Nobody knew about the arrangement. Mona made sure that Felix won't tell Bullet and Mickey about it. Ayaw rin kasi niyang malaman ng mga kaibigan. Siguradong mawiwindang ang mga ito. She also told her employees to keep quiet.

After that second time, medyo nag-lie low muna si Felix. He's probably busy. And since she's free, her mother pestered her again to date Baste. Hindi naman nanghihingi ng second date ang lalaki, which she assumed was because he didn't like her. Well, the feeling's mutual. Siguro dala na lang din ng nostalgia kaya niya pinipilit na gustuhin si Baste. He was cute before. Well, he was hot now. Pero ano naman kung physically perfect ito kung hindi naman niya magugustuhan ang personality nito? Felix is hot too and she also likes his personality. May sabit lang kasi ito.

And that's the reason why she can't tell her mom to stop asking her to date Baste. Siguro titigil lang ito kung may boyfriend na siya. E, hindi naman sila seryoso ni Felix, so she shouldn't even consider him a possibility yet.

Idinahilan na lamang niya sa ina na kailangan niyang paghandaan ang birthday ni Fresia kaya wala syang oras para makipag-date kay Baste. Fresia's birthday is coming up and Bullet asked her to bake a cake for her. 'Yong flavor ng special cupcakes niya, red velvet.

She's never used it to bake a cake before, so she needs a bit of time to adjust. But it's her recipe so it won't be that hard.

It was only a one-tier cake, so mabilis niya iyong natapos. The party was that night. 'Yon ang ambag niyang handa. Aika will be making a sushi platter, na sigurado namang si Brandi lang ang mag-i-enjoy. Si Felix daw ang bibili ng regalong pinabibili ni Bullet, a giant teddy bear, the biggest he could find.

Swerteng-swerte ng kaibigan niya sa naging boyfriend nito. Gwapo at mayaman na, sweet pa at masarap... magluto.

At 6PM, she and Brandi arrived at Aika's house. Saka lang nila nalaman na may sprain pala ito. Alam naman niyang lampa si Aika, pero memoryado na nito ang lahat ng sulok ng bahay nito dahil bihirang-bihira itong lumabas. So naturally, they got curious. Naikwento tuloy nito na nag-hiking pala ito kasama si Mickey.

Of course, Aika didn't go willingly. Pinilit lang daw ito ni Mickey. But she knew something else is up, or else, bakit ito magpapapilit sa lalaki?

"Magkatabi talaga kayong natulog?" taas-kilay niyang tanong.

"May bag sa gitna."

"Bag lang 'yon, Beh! Ang daling itabi!"

"Nothing happened, okay? We're just friends," depensa nito.

"I remember Fresia being just friends with Bullet," singit naman ni Brandi. "Nagmamagandang-loob lang sya dati. Now, look at them. They're practically inseparable."

"We're not like Fresia and Bullet."

"Sure." Pumilantik ang mga mata niya. "Kasi every love story is different, di ba?"

Kagaya ng love story niya... walang kasiguraduhan.

--

They were the first to arrive, kaya kinulit muna nila sina Bullet at Fresia habang hinihintay sina Mickey. Bullet just got out of the shower, pero ang selfish nilang kaibigan, ayaw man lang magpasilip!

Ito namang sweet na boyfriend, panay ang yakap sa kaibigan nilang halatadong kilig na kilig. It must be nice to be in a relationship with someone. She knew Fresia had a lot of hardships growing up kaya alam niyang deserve ng kaibigan niya si Bullet. But she's just so lucky!

Ang swerte naman niya siguro, nasa pamilya. Masaya kasi ang pamilya niya, hindi kagaya kay Fresia. Brandi found her luck in her career. College student ito nang magsimulang mag-modelo. Ngayon, modelo pa rin ito. Halos lahat ng gamit nito, sponsored. And Aika, well, Aika's lucky enough to not need to work her ass off to earn money. Mayaman kasi ang pamilya nito. In good terms din ang parents nito kahit matagal nang hiwalay at may kanya-kanya ng pamilya.

Felix and Mickey arrived a little while later. May dalang malaking-malaking teddy bear si Felix na halos hindi na magkasya sa pintuan ng apartment. Pagkalapag nito sa dalang regalo ay napatingin ito sa gawi niya at akmang tatabihan siya. Matalim ang tingin niya rito habang pasimpleng umiiling.

