Aiah's Pov
"Why would i leave her to someone who just tried to hurt her? She deserves someone better." Mikha said.
"I'm her boyfriend so stay out of our business mikha." Gelo said.
"Ex-boyfriend is the right word gelo." Mikha said.
I see in gelo's eyes that he's about to get furious.
"Mikha's right. Break na tayo and i deserve someone better." I said.
Hinawakan ko kamay ni mikha at iniwan namin si gelo. We stopped walking when were already in the parking lot. Kita sa ilaw ng streetlight ang pisngi ni mikha na medyo namamaga.
"Mikha pisngi mo." I said.
"Namaga? I think he slap harder than i thought." Mikha said.
She holds her cheek that made me laughed a bit.
"Is something funny?" Mikha asked.
"Kanina lang you were just a brave mikha and now a normal mikha." I said.
"Well, he was about to hurt you so my body reacted." Mikha said.
"Balik na tayo sa gym and get some ice pack for your cheek." I said.
"Maloi might see this, she might punch gelo." Mikha said.
"Maloi? One of my bestfriends?" I asked.
"She's my stepsister. Baka nasa gym na siya." Mikha said.
"Then we'll just go somewhere else. Let's go to my house." I said.
"Huh?" Mikha said.
"Where's your car?" I asked.
"The red porsche." Mikha said.
"Your car key." I said.
"I'll drive." Mikha said.
"You don't know where i live." I said.
"I've been there before." Mikha said.
"Huh?" I said.
Mikha opened the door of the passenger seat for me then she went to the driver's seat. After a few minutes we arrived at my house.
"Mikha how do you know where i live?" I asked.
She was about to answer my question when tita cathy opened the door.
"Aiah hindi ka tumawag na kasama mo uuwi si mikha." Tita Cathy said.
"Tita you know mikha?" I asked.
"Of course, wait what happened to mikha's cheek? Pasok kayo." Tita Cathy said.
Mikha and i went inside the house. I'm maraiah queen arceta, my nickname is aiah and one of the famous attorneys in the philippines. I live with my brother, aunt and cousin. Nasa canada si mom and dad pero minsan umuuwi din naman sila dito. Binibisita lang nila mga iba pa namin hotels at restaurants. Ako at si kuya naman ang nag-mamanage sa law firm at sa iba din namin businesses dito pag wala sila mom.
"Aiah get an ice bag for mikha." Tita Cathy said.
"Opo tita." I said.
I quickly get an ice bag from my room then put ice and water from the kitchen.
"Here mikha." I said while giving the ice pack.
"Thanks aiah." Mikha said.
"Tita paano mo kilala si mikha?" I asked.
"Mikha worked before as head chef at one of our hotels." Tita Cathy said.
"Okay, then how did mikha know where i live?" I asked.
"She already went here before during jho's birthdays. Nakalimutan mo ata na bestfriend silang dalawa." Tita Cathy said.
Tinignan ko si mikha, she's looking at her phone.
"My turn to ask, ano nangyare kay mikha?" Tita Cathy asked.
"I broke up with gelo, sasampalin niya sana ako then mikha appeared." I said.
"No wonder the slap looks like from a guy." Tita Cathy said.
"I didn't expect gelo to act like that." I said.
"Thank you mikha for protecting aiah" Tita Cathy said.
"Your welcome tita, mauna na po ako. I have to be early at work tomorrow." Mikha said.
"Next time stay for dinner." Tita Cathy said.
Mikha bid farewell to tita cathy then i escorted her outside.
"Keep the ice pack and thanks mikha for saving me." I said.
"You don't need to thank me aiah." Mikha said.
"Humble person ang isang mikha lim. What were you doing in that building?" I asked.
"Tumitingin lang ako sa dati namin classrooms then i heard voices. I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Mikha said.
"That's okay. Mikha thanks for saving me." I said.
"Ahm aiah do you have any vacant time next week?" Mikha asked.
"I have time. Why?" I asked.
"It's the soft opening of my restaurant and i would like to invite you in the last night of it. You can also bring tita cathy or anyone, i already invited the others earlier." Mikha said.
"Sure i'll go." I said, while smiling.
Mikha smiled back, she went inside her car then drove away. I went back inside the house, my brother bryan is walking from upstairs.
"Mikha already left?" Bryan asked.
"Yes kuya, it looks like you're close to her." I said.
"She's a great chef. Na-try ko na pumunta sa restaurant niya sa baguio." Bryan said.
"Kailan?" I asked.
"During one of my meetings. Sayang hindi ko siya naabutan." Bryan said.
"Dinner's ready." Tita Cathy said.
Kuya bryan and i went to the dining area. We started eating dinner.
"By the way, mikha invited us to the soft opening of her restaurant next week." I said.
"Her hard work is now paying off, i'm happy for her." Tita Cathy said.
"I think it's her first time to attend the homecoming." I said.
"Medyo workaholic si mikha, she's really a great chef." Tita Cathy said.
"She seems familiar." I said.
"You told me before that she's the one who gave you the single blue tulip bouquet and a golden retriever keychain." Bryan said.
"Now i remember her lalo na ikaw kuya kinain mo din mga iba ko na chocolates noon." I said.
"Madami naman yun, i just helped you finish some of it." Bryan said.
"Sneaky brother." I said.
"Enough you two, bryan eat some vegetables too." Tita Cathy said.
I laughed silently to tease my brother, hindi siya masyado mahilig sa gulay. After eating dinner, i went to my room. Blue tulip? I think i hid the tulip in one of my books. I opened my high school box from my cabinet.
