Chapter 16
Celine lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling the weight of everything.
It had been two days since the premiere. Two days since she last saw Arianne. Two days since she felt her slipping further away.
Her phone was heavy in her hand, the screen glaring back at her with post after post about the movie.
"The next IT couple?"
"Mavis and Celine’s chemistry is INSANE!"
"They look so good together! This is our new fave ship!"
Celine clenched her jaw, her chest tightening. If only they knew the truth—how every smile, every glance at Mavis that night had felt like a betrayal. Not to the public, not to Mavis, but to Arianne.
Because Arianne was the only one she cared about.
She opened their messages. Their last conversation was from the night of the premiere.
She had texted, "Mahal, can we talk?"
But Arianne never replied.
Now, her fingers hesitated over the keyboard before she typed:
"Mahal... I'm sorry. Still mad?"
She sent it.
Minutes passed.
Celine watched the screen like her life depended on it.
Then, finally, the dots appeared. Arianne was typing.
Celine sat up straight, her heart racing.
Then the message came.
"I'm home."
That was it.
No "it's okay," no "we’re fine," no "I forgive you."
Just two words. And they weren’t even an answer to her question.
Celine exhaled heavily, rubbing a hand over her face. It felt worse than being ignored. Arianne was talking to her, but she wasn’t really talking to her.
This wasn’t Arianne.
Arianne, who used to flood her messages with teasing voice notes.
Arianne, who used to call her "Maha" when no one was listening.
Arianne, who used to hold her like she was her whole world.
And now? Now she was cold. Distant. Talking in short replies, barely engaging.
Celine wanted to fix this. But how could she when Arianne was pushing her away?
Arianne put down her phone and sighed.
She saw Celine’s message. She saw the apology.
And she felt it. She felt everything.
But she couldn’t let herself go there again.
She wasn’t mad, not really. No, she was tired.
Tired of waiting.
Tired of hoping.
Tired of being hurt.
So instead of answering, instead of letting herself fall all over again, she buried herself in work.
The comeback was happening soon. There were meetings, rehearsals, concept discussions. The company wanted a more mature image this time—something powerful, something fierce. Arianne was grateful.
It gave her an excuse.
It gave her a reason to ignore the ache in her chest.
Days passed.
Celine kept trying to talk to Arianne, but the replies were always the same.
"Just got out of practice."
"Rehearsals again."
"Tired. Going to sleep."
No warmth. No playfulness.
One night, Celine sat in her car outside Arianne’s condo, debating whether to go up.
Would Arianne even let her in?
Would she even want to see her?
Celine sighed, gripping the steering wheel. She had been so caught up in everything—work, the movie, the public image. And somewhere along the way, she had forgotten to choose Arianne.
Not anymore.
Celine grabbed her phone and texted:
"Arianne. Please. I need to see you."
But this time?
There was no reply.
Hours had passed by the time Arianne finally checked her phone.
She was still at the practice room, stretching out her legs after an intense rehearsal. Her body was sore, her mind exhausted, but the moment she saw Celine’s name on the screen, she felt something else entirely.
Her breath hitched.
"Arianne. Please. I need to see you."
Arianne stared at the message, her fingers hovering over the screen.
She wanted to see Celine. Of course, she did.
But the hurt still sat heavy in her chest.
Celine had hurt her before, and Arianne always chose to understand. She always gave her space, always let things go because she loved her.
But that night—the premiere night—was different.
Celine had looked at her with regret, with guilt. But even then, she had still stood beside Mavis. Still let the media push their names together.
And that interview…
The words still echoed in her mind.
"She’s so close to me to the point that I drove her to her condo."
Arianne wasn’t even aware of that before the premiere. It was such a small thing, but it stung. Because it wasn’t her that Celine had driven home.
Still…
Arianne sighed, rubbing her temples.
She didn’t want to end things.
That thought alone made her stomach twist. She was tired, disappointed, hurt. But she still loved Celine.
She exhaled slowly, pushing those thoughts aside.
For now, she just needed to breathe.
Arianne was packing up her things when Maeve suddenly clapped her hands.
"Guys, before we head home, let’s grab some food."
Sasha stretched her arms above her head. "It’s already midnight, Maeve."
"Exactly," Maeve grinned. "Less people, no paparazzi, just us."
Arianne hesitated. She was exhausted, but she also didn’t want to be alone with her thoughts tonight.
"Saan ba?” she finally asked.
Maeve grinned, victorious.
Minutes later, Lumina was walking through the quiet streets of BGC. The city was still awake, but the usual crowds had thinned out. The streetlights cast a soft glow over them as they walked, their voices filling the cool night air.
