A/N: @MeAnneJaudines, here it is. Enjoy!

***

I stood in front of the lilies and the mums while waiting for Rose to finish her transaction with the florist.

She called the night before to ask if I could go with her.

Richard was away on a business trip and she really wanted me to go with her.

I heard her thanked the woman who owned the shop and I turned around to see Rose walking towards me.

"Let's go out to eat. I'm hungry." She linked her arm in mine when we got out.

We were in Divisoria, following the endless stream of people as they walk, stop, browse and bargain for whatever they want to purchase.

Toys and clothes were on display.

If you can't tell the difference, you won't know the items were bootleg.

Before this trip, Rose told me where we're going.

She reminded me to dress appropriately and not to carry a lot of money.

So here we are, towering over the crowd with me wearing cut-off pants and a cotton top and her in a sundress.

It was a hot day so I wore my navy-blue cap.

Rose had an oversized straw hat that covered not only her face but also the back of her neck and shoulders.

She pulled me towards a corner and to the direction of the carinderia.

"Let's get some halo-halo."

It was a cold treat with crushed ice, sweetened banana, red mung beans, jackfruit, kaong, gelatin, ube, evaporated milk topped with leche flan.

Summer was almost over but the heat showed no signs of slowing down.

I felt the sweat trickling down my back, my armpits and my thighs.

There were lots of restaurant and Rose chose a tapsilogan that also serves halo-halo.

"I've been here before. The food is really good."
She lifted her leg on the wooden bench and I did the same thing.

A young girl, who looked to be in her teens, approached us and took our orders.

"Kumusta ka na?" She squeezed my shoulder catching the attention of an elderly man who was sitting across from us.

"I'm okay."

"Just okay?" I replied with a weak smile.

"What happened?"

I'm not sure if this was the right place to tell her the goings-on in my life seeing as it was such a public place.

"Don't worry about him." She pointed to the man who was slurping while he eats mami, a hot noodle dish with strips of chicken, cabbage and seasoned with fried garlic and powdered black pepper.

"He doesn't know you anyway."

I told her about Shay.

"Oh friend." She put an arm around me.

"Have you talked to her yet?"

"No."

"The night you left with Arizona, she asked why you looked so concerned?"

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her what I thought was acceptable. That her grandfather was your benefactor when you were in med school."

"She believed you?"

Rose nodded.

"Did you tell her about Arizona?"

"No."

From inside, we could hear the ice crusher, the loud sound filling the entire eatery.

"When are you planning to tell her?"

"I don't know if I should even tell her."

"Why not?"

"I'm thinking of breaking up with her."
"Was it because of what happened?"
I nodded.

"There's also one other thing." I looked at the man who was now drinking the entire glass of water, his lips magnified at the bottom making it look like the mouth of a fish.

"I kissed Arizona."

"What?" Rose blurted, startling the man who spill the remaining water on his shirt.

"When did this happen?"
"The same night I drove her back to the mansion."

"Are you sure that's all that happened?"

"Yes."
"Really?"

"Yes. Don't you believe me?"
"Two ex-lovers who clearly still have feelings for each other, alone in the dark, in a room filled with memories of the past? It's a little hard to believe."

We stopped talking when the girl returned with our order.

She placed the halo-halo in front of us and asked if there was something else we need.

"We're good." Rose smiled at her.

She left but not after smiling at me.

"Uyyy! I think she has a crush on you." Rose elbowed me on the ribs when the girl left.

I ignored her comment.

"Do you really think Arizona still has feelings for me?"

Rose took a small slice of the leche flan with her spoon and ate it.

"Before you got to the restaurant, she asked if you were coming."

"She did?" I couldn't hide the excitement in my voice.

Rose nodded.

"By the way, who kissed who first?"

"I did."

"Did she kiss you back?"

"Yes."
"There's your answer."

"What if she just got carried away by the moment?"

Rose placed a hand on my arm.

"If I don't like my ex, I would not kiss them let alone be in the same room with them. You know what I would do?" She kept mixing the halo-halo without taking her eyes off of me.

"What?"

"I would run."

I laughed.

"I'm sorry about your love life." She scooped a spoonful of halo-halo.

"I should have known better but I didn't listen. I said, no more straight girls. Why do I do this to myself?" I let go of the spoon and played with the edge of the napkin.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Julia. Besides, is Shay really straight since she's dating you?"

"She likes to think she is."

"Then she's in denial."

"She doesn't like labels."

"Bullshit!" A young boy selling sampagita passed by.

He turned his head when he heard Rose.

"Oops!" Rose covered her mouth.

"Ang sabihin mo, she still hasn't figured out what she wants. Or maybe she did and she likes both man and woman. She doesn't like labels but there is a word for that--it's called bisexual."

I didn't say anything.

"I'm not saying there's something wrong with that. But wouldn't it be easier for her to just accept it instead of lying to her family?"

"You know it's always easier said than done. Besides, her family expects a lot from her."

"Why are you even defending her?"

"I'm not."
"Look at it this way, Julia. Her mother is suspicious of your closeness. You haven't met them and I assume, Shay tells them about you. When she goes out, she's always with you. I don't think her mother is dumb. She's probably wondering what happened to her other friends. Why is it that she spends more time with you than with anyone else? That probably makes her even more curious and very afraid. She also probably asked Shay to bring you over so you could meet but Shay is hesitant.  Maybe she's thinking, once they learn that you are a lesbian, her mom would be appalled, frustrated, angry. You live in this society. You know how people are. Don't defend Shay because I doubt if she can defend you if her mother confronts her about your connection to each other."

What she said hits something tender.

I wanted to be a part of Shay's life—not just the work or the social part.

She's not just an MRI technologist.

She's someone's daughter, sister, a former student or a member of a church.

I've heard her stories but there's another version from someone else.

I'm not saying she's lying but it would be good to know how others see her as a person.

"Your halo-halo is melting." Rose pointed with her spoon.

"I know you care for her a lot, Julia. Also, I'm not saying that I'm okay with you kissing Arizona. But Shay is not the only one who has to make a decision. You have to figure out whom you really want. That's the only way you can clear this mess you're in."

I took the spoon and slowly mixed the iced.

Rose made a lot of good points but I still don't know what to do.

I thought of Jax and what he said about honesty.

It's the smart thing to do but not the easiest.

I feel guilty because after the kiss, I don't remember anything else.

Something in me awakened.

That moment felt so right even though it was wrong in so many ways.

I wanted her still and I've been in a dilemma ever since.

My situation with Shay isn't favorable but I'm not a terrible person.

She deserves to know the truth and maybe then, we'll find a way out of the mess we're in.

"What's on your mind, Julia?"

Rose was staring at me, the tall plastic cup of halo-halo almost empty.

"What if Arizona doesn't want me?"

"Friend, the only way to find out is to ask her."