"Here it is." I said.
I preserved the tulip and the keychain is in my car key. I suddenly remembered how she gave me this during valentine's day.
FLASHBACK
"Aiah is so lucky. Sa tingin ko sa kanya madami nagbigay ng chocolates." Stacey said.
"Our aiah is the most popular among us girls." Maloi said while laughing.
Nasa hallway kami, sa labas lang ng classroom namin. Kakagaling lang namin sa cafeteria bumili ng snacks.
"Looks like aiah is the winner again this year for the most chocolates gifted." Sheena said.
"Iuwi mo yung ibang chocolates shee." I said.
"Yehey, thanks aiah." Sheena said.
It's almost time for break time to end, maloi and the others went inside our classroom. Papasok na din sana ako when someone called my name. It's colet with mikha.
"Colet may pagbibigyan ka?" I asked.
"Kay maloi sana pero can you give this rose and chocolate to her for me. Tell her from her secret admirer." Colet said.
"Sure." I said.
"And mikha here has something to give to you." Colet said.
Napansin ko na tinulak ng mahina ni colet si mikha, making her to be in front of me.
"Ah eh for you aiah." Mikha said.
Mikha gave me a single blue tulip bouquet and a golden retriever keychain. It's unexpected that someone give me tulip and a keychain but it's kinda cute also because almost the kind of gifts i received today is roses and chocolates. Magpapasalamat palang sana ako pero wala na si mikha sa harap ko.
"Nasaan si mikha?" I asked.
"Sorry about mikha, super shy person talaga." Colet said.
"Tell her thank you for me." I said.
"I will, happy valentine's day aiah." Colet said.
END OF FLASHBACK
I looked at the tulip and the keychain again, i don't know what these two things have but it's making me smile for no reason. Tumunog bigla phone ko, tumatawag si sheena.
Call Conversation:
Sheena: Aiah nasaan ka?
Me: I'm already home.
Sheena: No wonder gelo was alone.
Me: Don't say his name again.
Sheena: Why? Did the two of you have a fight again?
Me: I already broke up with him.
Sheena: How brave arceta.
Me: Of course brave ako, he cheated and i deserve someone better.
Sheena: Someone better. Who could that be?
Me: Shee i know your teasing me.
Sheena: I'll stop, nakita mo si mikha?
Me: Yeah, i was with her after i broke up with him.
Sheena: Huh?
Me: Long story, i'll just tell you in person.
Sheena: Just say a summary now aiah.
Me: Let's just say she protected me from him.
Sheena: That's way to short aiah.
Me: Good night sheena.
I ended the call, i know the call would be much longer if i didn't ended it. A week passed by, napag-isipan namin ni sheena na mag-mall muna bago pumunta sa restaurant ni mikha. We're now in the food court, having snacks while i told her what happened that night.
"Sa wakas nag break na din kayo ni gelo." Sheena said.
"Yeah, you know i feel a sign of relief." I said.
"He was really a jerk aiah, since high school pa." Sheena said.
"I guess being busy at my work was a good thing too." I said.
"But not too much work, now that you're single. What's your plan?" Sheena asked.
"I'm thinking of treating myself, like going for a vacation and spending time with you guys." I said.
"That's great. Since you're not handling a case right now and you have a lot of time. Hindi ko ine-expect na magagawa ni mikha yun. I mean she's a super shy person." Sheena said.
"She doesn't seem a super shy person last night." I said.
"Well, that's unexpected talaga." Sheena said.
After eating snacks, we continued shopping. Nasa clothing boutique kami when i heard a familiar voice, it's colet.
"Hi colet." I said.
"Hello aiah, sheena. Shopping day?" Colet asked.
"We're just looking around before going to our batch mate restaurant." I said.
"Colet mag isa ka lang?" Sheena asked.
"I'm with maloi, she's in the supermarket. Sa restaurant din ata ni mikha punta niyo." Colet said.
"Yes colet. Looks likes the detectives are on a date." I said, teasing colet.
Colet and maloi are part of a special detective unit. Captain ni colet at jho si maloi. Halata na namin dati pa na crush ni colet si maloi.
"We're just buying some stuffs for mikha and we'll go to her restaurant now. Sabay na tayo." Colet said.
We went to the parking lot to wait for maloi, hindi kami nagdala ng car ni sheena kasi hinatid lang kami ni kuya bryan. Maloi arrived after a few minutes. On the way to mikha's restaurant, the four of us talked.
"Aiah your career is really on a different level now. Winning every cases." Maloi said.
"It's not just because of me maloi, i had helped from your team." I said.
"Being humble as always atty. Arceta." Colet said.
"Maloi i heard from mikha that the both of you are stepsisters." I said.
"Yes, we are. My dad married her mom four years ago." Maloi said.
Hindi ko talaga nahalata na mag-stepsisters na si maloi at mikha. Hindi din na-kwekwento ni maloi.
"Ano pakiramdam maloi?" I asked.
"At first medyo awkward but we overcome it since schoolmates naman kami noon high school. Masaya ako na kapatid ko si mikha." Maloi said.
"That's nice." I said.
After a few minutes, we arrived at freen's restaurant. No one arrived yet since it's still a bit early. Stacey welcomed us and assisted us to our seats. Siya ang general manager dito, pinuntahan niya si mikha sa kitchen. The kitchen door opened and revealing mikha already in her chef attire, a double-breasted black chef's coat and white pants. At first both of us looked at each others eyes then she walked towards maloi.
"Aiah you're staring at mikha." Sheena said.
"I'm not staring." I said