They found a small food stall that was still open, selling street food and ramen. It wasn’t fancy, but it was exactly what they needed—simple, comforting.
As they sat on a bench near a dimly lit park, their conversation naturally drifted back to their upcoming comeback.
Sasha leaned back against the bench. "AHHH grabe may comeback din tayo after months of preparing."
Arianne smiled softly. "The fans have been waiting for this one. Sana pumatok since it is completely new concept."
Mavis grinned, nudging Arianne. "And your favorite part? Our face-off in the MV."
Arianne scoffed, turning to Mavis. "You mean our fake rivalry?"
Mavis smirked. "Oh, it won’t be fake once we start performing. Kaya mag-ready kana Arianne. I’m not holding back."
Maeve laughed. "We should start taking bets on who will mess up their footwork first."
"It won’t be me," Arianne said confidently, crossing her arms.
Mavis raised a brow. "Oh? You sure about that?"
"Very."
They stared each other down for a moment before Maeve and Sasha burst into laughter.
"You two are so competitive it’s hilarious," Sasha said, shaking her head.
Arianne only smirked, but deep down, she felt lighter. These small, simple moments reminded her why she loved what she did.
As the laughter died down, Sasha suddenly turned to Mavis.
"Speaking of being tired, Hindi kaba napapagod, Mavis? You and Celine still have interviews, mall shows, and guestings para i-promote yung movie."
Mavis just smiled. "It’s a lot, but I’ll never get tired."
Maeve smirked, raising a brow. "Oh? Is that because of Celine?"
Mavis laughed but didn’t deny it.
Arianne, who had been sipping her drink, froze.
She didn’t want to react, didn’t want to let it get to her.
But it did.
She felt it.
Felt the tension creep back into her chest.
Sasha, noticing the shift, quickly changed the subject. "Anyway! Back to the comeback, our stylist mentioned that we’ll be wearing all-black ensembles for the music video. Arianne, you’re gonna love it."
Arianne blinked, pulling herself out of her thoughts. "Oh?"
Sasha grinned. "Yeah, it’s sleek and powerful. Very 'no-nonsense leader' vibes."
Arianne chuckled, forcing herself to focus on the present.
She wouldn’t let herself drown in thoughts of Celine.
Not tonight.
Not again.
The streetlights cast a soft glow over the pavement as Lumina finally made their way home. The night had stretched on longer than expected, but none of them minded. Comeback preparations were exhausting, but tonight felt… different.
Maybe it was the late hour, or maybe it was the way their voices softened as they talked about everything and nothing at all.
They stopped near the entrance of their dorm building, where Maeve turned to face them.
“Alright, I’m heading off,” she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
Before anyone could respond, she stepped forward and pulled Arianne into a hug.
Arianne blinked in surprise but returned the embrace. Maeve wasn’t usually one for sudden affection.
"Take care, okay?" Maeve murmured, her voice just low enough for Arianne to hear.
Arianne nodded. “You too.”
From the side, Sasha let out a dramatic gasp.
“Luh? Ba’t si Arianne lang may hug?” Sasha teased, crossing her arms. “Wala man lang para sa’min?”
Maeve rolled her eyes. “Kayo kasi, di nyo deserve.”
Sasha clutched her chest in mock offense. “Wow. Ang sakit nun, ah.”
Everyone chuckled, and just like that, the tension in Arianne’s chest eased—if only for a moment.
After Maeve left, Arianne gave a small wave before getting into her car. The drive home was quiet, the city lights blurring past her. The exhaustion was catching up to her, but her mind refused to rest.
Not yet.
She arrived home and shut the door behind her, letting out a slow breath.
Finally.
After dropping her keys onto the counter, she pulled out her phone, checking her notifications out of habit.
Her eyes landed on one name.
Celine.
Her chest tightened as she saw the last message from earlier.
"Mahal… I’m sorry… still mad?"
She had ignored it. Purposely.
But now, guilt settled in her stomach.
She sat on the edge of her bed, fingers hovering over the keyboard.
What was she supposed to say?
She didn’t want to fight. Didn’t want to push Celine away.
But she also didn’t want to pretend she wasn’t hurt.
So she settled for something neutral.
"I’m home."
A safe answer.
After hitting send, she opened her socials, scrolling through her feed.
Nothing new.
Just the same news, articles, and posts—
Mavis and Celine.
“The Next IT Couple?”
“Celine & Mavis: On-Screen Lovers to Real-Life Romance?”
“Their Chemistry Is Unmatched!”
Arianne stared at the headlines, her grip on her phone tightening.
It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen this coming.
Of course, the media would run with it. Of course, fans would eat it up.
But knowing that didn’t make it any easier to see.
