Chapter 23

NO ONE’S POV

Halos mabibilang lang sa daliri ang oras ng tulog ni Mikha. Simula nang mangyari yung halik na ’yun kagabi, her brain cells decided to throw a party and stay awake. Pano ba naman, after Aiah kissed her—yung halik na parang kinuha pati ang kaluluwa niya—bigla na lang itong tumalikod at natulog na parang walang nangyari.

“Pambihirang babae to literal na hit and run,” Mikha whispered to herself habang nakatitig sa kisame bandang alas-tres ng umaga.

Walang paliwanag basta natulog lang si Aiah, while Mikha was left staring at the dark, holding her breath and trying to calm her racing heart until sunrise.

Pero maaga rin siyang nagising dahil niyaya siya ng tatay ni Aiah sa bukid para makapag-usap silang dalawa nang masinsinan. 

Simula nung nangyari ang halik kagabi ay hindi pa sila nagkakausap ni Aiah dahil paggising ni Mikha kanina ay mahimbing pa ang tulog nito. 

Nakatayo sila sa gitna ng malawak na lupain, the cold morning air biting through their jackets.

“Opo, ganun nga po yung nangyari, Sir. But I promise you, hindi ko papabayaan ang anak niyo. Financial, emotional… I’m all in.”

Mikha’s voice was steady serious Robert looked at her for a long moment, reading the sheer determination in her eye.

“Ah, kung ganun naman, walang problema sa akin,” Robert said, giving Mikha a firm, fatherly pat on the shoulder. “Ang mahalaga naman sa akin ay yung ikakasaya ng anak kong si Aiah. You seem like a really good person.”

He took a slow, deliberate sip of his coffee, watching the golden sun finally peak over the horizon. “Tara na. Nakahanda na yung almusal, anak.”

It was a relief and for her na matawag na anak ay napaka laking karangalan because her relationship with her father is not good as Aiah’s bond with her father and that’s make her heart melt.

Pagpasok nila sa mansyon, 

Pag pasok nakita nila na Nandoon na ang lahat—Stacey, Maloi,Joanna, Mama ni Aiah and specialy the girl who kiss her without a word Aiah… Robert took his seat at the head of the table, while Mikha was forced to sit directly across from Aiah.

They haven’t spoken a single word to each other since the kiss. It was the ultimate awkward peak. Para kay Mikha, this was the second time Aiah “robbed” her of a kiss. Ang una ay sa Egypt—pero si Aiah, she had zero memory of it dahil blackout drunk siya nun. Only Mikha carried that secret, and now, here they were again, playing a silent game of chicken.

“Mikha, mukhang wala tayong tulog ah? Anyare? May dumaang multo?” Joanna teased, breaking the silence with a knowing smirk.

BLAG! In an instant, Mikha secretly kicked Joanna’s leg under the table. Hayop ka talaga, Jo! In her mind

Tumingin sa kanya si Aiah 

“Totoo ba hindi ka nakatulog, Mikha?” She asked confidently and looking innocent .

She looked so refreshed, holding her spoon. Akala mo talaga wala siyang alam, but she was the primary suspect for Mikha’s sleepless night.

“Ah, oo… namamahay yata ako,” Mikha stammered, focusing intensely on her fried rice, her ears turning a bright shade of crimson.

“Namamahay? Or baka dahil katabi mo si Ate Aiah?” Stacey added, wiggling her eyebrows. “Or something happened last night?”

“Cough! Cough!”

Nasamid si Mikha sa juice niya. While she was struggling to breathe and dying of embarrassment, Aiah remained perfectly calm. She slowly reached for her water, taking a sip while looking at Mikha over the rim of her glass.

Aiah’s gaze was lowkey, She watched the way Mikha’s pulse hammered in her neck, her eyes lingering on Mikha’s lips for a split second—just to remind her of what she does.

Mikha POV

Nasa mango farm kami ngayon kasi sabi ni Aiah, she wanted some green mangoes—yung pinakamaasim. 

