THE DEAL BETWEEN US

Boracay

only had three hours to be at the airport.

My suitcase laid open on the bed, empty . Its mouth gaping as if waiting for instructions I hadn't given. Clothes were neatly folded on a chair, still untouched, shoes lined up against the wall. Toiletries scattered everywhere.

I stood in the middle of the room arms crossed staring at it all with visible irritation and frustration. Packing felt like war .

"You know", Michael said from the doorway , eyes sweeping the room keenly. " Some people start packing , before the day of travel".

I didn't even look at him. " I am starting".

Gabrielle who was seated on the bed ,lifted an eyebrow and cut in sharply . "You mean contemplating".

"I pack mentally first " . I said and everyone burst into laughter.

Michael stepped inside . "Mental packing doesn't help you get on your flight early".

“What exactly are you planning to wear in Boracay?” Gabrielle asked. “Because half of this looks like office attire.”

“I might have meetings,” I replied.

Michael laughed once. “On the beach?”

“You never know.”

Gabrielle sighed but continued sorting through the clothes anyway, separating dresses from blazers, practical from unnecessary. I watched them work, a quiet relief settling in my chest. I hated packing. The decisions, the finality of it. The feeling that once the suitcase closed, there was no going back.

My phone buzzed on the bed.

Priscilla.

I glanced at the screen but didn’t open the message.

“She’s not coming early, is she?” Michael asked without looking up.

“No,” I said. “She said she’ll meet us in Boracay, she can't make it to the airport either ".

Gabrielle paused for half a second, then resumed folding. “Of course she will.”

Michael’s mouth twisted slightly. “That should end well.”

"Please guys no fighting when we get there , I know Priscilla can be a pain in the ass but please for my sake ignore her". I pleaded with them.

"Okay , we've heard, but talk to her too " . They both said in sync

I didn’t respond. I moved toward the window instead, watching the city stretch beneath me—Makati in its usual controlled chaos. Traffic. Noise. Glass buildings reflecting ambition and exhaustion in equal measure.

Boracay felt unreal by comparison. White sand, open water, space to breathe.

Maybe that was why I hadn’t packed yet.

“Passport?” Gabrielle asked suddenly.

I froze.

Michael turned slowly. “Please tell me that was rhetorical.”

I reached for my bag, fingers moving too quickly, and exhaled only when i felt the familiar leather cover.

“Got it,” I said .

Michael dropped onto the couch. “I swear, one day you’ll miss a flight and blame capitalism.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Gabrielle zipped the suitcase halfway and stood. “Finish up. We’re leaving in forty minutes

I nodded, finally kneeling by the bed to start placing things inside.

Boracay was supposed to be a break.

I just didn't get why I needed that break .

"Hellooo Boracay!" Michael said excited as we entered our hotel room . " And hello handsome's ". Gabrielle added and we all giggled.

I went towards the balcony it was directly facing the beach sunlight spilled everywhere, too warm ,too bright ,too comfortable—bringing a wave of childhood nostalgia”.

"Ummm Cass " . Michael disrupted my thoughts . " Are you just going to stand there or get into your bikini and let's go grace the beauty of Boracay .

"Okay , okay I'm coming ".I said and left the balcony.

White sand stretched endlessly under our feet , the sea , so beautiful . The air smelled like salt , sunscreen and freedom.

"This place is too illegal for me to be responsible " . Micheal muttered and stepped into the sand. " How is anyone supposed to have morals here ?".

Gabrielle laughed , pushing her sunglasses higher " speak for yourself Mich".

I stood still for a moment , my bikini clung to my body . My chest felt lighter as if some invisible burden I didn’t even know I carried had been lifted.”

Michael took out his phone "picture times babes". We all gathered around and posed.

"Everybody leave! Cassandra, pose! Michael, action! Time to update your socials. Come on, give me some thirst-trap poses, Cassy!" Gabrielle said excitedly.

After taking all the pictures, they all wanted me to post them.

"Post this, Cass! You look stunning!" Michael said.

"But I don't want to, it's too open," I protested.

"Nonsense!" Gabrielle shot back. "It's called a thirst trap for a reason. "Ang sexy mo talaga!"( You're very sexy).

She snatched my phone and posted it anyway. With the caption " sexy is in Boracay"

"There, done! Your fans are going to lose it," she said, grinning.

I groaned, "I swear, one day I’ll make you pay for this."

Michael laughed. "Please, you just gave everyone a free show. Own it, Cass!"

I shook my head, smiling despite myself. Boracay was already working its magic.

"Last one to get into the water is a hippo." Gabrielle shouted , and we all ran into the water , screaming .

