Nagising ako nang huminto ang sasakyan. I thought he brought us to my place, but when I looked outside, we weren't in our subdivision at all.

I straightened up, rubbing sleep from my eyes. "Where are we?"

"Our house."

I squinted to get a closer look of the huge mansion and realized, in my foggy state, that he brought us to his home in Las Piñas?

I began to panic. "Shit—What are we doing here? I thought you're taking us home?"

"I did. I brought you to your place, but you wouldn't wake up. I thought you wouldn't want me to ring your parents, so I took us home. You'll be more comfortable here."

Comfortable? How would I be more comfortable here?

I buried my face in my palm as my thoughts began to run a mile per second.

"Shit, Andrei. Nakakahiya sa pamilya mo. Can we turn back? I don't want them to see me like this."

"You don't need to feel embarrassed. Everyone's in bed now, probably."

I turned to him, frowning at how light he was taking this situation. "'Di ka sigurado?"

A smile was on his face as he shook his head.

I frowned harder. Nilingon ko si Geon na natutulog pa rin sa likod at saka bumuntonghininga. Damn. I let my guard down for one night, and I was suddenly pushed into the corner. Andrei may say it wasn't an issue, but I didn't want his family to see me like this. Magkakilala ang parents namin. Ano na lang ang sasabihin nila?

"I'll open the door. You can follow me once you're ready." Andrei left the engine of the car turned on when he got out. I checked my reflection on my mirror first and made myself presentable by touching up before following him into his house.

"Okay lang ba na iniwan natin si Geon sa kotse?" I asked.'

"Let him be. I'll wake him up later."

The De Villa house was, if anything, a grand mansion. It had a huge hall that led to an even larger living room. The lights were dim and warm, which made it hard to see anything in detail, but I could see the portraits on display. They were everywhere: on the walls, cabinets, even in the mini bar. The house itself was elegant, but I realized it was also kept simple and cozy, which said a lot about the people who lived there.

"Make yourself comfortable," Andrei said, gesturing to the sofa in the heart of the living room. "You want water? Coffee? Hangover soup?"

I walked closer to the grey luxury sofa set and stopped when I felt the acid of the alcohol I consumed turning in my stomach.

"Where's the rest room? I need to throw up."

Understanding and urgency crossed his face. "Tara, I'll walk you there."

As soon as he showed me the way, I left him outside, rushed into the rest room, and let out all the content of my stomach.

I stayed there for a while, waiting for the wave of nausea to pass. I had no time to worry gaano nakakahiya 'to because I felt shit with the acid still swimming in my stomach.

I didn't know how long I stayed there when I heard a knock on the door.

"Cari, are you okay?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Can I help you with anything?"

"I'm okay. Palabas na rin ako."

Once the nausea passed, I flushed the toilet and made sure I didn't make a mess there. Then I washed my face and checked myself again in the mirror. I didn't look half as bad as I thought I would, but I still didn't want his family to see me like this. Bukod sa nakakahiya, word might reach my parents' ears and I didn't want that.

I wiped my face with my handkerchief and headed out.

Outside, Andrei was leaning against the wall, eyes contemplative and fixed on the floor, a glass of water in his hand. He straightened up when I approached him.

"Water," he said, offering me the glass.

"Thanks." After I drank the entire glass of water, I added, "Si Geon?"

"Brought him to the guest room," Andrei said, padding back to the living room. I followed him. "You can sleep here. We have another spare room pa. Later, I'll take you home."

I sat down on the grey sofa, putting the glass on the low table in front of it. "I think it's best if we go home. I can bring Geon home. Wag mo na kami ihatid."

Andrei went to the couch on the left side of the main sofa, his hand falling on its back, as he raised a brow at me. "You're bringing him to Makati in that state?"

"I'm kinda sober na. And I'll bring him to my place. He can sleep there."

"You'd rather take him home with you than sleep in my house?"

My forehead creased. There was no color or emotion in how he said it, but his choice of words made me pause. "Don't take it personally. I told you—ayoko lang makita ako ng parents mo in this state."

"They're not home."

"But your siblings are."

He didn't answer that. "How are you planning to get home then?"

"Cab."

Andrei then sighed, finally sitting on the couch, his body facing me so we'd still be looking at each other. He leveled his gaze with mine. "If you insist on going home, that's fine, but I'm not letting you take the cab. At least let me take you home."

"You promised you won't drive drunk again."

A tiny smile slipped from his lips. "Can the deal start tomorrow?"