Ayaw kasi niyang paghinalaan sila ng mga kaibigan kung mapapansin ng mga itong dikit nang dikit si Felix sa kanya. And since he's apparently back with Andrea, it would be inappropriate kung hayagan silang maglalandian na dalawa.

It's a good thing na sina Mickey at Aika naman ang unusual ang ikinikilos. She knew Mickey to be a prankster. Hindi rin ito gentleman, pero pansin nilang panay ang tulong nito kay Aika. It must be because of her sprain. But still, he didn't have to be that attentive.

--

Picture-taking nang magtangka na namang tumabi si Felix sa kanya. Lumipat siya sa kabilang dulo during their photoshoot. Nagtatanong ang mga mata ni Fresia nang magkatinginan silang dalawa.

Did she overdo it? Baka naman akalain ng mga ito na magkaaway sila ni Felix?

But that's okay, right? Better that than had them thinking that there's something going on between them. Baka kasi makarating pa sa girlfriend nito, mag-away pa sila.

So, even when it's time to go home, humiwalay siya rito. May excuse naman siya since siya ang maghahatid kay Aika pauwi. Mickey tagged along. Si Brandi ang kasabay ni Felix... which made her wonder if he'd do the same thing with her. If not that night, then on other nights, kapag cool-off ito at si Andrea at kapag ayaw nitong sa kanya pupunta. Hindi naman iyon malabong mangyari. She knew how Brandi appeals to most men.

That's why she was so surprised when Felix dropped by later that evening. He was inviting her out for coffee. Ayaw sana niyang sumama dahil hindi naman ito free. Technically, he has a girlfriend. Tapos na 'yong break ng dalawa. Nagkabalikan na ulit. Pero mapilit kasi ito. Ayaw siyang tigilan hanggang hindi siya umu-oo.

And he also promised that they'll just have coffee.

Nilakad lang nila 'yong pinakamalapit na coffee shop mula sa bahay niya. Naghanap siya ng magandang pwesto sa loob ng café habang bumibili si Felix ng kape.

Nang makabili ito at makaupo sa tapat niya, ang una nitong tanong ay, "Galit ka ba?"

To which she frowned and pouted. "Huh? Sasama ba ako sa 'yo kung galit ako?"

He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Oh good. Akala ko talaga galit ka."

"Bakit naman ako magagalit?"

Nagkibit-balikat ito. "I don't know. Halos lahat naman, pwede nyong ikagalit."

"Marunong naman akong magsabi kung galit ako."

"Good. Sabihan mo lang ako kung galit ka at kung bakit ka galit. Nakakapagod kasing manghula."

She sipped her coffee. "Is Andrea giving you a hard time?"

Wait... that sounded wrong. She mentally grunted. Bakit ba kasi sadyang mahalay ang utak niya? Thankfully, Felix didn't notice the innuendo.

"Palagi naman 'yon."

"Pero mahal mo talaga, 'no? Balik ka nang balik, e."

Ngumiti ito. "Selos ka?"

She faked a laugh. "Beh, wala naman yata akong karapatang magselos."

Napainom siya ng kape nang hindi ito magkumento sa sinabi niya. To make it less awkward, she told him why she was acting weird earlier.

"Hindi ba parang mas weird kung hindi tayo magpapansinan? Baka isipin nilang may problema tayo. We're friends, after all. Saka alam naman nilang medyo close na tayo."

Medyo. Muntik na siya masigmukan sa salitang 'yon. Shet. Ganoon na pala ang definition ng 'medyo' ngayon. Paano pa kaya kung todo na?

"Baka lang kasi mapasobra. Ayoko namang makarating sa girlfriend mo. Mamaya, awayin pa 'ko no'n."

"Napasobra naman 'yong 'di mo pamamansin."

"O, e di sorry." Uminom siya ng kape at lakas-loob na itinanong, "Bakit ba on and off kayong dalawa palagi? You've been with her for almost a decade, di ba? Wala ba kayong balak magpakasal?"

She was asking so casually, pero bawat tanong, kumukurot sa kanya. This has everything to do with hoping. Isipin mo pa lang na mababalewala ang pag-asa mo, nalulungkot ka na. Yep. This is just that.

