A Love Unexpected

Chapter 4:A Ride To Go Home

Heart’s POV

After class, I stood by the HEU gate, scanning the street for my sundo. My body ached from my student nurse duties, and I couldn't wait to get home and collapse on my bed.

Suddenly, a familiar red sedan with a sleek black silhouette pulled up in front of me. I blinked, realizing who it was even before the window rolled down.

"Need a ride, sweetheart?" Ryndell's smug voice greeted me as he leaned out of the driver’s window, flashing that signature grin of his.

I crossed my arms, not in the mood for his teasing. "Tigilan moko sa pa-sweetheart-sweetheart mo, Ryndell," I huffed, trying to keep my annoyance in check.

He just chuckled, unfazed. "I know you're tired from your student nurse duties. Come on, Heart. Let me take you home."

I hesitated, glancing around the busy street. I wasn’t in the mood for another round of his flirty banter, but my legs were practically begging for a break.

“Fine,” I sighed, opening the passenger door and sliding into the seat. “But no funny business, okay?”

He smirked but said nothing, just nodding as he drove off. The car was quiet, except for the soft hum of the engine and the occasional sounds of the city outside. It was strangely comforting, even if I didn’t want to admit it.

When we finally reached home, I noticed my siblings—Ashton, Saint, Alexis, and Charity—waiting for me at the gate. Great, just what I needed.

As I got out of the car, I shot Ryndell a look. “Thanks for the ride. But next time, don’t make it a habit, okay?”

He grinned, giving a mock salute. “Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

I groaned internally, walking toward the gate where my siblings stood, their eyes wide with curiosity.

“Umm... Hi, kuyas, hi ates?” I said awkwardly, trying to avoid the questions I knew were coming.

Ashton raised an eyebrow, smirking. “So… red sedan, huh?”

Alexis crossed her arms, grinning. “You care to explain, Heart?”

I sighed, rubbing my temples. This was going to be a long night.

Just as I was about to attempt dodging more questions from my siblings, I saw headlights approaching from the driveway. I didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was. My parents’ SUV rolled to a stop, and both Aries and Alexa stepped out.

“Great, more people to interrogate me,” I muttered under my breath.

“Heart, hija!” Mom’s cheerful voice called as she approached. “I see you’ve made it home early, and… is that Ryndell's car?”

Dad, ever the observant one, raised an eyebrow, glancing between me and the red sedan still idling by the gate. “Interesting choice of transportation.”

I groaned. "Mom, Dad, it’s nothing. Ryndell just gave me a ride because I was tired from duty."

Alexa exchanged a knowing glance with Aries. “Oh, really? Seems like he’s quite the gentleman, offering you rides now.”

I crossed my arms, feeling my face heat up. “I told him not to make it a habit, okay? He’s just being... I don’t know, helpful or whatever.”

My siblings snickered behind me, and I shot them a glare. Ashton elbowed Saint, who was stifling a laugh. Alexis, of course, had that mischievous look in her eyes.

“You’re home early, sweetheart,” Dad said, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in amusement. "Maybe Ryndell drives faster than I thought."

“Dad!” I groaned, completely flustered now.

Mom just patted my shoulder with a knowing smile. "Well, dinner's ready inside. Why don’t you all come in? And Heart, next time, maybe your kuyas and ates will want to meet your 'helpful' friend."

I sighed, feeling completely outnumbered by my own family.

Just when I thought the chaos was over, Arielle, Charity, and Coleen arrived. They waved as they walked up the driveway, all wearing excited smiles.

"Hey, Heart! Guess who’s here!" Arielle teased as they approached.

Before I could even respond, my mom, Alexa, called out, "Girls, let’s have dinner first before you all get too excited."

“Dinner sounds good, Tita!” Coleen grinned, her eyes lighting up at the mention of food.

As we all made our way inside, Dad casually dropped a bombshell. “By the way, Heart, your Lola called earlier. She wants you to visit her in Italy soon.”

I almost choked on my words. “Italy, Dad? But my schedules are packed with school, duties, and everything!”

Before Dad could respond, the front door swung open, and Aunt Irene, the Dean of HEU, walked in with a confident stride. “Chillax, my dear,” she said, her voice calming but firm. “We found a new Vice President to replace Celestia. Congratulations, Arielle Celestine Mariestelle Del Gracia, you’re officially the new Student Council Vice President.”

Everyone turned to Arielle, who stood there in shock, her eyes wide as Aunt Irene continued. “You’ll be joining Heart at tomorrow’s meeting. It’s going to be a busy day, ladies.”

Arielle blinked, clearly processing the news, and then turned to me. "Well, I guess this means we're in this together, Heart," she said, half-smiling but looking nervous.

I gave her a supportive smile. “Looks like it. Welcome to the chaos.”

As everyone gathered around the dinner table, the atmosphere was warm and filled with chatter. The smell of delicious home-cooked food filled the room, but I could sense the interrogation brewing.

Just as I picked up my fork, Ashton leaned forward with a smirk, eyeing Arielle, Charity, and Coleen. "So, what happened earlier today, girls? Anything interesting?"

Saint, always ready to back up Ashton’s teasing, chimed in. “Yeah, come on, spill. Something tells me there's more to this ‘ride home’ story.”

Arielle, who was always quick to respond, put down her spoon dramatically, looking at them both with a playful grin. “Kuya Ash, Kuya Saint, wala namang masyadong chismis.” She paused for effect, enjoying the suspense. “Ininvite lang naman si Heart ni Ryndell mag-lunch kanina, with matching hatid gamit yung red sedan niya.”

Ashton raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Lunch date? And the red sedan again?” He shot me a teasing look. “Looks like Ryndell’s making moves, Heart.”

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “Arielle!” I hissed under my breath, but she just gave me a mischievous smile.

Charity, who had been quietly enjoying her food, finally spoke up. “You should’ve seen Heart's face, kuya. She was totally flustered.”

Saint snickered. “Flustered, huh? Interesting…”

I shot them all a glare, though I couldn’t help but feel my cheeks heat up. “It wasn’t a date, okay? He just offered to take me to lunch since we were both free. It’s not a big deal.”

Coleen, ever the supportive friend, patted my back. “Sure, Heart. Not a big deal. Just a casual lunch… and a ride home. In a red sedan.”

The entire table erupted in laughter, and I groaned, knowing there was no escaping their teasing. Even my mom and dad were chuckling softly at the end of the table.

“Great,” I muttered to myself, “this is exactly how I wanted dinner to go.”