"Pag-aalalahanin mo 'ko if you drive to QC and then back to here."

"I can crash at my condo."

This time, it was my turn to sigh. I was still tipsy and the way we were circling around this topic was not helping my case. "Andrei, please. I'd rather not worry over you."

His smile twitched into a wider smile. "I'm glad I finally took enough space for you to worry over me now."

"What do you mean by that?"

His shoulders shrugged. "Until recently, I just had this feeling you didn't like me very much."

"Siguro sanay na sanay ka na lahat na lang nagkakagusto sa 'yo. I remember telling you before that we are friends."

"It's not that. You're just... hmm. It's not even cold. You're indifferent. Like I'm just a passerby. A passing wind."

Napatawa ako doon. "Ganito ako sa lahat."

"Not with Geon. You bicker with him a lot."

I raised a brow at him, trying to understand his train of thoughts, but my mind was still in a jumble. "You'd rather I bicker with you? Ni hindi ka nga rin palasalita. What's there to fight over?"

He licked his lips. "I'm not the verbal type. I prefer to jump into action."

Suddenly, the kiss from earlier surfaced in my mind. I internally waved it off before it could start planting weird notions in my head. It was just a game. And I was still drunk. That kiss meant nothing.

"I noticed. Besides, ganito kami ni Geon because I've known since we were kids. He's basically a son I raised. I need to discipline him."

Andrei then placed his arms on his thighs and leaned forward. There was still a comfortable distance between us, but now that he was closer, the memory of the kiss was beginning to take root in my head in ways that were dangerous if entertained. Instinctively, I leaned away until my back touched the throw pillow behind me, ignoring the way his closeness made my breath hitch and my stomach flip.

Andrei noticed my reaction, smiled, and respectfully returned the gap between us. "C'mon, Cari. Just stay. When we're both safe enough, I promise to drive you home—"

"—Ayoko nga"

"—or let you go home. Sober up here first and let Geon rest. If you don't wanna take a nap, we can talk."

"Says the guy who said he's not verbal."

"Does it surprise you to know that I do wanna talk to you some more? Our time together seems so limited everytime."

I wanted to give him a teasing look, but instead, I ended up yawning, which made him chuckle.

"Why do you give this impression that you sound so interested in me?" I asked.

"Because I am—I'm not going to bother and hide that. For the longest time, Geon's been yapping about you. I've always wondered what kind of a person you are for him to regard you so highly."

Feeling tired and sleepy now, I nestled into the side frame of the sofa and looked at him. "Talaga? Nirereto ba 'ko nito?"

"Not at all." He laughed. "He's like a brother who wanna show off his sister pero bantay-sarado naman. Not that I can't relate."

"Don't let him meet your sister." I laughed with him.

"That goes without saying. She's in highschool. I don't want anyone to see her yet."

"Protective."

"I'm protective with the people I love. That's natural, I suppose."

I wanted to ask more about his mysterious sister, but despite my effort to stay awake, I was slowly drifting off to sleep. I tried to fight it off and keep my eyes open, but the alcohol was still strong in my system and my eyes kept fluttering close.

"Asleep? That's too bad. I wanted to talk to you some more," I heard him say just as I felt something warm drape over my body. "Goodnight, Cari."

***

The light was filtering into the room when I woke up. It took me a while to reorient myself—then I jolted completely awake when I realized I was in a bedroom. Paano ako nakarating dito?

Agad kong hinanap ang cell phone ko.

It was past nine a.m. na. Shit.

I climbed out of the bed and surveyed the room to figure out where I was. Wala dito si Andrei at Geon. Did Andrei carry me to one of the guest rooms when I fell asleep?

As my eyes ran around, I caught the spare toothbrush and towel resting on the white table propped against the wall. Si Andrei siguro ang nag-iwan ng mga 'yon doon.

Not wanting to waste any more time and make this even more of a nightmare than it already was, I hurried to the bathroom to freshen up.

Yung plano kong 'di maabutan dito ng pamilya niya, wala na. Kung kanina, the chances were low because everyone was in bed... now... ewan ko na. Sigurado akong wala nang way para 'di ako makita ng mga nakatira dito.

After I fixed myself, I warily ambled out of the guest room. May naririnig akong tunog ng mga utensils from somewhere close. Sinundan ko 'yon. I couldn't help but be fidgety as I walked down the hall that eventually led me to their kitchen.