Kasama rin namin sila Maloi, Stacey, and Jhoanna.

​As usual, Jhoanna and Stacey were bickering like cats and dogs.

​”Why look for mangga, Ate Aiah? Nandito naman sa tabi ko yung ‘mangga’!” Stacey said, looking at Jhoanna.

​”Aba, pasmado yung bibig mo! Baka gusto mong sungalngalin kita ng mangga dyan!” Jhoanna snapped back.

​”Oh talaga ba? Wag puro salita!”

​”Oh, sungalngalin mo daw, Jho! Baka gusto ni Stacey ng ‘Kiss ng Mangga’!” gatong ni Maloi.

​Aiah was just laughing. I could see her face smiling—yung tipong wala nang mata sa kakatawa. And that made my heart so happy in a simple way.

​”Enough na guys, baka magbugbugan na kayo. Can we just find a picking pole so we can get those mangoes?” Sabi ko

“Picking pole? Ano yun?”  It was Stacey 

​”Tsk tonta! picking pole lang di pa alam edi pang sungkit… Kanina pa ako naghahanap, walang sungkit dito!,” Jhoanna grumbled.

​”Ano ka ba, di uso sungkit dito. Inaakyat ‘yan! Akyat na!” Its was Maloi

​Napa-lunok ako. Since I was a kid, I’ve had a fear of heights. Kahit sa hagdan lang, nalulula na ako.

​”Bakit ako? Kakapa-belo ko lang, baka masira yung mukha ko,” Jhoanna excused herself.

​”Mikha, akyat ka na! Kami na bahala rito, sasaluhin ka namin!” biro ni Maloi.

 ​”Naku po! si Mikha? Takot sa heights ‘yan! Hindi mo yan mapapaakyat,” Jhoanna suddenly blurted out.

​Aiah immediately looked at me, her face full of worry. She gently touched my arm. ” okay lang, ‘wag na. Baka mapano ka pa Mikha. Hintayin nalang natin si kuya jojo (yung katiwala) mamayang hapon para sila yung pumitas?”

​Her voice was so sweet and concerned, but I could tell how much she really wanted those mangoes.

​”I’ll do it,” I said firmly. My fear was there, but when I think of Aiah, it’s worth it.

​Umakyat ako. Despite the shaking in my legs, I picked as many as I could, putting them in my pockets and tucking them into my shirt. Pagbaba ko, tumalon ako sa harap ni Aiah like a hero.

​”Here. Mangoes. Eat as much as you can,” I said, trying to act cool.

​Her eyes were so happy looking at my mangoes. “Yeys, that’s a lot! ” Sabu niya tapos pumalakpak pa “Thank you mikha Isasawsaw ko ’to sa bagoong mamaya at—”

​”Ate Aiahhhhhh! Si Colet, dumating!” Maloi interrupted with a shout.

“Ha talaga!? Wait I’m coming!”

​Biglang nawala sa akin yung focus ni Aiah. She got so excited and ran to the front of the house to meet this “Colet” person.

​Who the hell is Colet?

Nakatayo lang ako sa gitna ng farm, literally holding the mangoes na pinaghirapan kong akyatin despite my legs shaking. Like, wow. Nag-effort ako rito then biglang may e-extra?

“Ge, takbo pa. Thank you, Mikha, ha? Sobrang appreciated,” I muttered to myself while watching Aiah run toward the house.

I just brought the mangoes inside and placed them on the table. I tried to stay cool, but I couldn’t stop the curiosity. Who the hell is Colet?

Sumunod ako sa labas, hands in my pockets, acting like I was just taking a casual strol. When I saw them, they were hugging like they hadn’t seen each other in years.

“Colet! Buti nakapunta ka!” Maloi cheered.

“Oo, noong sinabi mo na luluwas kayo, pinilit ko talagang pumunta because I was also fixing some tax for our shop here in Cebu. And I had to see for myself if Aiah is really okay since… since tinuloy nga niya yung pagbubuntis. I’m so worried,” Colet said.

