Chapter 11
Another day of filming had begun, and the atmosphere on set was much more relaxed compared to the first weeks. Mavis, who had struggled with nerves during their first few takes, was noticeably more comfortable now.
Celine had taken it upon herself to guide Mavis throughout the shoot, subtly giving her cues and reassuring her when she hesitated. It wasn’t something she planned—she just knew what it was like to be in Mavis’ position, new to the industry, carrying the pressure of expectations.
"Relax lang," Celine murmured to Mavis as they stood under the bright studio lights, waiting for the director’s cue. "Focus ka lang sa scene, huwag sa camera."
Mavis exhaled and nodded. "Right. Sa eksena, hindi sa audience."
The director called action, and just like that, they were in character.
Between Takes – Inside the Tent
After a few successful takes, the production called for a short break before moving on to the next scene. Celine and Mavis walked to their designated tent, where they could rest while the crew adjusted the set.
Mavis plopped down on a chair, stretching her arms. "Mas madali na ngayon, no?"
Celine took a sip of her water before nodding. "Yeah. Kitang-kita namang mas relaxed ka na."
Mavis grinned, leaning forward. "Thanks sa patience mo kahapon ha. Hindi ko alam kung ilang takes aabutin natin kung hindi mo ako gina-guide."
Celine just shrugged. "Parte ng trabaho."
Mavis observed her for a moment before smirking. "Ikaw ba, noong first on-screen kiss mo, ganyan ka rin ka-professional?"
Celine raised a brow at the teasing tone in Mavis’ voice. "I did what I had to do," she said coolly, though a small smirk played on her lips.
Mavis laughed. "So, sino nga ulit ang una mong naka-kissing scene?"
Celine tilted her head slightly, pretending to think. "Hmm… secret."
Mavis rolled her eyes. "Aamin ka rin eventually."
Before Celine could respond, a staff member peeked into the tent. "Five minutes na lang before the next scene."
Celine and Mavis exchanged a glance before standing up. "Game na ulit?" Celine asked.
Mavis exhaled dramatically. "Wala namang choice, ‘di ba?"
Celine chuckled. "Tama. So, let’s make it good."
As they walked back to the set, Celine caught a glimpse of her phone screen lighting up with a message. She didn’t check it right away, but something in her gut told her she already knew who it was from.
###
As soon as the director called cut, the entire set erupted into satisfied murmurs. The chemistry was undeniable—the way Celine carried the scene with such ease, the way Mavis had finally found her rhythm.
The director leaned back in his chair, clapping his hands together. "That was perfect. Ang ganda ng execution. You both delivered exactly what I wanted."
Mavis exhaled in relief, while Celine simply nodded, already used to this kind of praise.
"Celine, as always, ang galing mo," the director added. "You carry the scene effortlessly. That’s why you’re one of the best."
It wasn’t the first time Celine heard this. Ever since she broke into the industry, directors had always pointed out how natural she was in front of the camera. But today, with Mavis beside her, she noticed the way her co-star stiffened slightly, as if suddenly feeling the weight of expectations again.
The director then turned to Mavis, softening his tone. "And you, Mavis, I can see the improvement. You’re adjusting well. Keep it up."
Mavis smiled, grateful for the encouragement. "Salamat po, Direk. I’ll do my best."
The producer, who had been observing from the sidelines, chimed in. "We need to wrap this up as soon as possible. There’s a lot of buzz around this movie, and people are waiting."
The director nodded. "I’m sure of it—this will be a blockbuster."
Mavis and Celine exchanged glances. The pressure was mounting, but Celine wasn’t worried. She had done this before.
After wrapping up the shoot for the day, Mavis stretched her arms with a satisfied sigh. “That was fun,” she said, glancing at Celine. “Mas nasasanay na ako, thanks to you.”
Celine smirked as she packed her things. “Sabi ko naman sa’yo, madali lang ‘yan kapag nag-adjust ka na.”
