"Sis!" Kitty cheerfully raised the new necklace Lance gave her, along with the bracelet, showing them off to her best friend while they were packing for their flight back to the Philippines later that night. She still couldn't believe what had happened the previous night—they were both caught up in their respective love lives.
"Oh wow! Looks like someone's leveling up!" Gel teased with a smile. "Are you two official now?" she added eagerly, waiting for an answer.
Instead of replying, Kitty let out a high-pitched squeal, her face turning red. She couldn't say anything except hide behind her hands.
"Psst, hey! Calm down! That hurt my ears!" Gel complained, quickly covering her friend's mouth. "You are official, apparently. You wouldn't squeal like that if you weren't," she added. They both laughed and hugged each other.
"I'm so happy for you," Gel whispered.
"And I'm even happier for you! Congratulations!" Kitty replied, immediately grabbing Gel's hand. She had long noticed the sparkling ring on her friend's finger but hadn't had the chance to say anything since Gel had been busy talking to her parents.
"Oh no, it's not what you think, sis!" Gel smiled and quickly explained why Darius had given her a promise ring. "We're not engaged yet! It's just a promise." She then shared the story of what happened between her and Darius the night before.
***
"Why are you giving me this?" Gel asked as they held hands walking back to the hotel.
"I just want to show you how much I value you as my girlfriend. I'm not allowed to buy you an engagement ring yet, so this will have to do. I just want you to know that you're the only one for me," Darius answered, his voice full of sincerity.
"And I'm willing to wait for you until you pass the board exams." Gel looked at the ring, her heart beating fast.
If she hadn't given Darius a time frame, she might have received an engagement ring instead of a promise ring. She knew he loved her, but she wanted to chase her dreams first before entering a new chapter in their relationship. Sometimes, Darius could be childish and hot-headed, so she wanted him to mature a bit more. She thought the conversation was over, but Darius had one more thing to say.
"And so, everyone knows that you're mine and mine alone." Gel shook her head and laughed.
"You're unbelievable! I thought you were being serious."
***
"Papa D is unbelievable! He really knows your weakness!" Kitty teased after hearing the story.
"But sis, just a sisterly reminder—calm down, okay? Your heart is so full right now, you might have trouble breathing!" They both burst out laughing but stopped when someone cleared their throat by the door.
"Girls! You two seem to be having too much fun—mind sharing?" It was Darius, leaning on the door frame, hands in his pockets, a mischievous smile on his lips. Beside him, his cousin Lance peeked in, also clearly in a good mood.
"And what's that about me knowing your weakness?" Darius asked curiously.
"It's nothing, Papa D!" Kitty quickly replied, shaking her head.
"You really are nosy sometimes!" In the end, the boys helped them pack so they could all catch their flight back to the Philippines.
***
Back in the Philippines, everyone became busy with enrollment for the first semester. They were now in their third year, and studies had gotten more serious. The group didn't get to hang out as much, and Gel and Darius rarely saw each other because of their hectic schedules. When she had time, Gel would drop by Darius' condo to leave him food or a simple note to remind him she hadn't forgotten about him. Darius did the same, especially on weekends.
One afternoon, after class, Gel went to the library to review. While going up the stairs, she heard a group laughing and teasing each other at a nearby kiosk. She ignored it until she heard Darius' name.
"Come on, just spill! Don't play coy! You've been glowing all day!" a female voice teased.
"Shh! Stop it! Someone might hear you!" another girl laughed nervously.
Gel hadn't planned to eavesdrop, but she froze when she recognized another familiar voice.
"Jenna, can we talk?" It was Darius.
"Oh, hi Darius! You're here! Okay, I'll leave you two. I don't want to be a third wheel," said the girl teasing Jenna before walking away.
Gel suddenly felt cold all over. She remained frozen, unable to move.
"If you're here to talk about last night, that's fine," Jenna said coolly.
"No, we have to talk," Darius replied, his tone serious.
"Look, you don't have to worry about it. I'm not going to tell anyone if that's what you're thinking. I know what's on your mind, so I'll keep it to myself. Rest assured, no one will ever find out about what happened last night. Okay?"
Darius didn't know how to respond—his mind was full of conflicting thoughts. He hadn't realized his fists were clenched and his jaw was tight.
Meanwhile, Gel's chest felt heavy again. It was like something was pressing on her lungs, making it hard to breathe. She didn't know what she was feeling—anger, sadness, or fear… fear of hearing the truth about the girl standing in front of the man she loved so deeply. She tried not to think the worst, but she couldn't stop the pain in her heart.
Her phone vibrated inside her bag, but she barely noticed it. It was as if she had gone deaf from what she had just heard. A light taps on her shoulder brought her back to reality.
"Angela? Are you okay?" It was Clark, looking at her with concern. She hadn't even noticed he was beside her.
"Huh? Uh, yeah," Gel answered, but her voice trembled.
"I think someone's calling you," Clark reminded her.
She looked at her phone flashing and vibrating inside her tote bag pocket. She answered it in a near whisper.
"What?" she said in shock, looking up at Clark.
"I'm sorry, I have to go." She quickly walked away, but Clark followed as soon as he saw the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Hey, I can drive for you. It's not safe for you to drive in your condition," Clark said seriously.
She didn't expect what she would do next—she handed him her car keys and walked straight to the passenger seat.
"Where to?" Clark asked as he started the car.
Without hesitation, Gel gave him the location.
And they drove off quickly.