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Live Together
Isang araw na ang lumipas simula ng nangyari sa amin ni Aziel sa loob nang sasakyan niya, napahilamos naman ako sa sariling kamay nang maalala ang kahihiyang ginawa ko sa tanang buhay ko
But he's my fiance right? and it's pretty normal,"Keyla, you're such a bitch. Aziel is still your sister's boyfriend, and no one can change that," usap ko sa sarili.
Goodness gracious, anong gingawa ko?
"Ma'am Keyla, bumaba na raw po kayo," itinirik ko ang mata dahil sa iritasyon na nararamdaman, agad na akong bumangon sa pagkakahiga at binuksan ang pintuan agad namang bumungan sa akin ang mukha ni Ate Mila.
"Tell them I'll be there in a minute," wika ko bago sinarado ang pinto at agad nang dumiretso sa banyo.
Naligo na ako at agad nang nagbihis, kani-kanina lang ay nag text si Gael na kung pwede raw ituloy namin ang naudlot na date, nahihiya naman akong tumanggit dahil iniwanan ko ito at— fuck.
Pinilig ko ang aking ulo nang maalala ang nangyari pilit kong inaalis sa isipan ko ito dahil pakiramdam ko subrang laking kasalanan ang nagawa ko kahit fiance ko naman ito.
Shit, anong fiance?!
Bago pa man ako mabaliw ay agad na akong lumabas sa banyo at agad na akong nagbihis, i also did my morning routine and apply some light make-up.
I gave myself one last look in the mirror, adjusting the sleeves of my blush pink knit top that hung perfectly off my shoulders. The soft fabric hugged me in all the right places, and the ribbed detail added just enough texture to make it look effortlessly chic. Beneath it, the thin straps of my inner top peeked through.
My white skirt sat high on my waist, hugging my hips snugly before falling straight with a clean slit in the front, I slung my small white bag over my shoulder, the gold clasp glinting under the warm light of my bedside lamp.
I took a breath, lips curling into a small smile. "This'll do," I whispered to myself, grabbing my white channel bag and turning toward the door.
I was smiling widely nang maalala ko ang sinabi sa akin ni Aziel, paano kung malaman niya ang tungkol dito? bahala na basta makabawi ako ngayon kay Gael.
Nang makababa na ako ay siya ring pag tunog nang selpon ko hudyat na may tumatawag sinagot ko ito habang naglalakad patungo sa sala nang mansion balak ko sanang doon nalang mag-almusal.
"Hello, Gael? you sure you're okay? I'll just eat my breakfast then I'll go there na,"
[Take care then, Keyla.]
Bago pa man ako makasagot ay natigilan ako nang makilala kung sino ang nadatnan ko sa sala.
Parang biglang tumigil ang mundo ko.
Hindi ako makagalaw. Hindi ako makapagsalita. Ang tanging naririnig ko lang ay ang mabilis na pagtibok ng puso ko na tila ba gustong kumawala mula sa dibdib ko.
Aziel.
Nakaupo siya roon—tahimik lang, para akong tinutusok ng matatalim niyang tingin. Hindi siya nagsalita pero ramdam ko ang bigat ng bawat segundo ng katahimikan sa pagitan naming dalawa. Parang may kinakalampag na kung ano sa dibdib ko, at hindi ako sigurado kung dahil sa kaba.
Nanatili siyang nakatitig sa akin na para bang hinuhukay niya ang bawat sikreto ko gamit lang ang mga mata niya. At sa bawat saglit na lumilipas, lalo akong nauubusan ng hangin.
"Aziel, you're here." mahina ang boses ko habang binibigkas ang mga salitang 'yun
"I came to pick you up. We're visiting my parents mansion, they want to see you,"
His tone was calm, almost emotionless—but there was something in the way he said it. Like each word carried weight. Like he was holding something back.
I couldn't speak right away. There was a strange tension hanging between us, thick and unspoken. I didn't know if I should be nervous… or afraid of what his parents wanted from us.
Naglakad ako papunta sa mesa, kunwari kalmado. Pero sa loob ko, para akong may kaba sa dibdib na hindi ko alam kung saan nanggaling subrang bilis ng tibok ng puso ko.
Umupo ako bago dinampot ang tinapay.
"Ang aga mo naman. You should text me instead para naman hindi ako magulat"
hindi ko siya tiningnan ayokong makita kung seryoso ba siya o sinusubukan lang akong guluhin.
Tahimik.
Tapos saglit lang, narinig ko ang mabigat niyang hakbang papalapit.
"Tinext kita kagabi... hindi ka nag-reply."