Her voice was sharp, unlike Aiah’s soft tone. Medyo intimidating, but not enough to faze me.

Maya-maya, they noticed me. 

Aiah looked at me, her face literally glowing. 

“Mikha, come here! This is Colet, a very close friend of mine. Colet, this is Mikha.”

Lumapit ako, keeping my face expressionless. “Hi,” I said simply.

Colet looked at me from head to toe. There was this judgmental vibe coming from her na hindi ko ma-explain. 

“So, ikaw pala si Mikha,” she said, her voice dropping a few degrees.

It was like she was examining a suspect in a high-profile case.

“Nice to meet you,” she said, but she wasn’t smiling at all.

Inabot ko yung hand ko. “Nice to meet you,” I replied, matching her energy.

Lumipas ang oras and Aiah was just busy talking to her and Maloi. Magkakaibigan pala talaga sila. Well, si Maloi, I know her—she’s a famous vlogger. My staff even invited her to one of my party ventures before, and that was actually the first time I saw Aiah. Pero this Colet girl? Maybe she’s part of the circle too, but I don’t remember her face.

“Anino na yata ako rito,” I told myself while peeling the mangoes in the kitchen.

But I don’t really care as long as Aiah is happy. Her energy was one of a kind this morning simula nung dumating si Colet. They are talking nonstop.

I just stayed in the kitchen helping Tita and sharing some of my cooking skills. At least here, I’m useful. When I finished the mangoes, I brought them to their table.

“Mag-mangga muna kayo,” I said, placing the plate down with the bagoong na ginisa ko.

“Wow, thank you, Mikha!” Aiah beamed at me.

“Sana all may taga-pitas na, may taga-balat pa!” Maloi teased.

“Don’t eat too much of this. It’s not good . You should eat healthier, especially now,” Colet said firmly, her eyes moving from the plate back to Aiah.

Nag-init yung ears ko na para bang I’m tolerating aiah to eat junk. But I chose to ignore it. Stay cool, Lim.

“Actually, I did eat healthy. I mean, Mikha cooks for me and she literally feeds me the healthiest food she can make. Pero lately lang talaga, medyo makulit ako. I’ve been craving different things,” Aiah said, defending me.

I felt a bit flattered that she stood up for me, but iba yung dating sa akin nung word na “craving different things.”

Suddenly, I remembered what happened last night.

I wondered… kasama ba sa listahan ng cravings niya yung halik na ‘yun? Because honestly, that’s all I’ve been thinking about.

….

Aiah’s POV

I was so surprised when Colet suddenly showed up here at our house in Cebu. I haven’t talked to her much lately because I know how insanely busy she is, but maybe Maloi told her about what happened to me.

I’m just so happy she’s here. It feels like we’re complete again. Lunch was great, too—I really liked what Mikha cooked with the help of my Mom. My heart felt so much kilig thinking about it. Imagine, she’s already getting close with my parents? That’s big.

But while I was talking to Colet and Maloi, my eyes kept searching for Mikha. Hindi siya sumasali sa usapan. I don’t blame her, she’s an introvert, but my eyes couldn’t help but look for her every few minutes.

The sun was so hot today. I could feel the sweat dripping down my back even though I was just wearing a thin white cotton t-shirt and shorts. Sobrang lagkit sa feeling.

Maya-maya, Colet opened a cold bottle of water and handed it to me.

“Here, Aiah. You need to drink a lot,” she said firmly.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mikha. Papunta na sana siya sa amin with a glass of water in her hand, but when she saw Colet, she stopped. She suddenly turned around and went back to the kitchen.

Her eyes had something… I don’t want to assume, but is she jealous? Thinking about it makes me feel so much kilig. I saw her face—she looked so masungit for a split second before she left.

Napa-ngiti na lang ako. She’s so cute when she’s like that.

I excused myself to Colet, saying I needed to use the restroom, but the truth was, I wanted to find Mikha. I miss her already. Pero noong pumunta ako sa

 kitchen, wala na siya doon.

