Chapter 2

Parang binuhusan ng malamig na tubig si Veyra sa kaniyang nakita. Once a person enters her office, iisa lang ang ibig sabihin niyon.

Caelan was wearing a dark navy polo with the sleeves neatly pushed up to his elbows, tailored dark trousers, and his signature silver watch-'yung regalong ibinigay niya rito noong twenty-ninth birthday nito. Medyo gulo-gulo ang bagsak ng bagsak ng buhok nito, as if he had spent the drive over frantically running his fingers through it. Veyra couldn't deny that Caelan is a dead gorgeous man.

But his eyes were tired, dark, profoundly familiar, and were locked entirely on her.

Nakatitig lang si Veyra sa kanya. Ang bilis ng kabog ng dibdib niya na parang biglang piniga ang puso niya sa gulat.

Caelan stared back.

Walang nakapagsalita sa kanila. The quietness in the room suddenly felt suffused with heat, shrinking the spacious office down to a suffocatingly small box.

Dahan-dahang bumaba ang tingin ni Caelan mula sa mukha niya patungo sa brass nameplate sa gilid ng desk:

VEYRA SOLENNE - FOUNDER & LEAD CONSULTANT

Then his gaze drifted to the acrylic sign mounted on the accent wall behind her:

CLOSURE BY VEYRA

His jaw clenched tightly, a muscle ticking beneath his skin.

Dahan-dahang tumayo si Veyra galing sa leather chair niya. Napahawak siya sa gilid ng desk para lang pigilan ang panginginig ng mga kamay niya.

"Caelan?" Her voice cracked slightly bago niya pinilit na i-control ang sarili.

Caelan swallowed hard, his throat moving nervously. "Hi."

Nakatitig lang si Veyra sa kanya, frantically trying to bridge the gap between reality and this surreal nightmare. "Hi? What do you mean, hi?"

Bumuka ang mga labi ni Caelan para magpaliwanag pero walang lumabas na boses.

Napatingin si Veyra sa saradong p***o, as if expecting someone else-a prank crew, a hidden camera, anything-to burst in. Then her gaze snapped right back to his face.

"You're Khalid Soler?"

"A pen name, I guess," he said softly.

"What the hell? You... you are my ten o'clock appointment?"

"...Yes."

A short, disbelieving laugh bubbled out of Veyra's chest. It was a sharp, dry, at walang kahit anong halong saya. "Okay. Wow. Okay."

Caelan shifted his weight awkwardly, putting his hands in his pockets before pulling them out again. "I wanted to talk to you."

"So, you booked a professional consultation at my office? Under a pseudonym through your assistant?" malamig na tanong ni Veyra, dangerous quiet settling into her tone.

"Hindi ko kasi alam kung paano sisimulan ang usapan, love-I mean... Veyra."

Her stomach dropped.

"You could have started at home!" Naituro niya ang kamay niya patungo sa p***o, referring to their shared condo downtown. "Sa kusina natin! Sa harap ng agahan! Even in... even on the fvcking bed!"

"I tried," he said quietly, his voice dangerously raw. "I really tried."

"You tried?" Veyra's voice rose an octave, her professional composure fracturing at the seams. "Caelan, ngayong umaga lang bago ka umalis, itinatanong mo pa sa akin kung kailangan ko ng almond milk! Hinalikan mo pa ako sa noo bago ka lumabas!"

Bumaba ang tingin ni Caelan sa sahig, unable to meet her furious gaze. "I know."

Veyra crossed her arms tightly, wrapping them around her ribs as if trying to physically hold herself together. "And then you walked out the door, went to your office, and called a breakup planner yesterday? Then you're in my office now?"

"I called you," he corrected softly, looking up. "Dahil ikaw lang ang kilala kong makakaintindi kung paano ayusin ang ganitong mga bagay."

"That doesn't make it better, Caelan! Mukha tayong tanga! Mukha akong tanga!"

"I'm... I'm sorry."

Biglang tumalikod si Veyra at naglakad patungo sa glass window na nakatapat sa city skyline. Isinandal niya ang ulo sa malamig na salamin, her pulse hammering wildly in her ears.

