"Do we really need to meet here? I don't like it here." 

I kept on looking around, getting conscious of my surroundings. I was meeting with Raylee in Ramirez Medical because she said she wanted to give me a gift for Christmas. It was already January, and here she was, still talking about Christmas?! Malapit na nga ang fifth birthday ni Avrielle! 

"Why are we even meeting here?" I asked her again. We were in a small cafe so early in the morning. I told her this was my only available time, so she asked me to come here. 

"I told you. My niece is currently confined here, and ako ang inutusan nilang magbantay since her parents are still out of the country. Why? Are you scared of seeing your ex, hmm?" The side of her lips rose, smirking. She even tried to hide it by sipping on her coffee. 

"No, I'm just-" 

"Oh my gosh, Samantha Vera? P-pwede pong magpa-picture?" I was cut off by a lady younger than me. My lips immediately formed a smile when I looked at her and nodded. She looked so excited when I stood up beside her to take a photo. She was trembling, too. "Ang ganda n'yo po sa personal!" 

"Oh, thank you!" My smile widened when she waved before running away. I went back to my seat and wore my purple cap. I didn't want to be recognized by other people, too. I was getting eyed by the media because of my issues about having a child, but since Hero had already come back, I knew the rumors would finally die down. It was because Avrielle would be moving in with his dad.

I felt like Avi was being taken away from me, but we weren't even blood-related, to begin with, and it wasn't like I couldn't hang out with her anymore. Maybe after some time... It made me think, though. Ngayong wala na 'kong iko-consider na iba, could I move to New York already? 

I would be left alone after Avrielle's birthday. I wouldn't be taking care of the child anymore. If ever na mag-overlap ang schedule ng dalawa, naroon ang Mommy ni Hiro to take care of the child. Besides, they lost a lot of time with her. It was just right to bond. Family bonding. I wasn't her... family to begin with. 

Ugh, I was starting to sound so single. I wanted a family, too, but I was too busy to have one.

"Are you listening to me? Samantha Vera, hello? I said, here's your gift!" I was suddenly back to reality when Raylee flicked her finger on my forehead. Right, I was starting to overthink things again. 

 "Sorry!" Kinuha ko ang paper bag na inabot niya sa 'kin. It was a white designer bag. My eyes twinkled as I hugged the bag. It looked so pretty! "Thank you for this!" 

"You can afford one. Why are you so happy?" She laughed and sipped on her cup again. The smile faded on my face when she almost choked because she saw something. I knew because her eyes widened, and they looked fixed on something... or someone. 

"Why?" I asked, but she didn't answer, so I looked back to see for myself. Good thing I wasn't chewing something, or I would choke on it, too. "Ah, damn. I told you I don't want to meet here," I whispered. 

Clyden walked inside in his white coat while reading something in a folder. His hair was fixed to the side, and he was wearing his specs. A stethoscope was also placed around his neck, and he was holding a pen in his other hand. He looked so fresh in the morning, although his eyes looked tired. Underneath his white coat, he was wearing a navy blue button-down polo. 

"Cy! I told you to wait for me!" I blinked twice when a woman held Clyden's arms, causing him to look back at her. He smiled and said something that made the woman laugh. It was... Eva. Eva was also wearing a white coat. So rito rin pala siya? "Sabi mo libre mo 'ko ngayon, ah. Pagod na 'ko. Wala pa 'kong tulog. Ikaw ba?" 

"Isang oras lang. Umidlip ako kanina," Cy answered. The counter was so close to our table that I could even hear their conversation! "Pumili ka na. May pasyente pa 'kong pupuntahan." 

"Tapos 'yong sa 'yo, 'yong usual, right?" Eva went to the counter and talked to the cashier before looking at Clyden again, leaning her elbow on the countertop. "Dapat sinamahan mo 'ko sa Surgery. Why did you change your mind?"

"Yeah..." Clyden became distracted by the mention of it. He looked like he got lost in his thoughts for a second. "It's too long. I want to get married before fellowship." 

