Dying Embers

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen: Wala Kang Kawala

I stared at my reflection in the mirror for a few seconds, taking a deep breath. Kakakulot ko lang ng dulo ng buhok ko, and I clipped it back with this crescent moon hairpin — silver with gold accents, simple but elegant. My kind of style. A light touch of makeup, a bit of blush, and a swipe of gloss, wala nang iba. I liked it this way.

And if you're wondering about the makeup kit, it was a gift from my mom, bigay niya 'yon sa akin the day before Clarence had handed me a book from her titled Ways to Get a Boyfriend. I almost smacked my forehead on the spot.

I never really thought about changing how I looked before. Pero ngayon, habang tinitingnan ko 'tong ibang version ng sarili ko sa salamin, it felt... nice. Parang may bago akong hangin na nilanghap. Fresh. Freeing.

Biglang tumunog ang phone ko, pulling me out of my thoughts. I grabbed it from my pouch, and when I saw the name on the screen, I couldn't help but smile.

Chance.

"Hey," I greeted, trying to sound casual kahit may halong kaba sa boses ko.

He chuckled on the other line, low and a bit husky. "Hey, nandito na ako sa labas, Nieve."

I froze for a second. His voice sounded... different. Mas mababa, mas nakaka-distract.

Clearing my throat, I replied, "I'll be right there. Just give me a sec."

"Okay. I'll wait."

When the call ended, napakapit ako sa dibdib ko, feeling my heartbeat go wild. Why did he have to sound that good?

Huminga ako nang malalim bago tuluyang lumabas. Sinigurado kong naka-lock lahat — kwarto, bintana, at higit sa lahat, ang main door. Habang bumababa ako ng hagdan, ramdam ko ang bilis ng tibok ng puso ko. Parang may malamig na hangin na dumaan sa dibdib ko, humaplos, at bigla na lang akong kinabahan nang hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit.

Paglabas ko ng building, nando'n na siya. Nakasandal sa kotse niya, suot ang itim na tuxedo na para bang galing sa magazine spread. His hair was freshly cut — a high bald fade that made his sharp jawline stand out even more. Ang linis, ang neat, at ang effortless niyang tignan. Para siyang walking heartbreak warning.

Napatigil ako nang hindi ko namalayan. My gaze lingered, tracing the familiar lines of his face like I was seeing him again for the first time. He noticed, of course, he always did. A teasing smile tugged at his lips before he said, "Baby, I know I'm handsome as hell, pero pwede ba, bilisan mo nang kaunti? We're gonna be late."

I blinked, flustered. Even his voice, smooth, playful, confident, had that magnetic pull I could never escape. Napabuntong-hininga ako at naglakad papunta sa kanya, pilit nilalabanan ang kilig na gustong sumabog. Paglapit ko, pasimple kong tiningnan siya.

"You should be thankful you look good tonight," sabi ko, kunwari kalmado kahit halatang kinakabahan.

He chuckled, his eyes glinting with mischief. "And you should be thankful, too. You look so pretty, I almost went blind."

Napangiwi ako. "Cringe ka, swear."

Tumawa siya, 'yung tawang alam kong may halong pang-aasar. Then, with that familiar boyish charm, he walked to the passenger side, opened the door for me, and bowed dramatically like some sort of butler in a movie.

"Chance, ang corny mo talaga. Grabe ka."

He grinned. "Just for you, Nieve. Only for you."

Napailing na lang ako at sumakay sa kotse. Ilang sandali lang, nasa driver's seat na siya, pinaandar ang sasakyan, at umarangkada kami papunta sa school kung saan gaganapin ang program. The air between us was warm but charged, like something was quietly waiting to happen.