misheard. My heart stopped, my lungs forgot how to breathe.
“You… what?” My voice cracked, too soft, too stunned.
He turned to me then, his eyes glossy with alcohol but honest in their ache. “I’ve been in love with you for years, Thea. You’re not just my best friend. You’re… everything. And I’m so tired of pretending I don’t feel this way.”
My mind spun, colliding with a thousand thoughts. I had always assumed his protectiveness, his loyalty, his constant presence...it was just friendship. Familiarity. Nothing more.
I never realized…
“Joaquin…” I whispered, bu wet the rest of my words tangled helplessly.
He sighed and leaned back against the counter, closing his eyes briefly. “I know it’s selfish. I know you probably don’t see me that way. But every time I see you with him—with Cobe—it feels like I’m drowning.”
Hearing his voice c***k nearly shattered me. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t even jealous. He was broken. I swallowed hard, blinking away the sting in my eyes.
“Let’s… let’s get you home.”
......
The taxi ride was quiet. Joaquin leaned against the window, his breathing heavy, while I sat beside him, replaying his words over and over in my head. My chest ached in ways I didn’t understand. When we finally reached his house, I paid the driver and helped Joaquin out, slinging his arm over my shoulder.
His home was a modest two-story house with a warm glow seeping from the living room window. As soon as I opened the door, a small voice chirped,
“Kuya!”
A little girl came running toward us, her hair tied in two uneven ponytails, her cheeks round and flushed. She couldn’t have been older than six.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I said softly, smiling despite the heaviness in my chest.
Her eyes lit up the moment she saw me. “Ate Thea!” She squealed and hugged my waist tightly. “You’re here again! Does that mean you’re finally going to be my kuya’s girlfriend?”
My face flushed crimson. “W-What?”
The girl pouted dramatically, crossing her small arms. “Kuya always says you’re special. I want you to be my real Ate. Please?”
I glanced at Joaquin, who groaned softly, his face buried against my shoulder. He was too drunk to defend himself.
“I think it’s time for bed, little one,” I said gently, crouching down to her level. “Your kuya’s really tired tonight.”
She pouted again but eventually gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before scampering off, humming happily as if she had already decided her brother’s love life.
My heart twisted. Even his sister saw something I had been blind to all this time.
.....
With effort, I helped Joaquin up the stairs and into his room. It was neat books stacked by the shelves, sketches pinned on the wall, a faint scent of cedar lingering in the air.
“Here we are,” I whispered, easing him onto the bed. He flopped down, his eyes half-open, gazing at me with a softness that made my chest constrict.
“You didn’t have to…” he murmured.
“Of course I did,” I replied, brushing his hair back from his forehead. “You’ve always been there for me. I won’t leave you now.”
I turned to leave, giving him space to rest. But before I could take a step, his hand shot out, gripping my wrist.
“Thea,” he whispered, his voice raw.
I looked back, startled. “Joaquin—”
In one swift motion, he pulled me closer, and I stumbled forward, losing balance. My palms landed against his chest just as his lips crashed into mine.
Time seemed to stop....
His kiss was desperate, unsteady, yet filled with everything he had left unsaid for years. My heart raced wildly, my thoughts scattering into fragments.
I hadn’t expected this. I hadn’t prepared for it. But in that suspended moment, I couldn’t move away. When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, his breath warm and uneven.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “But I couldn’t let you leave without knowing.”
I stood frozen, my pulse thrumming in my ears, my lips still tingling from his touch.
And for the first time in my life, I realized that maybe… maybe Joaquin had always been more than just my best friend.
- Writer
