Arrange Hearts

CHAPTER 6

I stood in the doorway of my new room, arms crossed, glaring at the unfamiliar surroundings. The house was undeniably grand—malaki, elegant, at sobrang sosyal. The kind of place people would dream of living in. But as I scanned the luxurious furniture, the perfectly organized décor, none of it felt like home to me. Everything was cold, pristine, and distant, just like this whole setup.

I could hear Evan moving around in the room next to mine. His footsteps were steady, calm—sobrang nakakairita. Bakit ba parang walang epekto sa kanya lahat ng 'to? Ako, here I am, trying to adjust to this whole new life, and yet he’s just casually going about his night, as if nothing was happening.

I plopped down on the edge of the bed, reaching for my phone, hoping for a distraction. As I opened it, Felix’s messages flashed across the screen. I smiled unconsciously, recalling our time earlier—yung simpleng street food trip namin and how he made me laugh the whole time. Grabe, why does everything feel lighter when I’m with him? His little jokes, the way he cares in such small, subtle ways—it’s like he knew exactly how to brighten up my mood.

I let out a sigh, hoping to relive those moments for a bit longer. Just as I was about to reply to Felix’s message, Evan popped in.

"Ada," Evan's voice came from behind it, flat and emotionless, "Can you keep it down?"

I rolled my eyes. "Ano ba, Evan? Can't you knock like a normal person? and I'm literally just sitting here, how am I making noise?"

There was a pause. "Your sighing is loud."

I groaned, annoyed. "Seriously? Are you monitoring my breathing now, Evan?"

"Just trying to get some sleep," he muttered, his voice muffled through the door. I could imagine him shrugging nonchalantly.

I groaned and threw a pillow at him. “Get out!”

He caught the pillow effortlessly, smirking. “Oh come on, Ada. Don’t be so grumpy. I can help you unpack if you want. I’m great with, you know… folding clothes, organizing closets…”

I narrowed my eyes. “I’d rather get lost in this giant house than let you touch my stuff.”

He shrugged, plopping down onto my bed with no regard for my personal space. “Suit yourself. But just so you know, living with me comes with perks.”

I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, really? Like what? Unlimited teasing and irritation?”

Evan grinned wider, clearly enjoying himself. “Well, there’s that, and I make a mean midnight snack. But since you’re being so... ‘welcoming,’ I guess I’ll just keep all the good stuff to myself.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed dramatically. “Wow, such a loss.”

He stretched out his legs, looking completely at ease. “You’re going to miss my company. Trust me, a week from now, you’ll be begging me to hang out.”

I snorted. “In your dreams, Evan.”

He walked toward the door, but before leaving, he turned around with that signature smirk. “You sure you’re okay? I can sleep on the floor in here if you get scared.”

I grabbed another pillow and chucked it at him. “OUT! Now!”

Evan dodged the pillow, laughing as he shut the door behind him. “Goodnight, Ada!”

I sank back onto my bed, letting out a frustrated groan. Of all the people to be stuck with under one roof, it had to be him. What did I ever do to deserve this kind of torment?

The next morning, I woke up to the smell of something delicious cooking in the kitchen. I groaned, not ready to deal with Evan so early in the day. But my stomach betrayed me, growling at the scent of food.

Tumayo na ko at pumunta ng kitchen. There he was, standing by the stove, wearing an apron—an apron—as if he had been doing this his whole life. He glanced up when he saw me and grinned.

“Good morning, babygirl,” Evan teased, flipping what looked like perfectly cooked bacon. “Want to join me? I’m making breakfast.”

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. “No thanks. I’ll make my own.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Sige, ikaw din. But don’t say I didn’t offer when you’re drooling over my food later.”

Ignoring him, I went to the fridge and grabbed the pancake mix, determined to prove I didn’t need his help. Pancakes were easy, right? I whisked the batter quickly and heated up a pan. As I poured the batter, I could feel Evan’s eyes on me, silently judging.

“Sure ka ayaw mo ng tulong?” he asked, smirking as he flipped his bacon with ease.

I shot him a glare. “I’m fine, Evan.”

But just a few minutes later, the pancakes started to smoke. I tried flipping them, but they were completely burnt, sticking to the pan. I let out a frustrated groan as I scraped the charred remains off.

Evan leaned against the counter, suppressing a laugh. “You’re really showing me how it’s done, Ada. A true master chef at work.”

“Shut up,” I muttered, tossing the burnt pancakes into the trash.

He stepped closer, waving the spatula in front of me. “Alam mo, pede naman kita turuan dyan. But someone’s too stubborn to accept my help.”

I glared at him, grabbing a new batch of batter. “I don’t need your help, Evan. I’m perfectly capable.”

He snickered, watching as I tried again. This time, I focused harder, determined to make at least one pancake right. But just as I was about to flip it, he leaned in close and whispered in my ear, “You’re gonna burn that one too.”

Startled, I fumbled and flipped it too early. It wasn’t burnt, but it wasn’t pretty either. He burst out laughing.

“See?” he teased. “You can’t even flip a pancake without messing up.”

I sighed in frustration, slamming the spatula down. “Ugh! You’re impossible!”

He chuckled, sliding a plate of perfectly cooked breakfast in front of me. “Here, eat this. Let the professional handle the cooking next time.”

I glared at him but sat down anyway, eyeing the fluffy pancakes and crispy bacon on my plate. “You’re so annoying.”

