Chapter Text
Night drives scare me.
Always have.
The long stretch of highway, the ghostly glow of streetlamps, the occasional blind corner where headlights appear too fast — they’ve all been triggers for me. My grip on the steering wheel usually turns white-knuckled, my foot hesitant on the gas, my pulse too loud in my ears.
But not tonight.
Not when Jalen’s beside me earlier, soaked and shivering, hoodie clinging to her skin. Not when her lips were pale from the sudden December rain and her hands trembled just enough for me to notice.
Not when all I could think about was getting her home safe.
My palms pressed harder against the leather wheel, knuckles straining, but it wasn’t fear that made me clutch tighter. It was the desperate need to not mess this up. To stay focused, steady, calm — even though I was exhausted beyond words.
I’d been awake since five in the morning, running around campus, shooting, editing, coordinating. By the time the fireworks lit the UST sky, I’d already drained every ounce of energy I thought I had.
And yet — somehow — I managed to drive from España to Katipunan, wait through traffic, park properly, and even walk Jalen up until she was safe.
How?
How the hell did I do that?
“You’re crazy, Arceta,” I muttered to myself as I killed the engine in my condo’s parking lot.
The Civic purred to silence. I leaned back against the seat for a moment, eyes closed, chest heaving.
Drained. Empty. But wired.
Like my body was begging for rest but my brain refused to let go of the image of her — curled in the passenger seat, head against the glass, lashes damp from rain, hoodie swallowing her small frame.
My God.
By the time I got upstairs, I was on autopilot. Shoes off by the door. Bag dumped on the couch. Straight to the bathroom, cold water off, warm water on, scrubbing the mud and city dust from my arms.
But even as the water cascaded down, I could still feel the phantom heat of her weight beside me in the car.
I threw on loose clothes and collapsed into bed, hair damp, phone charging by the pillow. I expected nothing. Not a single vibration, not a single notification.
So when the buzz came, soft and insistent, my heart actually jumped.
I grabbed the phone — and froze.
Jalen.
You home? Take a rest na.
My lips curved before I could stop them. A smile stretched, uninvited, stupidly wide. Lord, I smiled like a fool.
Thumbs shaking, I typed back.
Anaiah: Yup. Why are you still up? Naligo ka ba with hot water pagkahatid ko? Rest na, take some meds too!
The reply came faster than I expected.
Jalen: Ikaw ata ang nag aaral maging doctor sa atin ah.
I snorted softly, hugging my pillow.
Anaiah: Ah, reflexes lang ikaw naman. Sige na. Thanks for checking on me.
Her response landed like a whisper in the dark.
Jalen: Ako nga dapat mag thank you. Thanks sa paghatid sa amin!
For a moment, I just stared.
She… thanked me. Genuinely. No sarcasm. No dismissal. Just gratitude.
My chest tightened.
Anaiah: No worries :)
I hit send, locked the phone, placed it screen-down on the pillow.
But sleep?
Forget it.
Hours slipped by in silence.
The hum of the aircon, the occasional honk from the highway below, the faint drip of the faucet — they all played in the background while my brain refused to shut down.
I tossed. Turned. Checked the phone again, even though no new messages came.
Because the truth was this:
I wasn’t supposed to feel like this.
Not after what I learned. Not after hearing “babe” over that call.
Jalen wasn’t mine. She had someone else. I’d told myself I would back off, that I respected boundaries, that I wasn’t that kind of gago.
And yet, one text. Just one — “You home? Take a rest na.”
It wrecked me.
It gave me hope when I shouldn’t have any.
I shut my eyes and exhaled sharply. My head screamed stop it, Arceta, don’t go there, but my heart? My heart was already running down some reckless highway I couldn’t control.
Tonight, she needed me.
Tonight, I came through.
And she saw it. She acknowledged it.
That was enough.
Or at least, it should have been.
The morning light spilled weakly through my blinds, too bright for the measly two hours of sleep I managed to grab. My head was pounding, my eyes heavy — but my chest? My chest was annoyingly light. Like it was carrying a secret it didn’t want to put down.
Buzz.
I rolled over, groaning, expecting some org group chat spam about Paskuhan photos.
But no.
It was Jalen.
Are you going home to province today for Christmas Break? Isasabay na daw kita.
I shot upright in bed, blankets pooling around me.
Ikalma ang puso, Arceta.
I reread the message three times, biting my lip so hard it hurt. She was asking me. She thought about me. She considered me.
Like hell I was saying no.
