The cold shower was supposed to help.
It didn't.
Aiah stood in front of the small mirror in the villa's bathroom, fingers gripping the edge of the sink as cold droplets still clung to her skin.
Her pulse was steady now—but not in a good way.
The chilled water had done little to ease the slow burn under her skin, the tension that had been crackling between her and Mikha since they stepped off those surfboards.
She could still feel the ghost of Mikha's hand on her face, the way their knees had barely touched but felt like too much.
Get it together, Arceta.
She exhaled sharply, pulling her damp hair into a loose bun before slipping into a simple tank top and denim shorts.
Meanwhile, Mikha leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed over her chest.
Her hair was still damp from her own shower, tied back in a low, messy bun. She stared at the floor like it might offer her some answers.
The cold water had been pointless.
She could still feel the heat of Aiah's body next to hers, the way Aiah's breath caught when Mikha leaned in too close.
Mikha rubbed her thumb across her bottom lip absentmindedly, recalling that fleeting look in Aiah's eyes—the one that said if either of them leaned in even a little more, something would happen.
And that was dangerous.
Staying here was dangerous.
They needed to get out of this villa before one of them did something reckless.
Mikha grabbed her phone, dialing without a second thought.
"Come on, come on, pick up..."
"Hello?" Jho's voice came through, a mix of confusion and amusement.
Mikha straightened.
"Hey. It's me."
"By you, you mean Mikha "tumatawag pag need ng help mangimpress ng jowa" Lim. What's up?"
Mikha glanced toward the hallway, listening for any signs of Aiah.
"Gago. May I remind you of our college days?" Mikha teased back.
She heard Jhoanna huff dramatically over the line, "Wag na! Naalala ko na." Wincing at the memory of her antics in college.
"Good. I was wondering if you're free. Thought we'd drop by the shelter."
There was a pause.
"We? Oh, you mean your date. Wow, didn't think you'd last this long—*"
"Jho," Mikha warned.
Jho laughed.
"Relax. Yeah, come by. The dogs could use some extra hands."
Mikha exhaled.
"Perfect. We'll head over soon."
"Can't wait to meet the poor woman putting up with you."
Mikha hung up before Jho could say anything else.
Just as she did, Aiah appeared from the hallway, casually toweling off her hair.
She froze slightly when she saw Mikha, then quickly composed herself.
"You look tense. Shower didn't help?" Aiah teased, raising a brow.
Mikha smirked, masking how tightly coiled she still felt.
