Chapter 14
1775 Words
Dalawang araw na rin ang lumipas simula nang bumaba sila ng yate ni Estevan, bitbit ang tahimik ngunit magulong bangungot ng gabing iyon. And it’s already two days since she heard from him.
Somehow, nagpapasalamat siyang hindi ito nagparamdam nang naghiwalay sila ng landas pagkatapos siyang mahatid nito sa kan’yang apartment.
She poured herself into her work. Sinadya niyang maging abala nang makalimutan ang lahat. Tinulungan niya si Ashley sa pag-inventory ng beans, si Carlo sa pag-set ng bagong chalkboard menu sa labas, at si Joaquin minsan sa pagkuha ng order ng mga customer.
Nag-refill siya ng syrups, nagbilang ng resibo, nagkuskos ng lamesa kahit malinis na. Gusto lang niyang may gawin ang mga kamay niya. Dahil kapag wala na siyang ginagawa—doon siya bumabalik.
Sa huling halik. Sa mga mata ni Estevan. Sa tinig nitong nagsabing, “but I do.”
Lahat ng iyon ay bumabalik sa alaala niya tuwing wala siyang ginagawa. So she did everything she could just to stop herself from daydreaming.
“Table four needs a refill,” sabi ni Mia, ang isa sa mga staff.
“I got it,” sagot ni Eloise. Kinuha niya ang pot ng kape at lumapit sa customer. She was smiling in a polite way, like nothing had happened.
Bumalik siya sa counter pagkatapos at nagsalin ng bagong timplang beans sa espresso machine.
Ilang sandali ay tumunog bigla ang maliit na bell sa glass door ng Cafe Lune, dahilan kung ba’t napahinto siya sa ginagawa.
Hinarap naman niya ang bagong dating dahil busy si Joaquin sa kabilang counter. She forced a smile, took a deep breath, and faced the customer.
“Good afternoon, welcome to—”
“Eloise?”
Napatigil siya sa mukhang nakita at napalunok.
Doon, sa tapat niya, nakatayo ang isang pamilyar na mukha mula sa isang panahong matagal na niyang tinakasan—si Gabriel Villanueva, isa sa mga pinakamalapit niyang kaibigan noon sa college.
“Gabe?” she whispered.
“Holy s**t,” he breathed, his eyes wide. “It is you,” the man in front of her said, grinning, though the surprise was evident on his face.
Nagkatinginan sila ng ilang segundo. Tila kapwa hinahanap ang piraso ng pagkataong nawala sa pagitan ng mga taon.
He looked different—mas matured, mas lean, may kaunting balbas na nagbibigay ng dagdag karisma. Pero parehong ngiti pa rin, parehong mainit na presensya.
“I—wow,” she breathed, finally finding her voice. “Ano’ng ginagawa mo rito?”
“I’m here for a fintech conference. Two blocks away. Na-curious lang ako sa café na ‘to—kasi parang nakita ko na dati ‘yong logo sa isang old post mo—and then… boom. You.” Tumawa siya, parang hindi makapaniwala.
Napangiti si Eloise, kahit sa ilalim ng kaba. “Small world.”
“You disappeared after graduation, ‘di ba? Wala ka ng socials. Wala ring balita.”
She shrugged. “I guess I needed to disappear.”
“Mm,” Gabe hummed, still staring at her. “But seriously, you look... Wow. You look different. Not in a bad way. Just… more serious? And—are you okay?”
That question hit her harder than it should have.
She nodded, quickly shifting into the version of herself she knew how to wear—Eloise, the competent, composed woman who knew exactly what she wanted.
“I’m okay.”
Gabe smiled, but his brows furrowed slightly as he scanned her face. “I never thought I’d see you here, to be honest. Hindi ka ba nag-US after graduation?”
She paused. Biglang lumakas ang pintig ng dibdib niya.
That had been the plan. Pero naiba lahat nang mabuntis ang kapatid niya.
“Plans changed,” maikling sagot niya.
Tumahimik si Gabe ng ilang sandali. Then he nodded slowly. “Okay. I won’t ask anymore.”
“Thank you,” she said, genuinely this time.
“Can I stay for a bit? May time pa ko before the next panel.”
“Sure. Do you want your usual? Flat white, no sugar?”
He laughed. “You still remember?”
“Hard to forget someone who used to steal my fries every lunch.” Nagtawanan naman sila pareho.
She moved to prepare the drink. Thankful for the espresso machine’s loud noise, for the distraction of milk frothing. Pero kahit nakatalikod siya, ramdam niya ang mata ni Gabe sa kan’ya. Like he was trying to read between the lines, trying to fill the gaps of everything she wasn’t saying.
Pagkaabot niya ng kape, naupo si Gabe sa isang bakanteng upuan malapit sa counter. “Eloise Manalo,” bulong nito habang nakatingin pa rin sa kan’ya. “Never thought I'd say this, but... you look like someone who’s been through something heavy.”
Napatingin si Eloise sa kan’ya, sa mga mata nitong puno ng concern. For a moment, the mask slipped. For a second, naisip niyang sabihin ang totoo—about Elizabeth, about Estevan, and about the mess she had walked into willingly.
Sa sulok ng isip niya, bumalik ang huling sinabi ni Estevan: “But you let me.”
