Between Two Points

Chapter 8: Beneath the Same Sky

The wind carried the scent of early morning rain, mingling with the crisp air as I stood beside our car, checking my phone for any last-minute updates. The sky was painted in soft hues of pink and lavender. Calm, yet unpredictable, much like the emotions I tried to ignore.

"Alliah, bilisan mo naman!" sigaw ni Dustin mula sa driver's seat. "Ayokong malate sa mismong photoshoot ko!"

Napairap ako bago sumakay sa kotse, settling in the backseat. Just as I was adjusting my seatbelt, I heard footsteps approaching.

"Uy, 'di mo man lang ba ako pagbubuksan ng pinto?"

My breath hitched.

That voice.

My head snapped up, and there he was. LJ was standing by the car door, one hand casually gripping the strap of his camera bag, the other ruffling his already messy hair. He was wearing a plain white polo, sleeves slightly rolled up, with dark slacks that made him look effortlessly polished. The golden light of the morning sun kissed his skin, making him look almost surreal.

Oh my god.

"LJ?" halos mabulunan ako sa sariling pangalan niya.

He raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Mukhang gulat na gulat ka. Hindi ba't ikaw ang nag-hire sa akin?"

Dustin, the ever-clueless cousin, laughed from the driver's seat. "Ay oo nga pala! Hindi ko nasabi sa'yo, Alliah, si LJ nga pala ang photographer natin!"

Napaatras ako, heart racing. I should’ve figured it out, of course it had to be him. I was the one who asked, and yet, seeing him here, holding that camera, ready to spend the next ten hours with us in a confined space.

I wasn’t ready.

"Uy, sakay na!" sabat ni Dustin bago siya napatingin sa katabing passenger seat. "Ah, teka lang, diyan na pala uupo si Rina."

Wait. Who?

Before I could ask, the front passenger door opened, revealing a girl I did not expect.

Long, sleek black hair. Sharp eyes that twinkled mischievously. A familiar confident smirk.

Rina. Dustin’s new girlfriend.

Wait, what?

Napakurap ako. "Akala ko kakabreak mo lang kay Lexie?" I hissed at Dustin in disbelief.

Dustin only shrugged, a playful grin on his face. "Life moves fast, my dear cousin."

Great. Just great.

I barely had time to process LJ sitting beside me, and now I had to witness Dustin’s chaotic love life firsthand.

LJ chuckled beside me as he placed his bag on the floor, his deep voice sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.

"Mukhang ikaw ang mas nagulat kaysa kay Rina."

I turned to him, feigning annoyance to mask my spiraling emotions. "And you find this funny?"

"Medyo," he admitted, his smirk widening.

I groaned, looking out the window as Dustin started the car. This was going to be a long ride.

The car moved smoothly along the highway, trees and hills passing by in a blur. Dustin and Rina were busy talking up front, their conversation a mix of laughter and teasing.

Meanwhile, in the backseat?

Silence.

Not the uncomfortable kind, but the kind that made my heart race in ways I couldn’t understand.