chapter 6

ELAINE 

I lowered my gaze, unable to hold his eyes any longer. The weight of everything I felt pressed heavily against my chest, making it hard to breathe. But then a faint sound broke the silence, it came from the door.

My head lifted almost immediately. We both turned toward it.

Ryke stepped away from me without a word and walked toward the door, his expression unreadable. He tapped something on the small monitor mounted beside it, and the screen flickered to life. From where I stood, I could see a woman outside.

My brows slowly furrowed.

Who is that woman?

Before I could even process it, Ryke opened the door. I stayed where I was, my body tense, waiting for her to step inside but instead, she closed the distance between them in a second and pressed her lips against his.

My breath caught and everything seemed to stop.

I turned away sharply, my chest tightening as if something inside me had been squeezed too hard. My fingers curled around the coat I was wearing, gripping the fabric so tightly that my knuckles turned white until, slowly, my hold loosened and it slipped from my shoulders, falling silently onto the carpet.

“I’m going home,” I said.

My voice came out soft but it was enough. The kiss broke.

I didn’t look at them immediately, but when I did, I saw the flicker of surprise in Ryke’s eyes. It should have meant something but it didn’t change anything.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know there was someone else here,” the woman said and her eyes slid toward me, sizing me up. “Anyway, who are you?”

Ryke didn’t say a word. Not even a single word. That silence hit harder than anything else. I walked toward them, each step steady despite the storm building inside me. When I stopped in front of her, I met her gaze directly.

“Do I need to tell you?” I replied coldly. Without waiting for an answer, I brushed past them and headed straight for the door.

“Elaine!”

Ryke’s voice followed me but I didn’t stop. I stepped out and shut the door behind me with more force than necessary.

Hays! How annoying! Who even is that woman? Is she Ryke’s girlfriend?

I shook my head, irritation bubbling up as I walked quickly toward the elevator, my steps echoing faintly in the quiet hallway. Part of me expected to hear the door open again and to hear his footsteps rushing after me.

But nothing came. Maybe he won’t chase me. Maybe he doesn’t need to. He already has someone with him.

“ELAINE! STOP!”

I flinched at the sudden shout. My feet halted on their own. Slowly, I turned around—and there he was.

Ryke.

He was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling as if he had run the entire way. A thin layer of sweat clung to his skin, and a few strands of his hair had fallen out of place.

Wait… Did he take the stairs?

“What?” I asked, my tone sharp, though my heart was still pounding from the surprise. I didn’t expect him to come after me.

“What?” he repeated, clearly frustrated. “How do you think you’re getting home? You don’t have a car.”

I let out a dry scoff. “Oh, really?” I shot back. “I can go home. There’s a taxi.”

“Do you even have money?”

The words hit me like a pause button. I froze. And then it clicked. I didn’t bring any.

Shit.

For a brief second, I hated how right he was.

“Come on,” he said, his voice softer now, though still firm. “I’ll take you home later.”

“Later?” I echoed, my brows pulling together.

“Why?” he asked, genuinely confused.

A bitter laugh almost escaped me.

“Why?” I repeated. “What do you want for me to stay and watch you and your girlfriend kissing—”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

I stopped. Again.

The words hung in the air between us. But instead of easing anything, they only made something twist tighter inside my chest.

If she’s not his girlfriend… Then what was that? Then why did she kiss him like that? And why did he let her?

“But she kissed you,” I said more quietly this time. The irritation in my voice faded, replaced by something smaller, something almost childish. I hated how it sounded. 

I heard him sigh. “Look, I didn’t want that, and—”

“Stop explaining,” I cut him off, my voice trembling slightly despite my effort to keep it steady. “I want to go home.”

Before he could say anything else, I turned and ran. I could hear him calling my name again, louder this time but I didn’t look back. I didn’t want to. I just wanted to get away.

I found a taxi quickly and got inside, my hands still shaking as I pulled the door shut. Through the window, I caught a glimpse of Ryke running toward me, trying to catch up but I turned my head away. I couldn’t look at him anymore.

The entire ride home felt suffocating. My thoughts kept replaying that moment, the way she kissed him, the way he didn’t push her away fast enough. It made my chest ache. 

After Yaya Esme paid for the taxi, I went straight to my room without saying much. The moment I closed the door behind me, the silence swallowed me whole.

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at nothing. I didn’t feel like eating. I didn’t feel like doing anything. So I lay down and let sleep take over, hoping it would erase even just a part of what I felt.

When I woke up, the house was quiet.

I blinked slowly before reaching for my phone. It was still inside my sling bag. I checked the time. Midnight. A faint hunger settled in my stomach, so I pushed myself up and stepped out of my room.

As I made my way downstairs, I unlocked my phone and checked my messages. Notifications from Hannah, Cheska, and Enzo filled the screen but my eyes searched for only one name.

Ryke.

Not even a single message. My grip on my phone tightened. So annoying. He couldn’t even check if I got home safely?

I exhaled sharply and quickened my pace, irritation creeping back in, but I slowed to a stop just before the kitchen door. Laughter echoed from inside, Mom and Dad. The sound should’ve felt comforting, but instead, it made something in my chest tighten.

I stepped closer and peeked inside. Mom was holding a glass of wine, relaxed, while Dad sat at the table eating, a phone propped up in front of them. They were on a call.