Her screen lit up again.
Celine.
"Okay, mahal. I miss you."
Arianne sighed—deeply.
Celine knew exactly how to put words in her stomach, making her feel things she wasn’t ready to deal with.
Arianne did miss her. She wanted to see her, touch her, be with her.
But the weight in her chest told her she wasn’t ready to face Celine yet.
So she locked her phone, lay back on her bed, and closed her eyes.
Maybe, just for tonight, she’d let silence be her answer.
###
Celine woke up to the sound of her alarm, but she had already been half-awake for a while. Sleep had come in restless waves, her mind replaying last night.
She groaned, running a hand through her hair before reaching for her phone.
A part of her hoped—prayed—that there would be a new message from Arianne.
Something more.
But when she unlocked her screen, all she saw was the last text.
"I’m home."
Celine exhaled deeply, gripping the phone tighter.
She hated this.
Hated that she didn’t know what Arianne was thinking. Hated that she felt like she was being pushed away.
She needed to do something.
So before getting out of bed, she quickly typed out a message.
"Good morning, mahal."
She hesitated for a second before adding another.
"I have a meeting today. Busy day ahead."
Hoping that maybe—just maybe—Arianne would respond with something warmer.
Something that would ease the ache in her chest.
But when her phone lit up with a reply, all she got was:
"Drive safe."
Celine stared at the message, her shoulders dropping.
Another short answer.
Another sign that Arianne was still distant.
She let out a sigh, her heart sinking further.
Arianne was hurting. That much was obvious.
But what hurt Celine the most was knowing that Arianne wasn’t letting her in.
Trying to shake off the uneasiness, Celine got ready for her meeting.
Her manager had already messaged her twice to remind her about the schedule for the upcoming mall show.
She knew she had to focus. Work came first.
But her mind refused to let go of Arianne.
As she sat in the backseat of her car, waiting for the driver to start moving, she opened her phone again.
She scrolled through her feed—a bad habit at this point.
And then, she saw it.
A photo.
Arianne and Maeve.
Hugging.
The caption read: “Maeve & Arianne’s bond is everything 🥹💜 #LUMINA”
Celine stilled.
Her fingers hovered over the screen as she stared at the image.
Maeve’s arms were wrapped around Arianne in what looked like a warm, comforting embrace. Arianne had her eyes closed, as if exhaling into Maeve’s shoulder.
Her stomach tightened.
But before she could react, another post popped up.
A video.
Celine clicked on it, and the scene unfolded.
Maeve, hugging Arianne, whispering something close to her ear.
Arianne nodding, lips curving slightly, her posture relaxing into the hug.
Celine clenched her jaw.
The video wasn’t even long, but it hit her somewhere deep.
Arianne had barely spoken to her since the premiere. Every message felt like it was being held at arm’s length.
But here she was—easing into Maeve’s touch.
A bitter taste filled her mouth.
Celine knew she had no right to be jealous. Maeve was Arianne’s friend. They were in the same group, they had been through so much together.
But still…
The warmth in that hug—the warmth Celine had been craving— was given to someone else.
She closed her eyes and exhaled sharply.
"Focus, Celine. You have a meeting."
Celine walked into the building, her fingers still scrolling through her phone.
She stared at the photos and videos again—Arianne and Maeve.
Yeah, she was jealous. But she wasn’t going to admit it outright.
Instead, she smirked to herself, flipping her phone shut.
"Tss. Sakin pa rin uuwi yan."
No matter what, Arianne was hers.
But just as she was about to pocket her phone, a familiar voice rang through the air.
"Celine!"
She turned her head toward the sound.
Mavis.
And with her? Lumina.
Celine’s heartbeat stuttered for a second.
She hadn’t expected to run into them here.
Mavis was waving at her with a bright smile, looking effortlessly cheerful despite the busy schedule.
"May meeting ka today?" Mavis asked casually as they approached.
Celine gave a small nod. "Yeah."
But she wasn’t really looking at Mavis.
Her gaze had already drifted to Arianne.
Arianne, who was standing quietly beside Sasha and Maeve.
Their eyes met for a split second.
And in that moment, Celine saw it—the hesitation in Arianne’s eyes, the way she quickly looked away.
Before Celine could say anything, Lumina started moving past her, heading toward their own dressing rooms.
Mavis waved at her one last time before following them inside.
Celine sighed, shoving her hands in her pockets.
She was supposed to go straight to her manager’s meeting room.
But her feet?
They had other plans.
Arianne walked toward her dressing room, ready to finally have a moment to breathe.
But just as she reached for the door—
A hand stopped it from closing.
Arianne froze.