My thumbs were trembling as I typed Yes — way too fast, way too eager.
The second it was sent, I jumped into our GC.
Anaiah: Girls, I’m going home today. Christmas Break.
The replies came instantly.
Cassie: Girl? Di pa bakasyon? May classes pa next week, baliw.
Anaiah: Ha? Magbabakasyon na ako.
Guila: Baliw ka ba?
I groaned, flopping back onto the mattress. Let them think I’m crazy. They’re not wrong anyway.
Buzz.
Another message. Jalen again.
Saan ka na?
God, too fast. She was waiting.
I scrambled upright, typing quickly.
Anaiah: Wait up, on the way. But Jalen, baka magalit ang jowa mo ha?
I smirked at my own gutsiness, waiting for her reaction. Surely she’d explain, right? Surely she’d say “Wala akong jowa, ano ka ba.”
Instead, her reply popped up two minutes later.
Jalen: Okay, ingat!
That’s it.
That’s all.
No denial. No reaction.
I nearly hurled my phone across the room.
“Pota,” I muttered, pressing a hand over my face. “Wala man lang reaction sa sinabi ko???”
My heart was a live wire, sparking between hope and humiliation.
And still… I was already halfway out of bed, getting dressed, packing a bag.
Because Jalen asked.
Because I said yes.
And there was no turning back.
Driving Jalen’s car back to her condo felt surreal. The leather steering wheel was still faintly warm from her hands the night before, and I couldn’t decide if that comforted me or made me even more nervous.
I parked neatly, turned off the engine, and sat there for a minute, palms clammy.
Finally, I forced myself out and waited at the lobby. The guard gave me a curious glance — maybe wondering why I looked like I hadn’t slept in days.
Then the elevator dinged.
There she was. Jalen Robles, my heartache in human form, walking out in her usual laid-back jeans and shirt combo — except this time she was holding…
Wait. What?
A bouquet. A full-blown, pastel-wrapped, ribbon-tied bouquet of flowers.
I blinked. I stared. My brain short-circuited.
“Hi,” I managed, voice embarrassingly small.
“Hi yourself,” she said, and then — casually, as if she did this all the time — handed me the bouquet.
My arms went stiff. My fingers closed around the stems on autopilot.
I froze. What is this for?
Before I could demand answers, she muttered something about forgetting something upstairs and dashed back to her unit, leaving me clutching the flowers like an idiot.
Minutes passed. The bouquet felt heavier the longer I held it. The stares from the lobby staff weren’t helping.
When she came back down, I was still rooted in the same spot.
“Hoy,” she laughed, tilting her head at me. “Ayos ka lang? Di ka na gumalaw d’yan.”
My throat was dry. “Ha.”
She grinned wider. “Anaiah, bulaklak lang yan, parang mahihimatay ka na.”
I finally found my voice. “Bakit mo ako binigyan?”
“Eh kasi birthday mo? Sabi ni Mama.”
I stared at her. Blinked once. Twice. “Ha? January pa birthday ko.”
“Weh?”
“Yup,” I said, already reaching for my wallet. “Check my ID if you want.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh. So… akin na pala yan.” She stretched a hand toward the bouquet.
I clutched it tighter, scandalized. “No! Binigay mo na sakin eh. Wala nang bawian! Jalen, ha… masyado kang pa-fall.”
That made her laugh again — not mocking, but soft, like she found me genuinely amusing. She didn’t argue, just shoved her hands in her pockets, letting me keep the flowers.
Without another word, she walked toward the car. I stood frozen again, bouquet against my chest like a shield.
She glanced back. “Ano, tatayo ka na lang d’yan? Tara na.”
My legs moved before my brain caught up, following her. The flowers were still in my hands, and damn it, so was my heart.
I grabbed my phone. Opened Instagram. Snapped a picture of the flowers.
Click.
Upload.
Caption: Happy Birthday to me 🥰
Send.
The instant regret came ten seconds later.
Damn it, Anaiah.
Not even two minutes passed before my notifications lit up.
Cassie: Tagal pa bday mo teh?
Guila: Napano? Hahaha
THIRD PARTY POV
By six in the evening, Anaiah and Jalen finally pulled into the Arceta residence. The golden wash of the setting sun stretched across the gate, catching the glint of a sleek, matte black Ford Ranger parked on the side of the driveway. The truck looked new, recently detailed, almost intimidating with its sharp lines.
“May bisita kayo?” Jalen asked, eyeing the beast of a vehicle.
