FALL FOR ME

PROLOGUE

"They say love is the most beautiful feeling in the world.

So why does it leave the deepest scars?"

Best friends.

That was how we started.

And maybe...

That was where we should have stayed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ASH'S POV

People always say that time heals everything.

Five years have passed.

But every time I remember him, the pain feels just as fresh as it did on the day he broke me.

I loved him with everything I had.

I trusted him.

I believed every promise he made especially the one where he said he would never hurt me the way my ex did.

Yet he became exactly what he promised he never would.

He cheated.

Not with just anyone.

With the one person I never thought he'd choose.

His ex.

I cried.

I begged.

I blamed myself.

Until one day, I realized I deserved better.

So I left.

I left him.

I left the country.

And I left behind every memory that reminded me of us.

If fate ever lets us meet again...

He'll see a different woman.

Not the Ash who cried herself to sleep.

But Ashyannizha Slyn Monterverde

The woman who finally learned how to choose herself.

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ZACK'S POV

Five years.

That's how long it's been since I last saw you.

Five years of pretending I was okay.

Five years of wishing I could go back and change everything.

Do you still hate me?

Do you still remember me?

Or have you finally found someone who loves you better than I ever did?

Sometimes I wonder...

If I hadn't made the biggest mistake of my life...

Would we still be together?

Would you still call me "babe"?

Or is it already too late for us?

• FIVE YEARS LATER •

ASH'S POV

"Welcome back to the Philippines."

The announcement echoed through the airport as I stepped outside.

I took a deep breath.

Home.

Five years.

That's how long I've been away.

I wonder if anyone still remembers me.

I smiled to myself and continued walking-until someone suddenly bumped into me.

"I'm so sorry, Ate! Hindi ko po sinasadya!"

The voice.

Why does that voice sound so familiar?

When I looked up, the girl froze.

Her eyes grew wide before she suddenly screamed.

"Oh my God! Ate Ash?!"

I blinked.

She looked so different...

Then I recognized her.

"Zia?"

She nodded excitedly.

"You remembered me!"

The little girl who used to follow Zack everywhere...

She wasn't little anymore.

We talked for only a few moments before she hurriedly excused herself to catch her flight.

As I watched her disappear into the crowd, memories I had buried for years slowly resurfaced.

Zack.

No.

I'm done thinking about him.

Or at least...

That's what I kept telling myself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ZACK'S POV

I waited outside the arrival area, checking the time on my phone.

Zia should be here any minute.

A few seconds later, I heard the familiar voice that could never stay quiet.

"Kuyaaaaa!"

I sighed.

"There you are."

She ran toward me with the biggest smile on her face.

"Kuya! Guess what?!"

"What now?"

"I saw someone today."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

She smiled.

The kind of smile that made my heart suddenly race before she even answered.

"Ate Ash."

Everything around me seemed to stop.

"...What?"

"She's back, Kuya."

My grip tightened around my phone.

After five years...

She finally came home.