"Akala ko ba after fellowship ka magpapakasal?" Eva asked again after getting two cups. She handed the other cup to Clyden. "Matagal nga 'yon!" 

"Thought so." 

Clyden shrugged and turned around to walk away, but our eyes met, which made him stop. Napaiwas kaagad ako ng tingin at sumimsim sa frappe ko. I could still feel his eyes on me! 

"But I think I need to hurry up a bit," he answered Eva again without taking his eyes off me. 

I almost coughed when he walked past behind me, invading my nose with his perfume. I could still smell him even when he had already walked out of the cafe, holding his cup. He stopped for a bit to take a call, so nauna na si Eva paalis. Raylee must have noticed that I was zoning out, so she started laughing. 

"Your ex became hotter, huh," Raylee commented. "Are you sure you don't want him back? I would want him back." She couldn't stop teasing me about it! "Maybe we should meet here more often. What do you think? You can use me as an excuse to see him as long as my niece is confined here." 

"Can you stop it? Geez." I touched my cap and pulled it down a bit so it would hide my face. Silly me. My face heated with just the sight of him. "How's your niece, then?" I changed the topic. 

"You want to see her? They're preparing for her operation. She has a problem with her chest part." She stood up and got her things when she saw me leaving. 

"I'll see her later. I need to go to a meeting. Arah's already waiting for me," paalam ko sa kanya bago umalis. 

"Samantha Vera? Samantha Vera!" My eyes widened when I saw a member of the media. "Sabi sa 'yo, nakita ko 'yong van, eh! Samantha Vera, wait!" 

I started walking in the other direction when he called other people. We were gaining too much attention! Being a model in the Philippines also made me enter showbiz for a short time. I did an acting job before but stopped to focus more on modeling, but this industry just can't stop pestering me! All they talked about was me having a child! 

"I'm sorry, I have nothing to say," I told the interviewer, pulling my cap lower so the flash of the camera wouldn't bother me. 

"Is it true that you currently have a non-showbiz boyfriend?" a woman asked. 

Oh, so it was another rumor, huh? Did Arah spread this one to cover up the rumors about Avrielle? Either way, I didn't want to talk about it because it would just make the issue bigger. It was frustrating to be in this industry. 

I was about to walk away when the male interviewer pulled on my arm to stop me. My eyes widened when I looked back at him, but I got blinded by the flashes of the cameras eventually. Why... Why would they touch me? They knew they shouldn't touch someone or even force them to stay! They were starting to get wilder. I still couldn't get mad. I was annoyed, but I couldn't get mad. 

"I'm sorry. Please let me go," I told the man. 

"Is it true that-"

"She told you to let her go, right?" 

Suddenly, the flashes stopped. I tried to turn my head around to see what happened, but he was blocking my view. Clyden... Clyden was blocking my view. He stood right behind me so the cameras couldn't get a glimpse of my face. He held the wrist of the man holding my arm and harshly pulled it away. 

"Do not cause a ruckus in our hospital. There are patients around," he told them in a cold voice. "You shouldn't be allowed here." 

In just a few seconds, security came in and blocked the way. I stiffened when Clyden put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me away to go to the corner where I wouldn't be seen. He went inside a small hallway before letting me go. I didn't notice that I was holding my breath for so long. 

"Just wait for them to go away first," he said, looking over the door to see the situation outside. 

I couldn't talk. I couldn't talk at all when he was this close to me! He was leaning over the wall, his hand on the side of my head while looking at the door. I looked away and stopped myself from moving. He was tall, so I was in the same line of vision with his neck. 

"I think they're-" He suddenly stopped talking when he looked at me and realized our position. He immediately took a step back and leaned his back against the other wall. "They're gone." 

"I... I'm sorry." I even stuttered a bit. I didn't know what to say to him. "They're usually not this wild. I don't get why they followed me here. M-maybe because they still couldn't get anything from me with those rumors going around." 

"Rumors," he repeated. He looked away and put his hands inside his pockets. 

Crickets. I could hear crickets! I knew I had to walk away, but my feet were betraying me! They wouldn't move! I had to say something! 