Mavis hesitated for a second before finally speaking up. “Gusto mo bang kumain sa labas? Treat ko, para lang magpasalamat.”
Celine, being the kind person she was, nodded without hesitation. “Sige.”
They ended up in a quiet, dimly lit restaurant, away from the prying eyes of the public. Though both of them were used to the constant attention, it was nice to have a bit of peace for once.
As they sat across from each other, Mavis leaned back in her seat, smiling. “Alam mo, akala ko nung una, sobrang intense nitong trabaho natin. Pero ngayon, parang mas nagiging fun na.”
Celine raised an eyebrow. “Akala mo lang intense? Intense naman talaga.”
Mavis chuckled. “Oo nga, pero I guess mas gumagaan kapag may magandang chemistry yung kaeksena mo.”
Celine took a sip of her drink before nodding. “Totoo. Kapag hindi kayo nagkakasundo ng co-actor mo, ang bigat sa set. Nakakabigat sa trabaho.”
Mavis smiled, as if considering her next words carefully. “Ikaw ba? How did you get into this industry?”
Celine glanced at her, surprised at the personal question. Most people already knew her story—at least, the version the media had covered. But still, she answered honestly. “Passion ko talaga ‘to since then. I worked hard for it. Auditions, workshops, kahit anong kaya kong gawin para makapasok.”
Mavis nodded, intrigued. “And now, andito ka na. You’re one of the biggest names in the industry.”
Celine shrugged, as if it wasn’t a big deal. “It comes with sacrifices. Pero hindi ko naman ‘to gagawin kung hindi ko mahal.”
Mavis tilted her head. “Ano yung biggest sacrifice mo?”
Celine paused for a moment, her mind drifting somewhere else. To someone else. But she quickly masked it with a smirk. “Sleep. Yun lang.”
Mavis laughed. “Akala ko naman may mas dramatic pa.”
Celine just smiled, changing the topic. “Ikaw? Before showbiz, anong ginagawa mo?”
Mavis grinned. “Nag-aaral. Normal life, normal schedule. Pero may pangarap na pumasok sa industriya.”
“Pero ngayon?” Celine asked.
Mavis sighed, stirring her drink. “Ngayon, unti-unti nang nagbabago ang mundo ko. Hindi na ako pwedeng basta lumabas, hindi na ako pwedeng gumawa ng kahit ano nang hindi napapansin ng media.”
Celine nodded, understanding completely. “Ganun talaga. Hindi na ‘to normal life.”
Mavis smiled at her, eyes filled with curiosity. “Sanay ka na talaga, no?”
Celine exhaled, leaning back in her chair. “Sanay na.”
Mavis tapped her fingers lightly against her glass, her curiosity getting the best of her. “So, if hindi ka pumasok sa showbiz, anong ginagawa mo ngayon?”
Celine thought for a moment before answering, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Probably a music teacher.”
Mavis raised an eyebrow. “Music teacher?”
Celine nodded. “Yeah. Mahilig ako sa music, e. I actually considered it before—teaching kids, training voices, playing instruments all day.”
Mavis chuckled. “I can actually imagine that. Ikaw yung magiging strict na teacher na tatapikin yung kamay ng students kapag nagkakamali sa piano.”
Celine laughed. “Grabe naman! Hindi naman ako ganun ka-bad.”
Celine leaned back in her seat, glancing outside at the city lights. “Peor wala eh, I knew early on na gusto ko ‘to.”
Mavis narrowed her eyes, sensing something deeper behind Celine’s words. “So, paano ka nag-start? Nag-audition ka ba agad after high school?”
Celine hesitated for a split second before nodding. “Not right away. I auditioned when I was in first year college.”
Mavis blinked, surprised. “Talaga? So ang tagal mo rin bago ka officially pumasok sa industry?”
“Yeah.” Celine played with the condensation on her glass. “Pero actually… natanggap ako sa unang audition ko pa lang.”
Mavis’ eyes widened. “Wait, what?”
