I could hear the music through the thick double doors and I felt my heart beat faster- if that was even possible.

I think I’m going to pass out. Yup, I’m gonna pass out.

I walked around a bit trying to calm my racing heart. But it doesn’t work. Instead, I felt my hands become clammy. I wiped my palms on the bodice of my white gown, realizing belatedly that I should’ve worn gloves.

 “Aren’t you quite the nervous wreck?”

Startled, I glanced behind me and saw him standing there- his boyishly handsome face only amplified by the black tux he was wearing. I couldn’t help but smile a little. He’s always had a calming effect on me.

“You know, if you’re having doubts, it’s not yet too late to run away with me. My offer still stands,” he joked, but the serious undertone to his voice was unmistakable.

I stared in his eyes and I couldn’t help but feel guilty. Because I knew. I knew what he felt for me. I knew this would hurt him.

I knew all these. So, why did I ask him to march me down the aisle and give me away to someone he considered to be his enemy?

I looked away from his clear blue eyes, knowing well what the answer to my questions was.

Because I’m selfish, that’s why.

“Don’t say that,” I whispered softly and watched as his face contorted with guilt.

It took him a second to wipe his face clean of emotions. Then, clearing his throat, he gave me a wide smile that didn’t quite touch his eyes. “I was just joking, Ysai. Now, c’mon. You’re groom’s waiting.”

I gave him a nod and slipped my arm into the crook of his elbow. I let him guide me into the now open double doors. The small chapel was filled with family and only the closest of our friends. I was too nervous to look them in the eyes so I decided to just stare ahead. And, there he was in a glorious white suit that made him look like an angel under the light raining down through the stained glass windows.

“Fine,” he started to whisper beside me just as we were approaching the altar. “I wasn’t joking. I was serious. Dead serious. My offer still stands. I need to know. Will you run away with me?”

I glanced up at him and saw nothing but urgency and desperation in his eyes. And, that was all it took to sway my already conflicted mind. I stopped marching and stared at him. With one slight nod, he was pulling me away.

For a second that could have lasted for an eternity, I felt that I was making the right decision. After all, why should I choose a stranger over my best friend?

But, I made the mistake of glancing back at the altar where that white angel waited for me. I saw his face contort in pain and grief before he turned his back on me. I could feel his pain resonate deep within my chest and I begin to wonder if I made the right choice, but it was too late.

When I was finally able to process what was happening, I had already been buckled into a car and we were speeding down the road, away from that quaint, little chapel.

The sound of a finger tapping impatiently against the window pane made the cabbie swallow hard. He was sweating a lot, and it wasn’t just because they were stuck in the worst lunch-hour traffic he’d ever experienced. No, he was sweating because of his temperamental and intimidating passenger. Never in his life had he regretted picking someone up this badly. Heck, he’d actually take a loud, raucous, vomiting drunk over this one.

The sudden and insistent honking of the car behind him nearly made him jump off his seat. He nervously glanced at the rearview mirror to look at his mysterious passenger.

Yup, he’s pissed off.  He thought it was almost awe-inspiring how the man could so easily relay his emotions without the use of facial expressions.

It was just his luck to chance upon such a mysterious passenger. For the entire ride, he had tried in vain to see his face. But, try as he may, it was just impossible with the oversized hoodie reinforced by a cap and large tinted glasses. Even his voice didn’t give much to work with. He had only spoken once when he stated his destination in a low murmur the cabbie had barely deciphered. He had only taken to referring to his passenger as a male because he hadn’t corrected him.

The car behind continued to honk at them. At one point, the driver rolled his windows down and proceeded to cuss out loud.

“That’s it!”

The cabbie turned just in time to watch his passenger climb out. “H-Hey! Whatcha gonna do-?” A glance at his face, or what little of his face he could see, made the driver regret having said anything at all.

But instead of pointing a gun at him or any of the hundreds of scenarios that ran through the driver’s head, his passenger simply handed him a couple of bills before closing the door with a barely audible, “Keep the change.”

“What the hell is he gonna do?” The driver watched with bated breath as his passenger walked towards the car that had been honking at them.

Swallowing hard, the driver thought in an overly dramatic voice, ‘What fate is bestowed upon those who dare to displease him?’

To his surprise all the man did was glare at the driver before proceeding to give him the finger. He, then, started to maneuver around the cars toward the sidewalk where he continued to calmly walk away. The driver didn’t release his breath until the hooded figure disappeared around a corner.

