Gabie's POV
For a little while, I forgot about my problems.
This place was too peaceful, too quiet, too far from everything I was trying to escape. It felt nice… comforting. I could actually breathe. People around here smiled a lot too, which was strange—almost everyone looked relaxed. Well, except for one particular person who seemed allergic to smiling.
I didn't know how long I'd slept, but when I opened my eyes, the sky outside was already shifting into dusk. I didn't go downstairs just yet. I stayed by the window, quietly watching the fading sunlight paint the world in soft orange and gold.
"I still can't believe someone like him got dumped.Six years together, and it ended just like that? No wonder he's always grumpy—maybe he never really got over her."
I know they say curiosity kills the cat, but… how does a relationship like that just fall apart? I mean, look at him. He's handsome, successful, comes from a good family. He's sweet when he wants to be, caring, responsible—the kind of guy most girls dream of marrying. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe he was too in love. And now? Now he's stuck.
At least he had someone. Me? My almost-boyfriend would've been disappointed. If I even had one to begin with. Maybe I'm just some old soul destined to live a single life forever. Great. Thanks, Mama, for passing down your bad luck in love.
I sighed and hugged my knees, still sitting by the window, trying to quiet my thoughts.
"Hey," a voice interrupted. I turned slightly and saw August standing by the door. "You, okay? I'm sorry I wasn't able to—"
"It's okay," I said quickly, not wanting him to finish. "I would've woken up soon anyway. I just stayed here a little longer… I liked watching the sunset."
He nodded slowly, like he wasn't sure what else to say.
"Of course. You probably get now why I don't like mingling too much."
He glanced at me. "Yeah."
He sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"You drunk?"
"Not really. Just had a few glasses," he mumbled before lying down sideways on the bed.
"Hey! Why are you lying there?" I asked, alarmed. "You're not seriously going to sleep here, are you? I was about to take you to your room—"
"No, I'm fine. Just five minutes," he said, raising his hand with all five fingers stretched out. His eyes were already half-shut.
I rolled my eyes and turned back toward the window. Before he accuses me of staring again, better to mind my own business.
Honestly, I didn't want to be in this room too long anyway. I needed to figure out what to do next. I couldn't just stay here in their house forever. I had to take care of my school documents so I could start applying for a job. But how would I even manage that now, without exposing where I was staying? And how could I move quietly when half the world already knew my face because of Mama and Jhay's viral post?
My thoughts were spinning in every direction, and then—snore.
I turned slowly, eyebrows lifting.
"Oh, my golly! Five minutes, huh? That was fast." I stared at the peacefully snoring man now stretched out on the bed like it was his. "What now? I can't carry him—he's huge! He could've at least made it to his room!"
Annoyed, I stood and decided to head downstairs. Maybe he'd move while I was gone. Besides, I was starting to get hungry.
When I got to the kitchen, grandma greeted me with a warm smile. "It's good you came down, hija. I was about to call the maid to call you so we could eat."
"Where's Eight?" grandpa asked.
I blinked. "Sorry?"
"Ah—August," he clarified with a chuckle. "I call him 'Eight.' August is the eighth month of the year, after all."
"Ohhh," I laughed. "I didn't catch that at first. Sorry—he must've still been asleep."
"No worries. Let him rest," Lolo said. "He had a little to drink. He'll probably wake up and come down soon."
We sat down for dinner, and the mood was light. They talked about August's siblings, and I listened quietly, occasionally chiming in when I could. After we finished eating, grandma gently insisted I go upstairs and rest, saying the helpers would handle the cleaning.
August had apparently told them earlier that we'd be leaving tomorrow to visit the waterfall again. Just thinking about it made my stomach flutter—not sure if it was excitement or nerves.
I was surprised when I re-entered the room I had just come from—August was already lying on the bed, fast asleep. He should've moved to his room. I decided to take a shower first, thinking I'd wake him once I was done.
"August, wake up! Move to your room. Hey, August!" I called, nudging his shoulder.
But I nearly froze when he suddenly pulled my hand, making me stumble onto his hard chest. I instinctively clamped a hand over my mouth to stop myself from yelping. The two adults outside didn't need to hear me scream.
