Bound by Destiny: The MikhAiah Chronicles

Chapter 2: Unlikely Friendship (4)

Aiah's POV

After everything that happened, I finally got the courage to talk to Mikhaela. For the past few days, I purposely avoided replying to any of her DMs. I even turned off my phone at one point, just so I wouldn't have to deal with the flood of notifications. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk to her, I just needed some time to gather my thoughts. I wasn't ready. Every time I saw her name pop up, there was this pit in my stomach—like I was about to confront something I wasn't prepared for.

But now, I think this is the right time. Enough time has passed, and I owe it to her to explain what I've been feeling. Besides, I can't avoid her forever. I need to face this, even if I'm still not entirely sure what it is I'm feeling or how to put it into words.

I opened my Instagram, the familiar anxiety creeping back in as I navigated to our chat. My thumb hovered over the message box, ready to type something—anything—when I suddenly saw the "..." icon appear. She was typing. My heart skipped a beat as I stared at the tiny bubbles, frozen in place. Should I just wait?

I didn't want to start typing on my end. I knew that if I so much as touched the keyboard, it would show her that I was online and ready to respond. And I wasn't sure if I was ready for that yet. I didn't want her to know I was there, waiting, hesitating. Besides, I had a feeling she had something important to say, and I wanted to hear her out without interrupting.

So, I sat there, phone in hand, watching the dots dance across the screen. What is she going to say? The anticipation was building, and with it, a mix of emotions I wasn't sure how to handle. Part of me wanted to close the app and come back later when I had fully collected myself. But another part of me—the bigger part—knew that this was something I couldn't run away from anymore.

I let her finish what she wanted to say.

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Mikha's POV

Hindi na ako makatiis kaya minessage ko na siya ng pagkahaba-haba kasi I really don't know what happened to her if I did something wrong ba.

"Maraiah, please, talk to me. I really don't know what happened or what triggered you to act like that earlier. I want to understand what went wrong. Can we please talk privately? Just the two of us, without anyone else around. I can even ditch my security if that makes you more comfortable—whatever it takes para makapag-usap tayong maayos.

Maraiah, it's been bothering me a lot. Please, talk to me. I don't want us to leave things like this, not knowing what happened. I know this might not be the best time to ask, but... could I have your number? So I can reach you directly instead of just DMs? Sometimes, my inbox here sa Instagram is overflowing, and I'm afraid I might miss your messages. But if you're not okay with it, I totally understand.

But please, let's talk. I really want to fix this, and I don't want us to drift apart just because of a misunderstanding."

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Aiah's POV

When I finally saw her message pop up, I couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over me. Siguro naman tama ang sinasabi niyang kailangan niya rin ng explanation for what really happened between us. It made me realize that it would be selfish of me not to explain my side, especially since she was the one reaching out first, genuinely asking for clarity. She deserves to know my perspective and the reasons behind my feelings.

Sorry, Mikhaela, pero tinoyo lang talaga ako huhu. I thought about how much I had been avoiding the conversation, feeling like I was just prolonging the inevitable. I didn't want to hurt her any further, but at the same time, I couldn't ignore the fact that we needed to talk this out. If we left it unresolved, it would only fester and become a bigger issue in the future.

Anyways, I gathered my thoughts and took a deep breath before replying to her message. I felt her sincerity radiating through the screen, and I knew that I had to be honest with her. There was no point in dragging this out any longer. I had made up my mind—I would address everything that had been bothering me.

As I typed my response, I made sure to choose my words carefully, wanting to convey how much I valued our friendship and how important it was to me that we cleared the air. It was time to be open and vulnerable about what had happened, and I was ready to face whatever came next.

I pressed send, feeling a mix of anxiety and hope. I was pretty sure na makakausap ko na siya tungkol sa lahat ng nangyari. No more beating around the bush; it was time to confront the truth together.

"Sure, Mikhaela. We can definitely talk. I think it's better if we clear the air and figure out what really happened. I'm not sure what I'm feeling either, but maybe it'll help if we just sit down and talk about it calmly.

How about we meet at the coffee shop where we last saw each other? That way, hindi ka na rin mahihirapan na hanapin ako or mag-adjust pa sa ibang lugar. I'll be there in about 20 minutes.

I hope this helps clear things up for both of us. I really don't want any misunderstandings between us, and I appreciate you reaching out. See you soon."

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Mikha's POV

Hindi ko ineexpect na magrereply si Maraiah saakin nang agad-agad, kaya't nang makita ko ang sagot niya, ramdam ko ang kasiyahan at ginhawa. Agad-agad akong sumagot para ipaalam sa kanya na okay akong makipagkita sa kanya. Napaka-importante ng usapan na ito para sa akin, kaya't hindi ko na pinabagal-bagal pa ang mga bagay-bagay. Nagbihis na lang ako ng mabilis, tinalikuran ang mga alalahanin, at pumunta na sa coffee shop na malapit lang sa amin.

Ayaw ko sanang dalhin si Maloi at Colet sa pagpunta kong ito. Gusto ko rin namang magkaroon ng pagkakataon na kami lang ni Maraiah ang mag-usap ng masinsinan. Alam kong maaalala nilang may mahalaga akong gagawin, kaya't sinabihan ko si Colet na hindi ko muna sila kailangan at may kikitain lang ako sa malapit. Hindi na rin nagdalawang-isip si Colet, at alam kong nakikita niya sa mukha ko na mahalaga ang lakad na ito.

Dahil dito, pinilit ko ring ipaalam kay Maloi na antayin na lang nila akong makauwi at mag-isip kung anong pwedeng gawing sorpresa para kay Gwenny. Parang napaka-urgent ng lahat, kaya't nagmadali ako sa pag-alis.

Maya-maya pa, nakarating na rin ako sa coffee shop at agad akong naghanap ng magandang pwesto sa labas. Napaka-comfortable ng ambiance, na akma para sa pag-uusap. Habang hinihintay ko si Maraiah, nag-message ako sa kanya kung anong gusto niya, kasi nandito na ako at ayokong mag-antay siya nang matagal o maiwan siyang nag-iisa habang ako ay umuorder.

"Maraiah, anong gusto mo? Oorder na ako para sa ating dalawa," text ko, umaasang makakatulong ito para mas mapadali ang aming pagsasama.

Hindi nagtagal, nakatanggap ako ng reply mula sa kanya. "Iced coffee na lang, ikaw na bahala sa foods natin."

"Alright, thank you ulit for this, Maraiah," sagot ko, umaasa na magiging maayos ang lahat.

"No worries, malapit na rin naman ako," ang sagot niya, na nagbigay sa akin ng kaunting kapanatagan. Habang inaasahan ang kanyang pagdating, nag-isip ako kung paano namin sisimulan ang usapan. Bawat segundo ay tila tumatagal, ngunit alam kong kailangan kong maging handa. Ang moment na ito ang magiging simula ng pagpapaliwanag sa lahat ng naganap, at umaasa ako na magiging maayos ang takbo ng aming pag-uusap.

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