Nakahinga ako nang maluwag nang makita kong si Andrei lang 'yon. Good. So far, wala pa akong nakikitang ibang tao dito.

"Morning. Why did you wake up so early?" he greeted me with a smile as he placed some plates on the table. Breakfast was done and prepared na, all laid out there along with the utensils.

"Dammit, Andrei," I ended up muttering as I walked closer to him with the biggest frown I'd ever done in my whole life.

Andrei's smile softened a little at my expression. "Don't worry. Everyone's out. You're safe."

At that, my shoulders visibly relaxed.

"Grab a bite," he said, sitting down and gesturing for me to do the same.

I took the seat across from him. "Natulog ka ba?"

"Yeah, kakagising ko lang din."

"And you cooked these?"

"Yeah," he answered. "Don't look so surprised. I mostly live alone so I learned how to sustain myself."

"Wala naman akong sinabi."

"But you were thinking it."

"Just surprised because Geon can't be caught dead cooking. He'll burn the house down. Where is he anyway?"

"Still asleep."

"I think we should go. Masyado na kaming nakakaabala sa 'yo."

"You're not bothering me, Cari. You can rest some more."

"I dunno. This is just so embarrassing for me. I wanna put it out there that I don't make a habit of doing this. I usually can take care of myself."

"I'm not thinking anything of you, if that's what you're so worried about. And what's wrong with being taken care of?" Andrei reached forward and began filling my plate with some egg and sausages. "Rice or toast?"

I reached for the toast before he could even give it to me. "Ako na—but thank you. I guess, 'di lang ako sanay. I'm used to looking after my friends, so this is coming off a bit odd to me."

Andrei nodded in understanding. "Alright, I won't overstep if that'll make you more comfortable. But at least eat breakfast before you go."

"I can do that. And I don't wanna sound rude and unappreciative, so thank you, really, for preparing breakfast for us."

"Welcome. Should we wake up Geon now?"

I crunched my nose. "Knowing him, he'll go crybaby mode if we wake him up."

He chuckled. "Crybaby mode."

"What—you don't think his whining is awful?"

"I told you. He's only like that when you're around. He's less mischievous with us."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Lucky you, then."

During breakfast, Andrei and I naturally fell into conversations about our academic life. We mostly talked about my craft and his interests, and more and more, it became startlingly clear to me how well we just clicked with each other, like pieces of the same puzzle. And now, in the morning light, with a mind still barely sober, I could perhaps admit to myself that there was a part of me that liked him as a person. The way he treated me, the way he respected my boundaries, the way he never judged or questioned the way I was carrying myself.

It was too early to tell if I liked him as a man, but there was attraction here. An attraction that didn't seem to be fueled by last night's alcohol, because I could still feel it now, hours later.

Andrei was just talking about his family, but the way his eyes lit up everytime he mentioned his siblings, and the way his lips curled into a light, quiet smile everytime our eyes met were creating sparks of heat in the pit of my stomach that made my heart beat faster than normal.

Made sense, really. I wasn't really the type to go around kissing someone I wasn't attracted to.

Suddenly, Andrei stopped talking. His gaze instead darted to the doorway. I followed where he was looking and heard a sound of muffled footsteps coming from the stairs. Napalingon ako sa pinanggagalingan ng tunog bago ako bumaling kay Andrei at nag-angat ng kilay.

"Is that Geon?"

"No, Geon's in the guest rooms."

Guest room. Then he couldn't be the one making those sounds because the guest rooms were on the same floor as the dining room.

"Then who—" Bago ko pa natapos 'yon, saktong pumasok ang kapatid niya sa dining room.

I immediately stiffened. Of all people, it had to be the one who my parents knew so well.

As our eyes connected, Travis De Villa immediately paused, surprise coming onto his face. He obviously didn't expect me to be there, but nevertheless, he nodded to acknowledge my presence. "Good morning."

Feigning my composure, I nodded back. "Good morning."

Travis then turned to his brother and lifted a brow, a hint of a question and a smirk crossing his face. Andrei shrugged.

'Di ko alam kung alam ba ni Travis na kaibigan ko si Andrei o kung nakapagkwento na ba si Andrei sa kanila about me and Geon. But basing on the exchanges between the brothers, I'd wager he had no clue about me at all.

Fortunately, he didn't make a big deal out of it. He approached the table as if there was no stranger sitting there with his brother and grabbed the pitcher of water. Kinuha niya ang 'di pa nagagamit na baso at sinalinan ng tubig 'yon.

He nodded at the two of us again and then began walking back to the doorway.

