"GEORGINA Colette Gueco, bukod kang pinagpala sa babaeng lahat," dasal ni Georgina sa sarili niya. "Amen."

Tumawa si Lovi. "Nag-uusap pa rin kayo ni Number Two?"

"Wala pang reply, 23 minutes na," sabi ng pinsan niya. "Kaya ako nagdadasal."

Natawa siya lalo. "Hoy! 'Di mo ba alam meaning ng talking stage? Calm it, George."

"Hindi ako katulad mo, Lovi," she says, winking. "I can't act nonchalant and cool about things easily. Unfortunately, I'm unhinged, crazy, and I only know how to let things—or men—consume my entire soul. Pero ngayon, kailangan ko mag-consume ng breakfast. Let's go."

When they come down, Lovi almost stumbles down the stairs.

Because Gabriel is there, shirtless, his sweatpants hanging low enough that his CKs are visible, with Bailey on his hip.

Lovi's stomach drops to her feet at the sight of the baby cradled in his arms. He's pouring coffee into a mug while bouncing, and Bailey makes a cooing sound, and Gabriel murmurs in a baby voice, "Tama ka. Kailangan ng sugar."

George whispers to her, "I will leave you for your moment."

"Walang moment," Lovi answers, staring at him.

"Walang moment," her cousin mocks, rolling her eyes. "Congratulations to people who don't get obsessed easily, I'm sure it's lovely. Iba talaga kapag calm, cool, and collected."

Sa labas, oo.

Sa loob-looban ni Lovi, hindi. At all.

And she's sure it shows on her face when Gabriel makes his way over to her and hands her her designated Christmas mug with his smile that's been keeping her up recently. "Here," he murmurs. "Gawa ng pamangkin mo para sa 'yo."

She takes it and sits down on the couch, and Gabriel sits beside her, letting Bailey lie against his chest, a big hand wrapped around his back to hold him in place.

That hand was stroking her cheek last night as he confessed and babbled all of his honest thoughts.

There was a lot to process.

He was wishing for her date to be a disaster.

He was waiting for her to come home.

He said, "No, I got a girl," as opposed to, "Sorry, I got a girl."

That one word makes a big difference.

Kahit hindi pa naman sila!

If Lovi brought Carlo, he would've brought someone else, too, may reserve ito, and she can't think of that scenario, she feels like she's going to throw up even just imagining it (so much for calm, cool, and collected). Dati, oo, posible pa. Lovi was waiting for that to happen, it was going to sooner rather than later, that one of these Christmases, Gabriel would be bringing someone to meet the family and Lovi has to swallow it down and pretend she's happy for him. But with things between them changing, to the point na hindi pumayag si Lovi sa double date and really just left Georgina in that table with the two guys while she grabbed a drink at the bar to watch her cousin, she's never been so happy Carlo didn't like her that much and vice versa.

Gabriel is insanely attracted to her (she knew already, from his staring even when she's shoving a whole piece of steak in her mouth and his kiss, from the head to toe looks, but it's different hearing it altogether and he never fails to tell her he thinks she's beautiful, he does it every chance he gets), he was jealous, he wants to finally face what they have, this closeness with a new, romantic aspect, this compatible in everything thing that they have. Together.

Ilang taon nang hinintay ni Lovi 'to?

But why—why, why is she still expecting the worst to happen?

Because this is Gabriel? Because this is Gabriel Tanjangco? Because he could have literally anyone else and she doesn't understand why her?

Stop self-sabotaging, Lovi, sita niya sa sarili niya. Gabriel has been nothing but honest and expressive. He doesn't deserve this. And he doesn't deserve na pagtulakan mo siya sa iba.

"He likes you," Lovi says quietly, looking at Bailey's peaceful face as he rests on Gabriel.

He smiles, eyes still closed. "Everyone likes me except you. It's funny and sad at the same time, to be honest."

Her mouth twitches. "E 'di alam mong special ka."

"Sige, tatanggapin ko na 'yan. Tipid mo talaga, sana makaipon ka."

Lovi rolls her eyes. "Bakit ulit na sa 'yo pamangkin ko?"

"Ate Kaf came down half-asleep so I offered to watch him para makatulog sila ni Kuya Patrick."