Nag-iwas ito ng tingin at bumuntong-hininga. Matagal itong nanahimik. She didn't know why he couldn't answer her questions. Maybe he's not ready to tell her yet? Kung bakit naman kasi nanghihimasok pa siya.

"Okay lang naman kung ayaw mong sagutin. I'm sorry for prying."

Hindi pa rin ito umimik.

"You're unusually quiet tonight," puna niya.

"Tahimik naman talaga ako."

"Weh!"

He chuckled and brought the coffee cup to his lips. But he didn't take a sip. Nagkatinginan kasi silang dalawa, tapos bigla nitong ibinaba ang hawak.

"She was like you," he told her.

"Mataba rin sya dati?"

Ngumisi si Felix. "Magaang kasama, maalaga... masarap magluto."

Despite the unwanted comparison, kinilig pa rin siya.

"So what changed?"

"Naging clingy, e. Saka sobrang possessive at selosa," kwento nito. "Noong una, okay naman. Pero lately, nakakasakal na."

"Baka naman kasi maraming babaeng umaaligid sa 'yo. Kahit naman kasi gaano sya kaganda, kung may magaganda rin na lapit nang lapit sa 'yo, syempre matatakot 'yon."

"Hindi, e. Kasi pati lalaki, pinagsiselosan nya. Gusto nyang sa kanya lahat ng time ko. Kapag lumalabas kami nina Bullet, gusto nya kasama sya. Kapag sinabi kong guys only, magagalit sya."

"Baka naman kasi nawawalan ka ng time sa kanya?"

"Lagi kaming magkasama no'ng college. When we graduated, magkasama kami sa bahay. Pinag-apply nya 'ko sa company na malapit sa company nya. Tapos every lunch, sabay kaming kumain. Kapag weekends, either nasa bahay sya nina Mommy o nasa kanila kami. At kapag tumatawag sya, kahit oras ng trabaho, kailangang sasagot ako."

Wala siyang nasabi sa revelations nito. When he said that Andrea became clingy, he meant that she became really clingy. Kahit naman siguro 'yong mga taong may karelasyon, kailangan din ng oras para sa sarili nila at sa ibang kaibigan nila.

Sina Bullet at Fresia nga, kahit bago pa lang na magkarelasyon, may oras pa rin para sa ibang tao at sa ibang bagay. If Andrea hoards all his time, then siguradong masasakal nga si Felix.

"So, nag-break kayo?"

Tumango ito. "Nakipag-break ako."

"Tapos nagkabalikan ulit kayo?"

"Sabi nya magbabago raw sya."

"Tapos?"

"Nagbago naman. Pero naging gano'n ulit after some time."

"Tapos, nakipag-break ka uli?"

He nodded again. "Sabi ko last na."

"Then...?"

Ngumiti ito. "I broke my word."

"Ah." So, mahal mo talaga? Mahal mo pa rin? gusto niyang itanong pero pinigilan niya ang bibig.

Malinaw na ngayon kung ano siya rito. Mas malinaw pa sa sikat ng araw. She's the breather, the air he needs to breathe when it gets too suffocating with Andrea. But once he filled his lungs with her, he'll go back to that toxicated bubble again. Maybe he's used to the poison already?

"I'm sorry for burdening you with my problems," he told her a while later.

She waved her hand dismissively. "Sus, wala 'yon! Sanay na 'kong dinadramahan ng mga tao."

"And about what happpened before—"

"Wala 'yon."

"I don't want you to think that I'm leading you on."

"I know what we did. I know what I'm doing. Matanda na 'ko, 'no. I'm not that naïve." She gave him a reassuring smile and added, "And besides, klaro naman sa 'tin pareho kung ano 'yong nangyari. Wala ka namang pinangako sa 'kin, di ba?"

"Ayaw ko namang isipin mo na 'yon lang ang habol ko sa 'yo."

"Ay, naku, hindi! Ano ka ba!"

Pwede rin naman siyang tagaluto, tagatawa, tagabigay ng advice, tagapalakpak, kasama kapag walang ibang kasama... Really, she has a lot more to offer than just sex and she knew that he will need something else other than sex and she's willing to give him anything else.

Kasi gano'n sya... mapagbigay. Nasa pagkatao na niya iyon, hindi niya kayang pigilan kahit alam niyang siya rin ang masasaktan sa huli.