"Uh, y-you didn't take Surgery?" Oh, damn! It looked so obvious that I was eavesdropping earlier! What would he think of me now?! 

He stared at me for a moment before answering the question. "Yes, I didn't." 

He just gave a straight answer and nothing else. I knew I had to exit the conversation already. His short answer was like telling me to leave. He was dismissing me. I had to move! I had to walk away! I knew he was also busy. 

"If I did, it would have been... five years more," he answered before I could leave. My brows furrowed in confusion when I looked at him. "I guess I was impatient. I wanted to prove myself quickly." So that was why he chose Pedia? 

"Uh, okay," I whispered. I didn't know what to say anymore. I didn't even get what he just said. He wanted to prove himself quickly. Kanino? Sa magulang niya? He already did. A lot of times... But we weren't in that kind of relationship to talk about family issues anymore. "Shoot! I have a meeting! I have to go now!" 

"Hey, you left your-" 

Hindi ko na siya nilingon at tumakbo na 'ko paalis. Arah would kill me! I was never late for a meeting! It would be my first time! Well, it was the media's fault. She would understand my situation. She should! 

"I'm sorry, nahabol ako ng media. Kahit sa hospital! Maybe because someone posted that I was there... Oh, right. A lady asked me for a picture," I said as soon as I entered the van. I went to the backseat to quickly change my outfit for the meeting. I didn't want to look like a mess. I was wearing my casual clothes earlier. 

"Yeah, I heard. It's fine now. They didn't get anything from you, right?" Arah asked, and I nodded. "Why are they saying that you have a non-showbiz boyfriend now?" 

"What? Didn't you spread that rumor?" I asked while putting on my white leather jacket. "I thought you did that to cover up the rumors about Avrielle." 

"No... Naunahan nila ako, huh," she said while scrolling through her iPad. Francine was beside me, doing my makeup while the van was moving. Sanay na kaming dalawa sa ganito. 

"Dahil 'ata may nagsabi sa Twitter na nakita ka sa Japan na may kasamang lalaki a few weeks ago but there was no photo to confirm it so hindi nakarating sa big media outlets," Francine answered. 

"What? Me? With a man?" I got so confused until I finally realized who I was with. Ugh! What the heck! Haze?! Were they talking about him?! "I got myself doomed. It was just a friend, Arah. He wasn't my boyfriend." 

"I didn't ask. Why are you so defensive? Who's that man? Tell me," she insisted. 

"Haze Juarez," I told her. There was no point in lying to my manager. She had to know everything, or else she wouldn't be able to clean the mess. "You probably know him." 

"Of course! I know all the hot guys! Oh my god." She sounded so thrilled. I thought she would be at least mad at me for not being careful. "You mean, Fly Asia's C.E.O.? He was a pilot, too, right? I also heard about Akihiro Juarez. Are they brothers? I see." 

"Hiro is Avrielle's dad," I told her casually while Francine was working on my blush. Both of them suddenly stopped to look at me. "What?" 

"He's what?!" Arah yelled. Wait, didn't I say it already before? Did I forget about it or sila ang nakalimot? "Avrielle... is a Juarez?!" 

"Oh my, ang daming chika," Francine whispered, continuing her work. 

Tuwang-tuwa naman siyang makarinig ng chismis ngayon. Isa siya sa mga pinakachismosang kilala ko kaya siya rin ang nagbabalita kay Arah ng lahat. She was young so she was immersed in social media too. 

"Yeah, he's crazy about Yanna." I almost rolled my eyes when I said that. 

In just one look, everyone could easily tell how whipped he was! When I was with them in Japan, I saw how he looked at her. He would probably do anything for my best friend. It got me a bit... jealous. I wanted someone to look at me that way, too. 

Ugh, I was sounding so single again. 

I knew Arah wanted to ask more about Haze, but I had already told her that we were not in that kind of relationship. I hadn't even seen him for a long time. There was no reason to see each other. 

