جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 20

Maya stared at her phone, the text from Ava still burning in her mind. I found something. I'm not sure what it means, but you need to know. I'm sorry... The message was so vague, it only made her more anxious. She didn't know if she should respond now or wait until after the dinner. But then again, was it even something she could afford to ignore?"Everything okay?" Ash asked, his voice gentle yet laced with concern.Maya blinked and quickly tucked her phone back in her bag, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just... work stuff. Nothing to worry about."Ash didn't look convinced. "Are you sure? You seem a little distracted. I thought tonight was about you and me."The way he said it, so soft and sincere, made her heart skip a beat. But the urgency in her gut told her that whatever Ava had discovered couldn't wait. The words "I'm sorry" echoed in her mind, and it felt like the ground was shifting beneath her feet."I'm sorry," Maya muttered, a little too quickly. "I just... I need to check someth

The days that followed felt like an emotional roller coaster for Maya. She couldn't shake off the conversation she had with Ash. His words kept replaying in her head, "I'll prove it to you. I just need a little time." But despite his earnestness, something inside her was still unsettled. The nagging doubts, the warnings from Ava, and the lingering feeling that there was more to Ash than what he was letting on... It all swirled inside her like a storm she couldn't control.Maya tried to distract herself with work, but it felt different now. Everything felt distant. Even her usual back-and-forth with Ava couldn't keep her mind off of him. Ash had left her with so many questions, and every time she saw a notification from him or saw his name flash across her screen, her heart would skip a beat.That Friday, as the weekend loomed closer, Maya found herself in the familiar silence of her apartment, surrounded by her scattered thoughts. She decided to go for a walk, hoping the fresh air wou

Ava's POVWala na akong ibang maiisip kundi si Maya. Alam ko kasing she's been struggling these past few days. Hindi ko na siya nakikita as her usual bubbly self. I could tell that something was bothering her, but she just kept brushing it off whenever I asked her. I was starting to think na baka si Ash na naman ang dahilan.Kahit na hindi ko kilala si Ash nang personal, I could see how much he meant to Maya. They've been talking nonstop these past few weeks, and I knew from the way Maya smiled at her phone na may something special between them. I was happy for her, honestly. She deserves someone who'll treat her right after everything that's happened in her life.But still, there was this nagging feeling na parang may kulang. I've been trying to shake off this suspicion, pero every time na nag-uusap kami ni Maya about him, there's always this look in her eyes na parang... I don't know. Parang hesitant, pero hopeful at the same time.This morning, nag-usap kami ni Maya after her meeti

AVA'S POVIt's funny how life throws curveballs when you least expect it.I was just sitting on my couch, scrolling through my phone like I always do when I'm avoiding the chaos of my thoughts. My mind was on autopilot, and I was so focused on the meme I was reading that I didn't even notice the text message from Maya until it was too late. I had been meaning to call her for hours, to tell her everything, but every time I thought about it, my stomach twisted. I didn't want to worry her. Hindi ko pa nga rin sigurado kung tama ang ginagawa ko, pero nararamdaman kong kailangan ko itong ibahagi.I texted her first.Ava: Maya, I need to talk to you. There's something you don't know.I saw her reply almost immediately.Maya: What's going on?The moment I saw that message, I realized how cryptic and vague my words had been. Was I really ready to tell her everything? The truth about Ash? The things I had uncovered?But I couldn't back out now.Ava: I think I found something. About Ash. Someth

MAYA'S POVWala akong masyadong naramdaman habang papauwi ako. Siguro kasi hindi ko pa rin alam kung anong magiging ending ng lahat ng ito. I wanted to believe Ash, I really did. Pero, ang sakit pa rin. Bawat salita niya kanina, parang may mga butas. Masyadong madali niyang ipinasa ang lahat ng pagkakamali niya sa ibang tao. Hindi ko siya masisisi, kasi siguro ganun talaga siya-laging itinatago ang mga bagay na nakakabigat.Pero ako? Hindi ko kayang maging ganun. I may have built walls to protect myself, pero hindi ko kayang magpanggap na hindi ako nasaktan, na hindi ko nakikita bawat signals. Na hindi ko ramdam na may kulang.Pagdating ko sa apartment ko, diretso akong pumasok, hindi na pinansin ang phone ko na nag-vibrate sa bag ko. Nandiyan na si Ava, naghintay na sigurado akong matagal. Hindi ko kayang mag-isang nang mag-isip ngayon. I needed someone to talk to."Ava!" Sigaw ko habang tinatanggal ko ang sapatos ko. "Ang hirap!"Bigla niyang binuksan ang pinto, ang mukha niyang pun