Page 20 of Between Here and There

“See? Not so hard, is it?” I say, and she nods as the tension slightly leaves her face.

“My friends have a sixth sense about this stuff, though,” she replies. “If you so much as flinch when they ask questions about us, they will know,” she says.

“Then we’ll just have to sell it, won’t we?” I say.

“I suppose,” she murmurs.

We’re stuck in traffic. Classic Manila—where even expressways come to a standstill. The sun’s almost gone now, and it’s starting to get dark. Cars in the opposite lane have their headlights on, the beams bouncing off windows and asphalt. Neon signs from nearby gas stations flicker on. The greenery along the road is fading into the shadows, giving way to the glow of city lights.

As I hold Emily’s hand, pretending this setup is easy, I can’t help but think about how this mess is just another product of how much I want my mother to get off my back. She probably thinks she’s doing me a favor with all the matchmaking, but it feels more like she’s pushing me into a pit. It’s almost as if she’s forgotten the scars I carry after watching and enduring her toxic marriage growing up.

The constant fighting, the shouting matches that seemed to echo through the walls at all hours of the night—it was like living in a war zone. My mother might have rewritten history in her head, convinced herself that everything turned out fine in the end because they eventually made peace. But for me, the scars run too deep.

I don’t know what kind of spell she put on Bon to make her believe in love, but I won’t fall for that shit.

As I glance at Emily, looking out at a passing landscape, I can’t help but notice the irony. In trying to avoid one trap, I’ve fallen headfirst into another. Her presence complicates things in ways I never anticipated. She’s smart, beautiful, and way too good for this mess—and if it were even an option,too good for me.

“You okay now?” I ask, after a few more minutes of silence.

“Yeah, I guess.” She looks at me. I raise my eyebrows to urge her to continue, and she does. “Well, on the upside, Rob is gonna flip. He kinda hates you.”

“Hates me? What the hell did I do?” I ask with a dumbfounded laugh. I have never even interacted with Rob enough to develop an emotion toward him. He’s five years younger than me like Bon and Em, and back then, I was more of everyone’s older sibling than their friend.

Emily chuckles. “He’s always been insecure of you, in a way. He says he doesn’t understand how you’re given all these great opportunities when you used to always cut classes, sneak out at night to party, and bring home different girls every week,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Meanwhile, he spent all his time holed up in his room, studying. He was so convinced that you’d fail when you get to New York, and he got even more pissed when he found out how successful you ended up being.”

I can’t help but laugh. “That’s ridiculous… which is perfect for you.”

“Yeah,” she says. “I remember Bon telling me that I could call you when I arrived in New York, just so I can get introduced to the city,” she continues. “And honestly, I really wanted to give you a call. But Rob would’ve flipped if I attempted to spend time with you, so I ended up getting lost on my first day.”

I turn my head to her, and she motions for me to turn my attention back to the road. I still steal glances as I say, “Wait, so you actually got lost in New York on your first day? And instead of calling for help, you just wandered around? All because your boyfriend was insecure about the fact that I went out and lived a little?”

Emily stares out of the windshield, lost in her thoughts. “Well, when you put it that way, it does sound absurd.”

“Your ex-boyfriend is absurd.”

She shrugs. “He really is. He always had this weird complex. But whatever, that’s over now.” She looks down and fidgets with her fingers, and continues. “It’s not just about getting back at him. Though I admit, it would be satisfying.” She chuckles. “But that’s not the point.”

“Then what is?” I ask.

She pauses, as if choosing her words carefully. “The point is... I’m tired of feeling like I have to justify myself to him. Or to anyone. Rob has always had this way of making me feel small, like whatever I do won’t be as good as what he does. And for a long time, I believed him. But now? I want to feel... free of that.”

We’re nearing the gates of Magnolia Heights, and I slow down, pulling over to park along the curb. We stop in front of a closed store, with its lights dim. For a moment, I let her words settle, our surroundings fading into the background. When I finally meet her gaze, her eyes are steady, and I give a reassuring smile.

“Then let’s make him jealous of what he’ll never have again,” I say, my tone light but sincere.

Emily’s lips curl into a genuine smile, her eyes twinkling with amusement. “Spoken like a true Don Juan,” she chuckles, her laughter warm and inviting. It’s contagious, and I find myself grinning in response.

“Seriously,” I continue, my tone shifting to a playful seriousness, “I’m going to act so madly in love with you, he’ll be squirming in his sleep.”

“You better,” she points a finger at me. “And I’m gonna act so obsessed with you, your mother will never think of mentioning another woman’s name again.”

“Deal,” I say, reaching out my hand as Emily shakes it.

“Don’t you think we should set up some ground rules first?” Emily says.

“I usually break rules, not make them,” I say, but noticing her uneasy expression, I quickly add, “But if it helps you, fine. What do you have in mind?”

“Well, for starters, there should be no feelings. I just got out of a serious relationship; I don’t think I wanna be in one any time soon.” She says it with such finality that I think she’s starting to build a wall between us. As she should.

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