Chapter 7
1419 Words
Two days later.
Magkasama na naman sila sa meeting — this time para pag-usapan ang collab ng Navarro Beauty at Ybañez Resorts.
Private room. Walang ibang staff. Just the two of them.
Disaster waiting to happen.
“Alaric, this layout is already clean. Huwag mo nang pakialaman 'yung font,” Stine said with a tight smile.
“Loud masyado. Parang ikaw lang,” he muttered, peeking over her laptop.
She turned to him slowly. “Excuse me?”
“Bakit ba laging ganyan yang design mo? Laging may pa-burst of color, may drama.”
“Mas okay naman ‘yun kaysa sa logo ng resort mo na parang may cult vibes,” she shot back.
“Professionalism, Stine.”
“Look who’s talking.”
Tumayo si Stine para iabot ang sample board sa kabilang side, at sakto namang tumayo rin si Alaric. Their faces were suddenly too close.
Literally just inches apart.
Nagkatinginan sila. Tumigil ang mundo for a second.
“You enjoy this, don’t you?” he whispered.
Stine raised a brow. “Enjoy what? Yung lagi kitang inaasar?”
“No,” he said, leaning in slightly. “Yung tension.”
“Wow. Assuming ka talaga, no?” she fired back, pero hindi niya maalis ang titig sa mga mata niya.
He smirked. “Tell me you don’t feel anything right now.”
“Wala akong nararamda—”
But then… nahulog ang ballpen ni Stine sa floor. She stepped back, her heel caught on the leg of the chair, and—
BOOM.
Napatulak siya kay Alaric. He caught her instinctively, hands firm on her waist.
And before either of them could react—
Naghalikan sila.
Accidental. Unplanned. Pero matagal.
The second their lips touched, both of them froze. Pero hindi sila umatras. Neither moved away.
And then—
She kissed him back. Just for a second.
Napapikit si Alaric. One hand moved to her back. Her hands gripped his shirt.
But when they finally pulled away, parehong gulat. Parehong hingal.
Stine blinked, eyes wide. “Wait—ano 'yon?!”
Alaric stared at her, chest rising and falling. “Ikaw ang nakabangga—”
“Eh bakit hindi ka umatras?!” she barked, cheeks flushing.
“Bakit ikaw hindi?” he challenged.
She stepped back, tuloy-tuloy ang lakad papalayo. “That didn’t mean anything!”
“Sure,” he said, voice low. “Kung 'yan ang palusot mo.”
He watched her go — lips still tingling, heart still pounding.
And for the first time, both of them knew:
This wasn’t just tension anymore.
Something was shifting.
And there was no turning back.
Pagkasara ng pinto ng conference room, lakad-reyna agad si Stine palabas ng building.
Diretso sa parking lot.
Diretso sa sasakyan.
Pag-upo pa lang sa driver's seat, BOOM — sumabog na ang damdamin niya.
“Ano bang ginawa ko?!”
She slammed her palms on the steering wheel. “Stine, ano ba ‘to?!”
Nagkatinginan lang sila... and then boom. Kiss. Lips. Heat. Ang tagal pa.
Napapikit siya, recalling how tight his arms felt around her waist. The way his lips moved—rough at first, then surprisingly soft. Yung hawak niya, firm pero hindi pilit. Yung titig pagkatapos…
"Ugh!" she groaned, shaking her head.
“Wala 'yon. Wala 'yon. It meant nothing.”
Pero ang puso niya?
Tumatakbo.
Bilis.
Galit ba ‘to? Guilt? Attraction? All of the above?
Nag-vibrate ang phone niya. Message from Theo:
> “Meeting done? Sunduin ka na namin?”
She took a deep breath.
Perfect distraction.
“Yes. Please. Let’s drink. Like, hard drink. Now na.”
Later That Night – Theo’s Condo
Theo. Jace. Ram. All three were waiting with a bottle of tequila and concern on their faces.
“Okay, spill,” Jace said habang nilalapag ang shot glass.
“Did something happen sa meeting?” Ram asked, scooting closer.
Stine looked at them one by one.
And then she downed her first shot.
“Guys…” she whispered, clutching the glass.
“I kissed Alaric.”
Collective gasp.
“WHAT?!” sabay-sabay silang tatlo.