“And here I was, thinking that he’d start a fight.” The driver laughed but it was cut short when he glanced down at his hand.

The honking from behind startled him. He stepped on the gas pedal and quickly covered the five-meter distance. Sighing and shaking his head in disbelief he pocketed the stranger’s payment and staggering tip. “Rich kid.”

***

“You’ve no choice in the matter, dear.”

A woman’s irritating voice kept ringing inside the man’s head. Just thinking of what she told him this morning had his blood boiling in anger.

What right did she have, anyway? My life was mine to live.

“Excuse me, sir.”

I can almost see that self-righteous smile on her face.

“Sir, if you break that, you’ll have to pay for it.”

I’d like to rip it off her face and-

“S-Sir!” A small, frightened voice broke through his train of thoughts.

He looked around and noticed the woman standing awkwardly in front of him, her eyes filled with uncertainty and a definite hint of fright. She was wearing a shirt with the shop logo on it.

An employee, then, he concluded.

 “S-Sorry. It’s just that, if you break that, you’ll have to pay for it,” she murmured, answering a question the man never asked.

Feeling confused, he looked down at his hands. To his surprise, he found his hand gripping a tiny glass vial so tightly that it really was in danger of breaking. He promptly released the vial and placed it back on the shelf.

No wonder she looked so scared. I’m letting my emotions get the best of me.

“Ooops. Sorry.” He turned to her and gave her a sheepish smile. “I was thinking of something rather… unpleasant.”

Returning his smile with a hesitant one, she spoke, “Is there anything in particular you’re looking for, sir?”

Her question made him look around. The shop was filled with trinkets, several antiquities and some unusual things he didn’t even have a name for. He had wandered upon the shop after walking around the lesser known parts of the city. He had almost gotten lost while taking random turns and was about to go back but this shop, for some strange reason, intrigued him. It pulled at him.

“I’m looking for a gift,” he finally answered her question.

“For your girlfriend? A weird place to look,” she said, giving the shop a cursory look.

He couldn’t help but grin at her statement. There was something in the tone of her voice that made him look her over once. She was beautiful, to the point that she seemed out of place in this weird shop.

“It’s for my little sister.” He smiled at her, making sure his message read loud and clear. He didn’t have a girlfriend. He was, as some would call it, a free agent.

“Oh,” she looked at him, surprise and a hint of hope evident in her dark eyes.

He chuckled and noticed suddenly flushed cheeks and dilated eyes. Or maybe he just hadn’t given her much attention before. He took a step toward her and leveled his eyes with hers, breathing heavily. He could hear her breathe faster, wide eyes trained on his face, mouth slightly hanging open.

He could’ve so easily leaned in and kissed her. He could’ve so easily dragged her to the back room he spotted a few minutes ago and have a quickie and she’d be the all too willing participant with no regard for the consequences. He could’ve done so many things but he just looked away, feeling the familiar weight of disappointment.

Women are too easy.

He took a step back. “Her birthday’s coming up and she’s not the type to settle for typical gifts,” he spoke, deciding to redirect her thoughts. She looked innocent- too innocent- and despite his reputation as a playboy, he still had a conscience.

She looked lost so the man continued, “My sister, that is.”

“Oh, uhm,” she swallowed hard and took a minute to compose herself. “Right. How old is she?”

“She’ll be turning 17.”

She seemed to be thinking for a minute, taking a quick inventory of all the things in the shop, before leading him into a corner filled with various trinkets and peculiar things he just didn’t have a name for.

“What does she like?” the employee asked him.

“I- She-,” the man seemed to be a bit overwhelmed. “I was actually thinking of giving her a bracelet.”

“Oh, how about a charm bracelet” she looked around, focusing on her job.

He gave her a nod, following her through the aisles. They stopped in front of a display of charms.

“Take all the time you need. We’ve got quite the extensive collection.”

The man nodded in approval and began picking through the collection. When he was done, he handed it to the girl to be wrapped. He was about to follow her to the counter when he noticed an antique necklace. It had a gold dragon pendant with jade green eyes. He fingered the pendant for a second before calling out to the employee, “Wrap this up, too, please.”

So, within five minutes, he was walking out the shop and emerging back into the maze of streets and alleys that got him lost in the first place. Shrugging, he started to trace his steps back to where he parked his car.