“Nasaan na yung babaeng ’yun?”

I checked her room with Jhoanna, but she wasn’t there either. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I’m literally craving her presence. Parang nanghihina ako kapag hindi ko siya nakikita.

​I ended up going to my own room to get my charger since we were leaving later. The room was quiet, the sunlight filtering through the curtains.

​But then…

​”Aiah…”

​The voice came from behind me, low and husky, sending a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the heat. Before I could even turn around, I felt her cool fingers graze the hem of my shirt. She lifted it just enough to reach my mid-back, and I felt the soothing dampness of a soft bimpo as she began to wipe the sweat away.

​She did it so gently, so carefully, as if I were something fragile that might break if she pressed too hard. She placed the cloth there, tucking it in to make sure I wouldn’t get a cold.

​”You’re sweating…” she whispered, her breath hitting the back of my neck.

​I was paralyzed. I stood there like a statue, my breath hitching in my throat. The intimacy of the gesture was overwhelming. 

Ang bilis ng pangyayari. I felt like a little kid being taken care of, pero iba yung tama sa akin. It was overwhelming and hot—not because of the weather, but because of the way she was touching me. It made me feel something intense inside.

Dahan-dahan akong humarap sa kanya.

“Th-thanks, Mikha,” I stammered. My heart was practically drumming against my ribs.

we were so close.

Her eyes were like magnets, drawing me in. Her face looked like an angel’s—so calm and cool. Why does she look so fresh? It’s so hot, but she doesn’t even look like she’s sweating. It’s so unfair.

I looked down at her lips, then back to her eyes.then to her lips again..

The silence in the room was so loud.

Ghad, those lips. They were right there—full, soft, and slightly parted. It was like they were seducing me without even trying. I couldn’t look away. Looking at them made me feel a different kind of thirst—a deep, aching craving that had nothing to do with the heat.

​I still can remember how soft it is. The taste of it from last night… it was like vanilla. Sweet, lingering, and completely addictive. Just thinking about it made my knees weak. It was pure magic, a tempting pull drawing me closer and closer until the space between us felt like a thin line about to snap.

​I saw Mikha’s gaze drop to my mouth too. Her nonchalant mask completely shattered, and for the first time, I saw her look truly flustered. Her ears were turning a deep shade of pink, and she looked just as trapped in the moment as I was.

​And in that moment, I knew. I know she wanted it, too. I could see it in the way her breath hitched, in the way her eyes darkened with the same desperate hunger I was feeling. She wasn’t just letting it happen; she was waiting for it.

​I leaned in, my heart screaming, my eyes locked on hers as I surrendered to the pull. I was mere millimeters away—so close I could feel the warmth of her breath ghosting over my lips, so close I could almost taste that vanilla flavor again—when suddenly…

​”Aiah? Nandiyan ka ba?”

​The door swung open with a loud thud.

​I jumped back, my heart nearly leaping out of my chest. Mikha immediately looked away, shoving her hands deep into her pockets and clearing her throat.

 She looked so shy, her usual “cool” composure gone as she stared intently at the floor, trying to hide her reddening face.

​It was Colet. She was standing at the doorway, her eyes darting between us, sharp and suspicious.

​”Kanina pa kita hinihintay. Akala ko nag-CR ka lang?” Colet said, her voice tight and questioning.

​I felt the heat rush to my face, my pulse still erratic from the near-miss. I quickly grabbed my charger from the side table, my hands slightly shaking.

​”Ah Oo… kinuha ko lang ‘tong charger ko. Tara na,” I said, my voice sounding a bit strained.

​I walked toward the door, my skin still tingling. As I passed Mikha, The shyness between us was so thick, it was heavy.

​”Tara na,” Colet muttered, her gaze lingering on Mikha’s flustered face for a second before leading me out.

​I followed her, but my mind was still back there in that room, haunted by the memory of that taste and the certainty that she wanted that kiss just as much as I did.