Love, Heila (Tagalog)

Chapter 11

Kinabukasan, medyo tinanghali ako nang gising kaya dali-dali akong pumunta sa shop. The morning rush was always the most predictable part of running the shop. Exactly at seven, the heavy delivery truck from our wholesale supplier in Manila pulled up into the side alley, its brakes squeaking loudly against the damp pavement. This was the most crucial time of the week—if we didn't sort and condition the flowers immediately, the stems would rot, and we'd be left with nothing but ruined inventory by Wednesday.

"Heila! Nandiyan na 'yung white chrysanthemums! Saka 'yung mga binalik mong colors na may amag, pinalitan na nila!" Hijomi shouted from the back door, already lifting a plastic crate onto his shoulder.

"Mabuti naman!" sigaw ko pabalik habang mabilis na tinatalian ang buhok ko ng isang itim na scrunchie. "Hijomi, paki-hiwalay agad 'yung mga may sirang talulot ha? Para ma-refund natin mamaya bago umalis 'yung driver!"

"Noted, boss!"

While Hijomi was busy arguing with the truck driver about the quality of the baby's breath, Rehan quietly stepped into the fray. He didn't wait for instructions. He simply rolled up the sleeves of his black sweatshirt, walked straight to the back of the delivery truck, and began unloading the heaviest wooden crates containing the imported lilies and long-stemmed roses.

I watched him from the counter, genuinely amazed. Most people would complain about the cold, damp morning air or the heavy lifting, but Rehan didn't even blink. He moved with a quiet, rhythmically steady energy, his face perfectly calm despite the physical strain.

"Rehan, dahan-dahan lang diyan sa crates ng tulips," paalala ko sa kaniya nang mapansin kong tatlo agad ang binuhat niya nang sabay-sabay. "Medyo marupok 'yung ilalim niyan, baka bumigay."

Rehan paused on the gravel path, balancing the heavy boxes against his broad chest. He looked at me through the open back door, his dark eyes blinking once before he adjusted his grip. "The wood is reinforced, Heila. It will not break."

"Aba, ikaw na nga 'tong pinapaalalahanan, ikaw pa 'tong pilosopo," natawa ako, walking over to help him guide the boxes onto the low metal table inside the pantry. "Sige na nga, ibaba mo na 'yan bago pa sumakit ang likod mo."

"I'm okay. My back won't easily break."

"Yabang," natatawa kong sabi.

In fairness, Rehan looks really fit. Not until I noticed his biceps—omg. Leche, kung anu-ano nang napapansin ko. Mariin akong umiling.

He set the crates down with a dull, heavy thud. As he straightened up, a stray smudge of dark soil from the edge of the crate caught the side of his sharp jawline. He looked so incredibly pristine and out of place in our chaotic back room, yet there he was, covered in dirt and plant sap just like the rest of us.

"Heto," lumapit ako sa kaniya at kumuha ng isang malinis na basahan, automatically reaching up to wipe the dirt off his face without thinking. "May putik ka sa mukha. Ang guwapo-guwapo mo tapos haharap ka sa mga kustomer na may dumi diyan sa pisngi mo."

The moment the fabric of the rag touched his skin, Rehan froze completely. He stopped breathing, his entire body turning rigid as iron. Because I was focusing entirely on getting the dirt off, I had stepped directly into his personal space. I could feel the intense, radiant warmth radiating from his skin, and his deep-set, dark eyes were staring straight down at me, wide and completely full of an unreadable, roaring emotion.

"Sorry, na-bother lang ako sa dumi sa mukha mo. Baka kasi mangati ka, kasalanan ko pa," sabi ko habang inaalis nang maigi yung dumi sa pisngi niya.

"It's fine. I'm not complaining."

"Good."

"And, you always say I'm handsome."

My hand slowed down as I finally realized how close we were standing. His chest was rising and falling in shallow, uneven breaths, and the tips of his ears were turning a deep, vivid shade of crimson.

"Ah... ayan, malinis na," mabilis kong ibinaba ang kamay ko, suddenly feeling an unexpected wave of awkward heat rushing to my own cheeks. I cleared my throat, forcing a casual laugh to break the sudden, heavy silence between us. "Ayaw mo ba ng compliment? Tss. Pasensya na, nakalimutan ko, hindi ka nga pala sanay na hinahawakan nang ganiyan ng ibang tao."

Rehan swallowed hard, his throat bobbing visibly. He took a single, slow step back, his hand instinctively rising to touch the exact spot on his jaw where my fingers had just been. He looked away quickly, his gaze fixing tightly onto the floor tiles as he tried to pull his cold, defensive composure back together.

"It is... fine as long as it's you," he murmured, his words were lower and more gravelly than usual. He cleared his throat, his long fingers gripping the edge of his sweatshirt.

"A-ano?"

"I will go help Hijomi finish the sorting," sabi niya at agad na binago ang usapan.

"S-sige, doon muna ako sa harap," sagot ko naman, turning around and sprinting back to the main counter before I could embarrass myself any further.

I sat down heavily on the high stool behind the cash register, my heart doing a strange, frantic little dance against my ribs. Bakit ba ako biglang kinabahan doon? tanong ko sa sarili ko, aggressively checking the digital calculator on the screen just to give my hands something to do. Gutom lang siguro 'to.

Outside, the morning sun finally broke through the remaining clouds, painting the colorful buckets of carnations and sunflowers in bright, vivid hues. The soft, familiar ring of the storefront bell chimed as our first regular customer of the day stepped inside, looking for a simple birthday bouquet.

I forced a professional, warm smile and stood up to greet them, while from the back room, the steady, rhythmic sound of Rehan cutting stems and arranging water buckets provided a comforting, steady background track to the start of our new week.

At the corner, palihim kong sinilip si Rehan. Gwapo talaga siya.

Omg.