Chapter 13 | The Featured Week
1142 Words
Cassie's POV
_12 girls with phones changed everything._
Thursday.
Day 1 of Featured.
My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.
*Dreame:* `Reads +2,400 in 2 hours.`
*Dreame:* `Library +67.`
*Dreame:* `$10 Daily Bonus Credited.`
Mimi was jumping on my couch.
“We’re famous!”
“We’re not famous, baby,” I said.
“We’re featured.”
Dante was in the kitchen.
Silent.
Cooking.
He was quiet when he was nervous.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“1,800 reads yesterday. 2,400 in 2 hours today,” I said.
“This is working.”
He didn’t turn.
“Don’t jinx it.”
I laughed.
“You’re superstitious?”
“I’m a chef,” he said.
“We don’t jinx food.”
---
At 10AM, I opened my shop.
There was a line.
A line.
Outside my 2x2 shop.
“Ate, ikaw si Miss E?”
A girl asked. 16. Holding her phone.
“Uh… yes?”
“Can I have a signed sunflower?”
I blinked.
“Signed?”
“Yes! Dreame readers. We’re here.”
Behind her: 12 people.
All girls.
All holding phones.
`The Single Dad Next Door` on their screens.
My hands shook.
Dante came out from 4B.
“What’s happening?”
“Fans,” I whispered.
He stared.
“For flowers?”
“For us,” one girl said.
“Chapter 12 made me cry. The 3-second hand hold.”
Dante’s ears went red.
“Uh,” he said.
“Sunflowers are ₱150.”
They bought 24 sunflowers in 1 hour.
₱3,600.
In 1 hour.
Mimi sat on the table.
“Welcome to FAMILY shop!”
A girl filmed her.
“Ang cute! Can I post this?”
“Yes!” Mimi said.
“Tag us! @MissE_Author”
At 12PM, my phone buzzed.
*Dreame Editor:*
`Miss E, your book is trending #3 in Contemporary Romance PH.`
I showed Dante.
He read it.
Twice.
“#3,” he said.
“Yes.”
He nodded.
Once.
“Good.”
That was it.
But his hands were shaking when he cut the stems.
---
At 3PM, we closed early.
Sold out.
₱4,800.
We sat on the floor of my shop.
Counting money.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“We made more today than I did in 2 months.”
“I know.”
“Is this real?”
He looked at me.
“It’s real if we don’t waste it.”
“On what?”
“Rent. Restock. Mimi’s school.”
“School?” I blinked.
“She’s 5.”
“Kindergarten next year,” he said.
“I haven’t thought about it in 3 years.”
My chest hurt.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“Thank you for thinking about it now.”
He didn’t answer.
---
At 5PM, we went home.
Mimi was tired.
She slept on the couch.
Dante and I sat at the table.
Laptop open.
“Chapter 13,” I said.
“Write it,” he said.
“What about?”
“The Featured Week,” he said.
“The line. The fear.”
So I did.
`Chapter 13 | The Featured Week`
`She didn’t expect a line.`
`He didn’t expect to be seen.`
`But 12 girls with phones changed everything.`
`Because when people read your story, they don’t just see characters.`
`They see you.`
Dante read over my shoulder.
“Delete that last line,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because they see me too,” he said.
“And I don’t know if I want that.”
I deleted it.
We published at 7PM.
1,214 words.
---
At 8PM, Dante left for work.
I walked him to the door.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“Be careful.”
“I always am.”
“No,” I said.
“Be careful with you.”
He looked at me.
“Cassie.”
“What?”
“If this gets too big…”
“What?”
“I don’t know how to be big,” he said.
“I only know how to be quiet.”
“Then be quiet with me,” I said.
“I’m loud enough for both of us.”
He almost smiled.
He left.
---
At 11PM, my phone buzzed.
*Dante:* `Kitchen’s slow. 50 people. Not 200. Good.`
*Me:* `Reads: 5,100 now.`
*Dante:* `Don’t look.`
*Me:* `Too late.`
*Dante:* `Come home early.`
My heart stopped.
*Me:* `Why?`
*Dante:* `Because Mimi asked for you.`
I grabbed my bag.
At 11:30PM, I was at the hotel.
Security stopped me.
“Ma’am, kitchen is staff only.”
“I’m looking for Dante Morales.”
“Chef Morales is at the back.”
I walked in.
Hot. Loud. Smell of garlic and butter.
Dante was at his station.
Sweat on his neck.
Focused.
Knife moving fast.
He looked up.
Saw me.
He didn’t smile.
He just nodded.
To the corner.
I went.
He came to me during break.
5 minutes.
“What are you doing here?”
“You said come home,” I said.
“This isn’t home.”
“It is,” I said.
“Where you are.”
He stared at me.
“Cassie.”
“What?”
“Go home.”
“Make me.”
He didn’t.
He just handed me a box.
“Pandesal,” he said.
“Hot. For Mimi.”
I took it.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“Thank you.”
He nodded.
I left.
---
At 12:05AM, I was home.
Mimi was awake.
“Ate Cass!”
She hugged the pandesal.
“Daddy said!”
We ate.
At 12:30AM, Dante came home.
He looked at us.
On the floor.
Eating pandesal.
He didn’t say anything.
He just sat down.
And ate with us.
At 1AM, Mimi was asleep.
Dante and I were still on the floor.
“5,100 reads,” I said.
“I know.”
“#3 trending.”
“I know.”
“Dante.”
“What?”
“I’m scared,” I said.
“Because this is too good.”
He looked at me.
“Then don’t look at it,” he said.
“Look at this.”
He gestured.
At me.
At Mimi’s room.
At the pandesal crumbs.
“Right now,” he said.
“This is real.
The rest is numbers.”
I nodded.
He stood up.
“Bed,” he said.
“You take it.”
“Dante—”
“I’ll sleep here,” he said.
“Again.”
I didn’t argue.
I lay down.
He lay on the floor.
2 feet away.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“Thank you for the pandesal.”
“Thank you for coming.”
Silence.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Cassie.”
We didn’t say _I love you_.
We said _goodnight_.
And it felt like more.
_End of Chapter 13_
- Writer
