Keeping Quiet Novels & Stories

JACOB ALDEGUIRE'S POV I tilted my head slightly, the faintest crease forming between my brows. “What do you mean by that?” tanong ko, kalmado ang boses at bahagyang nakangisi. The silence that followed was deafening. It presses against my ears, and against my chest. Conversations died mid-breath. Someone’s glass hovered in the air, forgotten. Even the music playing somewhere in the background felt too loud for how still everything suddenly became.

Bago ko ipagpatuloy ang aking panonood ay nireplayan ko ito. To: +63948666327 Huwag mo nga akong itext. Busy ako. Pagkatapos ay nilagay ko sa silent mode ang cellphone ko at ibinalik ko sa bedside table. I don't want to have a communication with him. Pumayag na ako sa kasalang magaganap at hanggang doon lang yun I don't want to develop any feelings for him.

It was just a building now, filled with echoes, dust, and everything left behind when a heartbeat stops. The lights were dim. Shadows stretched across the floor like old memories that didn’t know where else to go. But the dark didn’t scare me—it felt like it matched what was inside me. Quiet. Heavy. Hollow. I climbed the stairs slowly, like my feet were made of stone. I reached my room and locked the door behind me. That soft click was the only sound I could control. I slipped into bed, pulling the covers up like armor. I didn’t want to sleep. I just wanted the voices in my mind—the what-ifs, the if-onlys, the echoes of his laugh—to hush. Just for a little while. Just one breath of silence.

Malinaw na malinaw sa pandinig ko ang ingay na ginagawa nila sa loob. Nakakahiya naman sa kanila. Sana man lang hininaan nila lalo na't hindi naman sound proof ang banyo namin. Hindi ko na makayanan ang ginagawa nila at pasimpleng binuksan ang lamp. “Oh shit! She's awake.” He said. “Don't make any noise.” “How am I supposed to do that when you're fucking me aggressively?” “Be quiet. Let me finish it.” He said and moan softly.

“Kael…” He leaned closer. “I want more mornings like this. Napatingin si Maxine dito. Ano ang ibig nitong sabihin? Hindi niya alam kung ano ang isasagot. Kasi kung totoo iyon... ibig sabihin seryoso ito. Gumagana ang pang-aakit niya rito. “Why are you quiet?” maya-maya ay tanong nito. Huminga siya nang malalim.

“Yung text. Does she know. Tinatanong niya kung sinabi mo na sa’kin na name mo ang naka-spread sa bagay na gumulat sa’kin.” “Yeah. Yun nga.” Hindi siya nag-flinch. Kung mayroon man, mas lalong naging calmer, at nagsisimula akong matutunan na habang mas calm siya, mas malapit siya sa something na ayaw niyang sabihin out loud. “Gusto niyang may hawak sa tao. Yun ang paraan niya para panatilihing quiet sila.” “At pinabayaan mong ilagay yung name mo sa bagay na nagnakaw sa’kin.”

Maingat na sumulyap si Ashley sa kanya. "Can I put your phone on silent?" Napahinto si Clint. "I'm worried... baka maistorbo ang baby." Tahimik niyang inilagay sa silent mode ang cellphone. Sa gabing iyon… hindi nasagot ni Jam ang paulit-ulit na tawag ni Jing.

"Your blood pressure." "I'm calm." "Your fist says otherwise." He looked down at his hand. He was clenching it so hard that his knuckles were white. He forced his fingers to relax. "I'm fine," he said again. "You're not fine. But I understand why." The elevator doors opened. The top floor was quiet. Too quiet. Normally, there would be people typing on keyboards. People talking on phones. People walking back and forth with papers. But today, there was nothing.

sabi niya, na parang kinokonsensya ako sa bagay na ito, sa oras na humindi ulit ako. "I will cook our dinner, but make sure to just stay quieeet." I emphasize the word quiet in cased he doesn't understand that. Mukhang naintindihan niya naman ang bagay na sinabi ko, kasi nanahimik na siya sa tabi ko pagkatapos. Oo, sa tabi ko. Hindi ko inaasahan na ganito pala ang pakiramdam na makasama siya sa iisang bubong, mahirap rin pala kapag ikaw lang talaga ang nakakaramdam, habang ang isa ay walang kaalam-alam sa nangyayari.

nakangiti kong sabi. Tumingin lang siya sa akin, isang malamig at walang emosyong tingin, bago tumango nang bahagya at bumalik sa pagtitig sa kanyang security monitor. Ni hindi man lang bumuka ang bibig. "O-kay... sabi ko nga, quiet mode tayo," bulong ko. "Napaka-snob. Mas madali pang paamuhin ang oven na sira kaysa sa mga taong ito."