The meeting was just fast, so right after that, I asked to go to the nearest mall to get Avrielle a gift for her birthday. She was already entering kindergarten this year, so I wanted to get her a cute pair of shoes. Her birthday party this year would be bigger than the ones she had before since they would be inviting Hiro's friends, too. 

I promised Raylee that I'd be back to see her niece, so I also bought a doll for her. I couldn't go there empty-handed. Gabi na rin nang makarating ako kaya nagdala na rin ako ng dinner. It was just salad for me, but I bought a lot of food for Raylee. 

I knocked on the door twice before slowly entering. "Hey, Ray, I bought you dinner. Can you eat with m-" I suddenly stopped when she looked at me with wide, threatening eyes. "What?" 

I placed the food on the table before looking at the hospital bed. My eyes widened when I realized that she wasn't alone in the room. Her niece was talking to a man in a white coat. Beside him was a nurse. 

"Does it hurt?" The voice was familiar. When I sat on the sofa, I got a clear look on the doctor's face. What the hell, it was Clyden again! Why do we keep seeing each other?! "It'll be quick, alright?" 

The nurse started applying alcohol on a cotton ball before wiping it on Raylee's niece's hand. It was probably my first time, so I had no idea what would happen. Were they going to put a needle on her? I hated needles. They were scary. 

The nurse was obviously having a hard time finding where to put it. She tried twice, but I think it failed, so Clyden asked to do it himself. He was whispering something to the child. Raylee's niece was around six years old. 

"What's your favorite show, Queenie?" Clyden asked while casually holding the needle with his gloves on. 

"I... I like Barbies," the kid answered, obviously nervous. She couldn't look at the needle at all. Clyden was trying to calm her down.

"Are you sleepy?" he asked again in his calmest voice. "If not, can you look at me for a moment?" 

I looked away when I felt my heart racing so fast. I had to stand up and go to the restroom to wash my face para naman mahimasmasan ako. I was staring at him for so long! Good thing he didn't notice. 

When I came out of the restroom, they were already done. The nurse was checking the fluid while Clyden was talking to Raylee. He was holding a folder with him and a pen. When they finished talking, our eyes briefly met for a moment. Umiwas din kaagad ako ng tingin at tumalikod para kuhanin ang pagkain ko. 

"Kumain ka na, Doc?" Raylee suddenly asked. 

Clyden looked at her when he was about to leave. "Not yet..." He sounded so confused.

"Sige, Doc. Take care of yourself!" Raylee eyed me on the side with a teasing smile. "Saan ka madalas kumakain, Doc? Gusto mo ng kasama?" 

"Uh, no. I have a lot of things to do." Clyden surely looked like he was in a hurry, so I covered Raylee's mouth to stop her from talking again. With that, Cy looked at me instead. 

"Thank you, Doc. You can go now," I told him. 

He bit his lower lip and nodded before closing the door to leave. Nakahinga lang ako nang maluwag nang makaalis na siya. Muntik ko nang sabunutan si Raylee. She was obviously doing it on purpose! 

"What? I heard him talking earlier with the nurse! Hindi pa siya natutulog o kumakain! Your ex should take care of himself. Doctor pa naman siya!" Raylee sat on the couch. "You guys were staring at each other too much. It made me sick too! Just go out already!" 

"What? No way!" I denied it. "I wasn't staring at him! And he's not interested in me anymore. He's too busy now." 

Raylee's niece fell asleep so I didn't get the chance to give the doll by myself. After that, I went home to get all of Avrielle's things. Marami siyang naiwan dito dahil mas madalas pa siyang dito nakatira kaysa sa apartment ni Yanna. 

The next day, I woke up because of Arah's call. Ang aga-aga tumatawag siya kaya chineck ko kaagad kung may nakalimutan ba 'kong schedule. 

[Samantha Vera, you were seen buying kids' stuff sa mall, huh! There were photos, too! Now everyone's really assuming that you have a daughter!] bungad niya sa 'kin. 

"Ugh, it's for Avrielle and Raylee's niece. Why are they making a big deal out of it?" I asked while preparing my cereal. 