"Off to work?" Andrei asked him as he was heading out.

"No, an errand."

"Bring your keys. No one's home. I let everyone take the day off since I'm leaving after this."

Travis paused, turning over his shoulder. "The others?"

"Left early. Gym."

"Javee?"

"Lhyle picked her up early. Jogging in Ignatio."

"Ah," Travis was nodding, then the smile went back on his face. "So you got the house all to yourself?"

This time, it was Andrei who raised a brow at him, but the smile was still on his face. "It's not just us. Geon's here and we're leaving soon."

Travis looked at me, then back at Andrei, chuckling. "It's not like you to be this defensive. There must be a reason."

"Didn't you say you were leaving for an errand?" Andrei shook his head, still all smiles.

"Heading out now." He waved a hand to me. "Nice to see you again, Cari."

"Likewise," I replied politely.

Then he was gone. When he completely disappeared out of sight and out of earshot, I rounded on Andrei.

"Everyone's out pala ha?"

He blinked at me and gave me an innocent look. "I didn't even know he's home."

I found that strange, but this whole scenario was.

"Well, whatever the case is, I hope you clarify the misunderstanding with your brother. I don't want my parents to know about this."

"My brother's not interested in our personal lives, so you don't have to worry about that."

Napatawa ako ro'n. That was so predictable. "Let me guess... sa business lang?"

"And his studies, yes."

"Predictable. Anyway, let's go wake Geon up."

I was about to get up, but Andrei beat me to it.

"I'll do it. Stay here," he said and walked back to the hall where the guest rooms were. When he came back minutes later, he was laughing, followed by a very sleepy kid. Nagkukusot pa ng mga mata si Geon nang pumasok sa dining room. Mukhang nakapaghilamos na rin naman pero halatang wala pa sa sarili.

"Cari?" he started, confused, when he finally saw me. "Damn, how did I get here? And how are you here? Fuck, I can't remember anything."

Umupo na ulit si Andrei sa tapat ko habang umupo naman sa tabi ko si Geon. Now I knew why he was laughing. Geon had no idea what went on last night.

Natawa na rin ako. Kinuha ko ang pitcher at sinalinan siya ng tubig nang mahimasmasan naman. "Were you really that drunk that you blacked out?" I asked, handing the glass over to him.

He grabbed the glass, bleary eyes still blinking repeatedly at it. "Yeah, amputa. I can't remember anything that happened after I downed that last bottle."

"Eat your breakfast. We're going home."

"Goodmorning to you too, bes," he beamed and finished the whole glass of water in long gulps. Then he looked over the table. "What's for breakfast?"

"Food. Eat up. I want to go home now."

"Like you need to tell me thrice. I'm so hungry," he said and, sure enough, began filling his plates with almost everything he could get his hands on. "So what did I miss? How did we both get here?"

As Geon occupied himself with his food, my eyes found Andrei again, who I wasn't even surprised to see was already looking back at me.

At the question, I discreetly gestured at Geon with my eyes and shook my head, silently asking Andrei to honor our deal and keep what transpired last night a secret. Andrei seemed to have figured out what I was trying to tell him because he nodded.

"Not much. Kal called me over and asked me to pick her up. So here we are," he said to Geon, but his eyes never left mine, the smile on his face growing wider—a smile that seemed to convey that we were keeping a dirty little secret from Geon now.

Despite myself, I couldn't help the half smirk that slipped past my lips, because that was what was happening now. We were sharing a secret. From our shared best friend, no less.

It wasn't that I didn't trust Geon or want to keep things from him. I just didn't want to overcomplicate this because it was just a game. Something trivial like that wasn't worth telling another soul.

"Ow? Thanks, man. I guess I owe you one," Geon said.

"I owe you," Andrei said, obviously hinting at the kiss.

As expected, Geon didn't understand what he meant by that. But I did. He was clearly teasing me.

"What? Why?" Geon asked, blinking.

At that, Andrei only laughed. "I was kidding."

His gaze flickered back to mine again, like he was searching for something there. Again, I remembered how intensely he had kissed me last night and a shiver ran down my spine as I felt a craving to do it again. But I'd never tell him that. My smirk growing bigger, I shook my head and averted my eyes, not giving him whatever it was that he wanted from me.

I wasn't sure if we'd doomed our friendship completely by venturing to uncharted territories or if that kiss was just a one-off thing. All I knew was I definitely couldn't be the only one who could feel this current of electricity between us.