The second Lara’s screen lit up with the image, her jaw dropped.“Oh my God—” she gasped, slamming the phone against her chest like it had burned her.Her eyes widened in mild panic. Her face flushed all the way to her ears.She threw a frantic glance around the living room.Her parents were still engrossed in the movie, eyes glued to the screen. Her kuya Levi was slouched on the single couch across from her, eyes glued to his phone. None of them noticed her little crisis.Thank God.Once she was sure no one was paying attention, she slowly peeled the phone away from her chest and looked again.Yup. She wasn’t hallucinating.There it was. Reagan’s mirror selfie. Shirtless.Her lips parted slightly. “You’ve got to be kidding me...” she muttered under her breath.Her phone buzzed and another message slid in, casually if she might say so.Reagan: Currently working out.She just stared at the screen like it had offended her. Or maybe blessed her. She wasn’t quite sure yet.Her thumb hov
Lara spent the weekend at her parents’ house.No one mentioned Lucas—not even once. Not in passing, not even accidentally. It was as if they had all silently agreed to erase him from conversation, like the name itself was forbidden. As if he had never existed at all.She wasn’t sure if they were all just being considerate... or if they were just afraid that hearing his name would still hurt her. That uttering it might reopen wounds they weren’t sure had healed.But the truth was… Lara was okay.She had already made peace with her feelings for Lucas, long before their talk the night before. She might not be fully healed, but she wasn’t hurting anymore. Not the way she used to. The sharp edges of the hurt had dulled, replaced by something steadier. In fact, she felt more like herself than she had in a long time.She didn’t need them to walk on eggshells around her, but she appreciated the quiet understanding anyway.Her mother, in particular, made a gentle effort to keep her distracted.
The rain was still coming down hard when Lara stepped out of the house, an umbrella in her hand, her coat already damp from the mist in the air. The night was cold, the kind that bit through skin and settled deep in the bones. As the gate creaked open, she saw him. Lucas. Soaked from head to toe, standing under the downpour as if he didn’t feel the cold. His clothes clung to him, drenched, his hair plastered to his forehead. When his eyes found her, they lit up with desperate relief—like he had been holding on to nothing but hope. “Lara,” he breathed, his voice was barely audible over the storm. She approached him slowly, her footsteps quiet against the pavement, and stopped just in front of him. She held the umbrella over them both, shielding him from the rain. Her face remained calm, her voice steady. “Go home, Lucas,” she said gently. But Lucas didn’t move. Rain slid down his cheeks like tears, but Lara quickly realized they weren’t just from the storm. He stared at her, ey
By the time evening fell, rain was pouring relentlessly outside, drumming steadily on the roof and against the glass windows as they finished dinner. Her older brother, Levi, had arrived home from work and joined them at the table. It had been a while since all four of them shared a meal together. Despite the heaviness of the day, there was comfort in the familiarity. After the meal, they all moved to the living room. Lara found herself curled up on the couch, nestled in her mother’s embrace like she was a child again. Her father and Levi had made their way to the bar area just a few steps away. From where she sat, she could hear the low rumble of their voices, and although they tried to keep their tones neutral, she could pick up enough of their words to know they were talking about Lucas. “That bastard thinks he can just hurt her and walk away?” Levi muttered, jaw tight, eyes glinting with fury. “If it were up to me, I’d bury his company into the ground.” “He may have been a busi
It didn’t take long before the gate opened with a familiar creak, the familiar security guard greeting her with a polite nod. As Lara stepped inside, she heard Reagan’s car quietly pulling away in the background, the engine fading just as the gate closed behind her with a soft clang.She walked up the short path to the front door, the familiar scent of home welcoming her like a memory. When she entered the house, she found her parents in the living room.Her father was seated on the couch, engrossed in whatever he was watching on his iPad. Her mother sat beside him, sipping tea. Her mom’s phone was propped up on a small stand on the table, but her attention was fully on whatever video her husband was watching.Both of them looked up the moment Lara stepped in.Her mother’s face instantly lit up. “Sweetheart!” she exclaimed, standing and hurrying over. Her arms wrapped around Lara in a warm embrace. “You’re finally here. I’m so happy you visited us again.”Lara returned the embrace wit
The days that followed were surprisingly uneventful.No flowers, no gifts, no unexpected food deliveries to the faculty room. And most importantly—no Lucas.Lara had half-expected him to pop up again outside her classroom or in the parking lot with that familiar look of guilt painted across his face. But he didn’t.The silence was… strange. But also, such a relief.It allowed her to breathe again.Still, she couldn’t shake the tension that had knotted itself in her chest. Her guard was up, waiting for another sudden appearance.But by the time Thursday night arrived, she started to believe—just maybe—he’d finally heard her.On Friday morning, as Reagan pulled up in front of the school, Lara gathered her bag and paused before opening the car door.“By the way,” she said, glancing at him. “You don’t need to pick me up later. I’ll be heading straight to my parents’ house after class.”Reagan looked over at her, brow slightly raised. “You sure?”She nodded. “Yeah. I promised my dad last w