Naime woke to the thin gold light of morning slipping through the woven slats of the bamboo wall. The air still carried the scent of salt and damp earth. Somewhere beyond her small room, waves rolled lazily toward shore, steady and unbothered. She, on the other hand, felt anything but steady.
Her thoughts rushed at her all at once.
She could pack her things, catch the first bus back to Manila, and spare herself the humiliation of facing the Sy family after everything that had happened. She could disappear quietly and let the sea swallow the awkwardness of last night.
Or she could stay. Stay and pretend nothing had unsettled her. Stay and avoid the rest of them, especially the ones who made her chest tighten for reasons she refused to name. She pressed her forehead lightly against the ba