Shit.
"You have my number? how?" nagugulohan kong tanong rito, tumango ito sa akin bago tipid na ngumiti.
Oo nga pala, hindi ko nabigay number ko.
"I have my ways," tipid ko na lamang siyang nginitian bago umupo sa katapat na upuan.
Napatingin ako sa kanya sandali, saka agad ibinalik ang tingin sa tasa ng kape sa harapan ko.
"Where are you going?" tanong nito habang mariing nakatingin sa akin. Hindi naman ako agad nakasagot rito,"Kay Gael." napapikit naman ako nang maramdaman ko ang pagbigat nang aura nito.
"Gael? you two seem so close," malamig ngunit puno ng pagtitimpi nitong wika.
"Not actually," sagot ko.
"Let's go?"
Nauna na akong tumayo dahil ayuko nang mahabain pa ang usapan namin, Lalo na't nasa mansion kami at nasa loob sina mama.
Tahimik lamang kaming dalawa simula nang pumasok kami sa loob ng kotse.
Nakatingin ako sa labas ng bintana, pinapanood ang mga dumadaang tao at sasakyan, kahit wala naman talaga akong tinitingnan.
Ramdam ko ang bawat segundo.Parang ang bagal ng oras. Parang ang sikip ng loob ng sasakyan kahit maluwag naman ito.
Napansin kong panay hawak niya sa manibela, pero hindi niya agad pinaandar ang sasakyan.
Bumuntong-hininga siya. Malalim. Mabigat.
"Keyla..."
Shit. Ayoko. Wag ngayon. Wag dito.
"I wanted this to be clear..."
Humigpit ang hawak ko sa bag ko. Pilit kong pinanatiling kalmado ang expression ko kahit ang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko.
"Malinaw naman, Aziel," sagot ko, mahina pero buo.
"Arranged lang 'to. Wala tayong dapat ilagay sa pagitan." pilit kong pinapakalma ang nag huhumirintado kong puso.
"If it's clear, then why did i kiss you?"
Dahan-dahan akong lumingon sa kanya "Ikaw ang makakasagot niyan, Aziel," diretso kong sagot.
"Ako? I was shocked and didn't ask for it," I say again.
Napatingin siya sa akin. Diretso. Parang sinusuri kung nagsasabi ba ako ng totoo o nagtatago ng kahit anong emosyon.
"And yet... hindi mo ako tinulak." bahid sa boses niya ang lungkot.
Napangiti ako nang mapait sa sinabi nito
Umiling ako. "You kissed me out of jealousy. Out of impulse. Not because you like me, Aziel. Let's not romanticize what happened."
"Maybe you're right," bulong niya, halos hindi ko narinig ramdam ko ang kirot sa puso ko sa sinabi nito, palihim kong kinurot ang sarili habang pinapaalala ang lahat. Na hindi pwede.
"But maybe..." tumingin siya sa akin, yung tingin na hindi ko alam kung gusto kong sagutin o takasan—
"Maybe it wasn't just jealousy."
"So… ano na ngayon?"
He turned to me, jaw clenched, eyes dark with frustration, frustration not just at me, but maybe at himself too.
"You really want to know?" he asked, his voice low, but sharp."I fucking hate that I care."
I froze. My breath hitched.
"I hate that I feel something every time I see
you with him. I hate that I kissed you and can't get it out of my head. I hate that I'm not supposed to feel anything for you—because this, us—this is all just an arrangement, right?"
He ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to hold himself together.
"But damn it, Keyla. You're in my mind. Every. Fucking. Day. And I don't know what that means. I don't even know if you feel anything at all, but I'm going insane pretending I don't."
I blinked. Words caught in my throat. I wasn't ready for this. I never expected him to be the one to fall first—if he really did.
And now, I couldn't tell if the ache in my chest was fear… or something else.
"Aziel, you're making it hard for me!"
the words burst out before I could stop myself.
He looked at me—startled. But I was already halfway in.
"I'm trying to stay away from you, okay? I've been trying so damn hard to make this simple. You said it yourself—this is all just an arrangement." my voice shook, but I didn't care. He had to hear this.
"But you show up, you say things like that, you kiss me, and now you're telling me I'm in your mind?" i leaned back against the seat, trying to calm my breathing. "How do you expect me to deal with that, huh?"
He didn't speak.
I swallowed hard."I can't afford to feel anything for you, Aziel." my voice dropped. Softer. Almost broken."Because if I do... what happens to me then?"
"You know, you shouldn't feel that way," i whispered, barely able to meet his eyes.
"You're my sister's boyfriend."
Silence.