At kahit nasa loob na siya ng sariling cafe, surrounded by warm lights and the comforting smell of cinnamon and espresso—para bang hindi pa rin siya nakatakas. The guilt still clung to her skin. The ache still pulsed in her chest.
But she smiled instead. “I guess growing up does that to people.”
Gabe didn’t push. “I’m glad you’re here,” wika niya. “And I’m glad you’re okay.”
Eloise held his gaze. “Me too,” she said, even if she wasn’t sure if it was true.
For a moment, the past and present blurred. And Eloise was reminded that the world kept turning, even when your heart didn’t know what to feel anymore.
“So this is yours? The whole place?” tanong ulit nito makaraan ang ilang sandali.
Tumango siya. “Got the lease last year. Renovated it myself. Pininturahan. Binuhay.”
“It’s beautiful,” bulong ng lalaki, scanning the brick walls, the warm lights, the vintage posters, and wooden tables. “Looks like you.”
Napatingin si Eloise sa kan’ya. “How so?”
Ngumiti si Gabe. “Warm. Quiet. Pero parang maraming tinatago.”
Hindi siya sumagot. Instead, she took a sip of her own lukewarm coffee placed on the counter.
“Hindi ka talaga nag-US?” tanong ni Gabe ulit, halos pabulong.
“That was the plan,” she admitted. “Pero nagbago ang lahat.”
“Family?”
“Something like that.”
Hindi niya nga talaga kayang sabihin ang totoo—na ang kapatid niyang si Elizabeth ay nabuntis ng lalaking hindi naman nagpakita ng paninindigan. Na kaya siya narito, nakatayo sa harap ng matagal na kaibigan, ay dahil nagdesisyon siyang sirain ang isang lalaki para sa hustisya.
And just the other night, she failed herself again.
“Lo…” tawag ni Gabe gamit ang nickname niya noong college sila. His voice was soft, as if trying to comfort her. “If something happened… kung may mabigat kang dinadala, alam mong p’wede mo akong lapitan.”
Saglit siyang natigilan. “Hindi ako ‘yong Eloise noong college,” mahina niyang sagot. “I’ve changed.”
“So have I,” he said gently. “Pero hindi naman ibig sabihin noon ay hindi na kita kayang intindihin.”
She looked away, blinking quickly. “Baka hindi mo magustuhan ang maririnig mo.”
Gabe smiled sadly. “Then say it anyway. I’d rather hear something painful from you than nothing at all.”
Napapikit si Eloise. The sincerity in his voice was too much.
“I don’t want to be saved, Gabe,” bulong niya. “Not right now.”
“I’m not here to save you,” sagot niya. “I just… missed my friend.”
Tumahimik silang dalawa. Hanggang sa muling magsalita si Gabe.
“May lalaki ba?”
That question hung in the air.
Eloise’s breath got caught. She didn’t look at him. “It’s complicated.”
“Sinaktan ka?”
“No,” she said quickly. “Hindi. Hindi gano’n.”
“But you look like someone who just walked away from something… real.”
She swallowed hard. Napahawak siya sa mug, trying not to let her hands tremble. “It wasn’t supposed to be real.”
“Pero naging totoo?”
She didn’t answer his question. It was tempting, but she chose to shut up, dahil siya mismo ay hindi rin alam ang sagot.
Thankfully, Gabe didn’t push even more this time.
Instead, he leaned back, sighed, and smiled gently. “Alam mo, I was always a little bit in love with you back in college.”
Napalingon si Eloise sa kan’ya. Muntik nang malaglag ang panga niya sa narinig at bahagyang nanlalaki ang mga mata.
He laughed. “Relax. I’ve moved on, Lo. Pero sinasabi ko lang—kahit noon pa, I knew you were the kind of woman who’d carry the world alone if she could.”
Her eyes stung because of what she heard.
“I just hope…” dagdag ng binata, “that one day, you let someone carry it with you.”
Hindi na siya nakapagsalita. She just nodded, her eyes fixed on the counter, and emotions overflowing at the edges.
“I’ll go now,” sabi ni Gabe, tumayo na’t kinuha ang bag niya. “Hindi ko na iistorbohin ang katahimikan mo.”
“Gabe—”
“But if ever you need to talk, or not talk, just sit and breathe—I’m around.”
Tumango siya, and for the first time in hours, she let a small, genuine smile tug at her lips. “Thank you.”
Umalis si Gabe nang hindi na lumingon pa. Pero bago ito umalis ay nag-iwan ito ng calling card kung sakali raw gusto niya ng kausap.
At naiwan si Eloise sa gitna ng café na siya mismo ang bumuo—pero ngayon ay tila naging isa na namang lugar ng pagsisinungaling.
Sa likod ng mga latte art at mahinang musika, naroon pa rin ang kaguluhan sa dibdib niya. And no matter how much she tried to control it… Estevan’s voice still echoed in her ears.
“But I do.”
At kahit si Gabe pa ang sumulpot, dala ang piraso ng nakaraan, ang totoo—hindi na niya alam kung sino ang Eloise na sinusubukan niyang buuin.
Is she the Eloise who came to collect a debt for her sister—or the Eloise who, despite everything, is falling for the very man she’s supposed to destroy?
- Writer