For three whole years, napanood niya kung paano dalhin ni Caelan Virel ang sarili nito sa mundo. He was a brilliant investment consultant who could walk into a boardroom full of skeptical executives, command the room without ever raising his voice, and walk out with a signed multi-million peso deal. He was always rational, composed, and perpetually grounded.

Pero ngayon, habang nakatayo ito sa opisina niya, para itong nawalan ng lahat ng katapangan sa katawan.

It should have given her leverage. Dapat pakiramdam niya hawak niya ang sitwasyon. Pero sa halip, bumaligtad lang ang sikmura niya sa sobrang lamig at takot.

"Sit down," she commanded, without turning around.

Hindi lumaban si Caelan. Narinig ni Veyra ang mahinang hila ng leather chair bago ito umupo.

Dahan-dahang humarap si Veyra, resting her lower back against the window frame. She looked down at him. "You have five minutes."

"Five minutes?"

"Pinag-iisipan ko pa kung tatawag ako ng security para ipakaladkad ka palabas, o kung icha-charge ko sa credit card mo dahil sa pagsasayang mo ng oras ko."

Tumingin si Caelan sa kanya, a faint, ghost-like shadow of a smile touching his lips. "Can I just pay?"

Hindi nakakatuwa ang biro, pero tumama ito sa pinakamalambot na parte ng dibdib niya. "That isn't funny, Caelan."

"I'm not trying to be funny."

"Of course you aren't. Alam mo ba kung ano ang trabaho ko? I help people end their relationships!"

Naglakad si Veyra pabalik sa desk niya. The heels of her shoes sounded unnaturally loud in the heavy silence. Umupo siya sa tapat nito, separated only by two feet of polished mahogany wood.

Inabot niya ang intake contract na nakapatong sa gitna nila, her fingers hovering nervously over the paper.

"Alam mo namang kabaliwan 'to, 'di ba?" tanong niya habang diretso ang tingin sa mga mata nito. "You are my live-in boyfriend of three years."

"I know."

"You are sitting in my client chair, asking me to give you professional advice... kung paano ka makikipag-break sa... akin."

"Alam ko, Veyra."

"Naririnig mo ba ang sarili mo?"

"Yes, Veyra. I do."

Caelan leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees and burying his face in his hands for a long, heavy second before looking up again. "Hindi ko 'to ginawa dahil gusto ko ng legal na paraan para iwan ka o para lang pumapel ka rito."

"Then why?" Veyra's voice trembled slightly, her defensive walls crumbling fast. "Why, Caelan?"

His fingers intertwined, his knuckles turning white. "Dahil sa tuwing susubukan kong sabihin sa 'yo sa bahay-tuwing nakatitig ako sa 'yo bago tayo matulog-hindi ko matapos-tapos 'yung sasabihin ko. Parang nababarahan ang lalamunan ko."

Mas lalong sumikip ang dibdib ni Veyra. The air in the room suddenly felt thin. "What sentence?"

He met her gaze, unblinking, his eyes filled with a terrifyingly clear sadness.

"I think we need to break up."

Veyra's chest automatically tightened. That sentence landed between them like a physical blow. Veyra sat perfectly still pero durog ang puso.

Sa silid na ito, napakarami na niyang bersyon ng linyang 'yan na narinig. Narinig na niya 'yan na isinisigaw sa galit, ibinubulong sa sisi, at iniiyak nang patago. She had spent years scripting it for desperate clients, correcting their cadence, telling them to hold their ground, teaching them that feeling guilty didn't mean they were making a mistake.

Pero nang marinig niya ang mga salitang 'yon mismo mula sa bibig ng lalaking humahawak sa kamay niya gabi-gabi, nawalan ng silbi ang lahat ng pinag-aralan niya.

Bumaba ang tingin niya sa puting papel sa desk.

"Do you..." She swallowed hard, her throat dry and burning. "Mahal mo pa ba ako?"

Caelan's response was immediate, quiet, and devastatingly sincere.

"No doubt. Yes."