As in, dead silence. Even the air between us felt like it froze.
His grip tightened on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched, but he didn't say anything at first.
And me? I was already drowning in the weight of what I just said. The truth of it. The line we were standing on—the one we'd been pretending wasn't there.
"I know." his voice was low, rough."You think I don't know that, Keyla? You think I haven't told myself that a thousand times?"
He turned to me slowly, eyes darker than I've ever seen them.
"But you're not just anyone. You're not just some girl I'm supposed to stay away from. You're… you."
"And maybe I'm the worst kind of person for saying this, but I stopped caring about what's right the moment you looked at me like I wasn't just Aleesa's boyfriend."
My chest tightened. I wanted to deny it. I wanted to scream that he was wrong. But I couldn't. Because part of me… knew he was right.
"Aziel, let's just be friends." my voice came out quieter than I intended. But it was steady."I don't want someone to get hurt."
Especially not Aleesa.
Especially not me.
His eyes locked on mine, like he was searching—begging—for something different in my face. But I didn't give it. I couldn't.
He let out a breath, frustrated, jaw tightening like he wanted to protest but knew he couldn't.
"Friends," he repeated as if the word tasted bitter on his tongue."You think that's going to make this any easier?"
I bit my lip, fighting the way my chest ached."It's the only thing that makes sense."
He didn't respond right away.
Instead, he looked forward, started the car, and muttered under his breath—
"Fine. Friends."
But the way he said it…It didn't sound like surrender. It sounded like a storm waiting to happen.
He slowed the car as we approached the driveway, and my heart began pounding in my chest like a warning.
His family's house came into view—grand, polished, pristine. Just like everything about their world. Everything I was being forced into.
"We're here," Aziel said, voice low, expression unreadable.
I nodded stiffly, hands clenched tightly in my lap. I didn't move to open the door just yet. I needed a second.
Because inside that house… was her.
Aleesa.
His girlfriend.
My sister.
And last night, he kissed me and even make me feel good. Then told me I was in his mind. Then agreed to be just friends. Whatever the hell that meant.
I finally stepped out of the car, pretending to breathe normally as the weight of it all pressed on my shoulders. Aziel walked around the car in silence, opened the front door, and stepped aside to let me in first.
And as soon as I crossed the threshold—
"Keyla!"
There she was. Aleesa. In her usual perfect form—hair styled, eyes bright, smile wide. So genuinely happy to see me.
"I didn't know you were coming with Aziel!" she threw her arms around me.
And all I could think about was how wrong everything was. How I had her boyfriend's kiss on my lips last night.
I forced a smile."Surprise." behind me, I could feel Aziel's presence like fire at my back.
Too close.
Too dangerous.
"Aziel's parents called me," Aleesa said, still holding onto my arm."They said they have an announcement!"
My stomach dropped. An announcement?
No one told me anything.
I shot a glance at Aziel, but he avoided my eyes, jaw tight, his hands shoved into his pockets like he was holding something in.
"What kind of announcement?" i asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Aleesa grinned, completely oblivious to the storm brewing between me and Aziel."I don't know! But it sounded serious. They said we all had to be here. Mom even told me to wear something 'presentable.' she rolled her eyes playfully. "You know how she is."
But I wasn't listening anymore.
Something told me this wasn't just some random family update. This was about us.
About me and Aziel. About the deal none of us ever wanted to admit was real.
And from the look on Aziel's face?
He knew it, too.
He finally glanced at me—just for a second.
But there was something in his eyes.
Guilt.
Frustration.
Resignation.
Something was coming, and it was going to change everything.
The moment we stepped into Aziel's mansion, I felt like the air itself changed.
It was massive—too massive.
Marble floors that practically gleamed, high ceilings that stretched endlessly above us, chandeliers that looked like they belonged in palaces, not homes. Every corner screamed wealth, power… control.
And I?
I suddenly felt so small.
So out of place.
"Welcome home, Mr. Aziel," one of the house staff greeted with a bow as we walked through the foyer.
Home.
This was the world he belonged to. The world they expected me to fit into.
I swallowed hard, my heels clicking against the polished floors as I followed Aziel and Aleesa deeper into the mansion.
Everything felt too pristine. Too perfect.
Like one wrong move could shatter the illusion.
"Come on," Aleesa said brightly, tugging my hand."They're waiting in the formal hall."
Formal hall? Of course they had one.
I caught a glance at Aziel again, walking ahead, his back stiff—like he was bracing for a storm.
And in that moment, I realized…Whatever this announcement was, it wasn't something he wanted either.