She's trying really, really hard to ignore what that sentence does to her and not to let her eyes stray past Gabriel's face. "At kailangan shirtless ka?"

He opens his eyes to look at her pokerface. "It's the baby's fault."

"'Wag mo sisihin ang hindi nagsasalita."

"He kept tugging at my shirt. Sabi niya, 'Pababa na si Tita Lov! Tanggalin mo na 'yan para maulol, para patas kayo!'"

"Hindi ako nauulol."

"Mm-hmm," sabi ni Gabriel, smiling.

Lovi doesn't understand the effect of that damn hum on her.

Tangina, simula nang nakita ni Gabriel kung ano epekto n'on sa kanya, when he didn't even notice he was doing it in the first place, now he uses it against her in particular situations to disarm her and just...make her melt into a puddle.

"Ayaw mo aminin? Sige, ako na lang. Ako, nauulol. Kahit anong suot mo. Shirt at gym shorts. Ugly sweater. Tangina. Wala ka nang ginawa sa 'kin kundi torture."

"Alam mo 'yong totoong torture? According to someone special, Lovi's Dating Wrapped 2024."

His jaw hardens and his smile vanishes. "'Yan ang Pasko na hindi magniningning ang mga Tanjangco, subukan mo lang tingnan kung ano itsura ng Paskong 'yon at galit ang dalawa. Isama mo na si Mikee para tatlo, para talagang masaya tayo."

"Mikee's turning 19 pa lang next year. Plus, she's way too focused on acads."

"Focused sila ni Jett kasi may rival, kaya productive at masipag. Halatang Gueco at Tanjangco, they love a challenge." He stares at her. "Pero matatalo din si Jett, tingnan mo, gaya ng mga kuya niya."

Lovi smiles. "May laban naman kayo sa mga Gueco."

"Mayro'n nga. We just know how to accept defeat when it comes to matters of the heart," he murmurs, his eyes glancing at her mouth when she licks her lower lip after drinking. Lovi's stomach churns. "Pero pagdating sa hockey, well, ibang usapan na 'yon."

Lovi blinks. "May game ngayon?"

"Nasa PDF ni Tito. Isasama natin si Bailey."

*

Granted, this is just another of the city's holiday activities for fun, but Gabriel is right. The Tanjangco brothers are competitive—every year, they don't play nice in the rink.

The stands are full. There's the scrape and woosh of the blades on ice, the dry air, the smell of ripe hockey gear. Lovi, Georgina, and Mikee all sit front row, bundled up in jackets and gloves. Bailey is half-seated on Lovi's lap and half-drooling on George's, wearing his very own hockey jersey. Sa likuran nila ay ang mga magulang nila.

Jett, Kuya Aze, and Gabriel are three in one team, all geared up in blue and white. The rest of them, hindi na kilala ni Lovi, at wala rin siyang pakialam.

Gabriel, number 18, swings his long legs over the boards and shoots across the ice alongside his brothers. A shiver races down Lovi's spine. Not because of the cold, but because he turns his head towards her in the stands and gives her a salute.

It's hard to tell under his helmet, but she knows he's smiling.

Jett clocks him in the shoulder and Gabriel pushes him back, skating easily to the puck.

"So," sabi ni Georgina sa tabi niya, "we are in the presence of gorgeous specimens of perspiring athletic glory. Number 10, mine. Joke, not mine. Kaya nga ako nag-confess, para maka-move on. Gets mo 'yon, Lovi? The best way to move on daw is to confess. Kaya 'yon 'yong ginawa ko. Haha. Hindi 'ata gumagana prayers ko, wala pa ring reply si Number Two."

Ang pinsan niya? Naka-cheering uniform at may blue pom-poms. Sabi niya, "Para sa team spirit!"

Binigyan ito ni Kuya Azriel ng jacket for her bare legs and torso, but George is determined not to use it. Determined din siya sa pagch-cheer niya para in character sa suot, but when Kuya Aze checks a guy into the boards, her cousin grips her wrist. Then she immediately releases it and laughs, flipping her bangs away from her face. "Hala, ang feelingera kong hockey girlfriend. Anyway, hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala that he does this. This is so brutal, my gosh."

Ang layo nga sa personality ng panganay na Tanjangco, but he's as vicious and competitive as his brothers are when it comes to the game.