“Kayo, quiet!” she hissed. “Hindi sinasadya!”
“Paano naging ‘accidental’ ang kiss na ‘yon?” Theo narrowed his eyes.
“Alam mo ‘yung nag-aaway kayo tapos biglang magkadikit ang mukha niyo tapos nahulog ako tapos sinalo niya tapos—ayun na!”
“Ang daming ‘tapos,’ pero isa lang ang tanong,” Jace said, leaning forward. “Nag-enjoy ka ba?”
“Jace!” she shouted, pero namumula na ang mukha niya.
Ram smirked. “So… hindi mo siya sinampal after?”
“No!” she groaned, covering her face with both hands. “I just ran out. Kasi—ugh! I don’t even know what I feel right now!”
Tahimik ang lahat.
Then Theo leaned forward and said softly, “Maybe… it’s time to stop pretending na wala kang nararamdaman.”
She looked at him, startled.
“Hindi naman kami gago, Stine. We know you hate him… but not really,” Ram added with a knowing smile.
Stine took another shot.
And whispered to herself.
“What if I’m falling for the man I swore I’d never want?”
"Just follow your heart okey? If you feel something about him, then so be it.", sabi ni Theo.
Alaric stared at the ceiling of his condo, arms folded behind his head.
It had been hours since that kiss.
And yet, every damn second — paulit-ulit. Her eyes, the way she tasted, the surprised gasp sa pagitan ng labi nila.
"Putcha." He ran a hand through his hair.
Bakit ba ganon ka-intense?
And more importantly — bakit siya?
Stine Navarro, of all people.
The girl who makes his blood boil.
The same girl who once threatened to pour wine on his head during a family gala. The girl who always calls him a playboy with no depth.
And yet… she kissed him back.
"Tangina," he muttered. "It wasn’t supposed to feel like that."
Later – Ybañez Penthouse Bar Lounge
“Bro,” Eli said, slumping beside him with a beer. “Ang tahimik mo today. Parang hindi ikaw.”
“Yeah,” Zion added, plopping on the couch. “Usually by this time, naka-text ka na sa tatlong babae. Ngayon, ang hawak mo lang… remote?”
Alaric didn’t respond. He was just staring blankly at the muted TV screen playing some news segment.
Eli leaned closer. “May nangyari?”
Zion squinted. “Don’t tell me—Stine?”
Alaric blinked, slightly startled. “Ha? Anong ‘Stine’?”
“Oh sh*t,” Zion said. “Tama nga kami. Something did happen.”
Walang sagot.
“Wait lang,” Eli sat up. “Don’t tell me… you kissed her?”
Alaric took a sip of his drink. “She kissed me.”
Both friends stared at him.
Zion laughed. “Hala. Game over.”
Eli whistled. “How was it?”
Alaric closed his eyes briefly. “She kissed me like… she hated me. Then like she didn’t.”
Silence.
Eli exchanged a look with Zion.
“Bro,” Eli said slowly, “are you… into her?”
“Of course not,” Alaric scoffed. “She’s annoying. High-strung. Mataray. Competitive. Laging galit. Laging defensive.”
“Pero?”
Alaric looked down at his glass. “Pero… she's also smart. Fearless. Passionate. And loyal to the people she loves.”
Zion let out a low whistle. “Ayun na nga. Love letter na ‘to.”
Alaric shook his head. “No, man. She’s not for me. She deserves someone… calmer. Mas mabait. Hindi ako.”
“You mean someone not you?” Zion asked.
Eli smirked. “You’re scared, bro.”
Alaric fell silent.
Then finally admitted, voice low, “I didn’t know she was a virgin.”
The room stilled.
“Wait—what?” Zion nearly choked on his drink.
“During that night. In New York. Before all this... mess. Sa bar. We... slept together.”
Eli sat up straighter. “And you didn’t know?”
“Hindi ko talaga alam. And when I found out… may dugo. She looked terrified. I just… froze.”
Silence again.
“You’re falling, man,” Eli said, seriously this time. “You’re not just attracted to her. You’re starting to care.”
Zion nodded. “Kaya ka natataranta.”
Alaric leaned back against the couch, suddenly exhausted.
“What if I already f*cked it up before it even started?”
- Writer
