A few days had passed, but the memory of that night with Aiah lingered in Mikha's mind like an unwelcome guest. She'd tried to drown herself in work at St. Luke's, taking extra shifts at the pediatric ward and volunteering for paperwork she normally hated. But none of it helped. Aiah's words from the diner, her soft smile in the car, and the raw vulnerability in her eyes as she apologized—it all kept playing on a loop in Mikha's head.
And now, as she sat on the small balcony of her apartment with a cup of coffee in hand, she finally gave in to the bubbling frustration she'd been holding back. She pulled out her phone, scrolled to Colet's contact, and hit call.
The line barely rang twice before Colet picked up. "Hello? Uy, Mikha! What's up?"
Mikha didn't bother with pleasantries. "Colet, I'm mad at you."
There was a brief pause, and then Colet let out a dramatic sigh. "Uh-oh. Anong ginawa ko this time?"
"You know exactly what you did," Mikha snapped, gripping her mug tighter than necessary. "Yung stunt mo. Yung pag-set up mo sa'kin with Aiah. Alam mo ba kung gaano ako nagalit?"
"Ah, 'yun lang pala," Colet said breezily, clearly unfazed. "Come on, Mikha, hindi naman ako ang mastermind niyan. Maloi had a hand in it, too. Saka, admit it—hindi naman total disaster, diba?"
"Not a disaster?!" Mikha almost spilled her coffee in disbelief. "Colet, you ambushed me. You tricked me into giving her a ride home! Alam mo namang ayoko na siyang kausapin, tapos ginawa mo pa 'to!"
"Grabe ka naman," Colet replied, her tone playful but steady. "Kung talagang ayaw mo, bakit mo pa siya sinakay? Diba sabi mo, you're a decent human being? Or maybe... hindi lang si Aiah ang problema dito."
Mikha's jaw tightened. "Don't psychoanalyze me, Colet."
"Bakit? Mali ba ako?" Colet challenged, her voice softening just enough to sound like the concerned best friend she always managed to be. "Kung talagang tapos ka na kay Aiah, bakit sobrang bigat pa rin ng reaction mo? Mikha, I know you. This isn't just about what she did. This is about how you feel, and you haven't dealt with it."
Mikha pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a sharp breath. "I'm mad because she left, Colet. That's it. Plain and simple."
"Sure," Colet replied, her tone skeptical. "And you're also mad because, deep down, you still care about her. Admit it."
Mikha's silence was answer enough.
"Alam mo, Mikha," Colet continued gently, "people make mistakes. Hindi ko sinasabi na mali yung nararamdaman mo. But I think you're holding on to the anger because it's easier than dealing with the fact that Aiah really hurt you. And the fact that maybe—just maybe—you still want her in your life."
Mikha's chest tightened. "She walked away without a word, Colet. Paano ko ulit pagkakatiwalaan ang isang taong ganon?"
"Trust takes time," Colet admitted. "Pero hindi mo malalaman kung kaya mo siyang pagkatiwalaan ulit kung hindi mo siya bibigyan ng chance. Hindi ko sinasabi na magkaayos kayo agad-agad, ha. But maybe... talk to her. Really talk to her. Find out if she's serious about fixing things. Kung hindi, at least you'll know, diba?"
Mikha stared out at the view of Taguig, her coffee cooling in her hands. She wanted to argue, to tell Colet she was wrong. But deep down, she knew her best friend had a point.
She wasn't just mad at Aiah. She was scared. Scared of letting her back in, of getting hurt all over again.
"I don't know, Colet," she said finally, her voice quieter now. "I just... don't know if I can do it."
