𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞.

𝐊𝐀𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐋 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄

Maxine's POV

The rest of the day passed in a haze. All the patients visiting my office were greeted with my usual professional demeanor, but my thoughts wandered elsewhere, tugged between the morning encounter with Ms. del Fuego and Damian's unspoken question.

What would you have said if she weren't a client?

Damian's words echoed in my head, butting up against Ms. del Fuego's sharp, direct question: "Are you and Damian dating?" It was as if both women had reached into the carefully controlled chaos of my life and started rearranging the pieces, pulling truths I wasn't ready to face into the light.

When the day finally ended, I was a smudge of exhaustion. Dragging my legs, I slowly packed up my things, trying to ignore the noisy office, but inner turmoil has no such solace.

Well, little did I know, Damian was waiting for me at the door.

She leaned against the wall next to the hospital's entrance, her bag slung over her shoulder and a soft knowing smile on her face. "You're late," she teased me as I approached.

"Didn't realize I was on a schedule," I tried to sound flip, but my voice gave away my exhaustion.

Damian's smile slipped. "You've been like this all day," she said, falling into step beside me as we walked out into the cool evening air. "Quiet, distracted. It's not like you."

"I'm fine," I said, though even I didn't believe it anymore.

"Maxine," Damian said firmly, halting her path and making me halt alongside. Her eyes combed my face, filled with such sincerity that my chest may have given in. "Talk to me. Please."

I glanced away. Her regard was too heavy to bear. "It's complicated," I whispered, turning away.

Damian didn't push me again, but her silence said everything. She walked with me for the rest of the way without saying another word as her presence became a queer comfort despite the tension hanging between us.

After reaching my apartment building, I paused and turned to her. "Do you... want to come up for a bit? Just to talk?"

She widened her eyes in a little surprise, but she nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that."

--

Inside the Apartment

As soon as we stepped inside, I felt this odd feeling of relief. The familiar surroundings of my apartment gave me a sense of depth, but the tension between Damian and me was palpable.

"Make yourself comfortable," I said, gesturing toward the couch. Damian nodded, throwing her bag on the floor by the door and sitting down, her posture relaxed but her eyes watchful.

I occupied myself in the kitchen, pouring water into two glasses and took a moment to collect my thoughts before sitting beside her.

Just as I sat down, Damian tilted her head, watching me closely. "So," she said softly, "are you ready for the big news?"

I blinked at her sudden change in tone, confused. "Big news?

Her lips smiled, a small knowing smile. "Theo's coming back to the Philippines," she said, pausing for effect. "And Jarvie and Savannah too."

The words hit me like a bolt of lightning and sent my mouth open for a moment; I was too stunned to respond.

"They're... all coming back?" I asked finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

Damian nodded her head, and her smile widened. "Yep. Theo called me earlier today. They're landing next week."

I sank back against the couch, trying to process the information. Theo, Jarvie, Savannah-they were all people who had been important parts of my life at one point or another, though our paths had diverged over the years. The thought of seeing them again after so long filled me with a mix of excitement and anxiety.

That's... unexpected," I said finally, my mind racing with questions. "Why now? Did they say what brought this on?"

"Apparently, Theo is taking a break from work, and Jarvie and Savannah are tagging along for moral support-or so they say," Damian said, her tone lighthearted, but her eyes studying me carefully, as if gauging my reaction.

I made a little chuckle, but even to me, it sounded insincere, even then. "Well, at least I'll get to see them again," I said.

Damian tilted her head, her serious expression deepening. "You suppose?"

I hesitated, uncertain how to untangle my complicated feelings of knots that twisted in my chest. "It's just. it's been so long. Things have changed. So have I.

That doesn't mean it has to be a bad thing," Damian said softly. "Sometimes reconnecting with old friends can be exactly what you need."

I nodded slowly, though I wasn't entirely convinced. The idea of facing Theo, especially, stirred a complicated mix of feelings I wasn't ready to unpack.

"Hey," Damian said softly, leaning closer. "It's going to be okay, Maxine. You don't have to figure it all out right now. Just... take it one step at a time."

Her words were comforting, and for a moment, I allowed myself to relax, the weight on my shoulders feeling just a little bit lighter.

"Thanks," I said, offering her a small smile. "I needed that."

Damian smiled again, bringing back her usual bright energy. "What's friends for?"

---

Later That Night

The apartment was impossibly quiet when Damian left. I sat on the couch and stared out the window at the city lights, my mind whirling with thoughts of then and now.

Theo, Jarvie, Savannah-they represented a part of me I wasn't even sure anymore if that person was still there.

And then there was Damian, whose presence in my life had become so constant, so grounding, that I didn't know what I would do without her.

What would you have said if she wasn't a client?

The question lingered, unanswered, as I finally stood and made my way to bed.

Because no matter how much I tried to push it aside, I couldn't escape the truth:

The lines between the past and the present, between friendship and something more, were starting to blur.

// What really happened to Maxine and Her friends? You will find out.