Catch Me, Iʼm Falling (A JHOLET AU)

Chapter Three: Old Friend

Colet woke up earlier than she normally would because of Yves.

The other woman woke up at the crack of dawn and made a ruckus in the bedroom, waking Colet in the process. They slept late, and because Yves converted her other room into her office, they had to share the latterʼs bed. Colet refused to sleep on the couch because it was too uncomfortable for her.

“What in the hell are you doing?” Colet asked groggily, looking disoriented as she stared at the other woman. Yves was already dressed for work, although her damp hair was still wrapped in a pink towel.

Yves laughed at the incredulous expression on her face. “Iʼm preparing your stuff for work, Your Highness,” she quipped. “Bumangon ka na diyan at mag-wash up, I made breakfast.” 

Colet sat up and groaned. “Fuck.” 

Yves looked over her shoulder, looking a little concerned.

“Hungover?” She inquired absentmindedly, her hands busy rummaging for things she needed for the day. “Get out of bed, I made chicken noodle soup and kimchi fried rice,” she continued before Colet could formulate a response.

Colet sat on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes, willing the spinning room to stop. Yves prepared Coletʼs attire for the day on the bed: a simple black pantsuit paired with a white dress shirt.

“You know where to find your underwear,” said Yves before going out of the room. Colet nodded absently, her hair an absolute mess. She tried to tame it down by combing it with her fingers.

Because Colet used to spend a lot of time at Yvesʼ place when she was still single, and going back to her apartment merely to shower and change was a pain and a waste of time, the two of them decided on this arrangement.

Colet stood up when the throbbing in her head finally eased a little. She went to the adjacent bathroom to throw up, wash her face, and brush her teeth.

As she padded into the dining room, she walked in on Yves setting up the table, her hair and makeup finally done.

“Need help?” Colet asked as she sat down on one of the dining chairs. Yves simply shook her head and Colet nodded. She grabbed the steaming cup of coffee in front of her, took a sip, and sighed with relief.

“Feeling better?” Yves asked as she placed a bowl of chicken noodle soup, a plate of egg rolls, and a bowl of kimchi fried rice in front of Colet.

“Yeah, medyo,” Colet replied, staring down at the steaming soup. It smelled heavenly.

“Kain na habang mainit pa, Col,” Yves admonished while making a toast for herself.

Colet tried the soup and couldnʼt help but let out a tiny, satisfied moan. It was seasoned perfectly, and it helped soothe her now grumbling stomach. She then proceeded to eat the fried rice with the egg rolls Yves had made for her.

“Pinagsisisihan mo na ngayon mga desisyon mo sa buhay, ʼno?”

“Shaddap,” Colet mumbled in response, her mouth full.

“I told you not to drink the vodka on the shelf, pero hindi ka nakinig,” murmured Yves, eyeing the other woman shrewdly before taking a sip of her coffee. “Tigas ng ulo mo.” 

“I was in high spirits, you know?” Colet said defensively after she swallowed her food.

“Yeah, you were very high-spirited indeed, to the point that we got a noise complaint,” said Yves, slapping Coletʼs forehead with the envelope containing the complaint from her next-door neighbor.

Colet looked incredulous like she didnʼt believe a single word of what Yves had just told her. “We did? Tigas naman ng bagang niya para mag reklamo.”