The ear piercing shriek of a woman made him stop in his tracks. He turned around just in time to see a skinny man ran past him, a lady’s purse in hand. Adrenaline pulsing through his veins, he sprinted after the snatcher.

“Hey! Stop!”

***

‘What a perfect time to leave your headphones behind.’

The person groaned following the thought. The honking of the cars just got louder the moment he stepped out of the taxi. That along with the sound of drilling from the construction site was beginning to cause him a headache.

“Well, at least I’m getting somewhere,” the hooded person muttered, suppressing yet another groan.

Just as he rounded a corner he felt something on his shoulders. Patting away the white substance, he looked up. “Snow.”

He held his hands out and watched as they were slowly filled with the white fluffs.

A final snowfall to end the season, huh?

In the distance, a woman’s scream could be heard, followed by the hurried strides fast approaching the hooded stranger. It was in that moment that time slowed down.

The woman’s second cry.

A man’s command to stop.

A pursuit.

A leg struck forward.

A crash.

Then, as soon as it started, it was over. Time went back to normal. In a minute, the corner was crowded by curious by-standers. The suited man pursuing the snatcher pulled him up from the mess of fruits and returned the purse to the screaming woman. Police officers came to apprehend the man and the crowd started to drift away, among them was the hooded stranger.

“Hey!” The man in the suit gently pulled on his arm. “Is your leg alright?”

“Wha’d ya think, Sherlock?” he answered under his breath. He pulled his hand away and continued to walk away.

‘Damn it!’ he kept cursing in his head, one for each step with his right leg. “This is gonna leave a bruise in the morning.”

Still, he grit his teeth and kept walking until he came upon an inconspicuous café and opened the door.

The bell tinkled as the door pushed open.

“Welcome!” a cheerful voice sang from a corner. One of the waitresses, Annie, was wiping tables.

“Aren’t you a bit too happy today?” he asked as he took off his glasses.

“It’s Valentine’s Day, why wouldn’t I be happy?” the waitress answered before going into the kitchen, humming a tune.

The stranger said nothing as he looked around the café. “Oh, God. You’ve got to be kidding me. Heart decos?!” he exclaimed, indignantly.

“Cute, right?” Annie responded from the kitchen, oblivious to her customer’s darkening mood.

A man at the counter laughed and the customer turned to glare at him. “What? You have to admit, they are kinda cute, right?”

Narrowing his eyes at the barista, he grabbed a coaster and threw it, aiming for his face.

“Ah, damn it,” the barista cursed as the coaster hit him square on the nose. “Accurate as usual, Ysai. But, seriously, what is with that get up?”

“I was gonna ask that, too,” Annie started shouting from the kitchen. “Shouldn’t you be dressed up for a date, or something?”

“That’s right. Valentine’s Day. There aren’t any other special occasions today, right?” Alex smiled innocently at her.

She sighed before removing her hood and cap, letting long, chestnut brown hair flow down her back. “Shut up, Alex. My day’s already going badly as it is.”

She settled on a high stool by the bar.

Alex laughed, following her and fixing a drink for her. “Okay. Okay. I’ll stop. But, seriously, what happened to you?”

“My car freaking broke down,” she muttered before turning from him and wallowing in her own darkness, clutching her drink close to her heart.

Ysai knew Alex was waiting for an explanation. But she wasn’t in the mood to give more than that one statement. Who would believe her luck? Why, in all days, did her car have to break down that day? She was already running late as things were. The fact that the mechanic was taking forever to respond to her call only added to her frustrations.

And, because she thought she was some sort of freaking superwoman she tried to fix the car herself. The next thing she knew was that her dress was ruined. She had nothing better to wear in her car than what she had on.

She sighed, accepting her faith and taking a sip of her drink.

“Don’t you have to work?”

Almost sleepily, she answered, “Nope. I’m the boss, I do whatever I want.”

She was sipping her drink, eyes closed, relishing how refreshing the cold, sweet drink seemed at that moment. She was floating in bliss when a sharp pain radiating from the center of her forehead brought her back.

“What the hell!” she spluttered, realizing that Alex had flicked her on the forehead.

“Spoiled brat,” was all he said before disappearing into the kitchen.

***

Ysai held the bag of frozen peas to her swollen ankle, noticing that water droplets were soaking up the carpeting. She started to feel guilty but remembered how Alex didn’t even bat an eye when she started hobbling toward the bean bags. It was sweet Annie who noticed her state and got her the frozen peas.