Celine chuckled at Mavis’ reaction. “Yeah. First audition ko, pasado na ako. Pero hindi ko tinanggap.”
Mavis stared at her in disbelief. “Huh? Pero bakit? That’s such a rare opportunity!”
Celine smiled, but there was something unreadable in her expression. She took a sip of her drink before answering, her voice softer this time. “May ibang bagay pang mas importante sa’kin noon.”
Mavis tilted her head, clearly intrigued. “Like what?”
Celine exhaled, shaking her head. “Basta. May dahilan.”
Mavis studied her, sensing that Celine was deliberately holding something back. But instead of pushing further, she just smiled knowingly. “Hmm..”
Celine smirked, trying to brush it off. “Hindi naman. It’s in the past.”
Mavis leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “And now, wala nang ibang bagay na mas importante?”
For a brief moment, Celine felt something tighten in her chest. The answer should’ve been easy. She had already chosen this path. But why did it feel like there was still something missing?
She forced a smile. “Ngayon? Wala na. Showbiz na ‘to.”
Mavis smiled, raising her glass. “Well, cheers to that.”
They clinked their glasses together, but even as the conversation moved on, Celine couldn’t shake off the weight of the past.
After dinner with Mavis, Celine returned to her condo. She tossed her keys onto the table, kicked off her shoes, and flopped onto the couch. It had been a long day, and though she enjoyed the conversation with Mavis, her mind kept drifting elsewhere.
Her phone vibrated.
Arianne
Celine stared at the name on the screen for a second before answering. “Hello?”
There was silence on the other end, just soft breathing. Then—
“Celine…”
Celine immediately noticed it—the hesitance in Arianne’s voice, the weight behind her name. It wasn’t the usual confident tone Arianne used in interviews or with her group. It was softer, more vulnerable.
“What’s wrong?” Celine asked, sitting up.
Arianne sighed. “Wala… Gusto ko lang makausap ka.”
Celine’s chest tightened at that. She leaned her head against the couch, closing her eyes. “Okay. I’m here.”
Another beat of silence. Then Arianne spoke again. “Kamusta ang taping?”
Celine exhaled, half-smiling. “It’s good. Mavis is getting more comfortable. She’s improving fast.”
Arianne hummed. “That’s good.”
Celine frowned. “Is that why you called?”
Arianne hesitated. “I saw the pictures.”
Celine’s jaw clenched. She already knew what Arianne meant. The pictures of her and Mavis—at the dinner, at the shoot, maybe even the ones where she pulled Mavis closer during the crowd earlier. It was all over social media.
“So?” Celine asked, keeping her tone unreadable.
Arianne chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “Wala lang… Ang galing mo talaga sa ginagawa mo.”
Something about the way Arianne said it made Celine uneasy. “Arianne—”
“I’m proud of you,” Arianne interrupted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Alam mo ba yun?”
Celine swallowed, caught off guard. “I…” She paused. “Alam ko.”
Silence again. But this time, it felt heavier.
Then, Arianne spoke—soft, almost breaking. “Na-miss kita.”
Celine shut her eyes, gripping her phone tighter. “Don’t do this, Arianne.”
She knew it. She knew where this was going. And she knew herself—knew that no matter how much she denied it, she was already walking back to Arianne, step by step, without even realizing it.
Arianne let out a shaky breath. “Alam kong hindi ko dapat sabihin. Pero totoo.”
Celine swallowed hard. She could fight it. She could pretend like it didn’t affect her. But when she opened her mouth, the words slipped out before she could stop them.
“I miss you too, Arianne.”
Silence.
Then— call ended.
Celine stared at her phone, her fingers tightening around it, her heart pounding against her ribs.
Arianne hung up.
And maybe that was for the best—because if the call had lasted even a second longer, she might’ve said more.
Might’ve said everything.
Celine let out a deep, shaky breath, pressing the heels of her hands against her eyes.