"August, let me go! Oh, my golly! You drank, then passed out like this? Wake up! Move to your room—I'm going to sleep!"
But instead of budging, he shifted closer and wrapped one arm around my waist. Half of my body was on the bed now, the rest hanging awkwardly off the edge.
I groaned inwardly. "Damn, you're heavy, stupid. Are you seriously asleep or just pretending?" His arm was heavy and warm, his grip tightening when I tried to pry myself free.
"August, swear— If I find out you're just messing with me, you'll really be in trouble with me." I grumbled, wriggling in place. I tried to lift his arm off me, but it was like steel. My hand was already sore from struggling, and the room's breeze was no help—it was cold, but I was sweating bullets.
After a few more minutes of wrestling, I finally freed myself. In frustration, I gave his chest a hard smack.
"Damn you, August! You're seriously a walking headache," I muttered, flexing my red, stinging hand. "Hey! Wake up!" I raised my voice and shook him harder. "Don't pretend anymore—this isn't funny!"
At last, his eyes fluttered open.
"Finally! I've been trying to wake you forever. Get up and go to your room—I need to sleep."
But he didn't move. He just… stared at me.
"What now? I said, get up and move to your room."
"No," he said plainly.
"Huh? Why not?"
"This is where I want to sleep," he muttered, his tone unreadable.
"Oh no! How am I supposed to sleep like that?" I threw up my hands.
He didn't reply. Instead, he gently patted the space beside him.
"Spell hope!" I shot back, crossing my arms. "Do you think just because I owe you, I'll do whatever you say? Suit yourself."
I turned to leave, but before I could even touch the doorknob, he grabbed my hand again—this time, gentler.
"Don't," he said quietly.
"Huh? What's your problem? Why are you acting like this?"
"I… I have trouble sleeping," he admitted, barely above a whisper.
I blinked. "What? Since when? And why are you only saying that now? I didn't notice that when we were in Manila."
"I tried really hard not to wake you there," he said, eyes dropping. "I swear, I'm not joking."
His voice cracked a little, and I saw something shift in his expression—like the weight of something he'd been hiding had finally caught up with him.
"Do you want to talk?" I asked gently.
He didn't answer. Just closed his eyes and took a deep breath
"It's okay, you don't have to force yourself. Talk when you're ready," I assured. "But for now, you sleep here, and I'll move to your room—so you won't be disturbed."
"No. Please, just stay here," he said.
"Huh? Are you serious?"
"Yes. I'm not making this up. I just… I want to see something."
"See what exactly?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep here earlier. I was just resting, planning to ask you to come downstairs and eat with me. But then, I fell asleep. And it's weird, because normally I can't sleep that easily. But this time, I did. Deeply. No nightmares. Just peace. And I think… maybe it's because you were near."
I stared at him, heart stammering.
He continued, "So, I want to test it. One night beside you. Just to see if it makes a difference. Then I'll go back to my therapist and let her know."
"You're seeing a therapist?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah… a little over a year now."
"Wow. I actually finished a degree in Psychology. I just never attended graduation because of… everything." My voice faltered. "I haven't processed my papers yet. I'm still not ready to face the world. After finding out I grew up wrapped in lies… I don't even know who I am."
He looked at me, his expression softening. "I'll help however I can."
"Promise me something," I said with a small smile. "Once I become a licensed therapist, I'll be your official one. And it's for free."
"Deal," he said, smiling back.
"Good. You look better when you smile, you know. You always look like you're mad or constipated or something."
He chuckled softly. "So… does that mean I can sleep beside you now?"
"Fine," I sighed. "But no touching, okay? Whatever kind of test that is, that's on you. Good night."
He lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, rushing to settle on the left side of the bed. I lay down on the right, leaving space between us for good measure.
"Thank you," he whispered. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," I replied, glancing at him before staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come.
But I couldn't fall asleep—not right away. I kept hearing his steady breathing, soft and content. Maybe too content.
Meanwhile, I lay there wide awake.
It must've been hours before sleep finally took me. But when I woke up…
"Shit," I muttered.
My pillow had turned into something firm—and warm. I was curled against August's chest, my arm draped across him.
"Damn it. I was the one who said no touching!"