Evan winked, sitting across from me with his own plate. “Yeah, but you’d starve without me.”

I muttered under my breath as I took a bite, refusing to admit that his cooking was better than mine.

After the whole breakfast disaster with Evan, I needed to let it out, so I texted Violet. We agreed to meet at our usual spot—a cozy little café na lagi naming tambayan. When I arrived, she was already seated, sipping her sugary frappuccino with that mischievous grin.

Pag-upo ko pa lang, she leaned in, eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Soooo, how’s life with Mr. Arranged Marriage under one roof?” pang-aasar niyang tanong, practically bouncing in her seat.

I groaned, slumping into my chair. “It’s a nightmare, Violet. He’s driving me insane.”

Tumawa si Violet, clearly enjoying the drama. “Oh, come on! It can’t be that bad. You’re practically living in a rom-com, except wala pa yung kilig moments.” She wiggled her eyebrows, clearly fishing for more details.

“Romance?” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “More like a disaster waiting to happen. This morning, I tried to make pancakes, and, of course, nasunog. And now Evan’s acting like he’s some Michelin-star chef or something. Nakakairita siya.”

Violet’s eyes widened with amusement. “Wait, you burned pancakes? Ikaw? I thought you had everything together!”

“Very funny,” I replied sarcastically. “Hindi mo gets. It’s the constant comments, the smug looks... He’s so calm and collected habang ako lagi nalang nai-stress. Nakakainis na siya sobra.”

Violet took another sip of her drink, smirking. “Hmm... but let’s be real, girl. You guys have chemistry. Like, this enemies-to-lovers thing? It’s happening. I can feel it.”

I nearly choked on my iced coffee. “Chemistry? Violet, you've been reading too many eBooks stories. There’s no chemistry. Just constant irritation... and burnt pancakes.”

Tumawa lang siya ng mas malakas. “Aha! You even remember all the little details about him, eh? You’re so in trouble.”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “Please, stop. Wala akong time for your delusions. My life is already chaotic enough without you turning it into a cheesy romance novel. Besides, it’s not just Evan. Felix has been… well, he’s been a nice distraction.”

Biglang nawala yung teasing smile ni Violet at naging mas seryoso siya. She leaned in closer. “Felix, huh? Distraction lang ba talaga siya or something more?”

I hesitated. “Happy Crush nga lang diba? But I don’t know. Felix is… easy to be around. No drama, no complications. But Evan? He’s just... always there, messing with my head.”

Violet grinned again, but this time with a knowing look. “Hmm. Sounds like you’re more affected by Evan than you’re willing to admit, sis."

I told violet na may project session pa kami today niFelix kaya nagpaalam na ko

When we met up at the library, I was carrying a heavy stack of books, but Felix seemed to have it all figured out. He had his laptop and notes neatly organized, looking like he was ready to conquer the world.

“Wow, Felix,” I said, dropping my books with a dramatic thud. “You look like you’re about to take over a small country.”

Felix smirked. “Only if that country runs on caffeine and late-night studying.”

I rolled my eyes. “Kung ganon, I’m your right-hand woman.”

We settled into our usual spot, nag iisip ako ng ideas habang siya ay nagttypesa laptop niya. There was a comfortable rhythm to our work, punctuated by our playful exchanges.

“So, Ada,” Felix said, glancing at me. “If you were a superpower, what would you be?”

I looked up, pretending to think hard. “Hmm, probably the power to make time freeze during boring classes.”

Felix laughed. “That’s a good one. I’d choose the power to instantly get rid of all the traffic. Imagine how much time we’d save.”

I grinned. “And then we could use that time to hang out more. Sounds perfect to me.”

Napataas siya ng kilay. “Are you trying to say you enjoy hanging out with me?”

I tried to keep a straight face. “Maybe. Or maybe I’m just trying to be polite.”

Felix leaned closer with a mock-serious expression. “Polite, huh? pero parang mas gusto ko yung thought na ako yung favorite mong study buddy.”

I blushed but played it cool. “Well, you’re not too bad yourself. Just don’t expect me to share my snacks.”

Felix laughed, “Hey, I’ll take that as a win. I’ve seen you eat, so I know those snacks are top-notch.”

We continued working, but the conversation never lost its playful edge. At one point, Felix accidentally knocked over his coffee cup, spilling some on his notes.

“Oh no!” I exclaimed. “The mighty Felix and his coffee—defeated by a cup!”

Felix gave me a playful glare. “You know, Ada, I think you’re enjoying this a bit too much.”

I winked. “Just making sure you don’t get too full of yourself.”

Felix shook his head, grinning. “Fair enough. You’re definitely keeping me on my toes.”

Nang matapos kami gumawa, Felix looked at me with a satisfied smile. “We make a pretty good team, don’t you think?”

I smiled back. “Yeah, we do. Thanks for making this project less of a nightmare.”

Felix winked. “Anytime. So, how about that coffee? I promise not to spill it this time.”

I laughed. “Deal. But if you do, I’m holding you responsible for my new coffee-stained outfit.”

Felix chuckled as we packed up. “I’ll take that risk. Let’s go before you change your mind and start charging for coffee stains.”

As we walked out of the library, our conversation was filled with easy laughter and teasing. It felt nice to be with someone who could make even the most mundane tasks enjoyable.