She missed Arianne. She missed them. She missed the way Arianne used to hold her, the way their fingers used to intertwine so naturally, the way Arianne looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered.
She missed the nights when Arianne would hum softly while tracing lazy circles on her back. The early mornings when she’d wake up to Arianne’s arms wrapped around her. The stolen moments in between rehearsals and schedules when they’d laugh, tease, and just be.
She wanted it back. All of it.
A lump formed in her throat. She wanted to cry. To throw all the heavy feelings she had been carrying for so long.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she lay back against her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, her phone still clutched tightly in her hand.
She told herself she had moved on.
But if that were true…
Why did it feel like she was still exactly where she left Arianne?
Celine was about to force herself to sleep—her mind still tangled in the weight of her emotions—when she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door.
“Apo, may bisita ka,” her grandmother’s gentle voice came through.
Her brows furrowed. At this hour?
Dragging herself out of bed, she ran a hand through her hair, took a deep breath, and pulled the door open.
And then—she froze.
Arianne was standing there.
Smiling.
Not just any smile—that smile. The one Celine hadn’t seen in so long. Wide, bright, the kind that could disarm her in an instant.
“You miss me, right?” Arianne said, tilting her head playfully. “I’m here.”
Celine stared, her throat suddenly dry.
What the hell was she supposed to say? What the hell was she supposed to do?
She had just spent the last hour convincing herself to suppress her feelings. To push everything back into the box she had kept locked for so long.
And now, Arianne was right in front of her.
Real.
Not just a voice on the phone. Not just a memory she was desperately trying to fight.
Celine opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Arianne’s eyes softened. “Celine?”
Still, she said nothing.
Instead, she took a step forward.
And another.
Until she was close enough to feel Arianne’s warmth. Close enough to hear the quiet hitch in Arianne’s breath.
Then, without thinking—without giving herself the chance to stop—she rested her head against Arianne’s shoulder.
A deep sigh left her lips.
Arianne stilled, as if caught off guard, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, her arms instinctively wrapped around Celine, holding her close.
The world outside didn’t matter.
The past, the pain, the things left unsaid—none of it mattered.
Not in this moment.
Celine let herself sink into the embrace, eyes fluttering shut.
Because this—this was home.
they ended up sitting on her bed, side by side, in the quiet of her dimly lit room. The only sound was the faint hum of the electric fan and the steady rhythm of their breathing.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Arianne was the first to break the silence. “Celine…” Her voice was soft, careful, as if she was scared that saying her name too loud would shatter this fragile moment. “What now?”
Celine let out a breathy laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Ikaw ang dumayo dito tapos ako tatanungin mo?”
Arianne nudged her shoulder lightly, a ghost of a smile on her lips. “Gusto ko lang malaman kung… saan ba tayo ngayon? Anong mangyayari satin?”
Celine bit her lip, looking down at her hands, fingers slightly trembling. She took a deep breath before speaking.
“Ewan ko, hindi ko alam,” she admitted. “Pero kasi yung love ko sayo will always remain kahit anong mangyari…”
“Siguro kaya hindi ko pa talaga kayang umusad ngayon kasi alam ko na may mas kaya pa,” Celine’s voice was steady, but her hands clenched the fabric of her blanket. “Mas may kaya pa kong ibigay at iparamdam sayo.”
Arianne’s lips parted, but no words came out.
Celine inhaled sharply. “Sa dami ng nangyari, ng pagbabago, ng pinagdaanan natin… we still here.”
Arianne let out a shaky breath, her expression unreadable. But then, after a long pause, she whispered, “Celine… hindi mo alam kung gaano kita kamahal.”
Celine’s heart stuttered.
Arianne’s hands curled into fists on her lap, her voice raw. “Celine, ikaw ang dahilan kung bakit ako nandito ngayon. Ikaw yung dahilan kung bakit ko pinili ‘to. Lahat ng ginawa ko, lahat ng pinaghirapan ko—ikaw ang inspirasyon ko.”