Carefully, I peeled myself away and scrambled off the bed. He didn't even stir. But just in case, I bolted straight to the bathroom, heart pounding.
After a quick shower, I got dressed for the trip back to the waterfall. When I came out, he was gone. I took a deep breath and headed downstairs for breakfast, trying to act normal.
But honestly? I wasn't ready to sit next to him just yet.
I'd deal with that later—once we reached the falls.
***
The two elders were already eating when I joined them at the dining table.
"Good morning," I greeted.
"Good morning, hija," Grandma said with a smile. "Come, eat with us. Maybe my grandson will be down soon."
I sat across from her and quietly started eating. I prayed I could finish before he came down.
"Why are you even nervous about seeing him?" I scolded myself. "You really don't have a choice—you're spending the day with him at the waterfall, and you're literally living in his house! Calm down. He was still asleep when you woke up, so he doesn't know what happened… okay? Just act normal so he doesn't notice anything."
I was just finishing up when he finally came downstairs. Thankfully, it wasn't too awkward. I busied myself helping the helpers pack the food for our trip.
Grandpa and Grandma insisted we bring a full lunch to the waterfall, but the basket was too heavy for us alone. So, they assigned two helpers to join us and promised they'd pick us up later in the afternoon.
When we reached the waterfall, things felt easier. We swam and laughed like kids. For a moment, I forgot the heaviness I'd been carrying. I wanted to ask him how he slept, but I hesitated, afraid he might figure out what I did last night. So, I waited, hoping he'd open up on his own.
Eventually, he did.
After climbing to the rocky ledge under the falls and swimming back toward our things, we sat side by side on a large rock, letting our feet dangle in the cool water. Lunch had made us both sluggish, so we decided to rest a bit before swimming again.
Then, he broke the silence.
"Hey… I just wanted to thank you for letting me sleep beside you last night," he said quietly. "I know that probably wasn't easy for you. I appreciate it."
I didn't say anything. I just kept playing with my feet in the water, giving him space to continue if he wanted.
And he did.
"I can feel something changing in me," he said. "I think… I'll visit my therapist as soon as we get back to Manila. Maybe she can help me understand it better. I want to move on. I need to. I've been carrying this for too long, and it's eating me alive."
He exhaled deeply.
"It started almost two years ago," he continued. "I had just gotten back from my first assignment in Quezon province. I wanted to surprise my girlfriend, so I showed up at my house without telling her I was coming."
His voice grew quieter. "But I was the one who ended up surprised. I caught her… with my best friend. In my room in my own bed."
I looked at him, stunned. He stared out at the water, face tight with memory.
"I didn't know what to feel—rage, confusion, heartbreak. It felt like someone pulled the floor from under me. And what hurt more… it wasn't just a one-time thing. I found them again, days later, still together. It wasn't just betrayal. It felt deliberate. Like I didn't matter."
He paused, running both hands over his face, as if trying to wipe the memory away.
"She had a key to my house," he said bitterly. "I trusted her completely. I was even planning to propose. But they turned my room into their secret place. I threw the bed out, tried replacing everything, but the memories… they stayed. They haunted me. I haven't been able to sleep properly since."
There was a long silence between us.
"You're only the second person I've told this." He said. "The first was my therapist."
He didn't cry, but his voice cracked—and that said more than tears ever could.
I sat there, stunned. I had always thought I carried a heavy past, but I never imagined the person who helped me carry mine had his own burden, just as painful and raw.
I didn't expect him to open up to me like that. But I was grateful. He trusted me enough to share something so personal, so devastating. It felt unreal—like something out of a movie. Yet, here it was. His truth, laid bare.
After that day, we became closer. He even asked me about Miggy—if I missed him, and how I felt now.
I told him honestly: I don't know.
Because, truly, I don't.
I don't know how to feel about Miggy after everything. I can't picture myself being in an intimate relationship with him anymore. It makes me sick to think that he's, my half-brother. Maybe that's why I can't face him—because once in my life, I liked him. As a man. And the fact that we were even… together, even if briefly—it haunts me.
It wasn't our fault. We didn't know. But still, the embarrassment clings to me like a second skin.
If I could take it all back… I would.
If only I could turn back time.