She put her mind back to her work. Her assistant had sent her the articles that needed editing. She was just finishing that up and was preparing to finish her own article. She only needed a few more materials to make her story solid.

“I was beginning to think that you really were a lazy-ass person who went about taking credit for other people’s hard work.”

Ysai looked up to see Alex peering over her head to read what she was working in. She snorted at him. “Like the company would be where it was without me looking over everything.”

Alex laughed, ruffling up her hair with one hand.

“Hey!” She was about to retaliate when he pushed a mug of her favorite chocolate drink topped with whipped cream, marshmallows and cinnamon.

“On the house.”

“Thanks.” She smiled at him.

“Only for today, though.”

Pouting at him, she muttered, “So stingy.”

Raising an eyebrow at her, he spoke, “This is business, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she answered with a roll of her eyes, putting the mug down beside her laptop.

“Anyway,” Alex slung his arm over her shoulders. “Happy birthday, kiddo!” With that, he began grinding his fist against her head.

Screaming in pain, she kept squirming in attempt to get out of the headlock. Laughing at her, he finally let go.

Glaring at him, she started to fix her hair. “You can’t keep calling me kiddo, you know. I’m 24!”

“So?” Alex smirked at her. “I’m still older than you, kiddo!”

“This is pointless.” Choosing to ignore him, she reached for the cup and took a sip.

“Anyway, what do you want to eat? I’ll make anything you want.”

“Hm,” tapping her on her chin with her forefinger. “I’ll eat anything. I guess you’ll just have to surprise me.”

Staring at her as she smiled at him, Alex felt familiar warmth in his chest. “As always, you’re so troublesome.” With that, he started ruffling her hair again.

“H-Hey!” she complained, struggling to fix her now tangled hair.

“Argh!” she exclaimed, giving up on finger-combing her hair. She started to dig around her bag, looking for a brush, while staring death glares at the man opposite her.

Alex simply responded with a booming laughter. The refreshing sound made her stop and smile gently at him.  She was about to comment when the bells went off again.

“Customer,” she said, still smiling.

“I know, I know.” With a sigh, Alex went off to greet the customer who was now by the counter.

She watched Alex take the customer’s order. Only when he turned his back did she allow herself to survey the café she had grown familiar with from the six years she had been patronizing it.

The café was situated between two buildings, allowing little to no light in. It was rather dark but was illuminated by the soft light of stained-glass lamps and lanterns strategically placed around the establishment. The atmosphere was very lax and casual with the low chairs, bean bags and a large fireplace centered at the back.

There were various paintings hanging on the wall, most of which were by patrons of the café. One wall was covered by pictures of customers taken throughout the years. In one of the corners was a freedom wall filled with colorful post-it-notes. To the side was a small platform where a band or amateur singers would perform when evening came. There was no space for a grand piano so they had to make do with the upright one.

She looked longingly at the vertical piano and before she knew what she was doing, she found herself standing in front of it- her hand gliding along the top lid. She lifted it up and gently touched the keys. It felt so familiar and she could feel her fingers tingling with the want to play something. But before she could give in, she closed the lid over the keys and went back to her seat, taking a sip of the best choco drink in the world.

The man watched as the police officers apprehended the snatcher. He turned his back at the patrol car maneuvering through the busy streets until it disappeared from sight and only the fading sound of the siren could be heard. The man watched as each of the curious onlookers walked away and was about to leave when he caught sight of a familiar hoodie, bobbing away.

“Hey!” The man in the suit gently pulled on his arm. “Is your leg alright?”

Pulling his arm away, all the guy did was mutter something unintelligible and walk away.

Frowning slightly, he watched the stranger enter an alley and disappear in the darkness. He stared at the shadows for a while before shrugging his shoulders. He was about to walk away when something glistening, contrasting the dull gray of the ground, caught his eyes.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he stared at the item now in his hands. He looked back at the alley. Could it be?

Intrigued, he moved to follow the guy into the alley but a vibration in his pocket stopped him. It was his phone. Hitting ignore to his mother’s call, he looked back at the alley. He was tempted to follow the strange man but a second glance at his phone gave him the time. He was late. For his lunch with his witch of a mother. Where they’ll be discussing his marriage. To a complete and utter stranger.

Great!

His bad mood back, he decided he wasn’t in a fit shape to be walking around innocent people. He whistled loudly, calling for a cab. He’d just have to go back for his car at some other time.