Before she could react, Celine slipped inside.
She shut the door behind her with purpose, locking them inside.
Arianne tensed. "What are you doing here?"
Celine didn’t answer.
Instead, she stepped closer—too close—and without another word, she wrapped her arms tightly around Arianne.
Arianne stiffened.
Her first instinct was to push her away.
She even tried—placing her hands on Celine’s shoulders.
But Celine just tightened her grip, resting her chin on Arianne’s shoulder.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"Mahal, I just want to be here with you. Hindi kita kayang tiisin."
Arianne swallowed.
Her heart was pounding.
She wanted to stay mad. Wanted to keep her distance.
But this?
This was Celine.
And Celine knew exactly how to break through her walls.
Arianne exhaled shakily, whispering, "Celine, baka may makakita."
But Celine didn’t budge.
"Edi may makakita," she murmured stubbornly, her arms still locked around Arianne.
A pause.
Then, her voice turned slightly sharp.
"Gusto mo ba si Maeve makita nilang nakayakap sayo?"
Arianne’s breath hitched.
She immediately pulled away, breaking the hug.
"Jealous."
Celine pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.
She narrowed her eyes at Arianne, pretending to sulk.
"Pwede mo naman sabihin na kasama mo si Maeve kagabi, para hindi na ako mag-alala."
Arianne sighed, rubbing her temple.
Arianne sighed, rubbing her temple.
"Celine, kasama ko ang Lumina. Hindi lang si Maeve."
Celine stared at Arianne, her arms still crossed over her chest.
Her lips were pressed into a firm pout, her eyes narrowed in frustration.
"Why did you let her hug you?"
Arianne let out a slow breath, already anticipating where this conversation was going.
"Celine, hindi ko naman siya tinawag para yakapin ako." Her voice was steady, but there was an edge to it—tired, restrained. "Maeve was the one who hugged me. I didn’t push her away because…" She hesitated for a second, then exhaled. "…because she’s my friend."
Celine scoffed.
"Tss. Basta ako, ayoko."
Arianne gave her a look. "What do you mean ‘ayoko’?"
"Ayoko lang. Hindi ko gusto."
She was still sulking, her lips slightly pursed, her brows furrowed like a stubborn child refusing to accept an answer.
Arianne sighed, crossing her arms as well.
She was about to let it slide—but then she remembered.
They were still not okay.
And Celine was acting like she was the only one hurt here.
Arianne’s gaze sharpened.
"May kasalanan kapa sakin kala mo ha?"
Celine blinked, caught off guard. "Ha?"
"I’m still mad" Arianne’s voice was calm, but there was something heavy underneath it. "You didn’t even tell me that you drove Mavis home that night."
Celine’s lips parted slightly, stunned at the sudden shift in conversation.
She opened her mouth, but Arianne cut her off before she could speak.
"You knew we were already fighting." Arianne’s voice was quieter now, but the weight behind it was even heavier. "You knew I was upset. Tapos ganyan ka pa?"
Celine felt it.
The guilt.
Like a sharp sting to her chest.
Her fingers twitched slightly before she finally lowered her arms.
For the first time in this conversation, her confidence wavered.
"Mahal…" She took a deep breath, stepping closer again. "I wasn’t hiding it from you."
Arianne didn’t react, waiting for her to continue.
Celine hesitated, then reached for her hands—but Arianne didn’t hold hers back.
That hurt more than Celine expected.
Still, she pressed on.
"I didn’t know what to do that time, Arianne." Her voice was softer now, the frustration replaced by something more vulnerable. "I was the only one who wasn’t drunk. And I just—I just drove Mavis home because that was the responsible thing to do."
Arianne’s lips pressed into a tight line, but she didn’t interrupt.
Celine took it as a chance to explain further.
"Kapag may nangyari sa kanya that night, ako rin ang madadamay." She sighed, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment before opening them again. "I wasn’t thinking about anything else. Just… making sure nothing bad happened."
Arianne finally looked up, her expression softer than before—but still guarded.
"Then why didn’t you tell me?"
Celine’s throat felt dry.
She wanted to say something—anything—to make it right.
But all she could do was step even closer.
And hug her again.
This time, her arms were not demanding.
Not stubborn.
Just gentle.
Celine rested her chin on Arianne’s shoulder, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I’m sorry."
Arianne didn’t hug her back right away.
For a few seconds, she just stood there.
But then—slowly—her hands found their way to Celine’s back.
Not pulling her closer.
But not pushing her away either.
Arianne sighed against her shoulder.
"Hindi ko lang gusto na natututo ka na ring hindi magsabi sa akin."
Celine closed her eyes, guilt tightening in her chest.
