Steal His Innocence - Completed

CHAPTER 17: Bestfriend

ASHER'S POV

Ding-dong. Ding-dong.

I buried my face deeper into my pillow.

It was too early. The sunlight filtering through the curtains felt aggressive, like it had a personal vendetta against my sleep. My first thought was Viana. Who else would ring my doorbell like that without texting first?

A part of me was already preparing an annoyed remark.

Another part—quieter—was relieved.

She hadn't shown up for two days. No random visits. No dramatic entrances. No "Babe!" echoing through my unit. I told myself it was peaceful.

It wasn't.

I dragged myself out of bed and walked to the door, rubbing my eyes. "Viana, what is it this time?" I muttered as I opened it.

Silence.

Then I heard it.

Soft sobbing.

My vision cleared instantly.

"Hara?"

She stood there, shoulders shaking, mascara slightly smudged under her eyes. She looked smaller somehow. Fragile. Before I could process anything, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me tightly.

"Ash..." Her voice cracked against my chest.

I froze for half a second, then instinctively hugged her back. Her body trembled as she cried.

"Sshhh. It's okay," I whispered, resting my chin lightly on top of her head. "Ash the Superman is here."

She let out a weak laugh between tears and pulled back just enough to look at me. Her eyes were red, swollen.

"I need you, Ash. Namiss ko na 'yung best friend ko."

Something in my chest tightened.

I led her inside and closed the door quietly. The condo suddenly felt different—less chaotic, more familiar. I poured her some juice and grabbed a muffin from the box on the counter. I had bought them two days ago, thinking Viana might drop by.

"Here. Chocolate," I offered.

Hara gave me a faint look. "Ash, remember? I'm allergic to chocolate."

Right.

Of course.

"Sorry," I said softly, setting it aside. I couldn't remember the last time I forgot something like that about her.

She took a sip of juice, hands still slightly trembling.

For a few minutes, we just sat in silence. The kind that used to be comfortable between us. The kind that didn't need explanations.

Then she spoke.

"Ash... if I asked you to avoid Viana, gagawin mo ba?"

My fingers tightened around the glass in my hand.

"Why?" It was the only word I managed.

She looked down at her lap. "Never mind. I know you're happy with Viana."

I didn't respond immediately.

Happy.

Was I?

"You know," she continued, voice softer now, "when I saw you two together... it hurt. Ewan ko ba. I love Grey—or I thought I did—but seeing you with her felt different. I want you to be mine alone. I want the Ash who's always there when I'm crying. The Ash I can lean on."

Her tears fell quietly, one after another. There was no drama in it. Just exhaustion.

"I miss that Ash."

Every word landed carefully, deliberately.

I stared at the floor because looking at her made everything more complicated.

"You know that I love you, right?" I said finally.

I meant it.

But I wasn't sure what kind of love I was referring to anymore.

She gave a small, sad smile. "I know. Even if you don't say it."

Then she added something that made my heartbeat stutter.

"And I know you and Viana aren't actually together."

My head snapped up. "What?"

She laughed softly. "I'm your best friend, Ash. I know you better than anyone."

That should have comforted me.

Instead, it made me uneasy.

She reached up and touched my cheek gently. She's always done that. Since high school. Since before Grey. Before all the complications.

"I'll make it up to you," I said without thinking.

"For what?"

"For... everything."

For not noticing sooner that she was hurting. For not being there as much. For letting distance grow between us.

She smiled then. A real one.

"Johara again?" she asked quietly.

The nickname.

I felt a wave of nostalgia hit me.

"Yeah," I answered, hugging her again. "Johara."

We talked for hours after that. She told me she finally broke up with Grey. She caught him with another girl. I wasn't surprised. I had seen the signs from the start.

"My life became a mess the moment I fell for him," she admitted, staring blankly at the coffee table. "Help me get over this, Ash."

I felt protective. Familiar. Needed.

Of course I wanted to help her. Of course I didn't want to see her like this again.

"I'll do everything for you, Hara," I said. "I'm your best friend, right?"

She leaned into me, and I wrapped my arms around her once more.

It felt natural.

Comfortable.

Safe.

But as she rested her head on my shoulder, my mind betrayed me.

A different image surfaced.

Viana, laughing loudly in the hallway.

Viana, stubbornly pushing clothes into my hands and calling me a janitor.

Viana, studying calculus with furrowed brows.

Viana, running in a balloon skirt without caring who stared.

I frowned slightly without meaning to.

Hara pulled back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Just tired."

She nodded, accepting it.

When she finally left later that afternoon, the condo felt quiet again. Too quiet.

I stood by the door for a while after closing it.

Johara.

Best friends.

The version of me she missed—that version still existed.

But so did the one who had started smiling because of someone else.

And for the first time, I wasn't sure which version of me was more honest.