As soon as Mikha parked in the driveway, I felt it—the nerves creeping in.
Which was ridiculous, right?
I had been in this house a million times before.
I knew her parents, her siblings. They knew me. I had eaten here, slept over, been part of family trips.
But this?
This was different.
Because this was the first time I was here as Mikha's girlfriend.
And no one knew yet.
I exhaled slowly, fingers tightening around the hem of my dress, trying to shake off the sudden weight pressing on my chest.
Mikha must have noticed, because she reached over, placing a hand on my knee.
"Bub, are you okay?" Her voice was soft, careful.
I forced a small smile, looking at her. "Yeah. Just... realizing this is the first time I'm stepping into your house as your girlfriend."
Mikha chuckled, squeezing my knee. "Aiah, you've been in that house more than I have."
I rolled my eyes. "Not the point, Mikha."
"I know, I know." She grinned, but her touch turned soothing, grounding. "Hey. It's still me, still them. We're not dropping a bomb tonight. We're just eating dinner, same as always."
I nodded, but my stomach still felt tight.
What if they noticed?
What if her mom saw the way Mikha always reached for my hand without thinking?
What if her dad caught how I always leaned into Mikha's touch a little too naturally?
What if her kuya or ate picked up on the way Mikha looked at me now, like I was something precious, something hers?
Because I wasn't just Mikha's best friend anymore.
I was Mikha's.
And sooner or later—her family was going to see it.
Mikha tapped my chin gently, pulling me from my thoughts. "Bub. Stop overthinking."
I sighed, leaning back against the seat. "Easier said than done."
She smirked, tilting her head. "You do realize we've done things in that house before, right? And no one's ever caught us."
My eyes widened, face heating instantly. "Mikha!"
She laughed, completely unbothered, unbuckling her seatbelt. "I'm just saying. If we got away with that, I think we can survive a normal dinner."
I covered my face with my hands. "I can't believe you just brought that up."
She reached for my wrist, pulling my hands down, smirking at my flustered state. "I mean, you weren't complaining at the time."
"Mikha, shut up."
She grinned, winking before stepping out of the car. "Come on, babe. Let's eat."
I let out another deep breath as she walked ahead, my heart still hammering.
It was just dinner.
Just her family.
Just like old times.
Right?
/
Dinner started smoothly enough.
I tried to act completely normal, focusing on my food, nodding along to the conversation.