[Reasoning out would sound defensive. It will die down. If you're going to Avrielle's birthday party, be careful, okay?! Assumero na lahat ng tao, gosh! They're now saying na you got pregnant early by your non-showbiz boyfriend!] 

"Ridiculous," I whispered. She reminded me about my shoot today before ending the call. 

I had been wondering for a long time... When would they find out about my previous engagement with Clyden? The son of Cristopher Ramirez. That would be big. Maybe if they dug a little deeper, they would know about it. It wasn't like it was a secret before, but not everyone knew about it. They just announced it with the family's close friends. Almost all of them weren't interested in the media.  

Just like that, Avrielle's party came. I cleared my schedule the whole day so I could help prepare the designs. The venue was held at the Juarez mansion, and since Yanna was still feeling awkward around Hiro's mom, she wanted me to come early. 

"Hello, Tita," I greeted Hiro's mom and kissed her cheek. Ilang beses na rin kaming nagkita noon kaya kilala na namin ang isa't isa. "How are you?" 

"Samantha! You look even prettier now. I see your billboards around Manila. What a sight!" She smiled at me and held my shoulders. "I'm fine. I'm fine. I'll just check on Avrielle. Feel at home, okay?" 

When she left, Yanna let out a heavy breath. She was preparing the balloons. Pampalipas-oras lang daw so I helped her with that. May mga hired people naman para mag-ayos ng venue pero gusto niyang tumulong dahil nakakahiya raw sa Mommy ni Hiro. 

"I'll go outside to place these," I told Yanna. 

When I went to the backyard to place the balloons, I saw Haze going out of the house in his corporate attire. He opened the door of his black luxury car and went inside. So he was in the mansion all this time? Good thing he didn't see me, or else he would annoy me again!

The visitors started coming at four o'clock, and I helped in greeting the visitors since I also knew Hiro's friends. Helen, Shan, Ericka, Neil... They were all there. Kulang pa nga sila. As usual, 'yong friends namin ni Yanna ang late. 

"Where's Kierra?" I asked Luna when she came. She was with Sevi this time. Sevi was quiet the whole time. He displayed unusual behavior, so I assumed that something happened. 

"Ah, susunod daw," Luna answered. "Hoy, Sevirous, ayusin mo mukha mo. Naiinis ako sa ganyang hitsura mo! Birthday party 'to, hindi lamay." 

"Ah, umabot ako!" Via showed up with a gift. 

It was just a simple birthday party in the backyard with our friends gathered around the tables. Kami-kami lang din at ang iba pang friends ni Yanna at Hiro sa airline. It wasn't chaotic... or that was what I thought.

"An important announcement!" Hiro told everyone. Napakunot ang noo namin at tumingin sa kanya na nasa harapan. "Check the invitations on your tables." 

Nagkanya-kanya kaming kuha ng white envelope sa table. They had names, so I knew what was mine. Nang buksan ko, muntik na 'kong mahulog sa inuupuan ko. I looked at Yanna in betrayal. How dare she not tell me about the wedding date?! 

"We're getting married in a few months. We hope you can come," Hiro said. Avrielle was already taking a nap on Yanna's shoulder. 

"Sana all," Luna whispered before drinking a glass of champagne. 

"Sana all," Sevi whispered too. 

Kierra was here a while ago, but she kept on leaving! She was so good at avoiding, huh? Magpinsan nga sila ni Luna. I appreciated that she still came here, though. 

"They're so happy," I whispered. I wanted to join their 'sana all' moment, but I just kept it inside. At least I wasn't the only one feeling jealous here. The thought was comforting. "Don't worry, guys. You will find your happiness, too." 

When Yanna came inside to let Avrielle sleep, the real party started! Hiro placed alcohol bottles on our tables when the sky went dark. Tuwang-tuwa naman ang mga adults nang makakita ng alak. Wala pang sinasabi ay binuksan na nina Luna ang bottles. I was just sitting there with a glass of wine. I wasn't in the mood to drink, but I still took their shots. 