"Hindi ko na uulitin."
Arianne didn’t answer.
But her hold on Celine tightened just a little.
Celine felt Arianne’s hold on her loosen, but she still clung to her like a stubborn child refusing to let go.
Arianne sighed, gently patting Celine’s back before stepping away.
“Now go to your meeting. We can talk again later.”
Celine blinked at her, her lips slowly curling into a smile.
She suddenly felt recharged. Like all the energy drained from her earlier had returned tenfold.
“So… sakin ka na ulit matutulog?” she asked, her tone teasing but hopeful.
Arianne stiffened.
She felt it immediately.
That tiny flutter in her stomach.
She ignored it. She had to ignore it.
Instead, she crossed her arms, keeping her expression neutral. “Celine—”
“Please?”
Arianne sucked in a breath.
Celine was pouting again.
That stupidly natural charm of hers.
Arianne hated how it always worked.
She turned her head slightly, looking anywhere but at Celine’s face. “Basta, puntahan mo na yung meeting mo.”
Celine grinned.
That wasn’t a no.
Which meant it was a yes.
Her confidence soared.
She tilted her head, smirking. “Fine, pero may isang condition.”
Arianne raised a brow. “Ano na naman?”
“Kiss muna.”
Arianne froze.
Then, in an instant, her face heated up.
“No.” she answered immediately, stepping back. “May makakakita.”
Celine rolled her eyes. “Tayong dalawa lang dito.”
Arianne turned away. “Celine—”
Celine took a step forward. “Mahal, dali na—”
Arianne took a step back.
Celine’s grin widened.
Arianne’s eyes narrowed.
“Celine. No.”
“Celine. Yes.”
Arianne let out a sharp breath and turned on her heel.
And that’s when Celine lunged.
“Ayan na!”
Arianne dodged.
Celine giggled.
And just like that—they became two kids in a game of tag.
Celine chased, her arms outstretched, fingers reaching for Arianne’s face.
Arianne weaved through the room, dodging her like her life depended on it.
“Celine, tama na!”
“Isang kiss lang!”
“Hindi nga pwede!”
“Sabi mo kanina, ayaw mong natututo akong hindi magsabi sayo.” Celine teased, laughing as she cornered Arianne.
“Edi ngayon, oh, sinasabi ko gusto ko”
Arianne narrowed her eyes. “Ang layo ng logic mo.”
Celine shrugged, grinning. “Di mo ako matatakasan, love.”
Arianne tried one last time to escape, but Celine was too fast.
In one swift movement—Celine grabbed Arianne’s wrist, pulling her back toward her.
Arianne yelped.
And just as Celine leaned in—
The door swung open.
“Oh!”
Arianne snapped.
PUSH!
Celine barely had time to react before Arianne’s palm shoved her face away.
“Ouch!” Celine stumbled, her eyes wide with betrayal. “Arianne?!”
Arianne’s heart was racing.
She turned to the door so fast, she almost got whiplash.
Two staff members stood there, their expressions confused.
And standing in the middle of them—
Mavis.
Arianne acted fast.
She straightened her posture, crossing her arms as if nothing happened.
Her face was cool, composed, professional.
"So, as I was saying, the next mall show for you and Mavis will be important for the promotion."
Celine blinked.
Her mouth parted slightly.
Then, she realized what Arianne was doing.
Her lips twitched.
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.
“Uh, yeah.” She quickly fixed her expression, nodding seriously. “Right. The mall show. Very important.”
Mavis glanced between the two of them, her brows furrowed slightly.
"...Am I interrupting something?"
"Nope." Arianne said instantly.
Celine pouted, still rubbing her cheek. "Actually, yes—"
Arianne stepped on her foot.
Celine yelped.
Arianne gave her a pointed look.
Celine grumbled but sighed.
“Fine. Wala."
Mavis raised a brow, still suspicious.
But she shrugged.
"Alright, well… I just came to say that our coach is looking for you, Arianne”
Arianne nodded. "Got it."
Mavis gave Celine a small smile before walking off with the staff.
The moment the door shut—
Celine turned to Arianne with a glare.
"Talaga? Face-push?"
Arianne rolled her eyes.
"Aba, gusto mo ng kiss tapos gusto mo rin mahuli tayo? Ano, gusto mo isama ko pa si Mavis para may audience tayo?"
Celine’s nose scrunched up. "Yuck. No. I only want a private audience with you, mahal."
Arianne felt the heat return to her face.
She groaned, turning away.
"Punta ka na sa meeting mo, Celine."
Celine grinned.
"Fine. But later—you owe me that kiss."
Arianne didn’t answer.
But the tiny smirk on her lips said enough.