***

He was asking the matron about his reservation when he caught a glimpse of a woman sitting at a table by the windows. She sat with her back straight. The tasteful chiffon dress she was wearing only added to her beauty and elegance. She stood out in the crowded restaurant. She always stood out in any room she found herself in. She was the ideal trophy wife.

For a moment he watched her with her guard down and he could almost see her as the mother who equally gave and longed to receive affection. He felt a sharp pain within him. But, the vision was gone too soon and the ache became nothing more than the constant dull throbbing in his chest. She wasn’t that woman and he knew it.

“Sir, what was the name again?”

The question brought his attention back to the matron. “Sorry, never mind.” He excused himself, already making his way toward her. He took the seat across from her, noting that she was alone. “Are they worse at keeping time than I am or have they already left?”

“A pleasant day to you, too, darling,” the woman greeted, unfazed by his cool and detached demeanor. She took a sip of what the man knew to be rose tea for that was all she drank. “And, they’re not coming. This was meant to be a mother-son bonding time.”

He chose to ignore her last words and opted, instead, to pick up the menu by his hand.

“Oh, don’t bother, dear,” the woman waved away at the menu. “I had a feeling you’d be late so I took the liberty of ordering for the both of us. Our meal should be served soon.”

“Of course.” He bared his teeth at her in a smile of sorts. He handed the menu off. “You’ve always had the overwhelming need to control my life. Food included.”

“None sense, dear-”

“You realize I won’t play along with this, right?” he asked, cutting her off. “I won’t marry her – whoever she may be.”

His mother sighed before pasting on a small smile. “Mother-son bonding time, William. Can’t I have a nice, quiet lunch with my son before we go into what we both know will be a gory discussion? Pleasantries and small talk, dear. That’s all I’m asking for.”

“Okay,” he conceded. “How are you feeling today, mother?”

“Wonderful, actually. I just came from a doctor’s appointment-”

“Good!” he cut her off again but she continued to smile. “I’m doing well, too. Energized, even. It must have been all the sex I had last night. I don’t remember her name. But I must have her number lying around somewhere. I’m thinking of calling her up again. She’s not much of a conversationalist but she’s good entertainment. What do you think?”

She wasn’t smiling anymore. Her lips were in an unforgiving line as she stared at him with hard eyes. “You’ll be meeting her and her aunt this afternoon.”

“Oh, are we done with the small talk?” he asked. “Because I have a lot more to share with you.”

“Do not test me, William,” she spoke in a level voice that did not betray rising urge in her hand to slap him.

“No. You should stop testing me,” Liam corrected, straightening his back. “You’ve no right to go around promising me to the highest bidder. I am your son not a possession to be sold off to the person who would benefit you the most. I am your son – an adult, not a trained dog who would follow all your commands. Call off the wedding.”

“A trained dog,” she repeated, speaking the words as though to test how they would feel rolling out of her mouth. “That’s a good way to put it. Now, if only I could put a collar on you and chain you up so you would stop being so disrespectful and know your place.”

“Ah, yes, chaining people up. That’s the only way you can be certain there’d be someone left to stand by you in the end, right?” he barked out a short, dark laugh. “Too bad I’m not a dog.”

“Oh, but you are, aren’t you? Or have you forgotten already? The only reason you’re sitting there in front of me wearing that ten-thousand-dollar suit and an empire in your hands is because of me. Because you listened to me and followed my commands. Like a dog.”

He wanted to strangle her. He wanted to scream back at her the words that have been lingering at the back of his mind for the years since that incident. He wanted to do a lot of things but before he could so much as lift a finger, the server came with their food.

It took everything in him to keep himself from creating a scene and his mother knew it. He suspected that she took pleasure in it, even.

She turned to him after a short thank you to the server as he left. Smiling triumphantly, she handed him a folder. “You’ll find everything you’ll need to know about her in this file.”

“Of course, because a person can so easily be defined by a few papers,” he muttered, disapprovingly, but opened the file nonetheless.

“Beautiful, educated, and successful. She’s perfect!” she said with delight and a certain air of confidence that could only come from knowing that she had won.

And, perhaps she had. Because the girl-no, woman in the picture could really be perfect. It wasn’t just because of the qualities his mother mentioned. She was beautiful, he wouldn’t deny it. She had a master’s degree and was using it well in running her own company. But more than all those put together is the fact that she comes from the Callough family.