Celine sucked in a breath, her chest tightening.
“Kahit nung mga panahong hindi tayo nag-uusap, kahit nung akala ko wala na talaga tayo…” Arianne’s voice broke, but she kept going. “Ikaw pa rin, Celine. Hindi nagbago.”
Celine felt something deep inside her crumble.
Arianne took a shaky breath. “Celine, mahal pa rin kita.”
Celine stared at her, her vision blurring.
Years.
Pain.
Silence.
And yet, here they were.
Slowly, carefully, Celine reached for Arianne’s hand, intertwining their fingers. She felt Arianne’s slight tremble, the way her grip tightened as if she was afraid to let go.
Arianne let out a soft, shaky laugh. “Alam kong dapat kong pigilan sarili ko. Alam kong dapat kong sabihin na mas okay na ‘to. Pero…” She exhaled. “Pero hindi ko kaya.”
Celine closed her eyes for a moment, letting the weight of Arianne’s words settle in her chest. Then, she smiled—small, uncertain, but real.
“Hindi mo na kailangan pigilan, Arianne.”
Arianne blinked at her, her lips trembling.
Celine gently pulled her closer, their foreheads touching. “Hindi pa tayo tapos.”
Arianne exhaled shakily, her hands tightening around Celine’s. “Paano kung mahirap ulit?”
Celine smiled, something deep and certain. “Then we fight harder.”
Tears slipped from Arianne’s eyes, but this time, there was something else in them—hope.
Because in the end, no matter how much time had passed, no matter how many obstacles they had faced—
They still wins.
Arianne exhaled shakily, eyes never leaving Celine’s. She hesitated for a moment, as if bracing herself for what she was about to say. Then, in a whisper that held years of longing, she said it again—this time, without hesitation, without fear.
"Mahal kita, Celine."
Celine’s breath hitched. The words wrapped around her like a familiar melody—one she had memorized but hadn’t heard in years. Her chest tightened, her pulse racing.
Then, Arianne moved.
Slowly, cautiously, like she was giving Celine a chance to pull away.
But Celine didn’t move.
She couldn’t.
Her body, her heart—everything in her was frozen in this moment, trapped in the intensity of Arianne’s gaze.
And when Arianne finally closed the distance, their lips met in a kiss that shattered the space between them.
Arianne kissed her like she had been starving for this, like she had spent years holding herself back and was finally breaking free. Her hands cupped Celine’s face, fingers trembling as if afraid this wasn’t real, as if Celine would disappear the moment she let go.
Celine gasped against her lips, and that small sound only made Arianne pull her closer.
Celine responded just as fiercely.
Her hands found their way to Arianne’s waist, gripping tightly as she kissed back—pouring out everything she had been holding in. She could taste the longing, the pain, the love that never faded. It was intoxicating. Overwhelming.
The way Arianne kissed her wasn’t just about love—it was about the years they had lost. The regret. The what-ifs.
Arianne’s lips moved urgently against hers, deepening the kiss as her hands slid into Celine’s hair, tilting her head to get closer—to drown in her. She kissed Celine like she was trying to make up for every moment they had spent apart.
And Celine let her.
She let herself melt, let herself feel everything.
Arianne’s lips left hers only for a second, both of them gasping for air. But before Celine could say anything, before she could even think, Arianne whispered against her lips—
"Mahal kita, mahal na mahal kita."
Then she kissed her again.
This time, slower. Deeper.
Celine’s knees felt weak, but she didn’t care. She clung to Arianne like she was the only thing grounding her, like if she let go, she would fall apart.
She felt Arianne’s hand trail down her arm, grasping her fingers, intertwining them as their kiss softened into something more tender. More certain.
When they finally pulled away, their foreheads rested against each other, breaths mingling, hearts racing.
Celine opened her eyes, meeting Arianne’s gaze—filled with so much emotion it nearly stole her breath away.
Then, in a whisper, she finally let herself admit—
"Mahal din kita, Arianne."