We all laughed and splashed like idiots, the water cool against our skin, the sun warm on our shoulders. Gabrielle shouted something about doing cannonballs, Michael tried to teach me how to float, and for a moment, everything felt weightless.

After a while, we climbed out, dripping and sandy, towels in hand, and headed toward our room.

Night in Boracay was louder, warmer, messier.

Music thumped through the sand, laughter rising over the waves. Lights shimmered everywhere—gold, pink, blue—like the island itself was flirting with everyone at once.

I wore a light sundress, hair loose, skin kissed by the sun. I felt… different. Less armored.

Michael raised his glass. " To the handsome boys on this Island".

“Speak for yourself,” I said, clinking mine against his and Gabrielle..

That’s when Gabrielle leaned in, eyes fixed on something behind me.

“Cass,” she said slowly . "She's here".

And there she was.

Priscilla—bronzed, glowing, dressed in a sundress , A drink already in her hand , smile—sharp and triumphant..

"Hello ladies and wannabe ladies...."

"CASSS..." Micheal drawled my name indicating that if I didn't say anything now he was going to explode..

"Priscilla!" I said firmly.

"Relax everybody , it's a joke " , she scoffed. " Sorry I'm late , I had to do something in the office, so I took the late flight. Did you miss me ?".

Gabrielle muttered ,"No".

Priscilla sat down opposite me . My phone buzzed , I checked it—a notification from i********: , I haven't had , any of those , in like two years.

"Omg girls" I screeched, my post has over one million likes !".

They all screamed, "“Sikat na ngayon ang kaibigan ko!” (“My friend’s famous now!” ). Michael said.

Priscilla raised a glass " “Para sa sikat nating kaibigan" (“A toast to our famous friend!”)

We all toasted.

I sipped my drink leaning on the table. Gabrielle to my left , Michael to my right, and Priscilla opposite me.

The bar was alive with music, laughter, and the faint clinking of glasses.

"Hey Cass ". Michael said " I think that gentle man over there is looking at you.

I turned toward where Michael had pointed and caught sight of him— Tall, confident, impossibly handsome. He waved at me , my stomach did a little flip, but I waved back and quickly turned to face the group."Don't be silly Mich". I said ,my voice desperately trying to betray me and show excitement .

"Incoming! Incoming!" Gabrielle screeched, her voice all flustered and filled with excitement.

Priscilla, sitting opposite me at the table, smiled brightly—too brightly. Her eyes flicked toward his direction , as if anticipating him. I could tell. And then he walked straight toward me.

“Hi,” he said, smooth and easy, holding out his hand. “I’m Phillip. Can I get you a drink?”

Gabrielle nudged Michael. “Uy, girl! Ang bagal mo! May lalaki na nagpakita ng attention!”(“Hey, girl! You’re slow! A guy’s showing you attention!”)

I blinked, caught off guard, and smiled. "Well I am having one now , but sure why not?".

“Priscilla’s smile faltered—just slightly, almost imperceptibly. Her eyes widened just a fraction, betraying her calm façade. I could almost hear the gears turning in her head, plotting. And just like that, I knew—nothing about this would be easy. She leaned back, laughing too loudly at Michael’s comment. But I felt the tension radiating off her.”

We moved to the bar together, Gabrielle and Michael teasing behind us..

Michael smirked. “Oo nga, Cass… flirt responsibly ha, hindi naman pwedeng mahulog ka agad sa kanyang alindog.”(“Yeah, Cass… flirt responsibly, okay? Don’t fall for him too fast.”)

Gabrielle giggled. “Huwag masyadong ma-absorb, Cassy! ‘Di puwede agad kiss kiss! Ooh, byeee!”(“Don’t get too absorbed, Cassy! You can’t be kissing right away! Ooh, byeee!”).

My cheeks flared red, and she sputtered. “Ano?! (What?!) W-what are you saying?!”.

“I can handle myself,” I yelled , though my heart betrayed me with a little skip.

Michael rolled his eyes dramatically. “Famous last words.”

I didn’t have time to think about it. Phillip was talking about the island, joking, laughing lightly, making me laugh more freely than I had in weeks. The sun, the water, the energy of Boracay—it all wrapped around me, and for a moment, nothing else existed.

Later, we returned to the lodge room. Gabrielle and Michael immediately started teasing me about how flustered I looked.

“I can’t believe how cute you looked when he came over,” Gabrielle said, grinning.

Michael added, “Finally, I'm going to have a god-daughter.

I smiled, feeling lighter than I had in ages. Then the door opened, and Priscilla stepped in.

“Having fun without me?” she said.

"Where have you been? , we have been looking everywhere for you , we thought , you'd come back to the lodge". I asked a bit worried.

"I was with someone , when you left with Philip,I moved to the dance floor and met someone" she said..

