Chapter 16
1224 Words
Kinabukasan, magkaharap na naupo sina Eloise at Klare sa Cafe Lune. The place smelled of espresso, butter, and warm bread—comforting scents that usually comfort her. Pero ngayong umaga, kahit anong sipsip niya sa mainit na latte, wala siyang nalalasahan.
Her stomach was churning. Not with hunger, but with something heavier. Guilt, maybe. Confusion. O baka parehong sabay.
Her fingers wrapped around the ceramic mug of her hazelnut latte, but the warmth didn’t quite reach her chest. She stirred it absentmindedly, watching the foam swirl, then settle. Para bang kahit ang kape, napagod na rin.
Klare then leaned forward with her chin resting on her hand. Her eyes were sharp and observant, watching Eloise like a detective trying to crack a case. “So?” tanong niya, ang tinig niya'y banayad ngunit may diin. “How’s the plan?”
Eloise looked away for a second before answering. “It’s moving. Slowly. Pero… I think I’m getting through to him.”
“Hmm.” Klare stirred her coffee, her spoon making soft clinks against the ceramic cup. “You think, or you feel?”
Napatingin si Eloise sa kaibigan. “Don’t start.”
Klare gave a knowing half-smile, the kind that never quite reached her eyes. “I’m not. Just making sure you remember what we’re doing here. This isn’t a love story, Eloise. This is payback.”
“I know,” she said quickly. But as the words left her mouth, they felt… thin… weak. They didn’t carry the same fire they used to.
Klare raised an eyebrow, as if sensing the crack in her resolve. “You saw him again?”
Eloise hesitated. Her fingers tightened around the mug. Makaraan ang ilang sandali ay tumango siya. “Last night. He showed up at my apartment.”
May ilang segundong katahimikan an namuo sa pagitan nila bago kumunot ang kilay ni Klare. Her fingers stilled on her coffee cup. “Unexpected?”
“Completely.”
Kumibot ang labi ni Klare. “Did anything happen?”
“Nothing like that happened,” mabilis niyang sagot. “We ate. He brought food, and we talked.”
Klare tilted her head, narrowing her eyes. “He brought food?”
“Convenience store ramen, chicken karaage, at onigiri,” she said with a soft, awkward laugh. “And chocolate.”
“Chocolate?” Klare echoed, blinking. “Wow. Romantic.”
Eloise bit her lip. Romantic nga ba iyon? Or was she just desperate to assign meaning to something that shouldn't have any?
She remembered the way Estevan stood in her dining area. The way his voice softened. The way he watched her, like she was the one puzzle he couldn’t solve.
Her stomach flipped. Oh, God.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to trap him. To lure him close enough so she could break him. For Elizabeth.
But last night, when he handed her that cheap chocolate and gave her that tired smile…
…it didn’t feel like war.
It felt like something dangerously close to peace.
Bago pa siya makapagsalita, bumukas ang pinto ng cafe kasabay ng mahinang tunog ng kampanita.
And then—her breath hitched.
There, in a slate gray shirt and black slacks, stood Estevan. His gaze swept over the room, searching. And when it landed on her, everything else faded.
His eyes locked onto hers, like gravity itself had shifted to where she sat. Bigla siyang napapitlag, tila kinilabutan. Bawat t***k ng puso niya ay parang alon sa gitna ng bagyo—mabilis, magulo, at puno ng kaba. And for a second, she couldn’t breathe.
Why was he here? Wala naman itong sinabi na may pupuntahan sila mamaya.
He walked toward them with that same quiet confidence that always made her nerves jump. Parang may sariling atmosphere ang presensya niya. Calm, steady, and commanding.
“Estevan…” Eloise stood halfway, her voice unsure, and her heart thundering.
He offered a small smile. “Didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just passing by.”
Klare stayed seated, watching him like a hawk, her posture was graceful but alert. She didn’t say anything, but her eyes missed nothing.
“And who’s this?” tanong ni Estevan, nodding toward Klare.
Before Eloise could answer, Klare stood and extended her hand. Her smile was warm, pero may bakas ng pag-iingat. “Klare. Best friend of Eloise. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Eloise’s heart skipped. Too much weight in that one sentence.
Mabilis na kinamayan ni Estevan ang kamay ni Klare. “All good things, I hope.”
“Of course,” she replied, her smile was sweet, and her tone was playful. Then she looked at Eloise and teased, “You didn’t tell me he looked like that.”
Napairap si Eloise, half-laughing, trying to shake off the sudden tension in her chest. “Now you know.”
There was a moment of silence. Not awkward, but full of weight. As if a third thread had been added to their private war, and it now hung heavy in the air.
Klare motioned to the seat beside her. “You want to join us?”
“I can’t stay long,” sagot ni Estevan. “Just wanted to say hi.”
He looked at Eloise again—really looked—and something in her chest ached. Like the walls she’d built were now glass. And he could see straight through.
She could feel it in every part of her. The way her body leaned—ever so slightly—toward him. The way her fingers twitched, itching to do something foolish. The way her heart betrayed her by softening.
She snapped herself back to reality. Hindi p’wede. She had to pull away. Ground herself. Remember why she was here. She wasn’t a girl in love. She was a woman on a mission.
“Anyway,” Estevan added, stepping back. “I’ll let you two get back to your… whatever this is.”
Bago pa siya makatalikod, tinawag siya ni Klare. “We should all grab dinner sometime. Properly. Not convenience store food.”
Estevan raised an eyebrow, amused. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
And with one last glance at Eloise, he walked away. The bell rang again as the door shut behind him.
Nang tuluyan nang sumara ang pinto, saka lamang yumukod si Klare palapit sa kan’ya. “Oh, girl… you are so not in control anymore.”
Eloise shot her a glare. “Shut up.”
But Klare only grinned and sat again in front of her. “You’re falling. And from the way he looked at you? He might be too.”
Eloise stared down at her latte, the foam now dissolving into lukewarm milk.
She should’ve denied it. She should’ve rolled her eyes and changed the subject. But all she could do was sit there, heart pounding, wondering… when did the lines start to blur?
Because the truth was—it scared her. The warmth in his eyes, the way he showed up with no fuss, the silly chocolates, and the late-night conversations. Everything felt painfully sincere.
And that wasn’t part of the plan.
Mahigpit niyang hinawakan ang tasa, humuhugot ng lakas mula rito.
No. She couldn’t forget what he might have done to her sister. Hindi niya hahayaang guluhin ng damdamin niya ang malinaw na katotohanan. Not again.
- Writer