“Next week is your birthday and you’re turning forty,” Mom said lightly. “Surely, you’ll finally introduce someone to us?” Dad grinned and added, “Yeah, Ryke, when are you planning to get married?”

I stiffened at the name. Ryke? And next week is his birthday?

“I’m not planning to celebrate,” Ryke’s voice came through the speaker, calm and familiar. “Drinking together is enough.” Hearing him again made my chest tighten in a way I didn’t expect.

“Mom, Dad,” I said, stepping inside. They both turned to me, and my eyes immediately found the screen and I found him.

“Oh, you’re awake. It’s late,” Mom said. “I just woke up. I’m hungry,” I replied, trying to sound normal.

“Your goddaughter just woke up,” Dad said, glancing at the phone. “She probably didn’t eat.” 

I waited, but Ryke didn’t say anything, and somehow, that silence felt louder than words.

“Why didn’t you eat before sleeping?” Mom scolded gently. “My head hurt earlier,” I answered, avoiding her gaze.

“Give her something to eat,” Dad said, and Mom stood up. I took her seat, the chair still warm, my eyes drifting back to the screen without meaning to.

“Your ninong’s birthday is next week,” Dad continued. “You should give him a gift, not always be the one receiving it.” I leaned slightly forward, resting my chin on my hand as I looked at him.

Ryke was wearing a simple white T-shirt, the fabric lightly tracing his shoulders and arms. “What do you want, ninong?” I asked teasingly.

For a split second, I saw it, a small, almost hidden smile. 

“You can ask him all you want, he won’t answer,” Dad said. “He accepts anything you give.”

“Really?” I raised a brow. 

Then Ryke suddenly asked, “When is Elaine’s birthday again?”

I froze. 

“Next month,” Mom answered as she set a plate in front of me. “Our daughter is really all grown up now.”

“Then I’ll take care of her birthday.” My head snapped up. 

“No!” I blurted out, too fast, too loud.

Mom and Dad both looked at me in surprise. Even I was caught off guard by my own reaction.

“No problem, Ryke,” Dad said anyway. 

“That’s embarrassing, Ryke,” Mom added with a smile. “Maybe that’s why your goddaughter doesn’t want it.”

“That’s my gift to her,” he said simply. “It’s been a long time since I last gave her one.” 

I stayed quiet, knowing it didn’t matter what I said, they would decide anyway.

“Thank you, Ryke,” Mom laughed. “We’re lucky to have such a generous friend.” 

So, they’re the ones deciding?

I lowered my gaze and focused on my food, eating quietly while their voices blended into the background. The irritation from earlier slowly faded but not completely.

Because no matter how much I tried to ignore it, the image of that woman, the way she kissed him, kept replaying in my mind. And no matter what I did, I couldn’t forget it.

“When will you celebrate your birthday?” Mommy asked.

“Whenever you’re available,” Ninong answered. 

I glanced at him as he adjusted the way he was sitting, and for some reason, I found myself wondering how it would feel to be beside him.

“Saturday, we’re available,” Daddy said. 

“His birthday is on Sunday,” Mommy added.

“That’s fine with me. Any day is okay.”

Wait… his birthday is really on Sunday?

I kept that in mind as their conversation ended, and I finished eating as well. After saying goodnight, I went back to my room.

Lying on my bed, I stared at my phone, my thoughts refusing to settle. I wanted to call Ryke, but I stopped myself, he hadn’t even tried to contact me.

Maybe he thought everything between us was already fine. Maybe he didn’t feel the need to reach out.

Let him be.

I eventually fell asleep with those thoughts lingering in my mind.

Days passed quickly, yet not once did I receive a message or a call from him. His birthday was getting closer, but we still hadn’t seen each other again.

I started to think that maybe he was avoiding me because he saw me as too young, and most of all, because I was his godchild.

I was at a coffee shop with Cheska and Hannah, but my mind was somewhere else entirely. Even the chatter around me felt distant.

But soon, I’ll be eighteen. Is that still too young?

I sighed and stared down at my iced coffee, watching the ice slowly melt.

“Are you not feeling well?” Hannah asked, her voice pulling me back.

I looked at her. Our classes had just ended, and we decided to stop by the coffee shop before heading home, it was already Friday.

“I’m okay,” I said. “I’m just not in the mood.”

“I see. Anyway, when can I meet your godfather?”

I blinked and looked at her. She and Cheska were both smiling like they knew something I didn’t.

“Seriously? Do you like my godfather?” I asked, a little annoyed.

“Cheska said your godfather is very handsome,” Hannah replied playfully. “So why not, if I’m interested?”

I rolled my eyes, and the two of them burst into laughter. After finishing our drinks, we decided to leave.

“Bye! See you guys!”

We said our goodbyes, and I stayed behind for a moment, pulling out my phone to message the person who was supposed to pick me up.

Just then, a car pulled up in front of me.

I froze.

I knew that car.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and someone stepped out. My heart immediately started pounding against my chest.

Ryke.

He walked toward me, his presence as familiar as it was overwhelming and somehow, he looked even more handsome than I remembered.

“I’ll take you home today,” he said simply.

My throat tightened.

“Do you know how long I waited to see you?” I said softly.

He heard me. I knew he did because he stopped.

My vision blurred as tears began to form, and I tried to hold them back, but I couldn’t. The truth was, I missed him more than I wanted to admit. Before a single tear could fall, I felt his arms wrap around me. Everything went still.

“Be my gift on my birthday.”