Mikee obviously doesn't want to be here, bored and on her phone, but she comments under her breath, "Bagay kay Dandan."

Jett throws his shoulder into the other team's offense and wins the puck, then slides it over to Gabriel with ease. The older Tanjangco explodes in a burst of speed across the ice, fakes a slapshot, then backhands it into the net past the goalie.

Lovi bites her lip, unable to keep her mouth from smiling.

When she catches herself doing that, she slaps her own cheek.

Tongue. Ihn. Ugh.

Gabriel does things all-in despite the risks. He trusts himself, even when the situation is uncertain, and that confidence translates into what he does, the decisions he makes, the things he wants. He goes for it with conviction and without shame.

That confidence, backed up with his actions, is so fucking attractive and he knows it.

Tito Rich and Lovi's dad beat their chests and yell really loudly behind them, their screams battling the roaring blare of the horn. Georgina hands the baby fully to Lovi and makes a bunch of cheering moves, then sets two fingers in her mouth to whistle loudly.

After Gabriel's first goal, the opposition ties it right before first period ends. In the second period, Gabriel is an assist for Kuya Aze's goal. In the third period, tie na naman ang dalawang teams, but then Jett scores with two minutes to spare and that's enough for the blue and white to win.

During the whole game, Lovi doesn't take her eyes away from Gabriel.

It was the same their last games here, and it's the same this year. For Lovi, he's always going to command and draw her attention to him even when he's not trying.

She was a fool to think she could continue ignoring this.

Her mom grabs Bailey from her, tapos nauna na sila with Mikee. When Gabriel and his brothers stroll out of the locker room, Lovi stands, waiting against the wall. His eyes find hers immediately and he smiles. Lovi's heart launches to her throat.

Nilagpasan nito ang mga gustong lumapit, his eyes focused on Lovi's. His dark hair is wet and wavier, a stray thick curl on his forehead. His cheeks are pink from exertion.

He's beautiful.

When he reaches her, he leans down to her level and Lovi fixes his hair for him.

"You were putting up a show," sumbong ni Jett.

Gabriel doesn't even look at his brother when he says, "'Wag ka nang magsalita, pa-impress ka rin, e."

"Umalis na tayo," Georgina says, grabbing both Jett and Kuya Aze. "Nilalamig na 'ko. May heater sa kotse. Umalis na tayo, may moment."

"Anong moment?" sigaw ni Jett habang kinakaladkad siya ni Georgina palabas.

When they're gone, neither Lovi nor Gabriel moving, she tells him, "You did good."

"You were impressed."

She lifts one shoulder. "Eh."

He grins, stepping closer. "Eh?"

Her skin is humming and her cheeks are warm.

Then he puts one hand on the wall beside her head, leaning down to her face.

"This is your fault," Lovi whispers out of nowhere, her thoughts spiraling.

"Yeah, baby, it's my fault," he breathes, nodding, accepting it, even though he doesn't know what he did.

All of this is his fault: this ridiculous heartburn, the ache in her fingers to stop herself from touching him, him in a dream sabotaging her good night's sleep every single night since they got here, he's responsible for the heat on her skin even when it's very, vey cold, and the drop in her belly whenever their eyes meet, whenever they argue, whenever they're in the same space, and the burning wildfire that threatens to consume both of them that it's impossible to fight or ignore any longer.

He's not sorry, either. He doesn't tell her he's sorry. This is his fault: this pull inside her, begging her to go to him, to kiss him until she tastes him, kiss him again and again, to fit herself into his body and arms and never leave.

Nakakapagod nang labanan. Nakakapagod nang itanggi. How many years has she stopped herself from feeling that drag, inch by inch, towards Gabriel Tanjangco? And how has this Christmas become the Christmas that she stopped fighting it, little by little?

It's why Gabriel disarms her.

He's just waiting for her.

Why even bother fighting any longer, when Gabriel does things like this, pull her beanie down to her ears, fix her jacket and carry her bag, and tell her, "Wait here, Lov, I'll get the car," because it's raining outside, and kiss her on the lips with a hand on her cheek like it's so natural for him to do, before he runs under the rain?

In this terrible game of love, Lovi finally realizes it's not Gabriel who needs to accept defeat.

It's her.