"Oh my gosh, Samantha Vera! Kumusta?" Helen asked. I stood up and left my table to join them. I socialized with other people, too, while my friends remained on the table. They were having an alcohol contest there. 

"Where's Shan?" I asked when I didn't see him. 

"Uh, he was here a while ago, but I think he left. Maybe he's with Hiro," Helen answered. "Anyway, you're big time now, huh?! I heard from Giselle that you're now one of the most recognized supermodels in the industry!"

Luna kept on giving me shots kahit nasa kabilang table na 'ko. Dumadayo pa siya palagi. I knew they were starting to cheat on my shots, but I just let them. When I went back to the table, Sevi was already tearing up. What a sight. 

"Tanginang buhay 'to, oh," Sevi said, wiping his tears away. 

"Hey, are you okay? Do you have a problem? Can I do something to help?" I gently asked, putting my hand on his back to calm him down. He had a problem with money before, so I gave him some. 

"Hindi na 'to maso-solve ng tulong mo, Sam. Tangina ko!" Inuntog niya ang noo niya sa lamesa, making me jump a bit. Oh my! Did it hurt?! 

"Hala, sige, umpog mo pa ulo mo. Gusto mo tulungan pa kita?" Luna offered before gathering Sevi's hair on her hand. She was seriously about to hit his head! 

"Tama na 'yan, ha," Via scolded the both of them. "Umupo ka na nga, Luna. Ubusin mo na lang 'to." 

Since Sevi couldn't take shots anymore, ako na lang ang umako. I drank more than I planned! I wasn't expecting to get drunk at this party! Akala ko wholesome kid's party, but when the birthday girl fell asleep, everything went down. It turned into a reunion. 

"Kapag hindi ako maid of honor, hindi ako a-attend!" I told Yanna in my drunk voice. 

"Sira. Sino pa b'ang maid of honor kung hindi ikaw?" Yanna held my shoulders to keep me standing. "Okay ka lang ba? Parang tanga 'to, oh. Mabilis ka na malasing ngayon?" 

"No, I can still walk. I'll just go to the restroom," I told her. 

I went inside the house by sliding the door into the backyard. I couldn't remember where the restroom was, so I kept on walking around. I was starting to realize that I was just walking in circles, so I stopped in front of the stairs and scratched my head. I couldn't sit down on it because I was wearing a white bodycon dress. 

I closed my eyes for a moment but opened them again when the main door opened, and it revealed a familiar man. I blinked twice to get a clear view of him. He was taking his coat off, leaving him with his black button-down dress shirt, a grey necktie, and a pair of grey slacks. He put his coat on his arm and fixed his silver watch before walking in my direction. 

"It seems like you're always drunk whenever we see each other," Haze said, laughing a bit. 

"Restroom," I told him. "Where is it? I kept on walking around! I couldn't find it!" I yelled at him now. 

"Let me take you there." 

He was about to touch my shoulder but stopped himself midway. Nauna na lang siyang maglakad at sumunod ako sa kanya. His masculine scent surrounded him. He stopped in front of the white door and opened it for me. 

"Thanks," I told him before going inside. Their restroom was big! May cubicles pa! 

I washed my hand and retouched my makeup after leaving the cubicle. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Haze waiting for me outside. I didn't think that he would really wait for me. He looked like a busy man. 

He was tall. His shoulders and chest were broad, and his dress shirt was hugging his arms well. He probably got a lot of girls seduced by his looks, huh? When he noticed me staring, he raised a brow and clicked his tongue against his teeth. 

"What now? Don't fall in love with me," he joked. 

"As if," I whispered, rolling my eyes. "Ugh, I need to go home." Kinuha ko ang bag ko para hanapin ang susi ng kotse ko. I really needed to go home. My head was already spinning. 

"Are you sure you can go home? You can rest here." He sounded worried. "You can't drive in that state." 

"I can drive!" I walked away, but he pulled on my hand to stop me. When I was about to lash out, he answered a call, so I just kept my mouth shut.

