The bonfire crackled at the center of the beach, casting warm light on the circle of eight: Jaime, Celia, Santino, Julie, Isabella, Mateo, Ainara, and Andres.Everyone had a drink in hand. The mood was light — or at least pretending to be.Mateo was in storyteller mode again, clearly enjoying the spotlight.“Naalala mo ‘yon, Ai?” tanong ni Mateo, sabay tawa. “Yung sa Tagaytay? You were freezing, tapos pinilit mo pa ring mag-ice cream.”Ainara chuckled politely. “Yeah. That was dumb.”“But cute,” dagdag ni Mateo, sabay kindat.Andres took a slow sip of his wine, jaw tight. Here we go again.Mateo wasn’t done. “You always had this thing for cold places. Pero ako ‘yung taga-bitbit ng jacket mo, remember?”Andres leaned back, voice calm but cutting. “If you were such a great boyfriend, Mateo… bakit kayo nagkahiwalay?”Boom.The fire popped. Julie blinked. Santino muttered, “Uy.”Mateo’s smile faltered. “Excuse me?”“You heard me,” sagot ni Andres, still casual. “You’ve been playing the nos
Last Updated : 2025-11-11 Read more