"Ooh that's good , someoi about to get married " . I said while smiling. I knew what she was doing , she always did this , trying to steal my spotlight. I knew she wasn't happy for me.

She plopped down across from me again, but I could sense the wheels turning in her head. She was already plotting how to insert herself, how to block Phillip, how to ruin this for me.

And I didn’t even have to guess—her face said it all. “If she liked him, she should’ve said something. Phillip’s not even my type—too outspoken. So why does she always want what’s mine?”.

Just as I was sinking into the soft couch, phone vibrating in my hand, I saw the caller ID.

The office.

I froze. My stomach sank a little. Something about hearing that made my heart tighten. I already knew this wouldn’t be a casual call.

I swiped to answer. "Hello?"

“Cassandra? It’s urgent. We need you back in Makati in three days. There’s a mega project—yes, the one that just went to market—and your presence is required for meetings starting immediately.”

I felt the wind go out of my sails. Three days. Not a week. Boracay had felt like freedom, and now it was shrinking fast. My friends looked at me, eyes wide.

“What… you have to leave?” Gabrielle whispered.

I nodded slowly. “Yeah… three days. I can’t stay for the full week.”

Michael groaned. “Ugh, that’s… tragic. Boracay is supposed to be our week of irresponsibility!”

Priscilla, sitting opposite me, smiled a little too brightly. My chest tightened. She looked like she was thrilled, and I knew exactly why.

I sank back into the couch, letting out a long breath. Three days. Just three days to enjoy Boracay before the mega project yanked me back into deadlines and office chaos.

Gabrielle flopped beside me, crossing her arms dramatically. “Seriously? Only three days? That’s cruel. I was just starting to perfect my cannonball technique!”

Michael groaned, leaning back against the wall. “And I was just getting used to the idea of being morally corrupt without consequences. Ugh… tragedy.”

I managed a small smile, but my heart wasn’t in it. “I know… it sucks. But I have to go. The project… it’s important. You all can stay though and come back by weekend ".

Priscilla, sitting opposite me, tilted her head, her smile perfectly masked by a frown still plastered on her face. “Oh… that’s too bad. I mean… I guess I could go with you? Just, you know… to help out. Make sure everything goes smoothly.”

I blinked. Something in her tone didn’t sit right. It was too eager, too calculated. “Really?” I asked cautiously, studying her.

She shrugged, casual as ever, but the glint in her eyes betrayed her. “Well… someone’s gotta make sure things don’t get… complicated and give you some emotional support".

I felt a flicker of suspicion, the same one I’d felt in high school whenever she tried to be “helpful.” But I kept my smile polite. “Thanks, but I think I’ve got it handled.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line " I insist, you can't do this alone and besides Michael won't be there to assist you and I won't enjoy Boracay without you". She protested.

"Fine. I guess we can go together ". I Sighed already defeated.

(Priscilla's POV)

I nodded, pretending to mull over it, while my mind drifted to a few days ago—before Boracay, before this little drama even started. I had been at the office early, just me and a half-empty coffee cup, trying to ignore the chaos of everyone rushing about.

And then I overheard them—Cassandra’s parents—talking in hushed, excited tones near the boardroom. I had pretended to be busy, tapping away on my laptop, but every word cut straight to my heart.

“…this mega project in the market is going to be huge. If we can team up with any raw materials industry… especially the copper industry…”

“…exactly. There’s so much potential if we align with the right people. Cassandra’s connections could be the key. We just need to approach them carefully…”

I felt a thrill run through me, sharp and dangerous. A plan forming almost instantly. If I got to Makati with her, I could… influence things. Maybe plant the right ideas, redirect attention. Make sure Cassandra had no chance with anyone—not even Phillip.

A smile crept onto my face, though I kept it perfectly calm in front of her. This was my chance. My moment to take control.

And now, sitting across from her in Boracay, I could almost taste it—the satisfaction of being useful, of being indispensable. Of subtly steering everything in my favor while keeping that flawless frown plastered on my face.

I leaned back, already imagining the conversations I would have, the suggestions I could make. This wasn’t about helping her—it was about making sure she stayed exactly where I wanted her: under my shadow, with no room to breathe. And the fact that she's so stupid not to notice. I chuckled inwardly.

"Priscilla are you okay " I said.

"W—what! " , She replied.

"You just zoned out for a minute. Michael added.

"Ooh nothing, I was just thinking of the things we were going to miss in Boracay. Excuse I have to go outside for a minute". She said and hurried out of the room. I knew what she was up to, I knew where she was going . She was going to perhaps find Phillip and honestly I didn't care. Goodluck to her .

"Cassy please be careful with Priscilla when you get back to Makati , I don't trust her. Gabrielle whispered.

"I will ". I replied sighing.