The Callough family had deep roots in their city. They owned a large area of the lands, including a lot that he needed for a contract that would ultimately lead to the merger with Hiroshi Yanai. He’d done everything he could to get a hold of the title to that land but the owner was adamant that it remained in the family.

His mother had him and she knew it. He closed the file and felt a familiar annoyance scratching at his brain. If he were to be honest to himself, he’d acknowledge that he didn’t really mind marrying a stranger. He had always viewed marriage as another contract. He only hated the fact that he seemed no better than a gold digger.

“What about her? Why would she agree to this?” he asked, nodding toward the file.

She took a moment, almost as though she were savoring her apparent victory in the matter. “Well, let’s just say her family needs something from me,” was all she said before taking a bite of her food.

Liam leaned back on his chair, his mind was working fast. He needed that piece of land. He had no reason to decline. He could so easily create an arrangement with the girl. But, why did he feel like he shouldn’t so easily agree to this ploy?

“Stop fighting me, William, dear. I’m not the enemy. I’m just trying to help,” his mother spoke, smiling a secretive smile at him.

Just like that, he was reminded of how conniving his mother could be. There was more to this than he could see at the moment and he’d be wise not to jump in so readily into another of her schemes.

Liam picked up the file and stood up. “I have another appointment to keep.”

“Just do as I say, William.” She picked up her wine glass and watched the back of his son. “Haven’t I always done what was best for you?”

There was that tone in her voice, that hidden meaning that made Liam turn back to his mother. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” She raised a perfectly arched brow at him.

“Don’t go there,” he spoke through gritted teeth. “That wasn’t for my benefit. I could’ve dealt with the consequences. You couldn’t. There has not been a single moment in my life when I hadn’t wished that I could have mustered up the courage to go against your decisions back then. So, don’t. Don’t you dare go there.”

His mother opened her mouth to speak but was cut off when he abruptly turned his back to her and walked out into the busy streets.

Liam stood there, bumping against strangers who were rushing towards their appointments and office workers who were coming back from their lunch breaks. When he had calmed down, he took one last look at the name of the girl.

Ysabel Hunte. How unlucky of you to be a pawn in my mother’s game.

***

She was at the beach- the very place where they first met. It was sunset and the sky was painted with the most beautiful hues of orange, pink and red. The water was serene and the rhythmic sound of the waves washing in and out of the shoreline calmed her down. She smiled sadly at the beauty of the scene.

It was one that she had shared with her lover. Someone she thought for sure was her forever. But her untimely visit to his flat had proven her wrong. She hadn’t even realized what she’d done until she felt the other woman’s sharp gasp at the sting of her slap. After that, everything was a blur. She simply found herself in the place where it all began.

Perhaps it was a mistake. Being there only made her remember. She was even seeing hallucinations. She could have sworn the man coming up to her looked just like him. But it can’t be him. He’d be too busy with other women to go looking for her.

“Abby!” It was his voice. It was him, after all.

She was torn between running away and running towards him. In the end, she stayed rooted in place until he made his way to her.

“I’m sorry. It was stupid. I made a mistake. And, I know that you can’t just forgive me. And, maybe you’ll never forgive me. But, that’s okay. Because I love you and I’ll never stop trying to make up for what I did.” He had his hand on her face, wiping at the tears that seem to just keep coming. “Will you let me try?”

“Cam-“

The screen blacked out.

“What?!” Annie yelled from behind the counter. “What happened?”

“Oops,” Ysai said in an unapologetic tone as she put the remote control back on the counter.

“Why would you do that?” she exclaimed indignantly, snatching the control and powering on the television only to be greeted by the roll of credits. Caught in shock at what had been done to her, Annie stared at Ysai, openmouthed.

“Don’t take it personally, Annie,” Alex comforted her, patting her on the back as she sniffed her way into the kitchen. “Ysai just can’t handle happy endings. Probably because she knows she’ll never have one.”

“Shut up.” Ysai rolled her eyes at him. “That movie was stupid and you think so, too. What kind of self-respecting woman would forgive a man who cheated on her? Besides, the guy was full of it. He-“

Alex had shoved a cookie in her mouth, effectively shutting her up.

“You know, I could probably sue you for mistreating a customer,” Ysai spoke while chewing, spilling crumbs all over the floor.

“Dude, close your mouth when you’re eating. That’s disgusting.”

“Well, you know what they say about pigs,” a man said, as he walked into the café.

“Zach,” Alex greeted, nodding at him.