Anaiah squinted. “Not sure. You wanna go down? Dito ka na mag-dinner.”
“No, mag-hi lang ako kay Tita. Then I’ll go na rin. Inaantay din ako nina Papa,” Jalen replied, though her tone carried that hesitant edge — the kind of politeness masking an instinct to retreat.
Anaiah smirked knowingly. “Pag pumasok ka sa bahay, di ka makakalabas nang hindi kumakain.”
Sure enough, the moment they stepped inside, surprise awaited them both.
“Kuyaaaa!!” Anaiah’s delighted squeal rang through the hall.
Her older brother, Brandon, stood from the dining table with a wide grin, arms outstretched. “Nai! Ang tagal mo naman nakauwi.”
“Traffic kasi,” Anaiah muttered sheepishly, burying herself into his hug like the kid sister she would always be.
Jalen hung back politely until Anaiah tugged her closer, the introduction inevitable. “Kuya, this is Jalen. Friend ko from Katipunan.”
Jalen smiled, offering a polite nod. “Good evening po.”
Dinner followed, as Anaiah predicted. There was no escaping it. The table buzzed with chatter — Brandon teasing Anaiah for her stubborn habits, their mom fussing over serving more food, and Anaiah shooting Jalen occasional glances that ranged between shy and challenging.
Jalen, reserved but courteous, held her own in conversation, surprising Anaiah with how easily she answered Brandon’s questions about school and life in Manila. There was a quiet steadiness to her that seemed to reassure the family.
When the evening finally wound down, Jalen excused herself. Anaiah’s mom insisted on walking her out, despite Jalen’s protests. At the car, the older woman smiled warmly.
“Thank you, anak, sa paghatid kay Anaiah. Palagi kang kinukwento ni Nai, mabait ka raw.”
Caught off guard, Jalen blinked. “Ay… no worries po, Tita.”
“She’s been happy nitong nakaraan,” Anaiah’s mom continued, almost conspiratorial. “Sana palagi siyang ganyan. Hindi na rin nagpapapaalam uminom.”
Jalen’s brows rose slightly. “Really, Tita?”
“Yes,” her mom sighed. “Ewan ba sa batang ’yan. Pero pinapayagan naman namin — konti lang daw. Kaya yung sasakyan niya hindi niya dinadala, takot mag-drive sa gabi.”
Jalen tilted her head. Takot mag-drive? That didn’t match the reckless girl she thought she knew.
“Hmm, bakit po, Tita?” she asked carefully.
Her mom’s smile faded into something more tender, almost protective. “Sakitin kasi yang si Nai. May asthma. Mukha lang wala, but she’s fragile. One time inatake ng asthma while driving home… buti walang nangyaring masama.”
For a moment, Jalen didn’t know how to respond. The sharp, relentless Anaiah she’d come to know — the one who teased, pestered, and annoyed her endlessly — suddenly blurred into a different image: someone vulnerable, fragile beneath the bravado.
She nodded quietly. “I see po.”
As Anaiah’s mom turned back toward the house, Jalen glanced once more at the Arceta home, catching a glimpse of Anaiah laughing at something Brandon said in the dining room.
And just like that, she understood — there was so much more to this girl than she thought.
The house had gone quiet — just the faint hum of the aircon and the distant barking of dogs in the neighborhood. She scrolled lazily through her phone, ready to pass out, when a notification popped up.
Jalen.
Her eyes widened.
J: Thanks sa dinner! Pahinga ka na.
Anaiah nearly dropped her phone. Miracle of miracles. Ikaw unang nagchat?! She sat up, grinning like an idiot. Her thumbs moved fast.
A: Miracle, ikaw unang nagchat. Kanina may pa-flowers, tapos may pa-message ngayon. Kikiligin na ba ako?
She waited. Typing bubbles appeared, disappeared, then came back. Anaiah bit her lip.
J: Magsleep ka na. I heard pala kay Tita na sayo yang pickup sa labas? It’s nice ha. Test drive natin tomorrow?
Her jaw dropped. Did she just… volunteer? To come with me?
A: Talaga? You’ll come with me? 🥹
J: Yup, kaya sleep na para may energy ka bukas.
Anaiah smirked wickedly at the screen, unable to resist.
A: Need ba madaming energy? Mag car fun ba tayo ganon?
It took only a second.
J: Tanga ka ba haha good night 😴
Anaiah flopped back onto her pillows, laughing softly to herself. Her chest felt too light, her grin refusing to leave.