"Good morning, everyone. Take a seat, please." Aziel's father's voice echoed across the grand formal hall—calm, deep, and commanding.
He stood at the head of the long table, sharp in his tailored suit, like a man who expected to be obeyed. His presence alone demanded silence.
We all moved wordlessly.
Aleesa sat beside me, completely at ease, even excited. Aziel took the seat across from me, his jaw tight, gaze fixed on the table like he already knew what was coming and wanted no part of it.
The air was thick—like something unseen had settled in the room with us.
Tension. Pressure. Expectation.
Aziel's mother sat beside her husband, perfectly poised with her usual unreadable expression. And then, the silence broke again.
"We've gathered you all here today," his father began, "because we believe it's time to move forward. To solidify what was already agreed upon." my fingers froze on the edge of the chair.
Oh god.
No.
"The engagement," he said clearly, looking directly at Aziel—then at me.
"Aziel and Keyla's engagement will be publicly announced at the company gala next week."
Aleesa blinked. Then slowly turned toward me. Confusion written all over her face maybe she thought i did cancel the engagement that's why she's being kind to me.
And Aziel? he didn't move, he didn't speak. But his fist clenched hard against the table.
Everything in me started to spiral. They were making it real. And none of us were ready for what would come next. For a split second, silence hung in the air. And then—cheering erupted.
Claps. Whistles. Applause.
The entire hall exploded into celebration.
The guests stood up, smiling, congratulating. The bodyguards clapped from the sidelines, formal but approving.
Even the maids—lined perfectly by the walls—offered polite applause, their faces trained to mirror joy.
It was deafening.
"Congratulations!"
"What a perfect match!"
"We've been waiting for this!"
Their voices blurred together, one after another, echoing in my ears like a siren.
I sat frozen, my hands trembling on my lap, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach my eyes. Like I was watching it all from underwater.
Aleesa hadn't said a word.
She just stared at me. Wide-eyed. Like the world just slipped from under her.
Across the table, Aziel's eyes finally lifted.
He looked at me—softly and full of love?
I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt Aleesa. She doesn't deserve that.
But I don't even know what I feel for Aziel.
It's all a mess in my head—one second I'm angry at him, the next, I catch myself staring when he's not looking. And if… if I really do like him, what does that say about me? What happens next?
He's a playboy. That's what Ate Aleesa told me. He's reckless. Dangerous. He's hers.
And I—God, I can't just take that kind of risk.
But then again… why does it feel like I'm already falling?
I wanted to run away, far from everything that's pulling me into this chaos.
But at the same time, I wanted to stay—stay beside Aziel.
And I don't even know why.
I almost cried but then a touch—gentle, firm. Fingers brushing against mine. Slowly, carefully, like asking permission.
I looked down and saw his hand.
Aziel's hand. Warm and steady, slipping between my trembling fingers and lacing them together.
I glanced at him.
He wasn't smiling the way the others were.
No forced cheer, no masks.
Just a soft, almost broken smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
Then he leaned in, his breath grazing my skin as he whispered low, only for me to hear,"Let's get out of here. Come with me."
In that moment, the world faded.
The clapping, the stares, the expectations—they all vanished into the background.
All that existed was his hand in mine…
And the question I didn't even realize I'd been waiting to hear.
Hindi na ako nag-dalawang isip pa at agad na akong sumama sa kaniya, bahala na kung saan niya ako dalhin basta malayo rito. Wala na akong pake sa mga matang nakatingin sa amin na paalis sa lugar na iyon.
Nang tumigil kami sa paglalakad ay agad ko siyang hinarap,"Asan tayo?" tanong ko.
Hindi ito sumagot sa tanong ko at agad na akong hinila papasok sa kwarto,"This is my room." wika nito.
Kunot-noo ko siyang tiningnan,"What are we doing here?"
"To plan for our house," sagot nito.
Nanlaki naman ang mata ko sa sagot nito,"Ano?"
"We're living together," he paused before he continued to speak."And we're going to plan right now!" he seriously look at me while grinning."Seryuso ka na niyan!?" hindi ko na mapigilan na hindi sumigaw.
"Ofcourse, and also we already had a house," wika pa nito na mas lalong ikinalaki ng mata ko.
"Will you, leave with me on the same roof?" he softly asked me his voice was almost in a hushed tone.
"As if I had a choice,"
He softly chuckled at what i said."You want to see our house, hm?"
"I would love to!" I don't know why but it really makes me happy.
Just for now, I wanted to be happy. And I won't deny that I only feel safe and happy in Aziel's arms and it makes me scared at the same time. Will I end up like ate Aleesa?