“Took you long enough to get here,” Ysai muttered, walking back to her paper littered table.

“I get held up,” Zach explained, trailing behind her.

Ysai rolled my eyes. “I can’t believe you made me wait for an hour,” she said as she attempted to punch him in the face but his reflexes were fast and he managed to dodge her fist. He captured it between his large hands.

“Sorry, sorry,” he murmured against her fist before proceeding to kiss it. He kept kissing her knuckles until she unclenched her hand. He looked at her with his puppy eyes. “I’m really sorry. I swear I was planning on coming here early.”

She shook her head before pulling her hand from his grasp. “Whatever. I forgive you even if I don’t believe you.”

“Oh, come on, Ysai,” he complained as he plopped down on the bean bag next to her’s. “It’s not my fault. Mindy was making it hard for me to leave and-”

“Whoah! Whoah! Hold up!” she said, holding both hands up in a stop sign. “I do not need to hear the gory details of your relationship with that bitch.”

He gave her a look. “I wasn’t going to tell you anything inappropriate. I do not kiss and tell. Besides, I know innocent, innocent you would combust if I ever did kiss and tell.”

“Shut up, Zach.” She threw her sketch pad at him.

“Hey!” He caught it just before it could hit him in the face. “Besides, you can stop calling her a bitch. I broke up with her. Now, that is why it took me so long to get here. She just couldn’t let me go.”

“You broke up with her?”

Zach nodded at her.

“Wow. That is low. How could you do that to someone on Valentine’s Day? Poor Mindy.”

“Oh, so now you’re on her side. I thought you said she was a bitch?”

Ysai huffed indignantly. “Well, she is a snobbish, little bitch. But I don’t think she deserves to be let down this way,” she spoke, taking her sketch pad back from him. “Why’d you break up with her?”

“Well, you turned older today and-” he stopped to dodge a punch from Ysai.

“You’re older than me, you know,” she said, sticking her tongue out.

Zach snorted. “Like you ever let me forget,” he rolled his eyes before continuing. “Anyway, as I was saying, it got me thinking that I should really stop playing around.”

“Dude, you’ve been with her for two years. That isn’t playing around,” she commented while continuing to assault him with punches.

Zach stopped dodging and simply held both of her hands in his larger ones. Ysai seemed surprised and looked questioningly at Zach but he was looking at her seriously. “It is when you love someone else.”

“What?” Ysai’s eyes widened.

“It’s playing around when all along, you’ve been in love with someone else,” Zach clarified, never breaking eye contact.

“Are you telling me you’ve just been stringing Mindy along while being in love with someone else?” Ysai whispered. She was scared that talking any louder would disrupt the serious atmosphere that suddenly enveloped them.

Zach looked at her, conflict clear in his eyes. It took a minute for his eyes to clear up, and he opened his mouth to speak. “Yes.”

Ysai thought it weird. There was something in the air that smelled of danger to her. Her body was wary and warning bells were ringing loud in her ears. She felt that she should run. But she couldn’t understand. She was with her best friend. She shouldn’t have anything to fear. So, she went ahead and asked “Who is it?”

“Don’t be surprised,” he answered in an almost pleading tone.

“Do I know her?”

“Yes.”

“Oh,” Ysai stopped for a moment before continuing, “Who is it, then?”

Zach took a deep breath and was about to answer but was interrupted by a group of people singing a Birthday song. They turned to the source of the sound and saw that the entire café was singing for Ysai. Alex approached them with a birthday cake.

“Make a wish,” Alex shouted as he held the cake in front of Ysai.

Completely forgetting what they were talking about a minute ago, and completely oblivious to Zach’s frustrated groan, she smiled at Alex. She closed her eyes, made a wish then proceeded to blow the candles out.

“Thank you!” Ysai looked at the staff of the café as well as the few patrons who had become her close friends over the years.

“Alright, what’d you wish for,” Alex said, setting the cake on the table.

“If I tell you, it won’t come true,” Ysai answered, smiling at him. The others laughed.

Everybody was talking and making jokes. Soon enough, they had managed to coerce Ysai into singing while Alex accompanied her on the piano. Zach watched from his seat, unable to participate in the merry making.

He was still stuck in that moment. He could’ve had told her at last. That was his chance and he blew it. He looked curiously at Alex and wondered if his timing was just screwed up or if it was done on purpose. Shrugging, he brought out his lucky coin and flipped it into the air.