Aiah leaned back on the couch, her fingers wrapped loosely around the stem of her wine glass as she tried to ignore the way her pulse was still racing. Her lips still tingled from the kiss, and every time she looked at Mikha, who was now lounging smugly at the other end of the sofa, she felt an involuntary warmth creep up her neck.
"Okay ka lang diyan?" Mikha asked, her grin infuriatingly wide as she swirled her wine.
Aiah narrowed her eyes at her, keeping her expression neutral. "Bakit, mukha ba akong hindi okay?"
"Hmm, medyo flustered ka, Firestarter," Mikha teased, leaning forward slightly, her elbow resting on her knee. "Baka naman hindi ka sanay sa ganito."
Aiah rolled her eyes, though she tightened her grip on her glass to keep her hands from fidgeting. "Wow, ang taas naman ng tingin mo sa sarili mo. A simple kiss lang, Mikha. Wag ka masyadong mayabang."
Mikha chuckled, taking a small sip of her wine. "Simple daw," she murmured, her voice dripping with amusement. "Eh kung ganun kasimple, bakit parang hindi ka na makatingin ng diretso sa'kin?"
Aiah's jaw tightened, though she refused to take the bait. Instead, she placed her glass on the table and turned to face Mikha fully, arching a brow. "Sino ba ang hindi makatingin ng diretso?" she shot back. "Parang ikaw ang yabang mo na nakapuntos."
"'Nakapuntos,' talaga?" Mikha laughed, her grin widening as she leaned back, arms draped lazily across the back of the couch. "Oh, Aiah. Kung puntos-puntusan lang ang usapan, ako na ang panalo."
Aiah tilted her head slightly, her lips quirking into the faintest smirk. "Panalo?" she echoed, her tone calm but cutting. "Sino bang nagtanong kung pwede? Hindi ba ikaw?"
Mikha froze for a split second, her grin faltering before she burst into laughter, running a hand through her red hair. "Touché," she admitted, shaking her head. "Okay, fine. Pero at least ako ang gumawa ng first move."
"Exactly," Aiah replied smoothly, reaching for her glass again. "I let you."
Mikha gaped at her, clearly thrown off balance, before laughing again. "Grabe ka, Firestarter. Pinaikot mo pa ako. Ang savage mo rin pala."
Aiah sipped her wine, hiding her faint smile behind the rim of her glass. She wasn't going to let Mikha see how much she'd been affected—how that kiss had made her feel like the ground beneath her feet had shifted.
"Eh ikaw naman," she said after a moment, setting her glass down again. "Akala ko ba you don't ask for permission? Saan napunta yung 'confident' Mikha Lim?"
Mikha groaned, tossing her head back dramatically. "Oh my God. You're never gonna let that go, are you?"
"Never," Aiah replied simply, leaning back against the armrest of the couch.
Mikha sat up slightly, her grin turning mischievous. "Okay, fine. Since mukhang ikaw na ang may upper hand tonight, anong next move mo?"
"Next move?" Aiah echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Mikha said, inching a little closer, the teasing edge returning to her tone. "Kasi, technically, ikaw na ang may momentum ngayon. Baka naman gusto mong sulitin."
Aiah laughed softly, shaking her head. "Ikaw talaga, Mikha. Parang hindi ka marunong mag-relax."
"Relaxed naman ako," Mikha countered, though the sparkle in her eyes said otherwise. "Pero... gusto ko rin malaman kung anong nasa isip mo."
Aiah studied her for a moment, her gaze steady. "Ang nasa isip ko?"
Mikha nodded, leaning closer still, her voice dropping slightly. "Yeah. I mean, ikaw ang mahilig mag-analyze, di ba? So... what are you thinking?"