"Yes. Place them on my desk, and I'll check them tomorrow. Better to send them to me via email if you happen to have soft copies. I'll try to work on it tonight." He sounded so formal. I tried to get away from his grip, but he didn't budge. 

"Let me go. I can drive," I whispered so the person on the other line wouldn't hear. 

"Give me a second," he said before moving the phone away from him and looking at me. He was tall, so he was looking down. "I'll drive you home, so keep quiet." 

I frowned and rolled my eyes. It made me dizzy, so I held my head a bit while he was still talking to someone on the phone. When he ended the call, he finally let my wrist go. 

"Are you dizzy?" he asked again. 

I was closing my eyes. I started thinking of Clyden. Why... Why was I thinking of him?!  Why did it have to be now? Ayoko na siyang isipin! 

"I want to sleep," I told him, still closing my eyes. "Sleep with me..." 

"What?" I heard the surprise and confusion in his voice. 

Clyden... I miss him so badly. I miss him. 

"Sleep with me, please," I whispered again. "I miss you." 

"Hah!" I heard him scoff. "You're really losing it, huh?" 

"Ugh, my head!" I held my head again, and out of frustration, I punched Haze's chest. What the hell was I saying to him earlier? "This is all your fault. I told you na I want to go home already." 

"No, you told me to sleep with you. Flattering, but no." He got my bag out of my hand so he could carry it. "How long have you been out of this world to beg someone to sleep with you?" 

"I haven't had sex for years! Damn you all!" I yelled, punching him again in the chest. "I'm going to lose my mind." 

"If you weren't drunk and asked me to sleep with you, I would gladly accept." The side of his lips rose, forming a smirk. "Unfortunately, you need to go home, so let's just go, woman." 

He held my shoulders and guided me out. He opened the shotgun seat for me and even put on my seatbelt before going to the driver's seat. He asked me where I lived, so I told him the building of my condo. It was a little far from here. 

"Do you guys... Do you guys do it with other women after a breakup?" I asked, looking outside the window. I wondered if Clyden went into that kind of relationship after me. 

"What's 'it'?" he asked, raising a brow while driving with his one hand. "Can you elaborate, please?" 

"You know what I'm talking about. Do you guys do it with other women, too? I can't do it with other men after the breakup." I didn't know what I was saying anymore! I wanted to stop my mouth, but I couldn't. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," he insisted. "Is it sex? Are you asking me about sex?" 

"Why do you have to say it out loud? Geez. I censored it for a reason." I rolled my eyes and leaned my chin over my palm. "Yeah, so what's the answer?" 

"I do it with other women. It depends on my mood. My last breakup didn't really affect me that much..." His lips formed a small smile. "But... I don't know about your man. Why are you even curious about that matter?" 

"Nothing." I sighed heavily. "I wanted to feel good, but your answer made me feel worse. Asshole." 

"I know how to make you feel good," he casually said. 

My brows furrowed when I looked at him. When he saw my reaction, he laughed again and shook his head. He leaned his elbow on the window and played with his lower lip using his thumb. 

"Sleep. Sleep will make you feel good. Don't think about something else. I wouldn't do that to you," he said with a smirk on his face. "Unless you want me to." 

"You're really something." I glared at him. "You're just like your brother. That's the reason why Yanna got pregnant. Both of you are... something!" 

I kind of fell asleep on the way, so when I opened my eyes, he was already at the parking lot of my condo. He opened the door and wrapped my arms around his shoulders to help me walk. 

I stopped when I heard something. He must have noticed because he looked at me with a confused expression. 

"Cover your face!" I moved my bag and covered his face, pulling him faster inside the elevator.

When the elevator door closed, I held my head and closed my eyes. "What is it?" Haze asked again. 

"Cover your face when you go back to the parking lot. It's better if you just ask someone to pick you up from the lobby and leave your car there," I advised. 

"Why?" Mas lalong kumunot ang noo niya. 

"Someone took a photo of us," I told him. At that moment, I already knew what would happen tomorrow. 

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:)